A recent poll by Australian Golf Digest asked readers if they wish they’d had lessons with a PGA Professional when starting out in the game.

Some 92 per cent answered in the affirmative and, although I didn’t lodge my vote, I certainly consider myself among them.

And I can’t say I hadn’t been warned.

When my father retired a decade ago, he filled part of his suddenly empty schedule with lessons at his home club in Coffs Harbour.

“Should have done it years ago!” he declared. “I’ve been doing it wrong for more than 30 years.”

I recently celebrated my 46th trip round the sun and pondered whether to use some of my birthday money for a new driver or a new putter (my two most temperamental clubs on an alternating basis).

And then it hit me. I’d spend my money on something I truly needed: a lesson.

Throughout my time in the game, I have been exposed to countless tips, conversed with coaches and played with Professionals.

During a Covid-19 lockdown Jason Laws kindly conducted lessons with me via Skillest; an interview with Bradley Hughes morphed into a new swing thought that had immediate if not lasting success; and a 30-minute chipping lesson with former top-50 player in the world Michael Sim delivered an instant three-shot per round improvement.

But until recently, I’d never submitted my swing to the full examination of a PGA Professional.

Part of it was fear. A large part was embarrassment at a swing I was aware didn’t match what’s on the packet of the PGA Tour. Part of it was the misconception that embarking on lessons would, for a time, render an average swing virtually unusable in a public setting.

Yet after just one – admittedly intensive – hour with Todd Sleep at his golf academy at The Glades on the Gold Coast, I could feel my flat, rounded heave evolving into something resembling an actual golf swing.

I could feel genuine compression as club met ball; my stock standard slinging draw showing signs of straightening into a fade that landed oh so softly.

Time. Money. Fear. Embarrassment. These are all excuses we trot out to convince ourselves we don’t need coaching.

Instead, here are seven reasons why we should.

1. It’s fundamental

The cornerstones to any efficient golf swing are your grip, stance and posture. Get these fundamentals established and you give yourself the best chance of making solid contact on a consistent basis. Club golfers can struggle for their entire golf life blissfully unaware that the most basic tenets of their swing have been out of whack from the get-go. If they need adjusting, this is where your PGA Professional will begin your journey to better golf. “The thing that I hear most often from clients is that they had no idea that small changes would make such a big difference,” says Sienna Voglis, PGA Professional and Club Manager at cluBarham Golf and Sports Club on the Murray River.

2. A swing for every body

PGA Professionals will have their own basis for what they believe constitutes a good golf swing, but they all understand that a person’s physical characteristics will determine what’s actually possible. Watching YouTube videos or trying to replicate Rory McIlroy’s swing in the mirror will only work if you are built like Rory with the same range of motion. (Quick hint: You’re not.) In my first lesson, Todd showed a comparison between my swing and Adam Scott’s, primarily to highlight the fact that his physical abilities allow him to move the golf club in a way that very few on the planet can. PGA Professionals aren’t trained to impart a particular golf swing but to help uncover the best swing for you.

3. Equipped to succeed

Whether we blindly buy off the rack or – God forbid – purchase clubs online, almost every golfer has been guilty of buying equipment ill-suited to their actual swing. By engaging with a PGA Professional, not only will you be guided in how to swing your clubs better but you have at hand a trusted source of information when it comes to equipment purchases. PGA Professionals can make adjustments to your existing set to help maximise what the ball does off the clubface and – when they time comes – custom-fit the clubs that can take your game to a new level. In a single example of the difference a fitting can make, Paul Jenner from PureForm Golf in Sydney cites a 20-metre gain in driver distance and improved accuracy, 23m more carry with the irons and an increase of ball speed from 118.6 mph to 131.4 mph. “Shaft is the most important component for the timing of your strike,” explains Jenner, a PGA Professional who is the Managing Director of PureForm Golf. “There are many different types of shaft profiles, weights and flexes that match different swing types, swing speeds and swing tempos. Matching these correctly using the latest technology will improve your timing/strike of the ball along with maximising your ball speed. The head is more about dialling in the launch, spin and dispersion; different heads in different brands in different models will produce different launch and spin conditions. Using Trackman, you can create the ideal launch, spin, height and landing angle for each golfer.” Don’t buy a suit off the rack and hope that it fits; see a PGA Professional and get your clubs custom-built to your exact specifications.

4. Knowledge is power

A confession: I tried to self-solve my so-flat-it-was-almost-horizontal swing, and I thought I was making progress. That was until Todd pointed out that what I thought was the solution – keeping my hands out in front of my body on the backswing – was actually making my right-to-left ball flight tendency even worse. Almost 20 years of reading tips and tricks will do that to you. Not only was Todd able to break down what I was doing wrong so that I could understand it, he imparted his knowledge on what we needed to do to actually correct it. In time, that understanding will allow me to self-correct should the swing mis-fire mid-round.

5. A path to progression

A weight-loss program does not consist of a single session at the gym. You have a regular doctor you trust with your health and a mechanic to keep your car running. If you are going to invest time and money into a pastime, why would you not use a service that will make that precious leisure time so much more enjoyable? Jack MacLeod at X-Golf Mentone in Melbourne markets himself not as a golf coach as such but as a golf trainer, someone to help golfers get a little more golf-fit every time they see him. “In a modern golf lesson, everything is measured,” explains MacLeod. “We are able to show them their initial starting point – whether that be a distance or club dynamic – and then display the improvement in our session. “We then go about setting short and long-term goals. This keeps a player focused on the process to achieve the desired result.” Imagine how much better you’ll be in 10 years’ time if you start getting lessons today.

6. Partner envy

Every regular golf group around Australia has that one person who is the sweet-swinger of the foursome. The one whose swing makes playing partners swoon, whose shots are often met with comments such as, “Nice swing”, “Pure” or “Good contact.” Now imagine that person in your group is you. Regular sessions with a PGA Professional will not only produce a more energy-efficient swing but it will look good too. And knowing you look good swinging a golf club is only going to help quiet those first-tee nerves.

7. Getting better is good for you

Whatever your interest, improving a chosen skill can be a great way to keep your brain healthy as you age. A report released last year by the Harvard Medical School specifically referenced golfers working towards lowering their handicap as having a positive impact on concentration and memory recall. “You don’t have the challenge of learning something new, but rather the challenge of increasing your skill set and knowledge,” said Dr John N. Morris, director of social and health policy research at the Harvard-affiliated Institute for Aging Research, in reference to golfers’ search for improvement. “It is the constant repetition of working to improve, and not the quest for mastery, that can have the greatest impact.” So have a lesson with a PGA Professional; your brain will thank you for it.

To find your nearest PGA Professional and tee up a lesson this Christmas, click HERE