Lessons or Fitting First?

Hey Golfers! My name is Michael Midgette and I am a PGA Class A Instructor, Certified in Teaching & Coaching and currently your Director of Instruction & PGA Professional on staff with Custom Fit Golf at Park Ridge Golf Course. 

I often get a question that is very important when it comes to lessons and club fitting. "What should I do first? Get fit or take a lesson?"

My simple answer is this. If you struggle to find consistent contact (whether this be typically center, toe, or heel), take lessons first. Then it's time to go get a set that's right for you once you feel you can make somewhat of a repeatable swing that will help your fitter determine your specifications.

To elaborate, if you're not finding any area of the face consistently, your fitter is going to struggle a little bit to find the proper length & lie angle that is right for you when you are swinging well. The last thing you want to happen is to hit what feels like a well struck golf shot, only to end up off line, turning one way or another. This can happen with a lie angle that is too flat or upright. Secondly, the length of the club can determine whether you're hitting it fat, thin, on the heel, or the toe, too. 

This also leads to the question, "well, if I go to a lesson with a set that is wrong for me, wouldn't that make it difficult for the instructor to help me improve?" Absolutely not. You can improve your swing any which way you'd like, a lesson being the most effective. If you have the right instructor, or a good one, they should be able to get you to hit the ball well enough to where the contact on the face is consistent, or trending on a consistent area on the face. 

If the ball is coming off the center, and still traveling off line, this is where a fitting would help. The lie angle is probably off, leading to either the heel digging (turning the face over) or the toe digging (leaving the face open). Now, if you're making what feels like solid contact (ball first), and the ball is trending towards the heel or the toe, this is most likely a shaft length issue.

If you feel you need a lesson first, we have plenty of professionals on staff at Park Ridge, Okeeheelee, & John Prince Learning Center to help you. If you feel you are ready for a fitting, we also have more than enough technology and golf clubs to choose from to help get you in the set you need!

**If you would like, the option of an online swing analysis is available HERE**

For any questions, feel free to contact me at mikey_golf@yahoo.com or visit my website at www.mikey.golf. You can also leave a comment below and one of our staff members will respond.