I had a lesson today and I was talking to my pro about how I cannot stop the slice with my driver....sometimes my over compensation leads to a big hook.....yet my other clubs seem ok. We had a real good look at my swing and he was happy that I'm taking on his advice and my swing look 'ok'.....certainly nothing that should produce the huge slice I was getting. He had a look at my club and found what looks like a slight crack in my shaft - anyway on with the lesson.

We got talking about next years membership and he asked if I was planning to stay with the club next year from march onwards? ......I had already made the decision that I would be but I didn't tell him that.....so I talked about looking at some of the other clubs in the area to see whats around (in my area all the clubs are nearly the same price). He told me about how they are in the process of adding more holes to make it a 27 hole course.......and then he said that if I stay he can give me any club that is in his sales bin with a choice of shafts to replace my broken one.....

After an hour and a half trying head and shaft combos I ended up with a Callaway FT-IQ with Aldila NV 65 shaft...At first I really didn't think I wanted this club as it is uneasy on the eye, but it was the longest out of all that I tried and was dead straight more often than not....so who am I to argue with that?

A good deal I reckon! I guess that they think that keeping hold of the membership in the current climate could prove difficult

Lewis, when are you going to realise that this teacher of yours is not doing his job. One should see an improvement during and after a lesson. I would cure your slice in less than ten minutes and you would then know how to prevent it from ever happening again.

Beware a club that goes from 18 to 27 holes as that makes life difficult  and frustrating, because it then gives three different course but you will find after playing nine holes that there is every possiblility that another group is on the tee of the 10th but is the first hole for them and you are then forced to wait, have your momentum destroyed and probably a very slow back nine for you.

Regarding your new FT-IQ, I hope that it is what you are looking for, only time will tell.

John.....

NOT TILL AFTER THE N v S 

Sorry, David, but Lewis is spending a lot of money with very little progress, if any, it seems.

I know John.

But half an hour spent with your tuition, is worth 10 hours with a club pro.

It's doubtful you would meet Lewis, before the N v S anyway.

And another thing..Are you coming to Woodbury in March?

John,David,

Thankyou for your concern. I plan to have that 10 mins with John at the earliest opportunity.My office is down in Reading so I 'should' be able to meet up before the N'v'S.

With regards my progression I would say that I am improving after every lesson on what I worked on, and considering I only swung a club for the first time in late sept.....I'm learning at a good rate.

Also for the 1.5 hours over two lessons I've had to rid me of my out to in swing have been excellent so far. I certainly have seen improvement. I'm in no rush to try and fix everything all at once. The snow is what has halted things recently.

I had 5x45min lessons (£50 total) at Fulford back in sept/oct and these were at a basic level of most things as I'd never even been round a course! I then booked this current set of 5 lessons (£100) to purely get my swing sorted, and I know it will. I feel I'll be better armed to go forward for these lessons at the start of my hobby????

Let's be fair £150 is not alot for 10x45min lessons is it if it means I start off on the right foot?

With regards my club going to 27 holes - I must admit I had not thought of the downsides to it.....but I can see where you are coming from John, definatly something to bear in mind.

The Callaway club cost me NOTHING.....I was staying at my current club anyway as it is down the road from me and is only second to Pannal Golf Club (very expensive.....even if you can get in) in my area, although my club has by far the best practice facilities. My current driver was broken and he used the new one it as a sweetner (sp?), it saved me a couple of hundred pounds. Even if I never use it again....I have not lost anything.....but on first use I was straight and the longest I've ever been.

 I really do appreciate all the help you guys have given me.....it's why I hang around - and I look forward to meeting up with you all.

Woodbury, David. Not yet thought about it because of the snow and wet weather, without buggies I could not play and at the moment they are not on anywhere, hence no golf for me.

Lewis I know £150 is not bad for 10x45 minute lessons but after all you still have a slice so it sounds very expensive to me.

I have only played for just over a year and did things the wrong way really. Played lots of golf badly for a year getting into lots of bad habits then started lessons recently and within 2 lessons my slice was gone. You had no bad habits to begin with and still have a slice sounds real bad to me I thinkgoing to see John would be a real good idea.

I'm not saying in those 2 lessons I've become a great golfer and my ball striking is still inconsistant beacuse of weight distribution but it should take no more 1 or 2 lessons for a new golfer to lose a slice.

As I said.....all my other clubs are fine....my driver was giving me a slice - and it turned out that my shaft had a crack in it !!!!!  I thought that was clear....sorry if it wasn't

My post was about the sign of the times......re: the membership levels and what clubs are doing to maintain numbers or small increases

I think we have come to the point where there are just too many courses and not enough players willing to commit to life as a club member. The pay and play courses are commercial concerns and money is the name of the game.

True enough John but thanks to these money grabbers I can play tomorrow as my considerate course is closed!

Only wish I could join you all. Have a great day.

courses in my area will still be closed for a few days yet because of the snow-melt......so if you can get out.....slice one for me...!

With great pleasure Lewis.

 I cant wait, I've been like a kid all night watching the Jo-berg open, Back and forth practising outside. Its like Xmas......

I'M SOOOOO GLAD I'm out playing tomorrow................

Sorry!!