A sound purchase

Today is a good day. My investment is maturing in a similar fashion to a platinum bond. You'll be surprised to hear that I am not referring to a club, a training aid or even a series of books. Over the past 18 months I have been making regular deposits into the golf lesson bank and I feel that after much heartache and on course humiliation I am starting to see the signs of a return on that outlay.

Patience has been key and over the past few months I feel mine has increased. A positive byproduct has been lowered expectations. I've just enjoyed my golf for a bit and accepted that I won't find a swing overnight.

One of the biggest challenges with starting off and committing to a ongoing series of lessons is that you never get an opportunity to settle. Every lesson brings with it one or two adjustments and after time you have a tendency to slip back into old habits that you mistakenly believed you had already remedied. It also causes problems on course as you learn to adapt to the latest series of changes.

At first I used to timetable my lessons in once every four weeks. More recently I have bucked this trend waiting until I have resolved the problems that I addressed with my pro last time out. I wanted a sound foundation on which to build and think that I am nearing that goal. My bad shot (with my irons at least) is no longer a card wrecker. I have much more control over the ball, especially from the tee with an iron in hand. I also have more confidence in my shot making, though I am not sure if this is the 'chicken' or the 'egg'.

Now I feel that I am beginning to enter the second phase of learning thsi great game: personalisation. The short game is a great place to start. I have read and tried umpteen tips for technique and ball position for chipping, pitching, bunker play, putting etc.

How I now set up to chip following the back foot disaster

I now believe I have found the methods best suited to my individual game and my chipping practice today was a real eye opener. Finally, after much experimentation, I have decided I get a much more consistent strike if I set up like this picture. I've also got to make sure I keep my head down after connection!

Moving forward I have got a lesson on Saturday, which I am really looking forward to and will probably complete this block of six in February. After that I'll be looking for a playing lesson (finances permitting) at Easter and then a little break from tutelage to just enjoy the game over the summer months. The best attribute my pro has bestowed on me is my understanding of my golf swing. I now have a much better understanding of what I have done wrong when I hit a bad shot.

There are many out there who have achieved low handicaps without lessons and I applaud those individuals. I know that I could never have accomplished such a feat. I've been really frustrated at times at my lack of progress but my iron play is now becoming the cornerstone of my game. I guess all those months of hitting mid and long irons off the tee are finally paying off! The key development being that my pre shot routine and set up for my irons is much more consistent. I think I have now got a regular approach to my chips as well, so it is just those pesky long clubs (hybrid and woods) where I remain clueless.

It's been so long since I've played a normal round of golf that i's impossible to tell whether these are accurate reflections. Only time will tell but for now I'm sold on lessons being an important component in boosting my ability to play this joyous and unforgiving sport.