Golf Lesson

I, Keiko, finally decided to take...private golf lessons! Because? My husband said, " You are SO TALENTED at playing golf... Please learn from a lesson pro! I GIVE UP!! I want to know whether somebody on the earth can correct your swing form or not!!!" He was SO KIND...wasn't he??

Before the first lesson day( last Sunday) came, I was a little bit nervous because my hubby said to me repeatedly, " What will you do if the teacher gives up to teach you?" or "I know my colleague who was told by a lesson pro,"Study how to speak in English before learning how to play golf!"" Don't make me scared!!!

However, eventually, the teacher was kind! Coincidentally, he was the same lesson pro whom my Chinese friend recommended to me before. She said, " The teacher is good at teaching, not expensive, and especially, his name is FUNNY!" Yes, his name is MICKY like the Micky Mouse.

My first lesson started! I wasn't supposed to take a driver from the beginning. Micky told me to learn how to use my shoulder first by doing an exercise as in the first picture. Then, he taught me how to use my waist, how to move my weight when I shot without using a driver or another golf club. Finally, he let me hold a driver, and taught what the ideal "top" of the swing was, correcting (bending) my body like the second picture.
My body is STIFF, so it was hard for me to bend...

However, he was actually good at teaching! My grip and top swing form became much better like the third picture than before! I could "shoot" balls constantly 80 yards! That was a big difference! Before that, I just "rolled" a ball! My hubby was also surprised. " A pro is the pro! If somebody will start to play golf, he/she sould learn from a lesson pro first! Today I fugured it out!"

For golf lovers and mostly for myself, I am going to write what I learned from Micky at the first lesson. Caution: I may misunderstand in some parts...
1. Feet: they should be placed approximately a shoulder's length apart.
2. Knees: they should always be unlocked, and can be bent slightly.
3. The upper part of the body: it should slightly lean forward. Don't bend your back.
4. Grip: The left hand should be placed parallel to a club. However, it overlaps the club. The left thumb extends down the shaft to a point. The right thumb should overlap the left thumb casually. The right pinkie is placed between the left forefinger and the left middle finger. The other right fingers should not overlap the left hand. The right hand is never locked.
5. The top of the swing: When I swing backwards, I should hinge (Micky said "hinge," but many golf magazines used "cock.") my wrist. I should swing more until my right arm is placed at an angle of 90 degrees with my back. (My hubby said it is exaggerated...maybe, Micky wants me to have "the sense.") This is very important: at that time, my left arm shouldn't be bent. (That's why I feel muscular clamps now...) Accordingly, there should be a wide space between both arms.
6. The movement: When I swing backward, my weight moves to the right foot naturally. When I shot a ball, my weight should move to the left foot accordingly.
(I tend to curve too much to the back instead of moving forward to the left because of the force of the swing.)

The lesson was good, I am looking forward to having the next lesson! (I am taking five individual course) But, why did I become SO TIRED!? I need enough STAMINA to play 18 holes...