No online quick-fix

OPINION: Most clubs are into their club days again and I hope you have played some golf over the New Year period, writes Anthony Barkley in this week's Golf Pro.

It was a funny year in 2009 and I feel people are only just getting interested in playing again after the inclement weather.

So in 2010 it's time to look to what you want to achieve in golf.

It's tough these days as everyone seems much busier and I can vouch for this with my first daughter born early in December, so it's a balancing act.

As a PGA professional my goal is to help people plan for improvements. Here are some suggestions:

• Work out some sort of plan for yourself. Do you want to improve your handicap or would you rather just be able to go out and hit the ball better? It may be to try to get rid of that slice or hook from your game. Whatever you want to do, write it down.

• Now you know what you want you need to step out a progressive way to do it. WARNING: Don't jump online and start every tip or drill that you see. I often see this and, I emphasise, it doesn't work! Generally people will find something that they think they are doing, work on it, it doesn't work then they find another thing. Often something may work but it will only last for a couple of rounds. There are no shortcuts to improving golf I'm sorry, no secrets, so be careful.

• The next step is to go see an NZPGA golf coach. I don't mind if it's me or another but go and talk with one about what you need to do. We are the experts in this field and face-to-face contact with a coach is by far the easiest way to find out what needs to be changed in your game. Golf is not a part-time infatuation for us, it's our lives, so you need to trust that we can help.

• Stick with what a coach tells you. Swing changes take time so you need to persevere with new positions otherwise you will go right back to old habits. If you don't understand why then you need to question your coach so you understand.

I will continue this next week. Meanwhile, get to your club, start playing and enjoy this great game.

» Anthony Barkley is a New Zealand PGA qualified golf coach based at the Invercargill Golf Club at Otatara.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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