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Golf is a game you can play your entire life. With that much time to practice, it only makes sense that you should get progressively better. After all, practice makes perfect, right? Wrong - only perfect practice makes perfect. So, when do you need to take a lesson? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Do you slice?

• Do you struggle with one aspect of the game?

• Do your scores not seem to be getting any lower?

• Do you take advice from friends with equal or lesser ability?

• Are you more frustrated after practicing at the range than when you started practicing?

If any of these questions pertain to you, then you need to take a lesson. First off, a slice is a weak shot. It does not go far. It is not solid. And it does not hold up in the wind. The only time that you should play a slice is when you can already play a hook. After all, the best players in the world have fought a hook at some time in their career. If you struggle with a certain aspect of the game, you need to turn your weakness into your strength. That way, all aspects of your game can be well-rounded by improving in all areas. It doesn't make sense to practice what you are already best at.

We want to lower our scores, and in doing so, why would you listen to someone who can't beat you? Seek qualified advice. Often times I see friends helping each other out with their swings, which is great, but I never understood why a person wouldn't seek the best advice possible. What I usually hear is one person telling the other about what he is working on in his own swing or what he doesn't like about the other's swing. Never anything that would have an immediate impact and improvement on the other's game.

Golf is a game designed for your enjoyment but most people only become mad and enraged after a casual round. Taking a lesson from a qualified teacher does a few things for you. It allows you to have another pair of eyes to help dissect your swing. It allows you to have your questions answered by a professional. Most importantly, it gives you something to work on when you are practicing so that you are practicing with a purpose and not just out exercising or trying new things that will make you worse.

Most people have had bad experiences with a lesson somewhere in their history. They were told that had to get worse before that could get better. This simply is not true. That is only a cop-out when the instructor is out of guesses. When I go to the doctor I don't want him to say I have to get worse before I get better. I want to improve now. The best players in the world get help with their swings, so why shouldn't you?

So how do you go about finding a good teacher? Ask around. Look for someone who teaches a lot, not the guy behind the counter working part-time. Talk to instructors, find out what their theories are. Watch them give a lesson. Look at their attitudes, personalities and demeanors. Talk to their students. And do not be afraid to ask questions during your lesson. If the instructor can't tell you reasons why you are about to make the changes you are going to make, then he or she is only guessing and hoping for results.

After all, you want to trust what the instructor is telling you. You have to have a plan. What is it you are trying to fix? Your swing? Ball flight? Make your weaknesses your strengths. Stay committed and stay patient. Give the instructor a chance - he or she is only as good as what you pour into your practice and how well you stick to your plan. Just as you can only be as good as the information you are getting. Schedule a follow-up lesson so you can have a check-up. This is important because it allows you to know if you need to continue to work on the correction or if you are over-doing it.

Mark Moore, Head Instructor
Hank Haney Golf Center at Cityplace
Dallas, Texas
(214) 244-7039
mmgpro@aol.com