Week 3: Even the very best players need lessons

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Even if you have been playing golf since you were old enough to swing a club, a lesson from a professional is always a good idea. Even the greatest players in the world never stop learning about the game. Just about every professional golfer has a coach with whom they work to iron out any issues they are having with their swing. If they think a lesson can help them, wouldn't it be helpful to you as well? Here are some reasons why a lesson is a good idea.

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A proper start -- A pro can create a checklist for you to help you address the ball properly. Is your grip correct? Is the ball at a proper distance from your feet? Is your clubface at the proper angle? Are your feet properly aligned with your target? Many problems in a golfer's game can be corrected by simple adjustments before the ball has even been struck.

Practice does not always make perfect -- If you have a bad habit when you swing a golf club, repeating it consistently will only help that bad habit become more ingrained. A pro can help you identify those habits and work on techniques to help you eliminate them.

You will gain control -- If you have never taken a lesson, you have most likely adapted your style of play to try to hide your foibles. Taking a lesson will teach you the right way to execute each shot. By hitting the ball properly to get the right loft, the right distance and the right backspin, you will learn how to better control the ball on the course, and that means lower scores.

Faster improvement -- If you are lucky, you might stumble into improvement on your own just by playing regularly. But a pro can help you improve faster. You are not the first person they have seen with a problem slicing the ball or who cannot hit out of the sand trap. By recognizing what you are doing wrong, a pro can help find the physical and mental way to correct it quickly. Diagnosing the problem is always the first step towards correcting it.

You will improve off the course -- A pro can help you maximize your time at the driving range by showing you ways to practice more effectively and efficiently. They have performed drills with students thousands of times. You will benefit from all the mistakes that have been made without having to make them yourself.

See it for yourself -- Technology now allows most pros to easily record your swing and play it back for you on a computer. By being able to watch yourself, you can be a bit more objective on what you are actually doing while swinging the club. Having some reference will also help you see the improvement in your swing from lesson to lesson. If you do not believe your teacher, you will be able to see the improvement for yourself.

A professional can help you improve your game very quickly, but chronic knee pain will help your game deteriorate just as fast. If knee pain is preventing you from performing at your best, you might be suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Various treatments for OA do exist, such as ORTHOVISC®, which provides up to six months of knee pain relief. Made from ultra-pure natural hyaluronan, which is found in healthy joints, ORTHOVISC® is injected into the knee joint where it acts to replace your natural joint fluid, to help cushion, protect, and lubricate your knee.

ORTHOVISC® is a proud sponsor of PGATOUR.com. Talk to your doctor to see if ORTHOVISC® is right for you. Or visit our Web site at www.orthovisc.com for more information on how to maintain your knee health to help you keep playing the game you love.

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-date information on maintaining joint health and the prevention/treatment of knee pain due to sports-related injuries or the early symptoms of osteoarthritis.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

ORTHOVISC® is indicated in the treatment of pain in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conservative nonpharmacologic therapy and to simple analgesics, e.g., acetaminophen. In clinical studies, the most commonly reported adverse events were arthralgia, back pain and headache. Other side effects include local injection site adverse events.

ORTHOVISC® is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to hyaluronate formulation or known hypersensitivity (allergy) to gram positive bacterial proteins. ORTHOVISC should not be injected in patients with infections or skin diseases in the areas of the injection site or joint. Strict aseptic technique should be used. The effectiveness of more than 1 course has not been established.

ORTHOVISC® is a proud sponsor of PGATOUR.com. Talk to your doctor to see if ORTHOVISC® is right for you. Or visit our Web site at www.orthovisc.com for more information on how to maintain your knee health to help you keep playing the game you love.

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-date information on maintaining joint health and the prevention/treatment of knee pain due to sports-related injuries or the early symptoms of osteoarthritis.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

ORTHOVISC® is indicated in the treatment of pain in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conservative nonpharmacologic therapy and to simple analgesics, e.g., acetaminophen. In clinical studies, the most commonly reported adverse events were arthralgia, back pain and headache. Other side effects include local injection site adverse events.

ORTHOVISC® is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to hyaluronate formulation or known hypersensitivity (allergy) to gram positive bacterial proteins. ORTHOVISC should not be injected in patients with infections or skin diseases in the areas of the injection site or joint. Strict aseptic technique should be used. The effectiveness of more than 1 course has not been established.

This is a paid placement by DePuy Mitek, Inc. The opinions expressed above are those of DePuy Mitek, Inc. and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the PGA TOUR.