My friend corrects every golf swing. How do I keep a round together from becoming a lesson?
SportsBefore my third shot, my friend said, "Stop. You're doing it again." I stepped away from the ball, listened to another explanation, and started over. A few holes later, I was waiting for his verdict before I even swung.
I'm new to golf. He helped me get started, and I was glad of it. For this nine-hole round, though, I paid $45 because I wanted an afternoon out with him. I said that at breakfast. He heard it as a chance to help me improve while we played.
I asked if we could save the advice until afterwards. He said, "I'm trying to stop you wasting shots. You asked me to teach you." I did ask him for help several weeks ago, so I can see why the boundary wasn't obvious. I also suspect it's frustrating for him to watch me repeat a mistake he's already explained.
I don't want to shut him down rudely or pretend I no longer value his help. But I'm enjoying the round less because every turn feels assessed. What words would let me appreciate the earlier teaching and set a different arrangement today? Is agreeing to one tip per hole a sensible compromise, or would that keep the lesson going when I actually want to play?