WHAT you read today is possibly more important than any bit of golf swing advice or theory you will ever receive.

Over the years, I have talked about the player finding the right coach who can communicate simple instruction that works for him or her.

I have talked about the importance of really listening to the coach and putting aside your own notions and giving 100 per cent to your half of this working partnership.

The next thing I need to tell you is this. Never book a lesson if you have an important golf tournament to play in the near future. When you make changes it takes time to build trust into those adjustments.

On the practice range that trust can take place reasonably quickly as there are no hazards, no spectators and no score to post. Coupled to that you have a basket of golf balls so if you hit one poorly, just get another one.

The golf course is the theatre of pressure. For some people this is even the case first thing in the morning, playing on their own when no one is around except for the green keepers.

Standing there with one ball, a hazardous tree lined fairway and one chance, requires a bucket load of trust in your technique.

Having a lesson – half an hour practice in your lunch break the next day – and then stepping up to the tee in competition two days later is guaranteed to get you second guessing what you achieved with your coach three days earlier when your familiar bad shot re-appears.

It ruins your confidence, wrongfully undermines your trust in the coach, wastes your money on the lesson in the first place and worst scenario of all, it takes you one step nearer to the dreaded "Carousel of Quack Theory" where everyone onboard fills their heads with quick fix-its and in time goes barking mad.

The only exception I would make to mixing lessons and playing important matches soon after is if you are one of the rare, fortunate, breed who has a fantastically healthy perspective in that you see the game bigger than anyone or any event there ever was or will be and there is always another day for glory.

If that is the case, you are already a winner.