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There's actually a whole book sort of about this: Commander in Cheat. Rick Reilly lays out all of the massively pathetic ways that Trump cheats at golf just to inflate his image. I wouldn't be surprised if hosts a private golf tournament at Doral after all this booing just to rally his ego.
Rick Reilly wrote a book about this earlier this year - Commander in Cheat - and it's hilarious and exactly what you'd expect. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316528080/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_LXwLDb43VQ2FW
“The caddies got so used to seeing him kick his ball back onto the fairway they came up with a nickname for him: ‘Pele.’” Basically endless anecdotes about him cheating, winning seniors tournaments he was too young to be in but then claiming he won the pro tournament.
I saw this book recommended on here and it's a pretty easy read which has done wonders for my mental state during a round.
I think the only way it could be a mistake is if A: you realize later you don't enjoy trying to get good at pool and B: the amount of money you spent really stings.
For me, trying to get good and diving deeper into pool was really enjoyable. It's fun to just hit balls around but it's really fun being GOOD at the game, and knowing that if you have a random room full of people you can probably beat all of them.
Your choice of table is great. Not only is Diamond a popular standard for tournaments, it's cheaper (brand new) than the other big name brand, Brunswick. But it's just as good, many would argue better. It's got more methods built in to level it, making it easier to set up for flawless play.
The pockets are tighter than the average Brunswick and certainly tighter than a Valley, and when I was still learning, I thought Diamonds were scary. But over time I realized they're not THAT much tighter than a typical pool room Brunswick, and you mostly just need to adjust to the lively rails.
I think you'll enjoy it. I dunno where your skill is at but spend a few bucks on the 99 Critical Shots and practice the shots on your new table. Be a good way to get used to it and learn something.
Avoid trying to copy someone else's swing and get the lessons.
For now, pick up Ben Hogan's Five Lessons book then read it cover to cover twice. Once through and then a second time trying to do it step by step. It's not long, but it boils down the basic moves really, really well.
Next read Golf is Not a Game of Perfect for the mental side of the game. It helped a lot to learn at least a bit about the mental side of things.
Golf is not a game of perfect
By Dr. Bob Rotella
It's a great book that talks about the mental aspect of the game and how to approach each round. I have it on audiobook and with it only being 90 minutes or so i have listened to it 4 times already. Absolutely love it
https://www.amazon.com/dp/068480364X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_WBMW0ZBP94RHGX1W98G2
Nobody reads anymore :) ...but the single best way you can spend ~$10 or less to learn is this book: The 99 Critical Shots in Pool.
It shows pretty much all the common shots that come up in various games, plus tips on how to control the cue ball to set up for the next shot, which is important to play pool at a decent level.
You can bring the book and work on the shots 1 by 1, in order or not.
Youtube videos are great, but they tend to deliver info kind of slowly, in a way that forces you to sit still for a long time to cover each concept. The book meanwhile has so much good essential info packed into a single place. It's the closest thing I know of to a 'quickstart guide' for pool.
For Friday, do nothing. Sadly, 48 hours is nowhere near enough time to get a consistent swing. Get a lesson, read this book, and work on the swing thoughts form the pro that you work with over time for the next and future golf trips.
Good luck
Pick up the book Ben Hogan's Five Lessons. It will teach you a lot about building a consistent, repeatable golf swing. Grip, stance/posture, backswing, and downswing. Start with a proper grip and keep building off of that.
Here is the book that goes into more details on the SG-by shot breakdown if you want a really deep dive into it. I haven't read it, but is highly regarded among golf coaches. Amazon
I think the 99 Critical Shots is a great way to learn, even if using a book might sound a bit outdated vs. youtube. It's the closest thing pool has to a quickstart guide. You just bring the book to your pool room and practice the shots 1 by 1.
They start you off with the basics (no english) and then go on to cover how to use follow, draw, and then sidespin.
I have some suggestions on what to learn in the right order as well (which more or less match the book's): https://www.reddit.com/r/billiards/comments/c0gh85/what_should_my_natural_progress_look_like/er5f8nb/
You got surprisingly decent fundamentals for just 1 month, can already pocket long shots, and most common cuts. Well, except for that 11 ball, you murdered it set that up and do it a few times :)
At this point you should start on playing position. That's the secret to running out in pool. If you can set up the cue ball so that most of your shots are easy, you can run a whole rack.
There's a great book I always recommend that starts out on the most common position shots. New you should be paying around $10 and used you can get for even cheaper - https://www.amazon.com/99-Critical-Shots-Pool-Everything/dp/0812922417
You can also go through dr dave billiards on youtube, tons of great info there.
Edit: you mentioned something about your knee, you are definately in no position to play golf if your knee is constantly hurting. your knee helps you stay stable on the down swing and gives you power behind your swing. My advice is to really get that checked out, before you end up never able to do any sport ever again!
Coupled with you topping the ball, it is probably because your swing is just all over the place. You may have more than just a few things going wrong.
If you are really reluctant to take some lessons. Try filming your swing, with your phone on a tripod or something. Then read some basic golf instructions like the ben hogan one.
http://www.amazon.com/Five-Lessons-Modern-Fundamentals-Golf/dp/0671612972
This is one of the good books to start, but there are also people who claim it is slightly misleading or outdated, you have to decide for your own with regards to these things.
Start from your grip, then work your way outwards. Try not going for a full swing for awhile, take a small half swing from your 3o'clock to your 9 o'clock and keep your lower body still, but in position. Get the basics here correct, because it is the most important part of the golf swing, the rest of the swing is to get this part correct. After you are sure you got something here, then work on the rest of your back swing, and your lower body.
the half swing might take a few sessions, as there are many things to note in the half swing. Things like, grip, wrist, pivoting of the shoulders, and many more.
This might not be advice teaching pros give you, i don't know. But thats what i did when trying to come back into golf. Theres a thing you must know about golf, that the people you ask advice from are probably just as bad at golf as you and theres a chance they don't know what they are talking about either =p
In short, we are all not qualified to teach golf, less so over the internet, your best bet is still a qualified golf instructor.
Ben Hogans five lessons even if you focus just on the first chapter of grip.you willbuid a foundation and be able to hit the ball.
One of the best books to get started with is "The 99 Critical Shots in Pool", you can find it for around ten bucks or less. It's like a quickstart guide for pool. It takes you through all the really common shots that come up and how to play them and get position for future shots.
You can bring it to the pool room and set up the individual shots. Probably works best starting at the beginning, but you can skip around.
It doesn't focus much on how to stand, hold the cue, etc. which is all important stuff, so for advice on that you'd look at other books. Play Great Pool is like a dense college textbook on fundamentals. And it can help to have a good player just look at how you swing the cue to make sure you're not doing something counterproductive.
It can help to have some sort of plan. Drills gotta scale with your skill level. Most of them will be tough for a 3.
I usually recommend the 99 Critical Shots book if you can stand reading. It's not free but you can find it under ten bucks. They give you shots in a logical progression from easy to more advanced, e.g. you start out with a stop shot or forward roll and work your way up to draw and using sidespin.
If you're more of a video person, Dr. Dave has everything you need, but basically you have a choice between his youtube content (free, but not really organized)... or his pool courses (download/DVD)... not free, but organized carefully to take you from beginner to advanced.
This is my take on what you learn, in the right order. Find videos and drills that match up with these goals. https://www.reddit.com/r/billiards/comments/c0gh85/what_should_my_natural_progress_look_like/er5f8nb/
Look into callaway’s pre-owned program. Also, read this book. https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?adgrpid=123834994503&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqoibBhDUARIsAH2OpWigfVcsorguE9Ug6qKXWokYn_UFZ6KrLpf54lhv6xH8qqRG9Qi_pDMaAkACEALw_wcB&hvadid=535686130255&hvdev=...
Ben Hogan’s 5 Lessons is a must have.
Get some lessons.
Spend 70% of practice time chipping, pitching, and putting.
Enjoy the ride 👍
Pick up a copy of Hogan’s Fundamentals and adhere to it. Especially the chapter on Posture.
The full golf swing accounts for less than half of your strokes. If you're not spending at least half of your time practicing up and downs (note: not just "ups" - literally go putt it out.), holing 6-footers, and practicing getting it on the green from trash lies. You're never going to see any big improvement.
Swing coach helps you step up and hit the ball without thinking. The rest of it is you getting the ball in the hole. Don't make it harder than it needs to be. Figure out where you're losing strokes, and fix it.
Golf's Not a Game of Perfect (book)
If going that far then also need to read Penicks little red book!
Have you read Dave Pelz' Short Game Bible?
If you have 3-4 wedges you can get extremely confident in your pitching game from about 40-ish yards and out depending on your lofts*
While that doesn't solve your question inside ~40 yards it does solve it from outside ~40 yards.
*I had a 64, as he recommends, where I had a stock 1/4 swing 25 yard shot. It was a fun club but more trouble than it's worth in terms of practice time.
Great book, highly recommend.
Depends how you practice and if you're getting good instruction. Just banging balls around or playing games by yourself is not that productive.
Most players can reach a level where they make 3-4 balls in a row without knowing much about position or learning english. They just need to hit a lot of balls over the course of a few years.
The same player that can run 5 balls (if they're laying right, with a little luck) after 2 years of solo practice... could have done it in 1 month with an instructor making sure they have good form, explaining cue ball control, and showing them the right position patterns.
Save hours of your life and get an instructor. Doesn't have to be a professional (though if you can afford one, great). A top league player in your area could help.
If you prefer learning on your own (or not spending money) check some good youtube videos or books. I love this book and it helped me quickly get past beginner status, just bringing it to the pool room and going through the shots alone.
The 99 Critical Shots is the single closest thing I know of to a quickstart guide for pool, and it's good for someone around APA 4/5 level. Bring the book to the pool room sometime when practicing alone, do one of the shots until you have the concept down, move on to the next. You can do them in order or skip around.
If you absorb the info in this book, your knowledge will be as good as (or better than) the average APA7. But of course you need to be able to execute the shots, not just know them :)
Get him this book along with some small gifts including a pack of mint gum (Tell him Tiger always chews gum when he plays).
The book will instantly change his perspective on what it means to play golf good or bad. It is tailored to someone of his skill level.
I would strongly recommend it for your friend! Also, have your friend grab a copy of Ben Hogans book, if they haven't already. There isn't a better way to get better at this game for less than $10.
If you are a science type person, who really wants to dive into the mechanics and technique behind chipping, I highly recommend the The Short Game Bible by Dave Pelz. This book has some fantastic, data driven information that helps a lot of people.