Who would/should you let teach you?

**No1CeltsFan** · July 22, 2010

I have a question about who you would or should let teach you and help you out in your golf game.

I just came back from indoor golf. Honestly, I didn't like it, but that's irrelevant. After the 3rd hole there was a guy hanging in the store who knows the owners. He was watching my swing and came over to me to offer some advice.

Once he came over I switched it over to Driving Range, instead of the course. The Driving range aspect was absolutely phenomonal. I mean having it analyze every single shot and swing was beyond helpful. I mean it truly was impressive.

Anyways back to the guy helping me. I don't know anything about him as a golfer other than he can drive the ball 280-320 every single time and it seems effort less and that he's been playing for 9 years. He is a school teacher regularly, so teaching in general comes easy to him.

He gave me a bunch of tips about driving (ball placement, foot placement, hand placement at start, hand placement at top etc etc) and about iron game.

After it was all said and done the driver is still brutal but that's expected. However, the few tips he gave me about irons were phenomonal. I mean he watched me swing the 8 iron a few times, gave me like 2 adjustments and I couldn't believe the improvements, mainly accuracy and hitting the ball cleanly at a much higher percentage.

My question is should I ask about his handicap or not or anything else or should I not even care about that? I am a complete beginner, but it really came across as extremely knowledgable.

I am tight on money, very tight. He said he enjoys teaching in general, hence being aschool teacher and offered to help me for 35$ + a bucket of balls at the range when we go. Of course I'd love to pay a few hundred for a "pro" but right now it's not possible.

Thanks alot for all of your opinions before hand.

**vmsea** · July 22, 2010

So you and him get along.. plus he gives you free lessons/tips.. why not continue that?

**No1CeltsFan** · July 22, 2010

So you and him get along.. plus he gives you free lessons/tips.. why not continue that?

Yes we did get along. Today he helped for free, but in general it would be 35$ + bucket of balls at the range where he would teach me.

**Harmonious** · July 22, 2010

Sounds like he might be looking to supplement his teacher's salary with a little golf coaching. That could be why he is hanging around the facility. Nothing wrong with that. If he is helping you learn, $35 is not an expensive option. However, I would ask a little about his golfing background. If he's asking you to pay for lessons, he should be more that happy to tell you.

**Shorty** · July 22, 2010

I don't like the sound of this guy. He's hanging around a golf centre and "knows the owners". He's not an employee and he's not a qualified teaching professional. Yet....he's allowed to just mosey up to people and offer to "teach" them for money. Surely this is not OK. In Australia, if a non qualified "teacher" is charging for lessons, he is thrown out of the club and removed from the driving range.

**No1CeltsFan** · July 22, 2010

nah he does know the owner. It's just a small local shop. Hell Ive known the owner for years. I actually think he was there getting his sons club fixed. The way he was at the shop came across was wrong I am gonna edit the first post and be more clear. I didnt mean he was just there doing whatever.

BTW, I offered to pay him. He never once offered to teach me for money. He came up to help me on his own, afterhearing some tips and noticing a difference immediately in my irons, I brought up him teaching me.

**The Road Dog** · July 22, 2010

Most driving ranges have their own teaching pro. They will not allow him to come on premises and set up a competing operation. Even if they didn't know about the money, most will tell him to cease and desist, or leave.

**CG031** · July 22, 2010

There's very few people I let influence my game and the way I swing the golf club. Most people's opinions I dismiss. I take lessons from a certain guy, he's teaching me a certain way, I could care less what the 10 handicap at my club says or thinks about my swing.

My dad and teaching pro are the only ones I really listen to.

**No1CeltsFan** · July 23, 2010

if u dont mind CG, can I ask why you trusted the guy your letting teach you now? What made you say "OK he's good enough?" Did you just know his golf history and that spoke for itself?

**alomar123** · July 23, 2010

If you like him then give him a trial, but defiantly get your moneys worth, as in the biggest bucket at the range. I wouldnt pay this guy $35 an hour, because he isnt qualified for it, even if he is good at teaching. So, instead of talking him down, just extend the lesson. Plus he could give you lessons on while on the course, and you probably would only have to pay for his 18. Free 18 to have fun golfing while teaching is probably up his alley.

**GaijinGolfer** · July 23, 2010

$35 + the cost of a bucket of balls isnt bad, assuming the guy can help you out. I say give it a shot, why not? If he helps you out, its a lot cheaper than taking golf lessons and if he doesnt then you can always no longer pay him.

**CG031** · July 23, 2010

if u dont mind CG, can I ask why you trusted the guy your letting teach you now? What made you say "OK he's good enough?" Did you just know his golf history and that spoke for itself?

He is a Top 100 Golf Magazine Teacher. And he has a very good resume. In just two lessons I've improved tremendously. And my Dad taught me everything I know leading up to these lessons, and he attends the lessons with me so I trust what he has to say with me considering he taught me the past five years and he's still better then me haha.

**No1CeltsFan** · July 23, 2010

If you like him then give him a trial, but defiantly get your moneys worth, as in the biggest bucket at the range. I wouldnt pay this guy $35 an hour, because he isnt qualified for it, even if he is good at teaching. So, instead of talking him down, just extend the lesson. Plus he could give you lessons on while on the course, and you probably would only have to pay for his 18. Free 18 to have fun golfing while teaching is probably up his alley.

Yea you got some good points. It wasn't even 35$ + a bucket for an hour, it was just for the lesson w/no time. I mean we didnt really get in depth ya know. I said would you consider helping me, I got no problem paying. He said sure. I would assume wed go up to the range. Id buy a large bucket for myself and we'd go through each shot of the bucket. It could be 2 hours or whatever.

I think Im gonna give it ago. What's the worse that can happen? I mean today w/2 adjustments to my iron game, he gave me immediate results. Cant ask for much more.

$35 + the cost of a bucket of balls isnt bad, assuming the guy can help you out. I say give it a shot, why not? If he helps you out, its a lot cheaper than taking golf lessons and if he doesnt then you can always no longer pay him.

Yea absolutely. Im definitly going to give it atleast 1 try and take it from there after that.

**brgolf** · July 23, 2010

Whilst I like to think all the information I digest about golf is understood and that I could help someone out the fact is I would probably not be as good a teacher as I think. Enthusiastic with a few possible ideas- yes, sure about what I'm doing- no.

So I would in turn take tips but not lessons from someone who is unqualified to teach.

**he4dhuntr** · July 23, 2010

Doesn't sound like a bad deal for a private lesson, but I wouldn't take it for granted that the guy will sit there with you for 2 hours... Hitting a bucket can definitely go by much faster than that, depending on how much time you take on each shot to analyze and fix it. I'd give it a whirl once or twice and then see if it's worth your while. What I would also do is check up on the rates for actual pros in your area and what they charge for private, semi-private, and group lessons. Also look into recording your own swing, there are a lot of things you can notice that way.

Finally, I might also look into the fact that was pointed out by an above poster that a golf range usually has their own pros and might not be so open to someone giving lessons on their property, but if it's done discretely enough I guess it could work.

As for asking the guy about his credentials/experience, I think you're definitely entitled to at least some questions given that you'll be paying him for his services.

Cheers,

**No1CeltsFan** · July 23, 2010

Doesn't sound like a bad deal for a private lesson, but I wouldn't take it for granted that the guy will sit there with you for 2 hours... Hitting a bucket can definitely go by much faster than that, depending on how much time you take on each shot to analyze and fix it. I'd give it a whirl once or twice and then see if it's worth your while. What I would also do is check up on the rates for actual pros in your area and what they charge for private, semi-private, and group lessons. Also look into recording your own swing, there are a lot of things you can notice that way.

yea im gonna try it. Pro's around here are pretty much 75$ and up per the hour. As for him staying for 2 hours and a bucket flying by, you are right, but in an hour yesterday w/him I hit only 46 shots according to the indoor golf tracker. By that as a baseline a medium bucket is 75 and a large like 125. 2 hours is about right.

Like you said though it's not a bad deal at all. For the money why not just go and give it a try atleast once. Worse comes to worse I don't like him, then I end it. No biggie. Im gonna ask him casually in conversation about his golf game. Kind of like "hey how do you figure out a hanicap?" He tells me then I say "what's yours?" Something like that so it's not obvious. THanks for your input

**SpringBokVol** · July 23, 2010

Don't be afraid to ask him straight up about his golf background. Anyone offering to teach should expect to qualify themselves.

***iacas*** · July 24, 2010

One potential problem in the plan: you're not just allowed to "teach" at a range where there's a pro already teaching. At the very least it's really, really uncool.

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