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I'm an amateur and I want to teach people how to golf. What are my options?


jshots
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I have had several people offer to pay me for golf lessons. I personally think I do a damn good job of teaching someone to play and improving their swing, but I am an amateur.

I seriously don't want to have to declare myself as a "pro" to do so. If that were the only route, how does that work? Do I simply declare that I'm a pro and now I'm a pro? Can amateur status somehow be reinstated later on? Can I still keep a handicap? Am I ever going to be able to play in an amateur tournament again if I start giving lessons? I find it a shame that I can't teach others how to play considering the amount of time I put into the game myself.

:whistle:

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Thought of an idea, wondering if it would be legit.

I'm working on an online business that is golf related. If I make a portion of this business "educational" then I could under the rules spend 50% of my time teaching and still be an amateur.

What do you think haha?

:whistle:

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The problem you are most likely going to have is where you would do it.

Ranges and courses usually have professionals of their own.

You can't just rock up somewhere and start teaching. Unless you have your own driving range or course. :-)

In the race of life, always back self-interest. At least you know it's trying.

 

 

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I think, as someone who takes his teaching seriously, you probably haven't got the first clue what you're doing, and I'd advise against doing it entirely.

Heck, most golf instructors flat out stink, let alone someone just deciding to do it on a whim (that's how many golf instructors got into it 30 years ago or whatever).

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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I think, as someone who takes his teaching seriously, you probably haven't got the first clue what you're doing, and I'd advise against doing it entirely.

Heck, most golf instructors flat out stink, let alone someone just deciding to do it on a whim (that's how many golf instructors got into it 30 years ago or whatever).

You may be correct in that, but I know golf better than about anything else that I know. It's not really something I'm deciding to do on a whim either, I've been thinking about it for quite some time and I believe I have some good ideas. Part of why I want to do it is because I know that so many golf pros and others suck at teaching and have not the first clue what they are talking about. Even if I have no clue what I'm doing, I'd like to get a clue.

Just because I want to teach people how to golf and get paid for it doesn't mean that I want to be considered a professional and have to stop playing in the tournaments I enjoy playing in  :(

How did you get into teaching, Erik? Is the only route to teaching going through the pga pro certification and working at a golf course?

:whistle:

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The problem you are most likely going to have is where you would do it.

Ranges and courses usually have professionals of their own.

You can't just rock up somewhere and start teaching. Unless you have your own driving range or course.

I guess that could be a major problem :P

:whistle:

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Other than the fact that some really bad golfers think that you're good by comparison, what are your qualifications as a 6 hcp (other than the fact that you're better than the aforementioned really bad golfers) to teach golf? FWIW, as a 6 hcp myself, I understand just how bad at this game you and I really are.... ;-) As to your questions, you can find most of the answers on the USGA website.

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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Other than the fact that some really bad golfers think that you're good by comparison, what are your qualifications as a 6 hcp (other than the fact that you're better than the aforementioned really bad golfers) to teach golf?

FWIW, as a 6 hcp myself, I understand just how bad at this game you and I really are....

As to your questions, you can find most of the answers on the USGA website.

You don't need to be scratch to teach someone to play. Even if at first my only qualification is that I'm obviously better than the really bad golfers, I can build on that when they see results.

:whistle:

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You don't need to be scratch to teach someone to play. Even if at first my only qualification is that I'm obviously better than the really bad golfers, I can build on that when they see results.

True, although by having you teach them it is possible they are ingraining some fundamental mistakes that will take years to correct!

:adams: / :tmade: / :edel: / :aimpoint: / :ecco: / :bushnell: / :gamegolf: / 

Eyad

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You don't need to be scratch to teach someone to play. Even if at first my only qualification is that I'm obviously better than the really bad golfers, I can build on that when they see results.


Maybe not, but you shouldn't have to struggle to break 80.....and you and I do.

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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You may be correct in that, but I know golf better than about anything else that I know.

But you don't know golf well enough to teach it. It's probably not even close.

I'm not trying to be rude. Just to state the truth. I'm pretty protective of golfers in general, and I don't think someone with no qualifications whatsoever should get into golf.

It's not really something I'm deciding to do on a whim either, I've been thinking about it for quite some time and I believe I have some good ideas.

Like what? Because if you were truly serious, you'd have spent a LOT of time - hundreds of hours - working to advance your knowledge. So what have you done?

Part of why I want to do it is because I know that so many golf pros and others suck at teaching and have not the first clue what they are talking about. Even if I have no clue what I'm doing, I'd like to get a clue.

You need to do that - and it will take some time - before you start teaching. I agree most teachers are pretty bad, but they're likely miles ahead of you.

Just because I want to teach people how to golf and get paid for it doesn't mean that I want to be considered a professional and have to stop playing in the tournaments I enjoy playing in  :(

That's the choice you've got to make, though. Teach them free, or give up your amateur status.

How did you get into teaching, Erik? Is the only route to teaching going through the pga pro certification and working at a golf course?

Depends on when you would consider I began. I spent about a thousand hours actually studying before I gave a lesson, though. I'll tell you that much, and a lot of that was spent with a great instructor.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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But you don't know golf well enough to teach it. It's probably not even close.

I'm not trying to be rude. Just to state the truth. I'm pretty protective of golfers in general, and I don't think someone with no qualifications whatsoever should get into golf.

Like what? Because if you were truly serious, you'd have spent a LOT of time - hundreds of hours - working to advance your knowledge. So what have you done?

You need to do that - and it will take some time - before you start teaching. I agree most teachers are pretty bad, but they're likely miles ahead of you.

That's the choice you've got to make, though. Teach them free, or give up your amateur status.

Depends on when you would consider I began. I spent about a thousand hours actually studying before I gave a lesson, though. I'll tell you that much, and a lot of that was spent with a great instructor.

I've easily spent hundreds of hours in my life advancing my knowledge of the golf swing if not thousands. Maybe not instructing it, but reading about it, analyzing it, and practicing it definitely. I see people who are really bad that I know I could help. Once I started giving my dad who used to teach tips I started to feel like it was something that I should be doing. I am confident that I understand the swing better than a lot of teaching professionals, at least the ones who I learned from and have been acquainted with. I constantly hear them spouting total bull shit, even friends of mine that have gone down professional golf careers. It seems like most of them don't really care to learn much more about the swing once they get good at it themselves. Maybe it's because I'm from a low population area but I really feel like I could be giving better lessons than a lot of pros around here.

:whistle:

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Just give up @ @iacas he is not going to give up. He just wants you to say it is okay even though he cleary doesnt know what it takes to be a good instructor or even a half competent one. He knows already more than a lot of teaching pros. I looked at your post history and didnt see anywhere youd demonstrated your incredible swing knowledge here @ @jshots .

"The expert golfer has maximum time to make minimal compensations. The poorer player has minimal time to make maximum compensations." - And no, I'm not Mac. Please do not PM me about it. I just think he is a crazy MFer and we could all use a little more crazy sometimes.

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Just give up @@iacas he is not going to give up. He just wants you to say it is okay even though he cleary doesnt know what it takes to be a good instructor or even a half competent one. He knows already more than a lot of teaching pros.

I looked at your post history and didnt see anywhere youd demonstrated your incredible swing knowledge here @@jshots.

Because there are people here who have a ton more knowledge than I do. I still think I could get a lot of high handicappers playing better golf. I don't see myself giving lessons to people who are very low handicaps at least not at first. I was really just asking for peoples thoughts on whether or not there was ANY way for an amateur to make money teaching under the rules of golf.

I'm not even claiming that I wouldn't have to learn a whole lot more, I just wanted to know the rules.

:whistle:

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Just a question from those in the cheap seats ... Instructors like Sean Foley ... Hank Haney ... Where/are they good golfers? I ask because I honestly don't know characteristics that make for a "good" instructor ... I only know what I like in my current instructor ... And I had a couple of bad ones before hand ... Sorry ... Now back to the schedule program ...

Ken Proud member of the iSuk Golf Association ... Sponsored by roofing companies across the US, Canada, and the UK

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I was really just asking for peoples thoughts on whether or not there was ANY way for an amateur to make money teaching under the rules of golf.

Not really no. You're not running a camp, etc.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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There are ways to become an instructor without any credentials. Look at this guy online.

http://myswingevolution.com/

He was an amateur then found a book written by Ben Hogan, goes out and makes videos of himself in a few Hogan positions and claims he found the secret and wrote a book and now you can go to one of his clinics.

He has walked all over a hall of fame golfer, but probably gets guys to pay him and buy his book.

Michael

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Note: This thread is 3072 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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