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For those that take lessons, what information do you take home with you and how is it presented? Would you prefer it a different way? It could be video of the lesson, video of a summary, maybe a specific swing video, a notebook that you keep notes on, a coach/player app to make notes on, or something else.

Do you get assigned homework, in a way? Are you given something specific to do every day and do you have to track it so the coach knows? If not, would that be something you’d want?

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Philip Kohnken, PGA
Director of Instruction, Lake Padden GC, Bellingham, WA

Srixon/Cleveland Club Fitter; PGA Modern Coach; Certified in Dr Kwon’s Golf Biomechanics Levels 1 & 2; Certified in SAM Putting; Certified in TPI
 
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The one thing I know once I leave a lesson is that in my excitement, I will have forgot everything by the time I get home. My current coach sends me a review of the key concepts that we worked on along with some videos of before and after. This makes such a huge difference as I can practice and refer back to his notes and video. Even if the notes are just a list, its a mental reminder of what I need to work on (ie: homework). 

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(edited)

(edit here)

Let me start by saying I like a lesson where the information is simple, and concise.    I don't need to know about Tom Watson's way of doing things or Tiger's approach to certain shots.   I need a simple approach that isn't overwhelming and specific to my current most pressing swing fault.

My previous coach did as @TourSpoon's coach.  I received an email from him with the before and after along with him discussing the changes with me on video.     This is my preferred way of taking a lesson.   I need something visual for reference after the lesson.

I have taken lessons from another coach and left wondering "what just happened".   He recorded my swing on his phone, showed it to me and then send me on my way w/o any follow up.  By the time I got home I was bewildered. 

I have also taken lessons where no video was involved and ... I believe I got something out of the lesson.   Putting the lesson to practical application was difficult w/o notes or video.  

Edited by dennyjones

From the land of perpetual cloudiness.   I'm Denny

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I get a video with him commenting on what I am doing and what he would like to see and he always makes sure to show a video when I actually did want he wanted to see.  He only gives me a single thing to work on before the next lesson.  

Stuart M.
 

I am a "SCRATCH GOLFER".  I hit ball, Ball hits Tree, I scratch my head. 😜

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Good topic.

 I keep a notebook with notes from each lesson.  I’ll jot down specific feedback we discussed during the lesson, specific drills or feels we worked on and that I should be working on between sessions.  The pro I work with also uploads a video or two that we reviewed and discussed during the lesson, so I can refer back to them.  It’s nice that I can match up my notes with the videos and images, and refer back to them months later.  Before leaving a lesson, I always make sure we have a couple minutes to make sure we’re on the same page as to what my notes are and what I should be focusing on.

In between sessions, I spend most of my time practicing the current priority, but I make sure to find time to keep reinforcing the previous changes I made.  We connect via text a little bit so I’m able to confirm I’m going down the right path with a new feel, or thought, etc.  Here and there I’ll share a video for him to have a look at when he has time.  I really appreciate he communicates between lessons.  I also am very conscious to make sure I’m respectful of his time and don’t overdo it.

 I will say, no coach has ever taught me to keep notes and confirm my understanding.  I pretty much learned to do that in college while studying playbooks and game film, and then doing it as a coach myself.  I think it would be really useful for a coach to help their students learn how to do that.  I’m sure some do, but I haven’t come across that yet.

 

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I think this is a good question. 

Let me start by saying I'm a big believer in taking lessons and finding the right coach. But it's always the student's responsibility to learn. I tell this to my kids all the time. No matter if the instructor is great or awful, they have something you want. Be it knowledge, a skill, insight, something. You should not be satisfied just "getting through" the lesson. You should want (dare I say demand) that you get something out of it. If you have a great teacher it makes it easier, if the teacher isn't so great, you have to make up the slack until you can get a teacher/coach who's a better fit. IMO - I see far too many students who say "I didn't like that teacher." Which is fine. But how much effort did you put in? Did you ask clarifying questions? Did you ask if something can be explained another way? Did you risk embarrassment by really trying learn? 

Okay, off the soap box. 

I think a lot of what @Denny Bang Bang said is applicable to what I do as well. Although I stopped keeping a physical notebook because I kept leaving it at golf courses or driving ranges. So, now I have a folder on my computer that I keep my golf lesson stuff in. Each month I print out a "training plan" of what I'm working on that month. The first two bullets are what ever Yoda (read that as @iacas) and I have been working on. Usually I have two things. Sometimes one, once in a while 3 if one of them is a set up thing. Those bullets go on the top of the monthly training plan and they are the first things I work on. The bullets have sub-bullets with ideas, feels, looks, sometimes pics to help me. It also has a part usually highlighted in yellow as to what I'm trying to achieve over all with that particular bullet. 

After that I might have some additional stuff, or some pictures to remind me of certain things. The additional stuff might be stuff I'm personally trying to improve, or drills that I want to make sure I include. A lot of time they are things like stuff with the driver, or short game drills etc... The bottom of the page has my goals for the month. Funny enough my April page is sitting on the desk right now. 

So each month sometimes more I print out a page of what I'm working on and stick it in my golf bag. That way if I loose it or leave it at the range, no big deal, I just print another one. 

In terms of what I take home with me, Yoda does a great job giving me on or two very specific things to work on. (Yeah, sometimes three if one's a set up idea.) He follows it up with notes, pics and videos (sometimes GEARs video if it was a GEARs lesson). I can take these things, look at them on my phone, tablet or PC. I keep them all in one folder. I sometimes go back them and try to see if I need a refresher. 

Finally, I try to send video back to @iacas as often as what I think makes sense. Sometimes its because I'm trying to repeat what I learned in our lesson, Sometimes its because I either start to get something, or it starts to look or feel different. 

Statistics show that most regular golfers don't get lessons. And the ones that do rarely get repeat lessons. And that's fine. Personally I know I won't get better as quickly without them. I want to be better. Life is too long to suck at golf. 

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I think we are lucky to be in an era where training can be easily put on video (smartphones) and sent via email or whatsapp.  All my training was prior to this era so I looked at it as working on one priority piece (my second time in coaching) or my entire swing (my first time in coaching where I learnt the swing).  After that I haven't really got any other coaching so I would probably prefer being given one priority piece to work on.  I don't think I will ever overhaul my swing unless I really need to.

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(edited)
  On 4/17/2023 at 4:03 PM, phillyk said:

For those that take lessons, what information do you take home with you and how is it presented? Would you prefer it a different way? It could be video of the lesson, video of a summary, maybe a specific swing video, a notebook that you keep notes on, a coach/player app to make notes on, or something else.

Expand  

When I did regular in person lessons they used Trackman and had external cameras synced with the unit which filmed every shot so I was able to log into my Trackman account and watch my swings back/see my numbers which was helpful.

My coach also did a 2-3 minute recap video at the end of each lesson which was quite helpful because it allowed him do hold a club and do demonstrations of a particular move if necessary. Then before each practice session I would re-watch the recap video to make sure I was practicing the right thing(s). Even now like 2 years later I still refer back to some of the videos when some of my old flaws start creeping back in. He had each student record them on their own phones, that way he wouldn't forget to send them, accidentally deleted off his phone, etc. 

 

  On 4/17/2023 at 4:03 PM, phillyk said:

Do you get assigned homework, in a way? Are you given something specific to do every day and do you have to track it so the coach knows? If not, would that be something you’d want?

Expand  

I think this one is highly dependent on the individual. Back when I had an indoor membership where I went 3-5x a week and saw my coach regularly he would sometimes give me tasks or rather skill type games to try and achieve, like if I wanted to work on my wedges for a few weeks he'd give me some parameter like proximity and set a goal for me to achieve.

Now that I only practice maybe 1-2x a week on average, I don't quite have as much time or desire for something specific to do every day. But that's just me and is highly dependent on the individual. Someone who is retired might enjoy having a specific golf swing task to do every day, where someone with 3 kids probably doesn't have time for that.  

Edited by klineka

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  On 4/17/2023 at 4:03 PM, phillyk said:

For those that take lessons, what information do you take home with you and how is it presented? Would you prefer it a different way? It could be video of the lesson, video of a summary, maybe a specific swing video, a notebook that you keep notes on, a coach/player app to make notes on, or something else.

Do you get assigned homework, in a way? Are you given something specific to do every day and do you have to track it so the coach knows? If not, would that be something you’d want?

Expand  

Video or photos with notes. I will use my notes on my cellphone to write stuff down in the moment that I want to review. I do this when I am at the range as well. 

My homework is practice priority pieces 😛

Golf is a game, so I think at least 5 minutes a day minimum is good to start. With driving ranges opening up, I will get in 3 range sessions a week, and play once or twice (at last 9 holes) each week. I think I get acceptable amount of practice time in during the week. In the end, learning something comes down to repetitions. 

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
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@phillyk asked me, and I recommended he post this here because I think it is good to hear from others.

For my "standard" lessons, I typically:

  • Provide pictures with notes from Analyzr.
  • Occasionally will send the videos home with them (these students often bring a thumb drive).
  • Videos (YouTube) of mine if relevant. Grip, wall drill, etc.
  • An idea of how to practice. Not formally written out or anything, but a good idea. Drills, what results they should see, what they should see on camera, etc.
  • Occasionally a CoachNow account so they can check in with me.

For my GEARS lessons, honestly, it's a bit "less" because…

  • GEARS lets you add stars and screenshots, which I do.
  • I ask students to write in notes THEIR comments. Occasionally (not as often as I probably should) I add comments. I'm going to start doing this more. GEARS switched up the "notes" field a software update ago, and I used to type notes in those fields before.
  • Narrated videos of GEARS swings.
  • Standard videos (on my iPhone) of them making swings in GEARS. Sometimes we specifically note which swing it was in GEARS that we recorded, sometimes it's just them demonstrating the feel slowly.

My Junior Elite Players often get "homework" whether it's reading a chapter in LSW or the like.

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Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
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I get an email with a few lines of summary of the lesson like this from a recent one:

"Great to catch up today, well done with the swing, I can now see why you've played solid since being back.
With the swing we saw you can get the takeaway a little more outside the hands for the start to soften the shape but all in all it was good.  we are only looking at a slight tweak for this to help. 
The change in the posture will help the strike and allow the hands to hang and take the tension out to help the consistency . 
With the putting work on the trusting and the closed eyes drill to really get you to get the hand more passive and allow you to trust the move through the ball.  See if you can shorten the backswing on the short puts so you can accelerate through the swing and help control the path of these putts. 
Use the mirror ruler to really help you with the short putts. 

Chipping was great, so you are all set for sunday, don't over think it, be confident and focus on keeping still on the short putts and what we worked on"

I have a CoachNow account also, so there are key videos from the lesson along with any relevant still pictures supporting what we have worked on, and launch monitor data if useful. He often also checks in between lessons via CoachNow if he hasn't heard from me in a while. He also organises half a dozen or so competitions (at cost price of the course they are at) for his students every year and rotates through the groups to watch them play and feed back after the round on course management etc.

In all honesty, I should be way better than I actually am with all the help I get 😀

 

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