Looking for short game teacher in Portland OR

[glebert]

Anyone know of anyone good? I've never taken a lesson, but asked for a one for Christmas, don't know where to go. I don't think I know anyone who has taken lessons either.

Since I'm specifically looking for short game teacher does it make sense to just ask the guys at the pro shop(s) which pro is the best for short game?

[DavidFehertysBike]

I think the best short game teacher is trial and error. You can learn the technical aspects of short game (set up, face angles etc..) from an instructor but the rest is up to you, IMO. No instructor is going to teach you how to get up and down.

[david_wedzik]

I think the best short game teacher is trial and error. You can learn the technical aspects of short game (set up, face angles etc..) from an instructor but the rest is up to you, IMO. No instructor is going to teach you how to get up and down.

No disrespect meant here at all but I could NOT disagree more with this statement. Short game instruction is extremely important. As a player as well as an instructor the short game lessons I have taken were the MOST important ones. Done correctly the short game can be quite simple...with bad mechanics it is virtually impossible. I have often wondered how golfers can take countless lessons trying to IMPROVE their full swing motion but then when their putting goes bad they simply change putters. This would be akin to changing the driver and irons every time they started hitting it bad!

Dave

[DavidFehertysBike]

No disrespect meant here at all but I could NOT disagree more with this statement. Short game instruction is extremely important. As a player as well as an instructor the short game lessons I have taken were the MOST important ones. Done correctly the short game can be quite simple...with bad mechanics it is virtually impossible. I have often wondered how golfers can take countless lessons trying to IMPROVE their full swing motion but then when their putting goes bad they simply change putters. This would be akin to changing the driver and irons every time they started hitting it bad!

Im of the opion if a player doesnt take ownership over his or her short game then they will never be a solid player. Its just one of those things you have to figure out on your own, IMO.

I said in my other post fundemental tips from instructors are probably nesscary, ive had them. An instructor can teach how to hit the shots, but is never going to give you feel or teach how to get the ball in the hole. Thats all up to the player.

[Leftygolfer]

I somewhat a agree with the coach and the player. I agree good technique is makes the short game so much easier. I have read alot and learned alot about the shortgame. But once you understand the basics it is all about learning how to feel the correct weight or learning how to judge the lie correctly. This can't be taught. You can tell me how the ball will react out of a certain lie but until I practice and see it off my club I will not know. If I wanted to get a good short game (of course I have one I am left handed (JOKE)), I would buy 3 things, Dave Pelz short game bible, Phil's video, and Stan Utley's book. I would watch/read each, play around with the different styles, and practice tons until I know what swings work from different lies and exactly how far a certain swing carries the ball and how it reacts when it hits the green. One of the biggest keys is to hitting the center of the club face on small shots. This is so important to being consistant. I think that is sometimes overlooked by less experienced players. They wonder why they can't be consistant around the green. That is why, you have to focus really hard on the smallest swing to pure it every time.

[david_wedzik]

Guys - understand that nothing is 100% black and white here and you need both (feel, experience, trust...and solid mechanics). But I will leave you with this question.

Why is it that the majority of the great players in the world have short game instructors/experts that watch them to be sure they are doing things correctly?

[Leftygolfer]

Because they can afford it. I don't doubt having short game instruction is great but I can't afford it or have the time. I would love to go the pelz one day school when it comes around but it is 350 or more. I can't do that. I would love to be able to come to erie and work on my game with you and spend multiple lessons on various parts of my game, but where am I going to come up with the capital.

My guess (I bet this is the truth) most great players with world class short games learned most of what they do when they were a kid without instruction. They learned by experience, watching what good players do (dad), and emulating. The two best short games in the world were built on experience and refined through instruction.

I know more about golf than I ever have. But honestly my shortgame has gotten more inconsistant becuase I am not practicing like I used too. I think practice with good technique is king in shortgame.

[iacas]

Because they can afford it.

That's a cop out.

They have instructors because despite the fact that the short game swing isn't as long as the long-game swing, feel and reality are still different, and because you can struggle with a short-game problem the same way you struggle with a full-swing problem. My wife used roughly 33% of her time this summer in her six lessons working purely on short game stuff - and she's a raw beginner so the full swing got a lot of emphasis. The answer to the question is that they have people who work with them on their short games because that's important too. You go to a golf instructor so you can score better, yet almost nobody goes and asks for help in the areas that can help them the most. Now obviously I'm not telling you that you have to spend the money, but pros can be frugal too - yet they also know how important the short game is and how important it is to have a second set of trained eyes watching them. If you can't afford instruction, you can't afford it. But for those who can, the point Dave's question gets at is that they should spend a third to a half of their instruction budget on short-game stuff, and ideally that would be with an actual live instructor, not page 72 of a book or something.

My guess (I bet this is the truth) most great players with world class short games learned most of what they do when they were a kid without instruction.

The flip side is that they STILL use instruction, because they STILL have flaws pop up in their short game.

I think practice with good technique is king in shortgame.

And the fastest way to ensure that you're practicing with good technique is to check in with an instructor now and then.

Also, Lefty, I don't think Dave's question was 100% directed at you. And yeah, he's an instructor, so he sees value in using instructors over books... but so do I. So does anyone who plays the game at a high level... it's an odd thing in golf: the better you get, the more you realize the value of good instruction. The average 30-handicapper probably takes a lesson every three years. The average 3 handicapper probably takes a lesson every three weeks. The average +3 handicapper probably "takes a lesson" every three days.

[Leftygolfer]

I really don't disagree with you about the value of a good instructor. I just like to banter about golf and believe practice is so important in the short game.

But to the original poster, I would check out Pelz. He has 1 day clinics that travel around the nation. I have not attended one but maybe someone on here could give you feedback to the value.

[jamo]

I think a lot of why people don't go to short game instructors as much is because you can more easily/cheaply pick up tips on the short game by reading, watching etc...

Plus, I think it's more fun to go it on your own. Well, at least for me. The short game is my strength, and when i'm struggling, i dont think i would want to pay anyone to help me. I find it kind of fun/rewarding to work through it, since the short game is where you can have th most creativity. I guess what i am trying to say is, maybe it's not always about getting better, its a pride thing. It might not be the faster way, but its the way i want to do it.

Well, just my $.02

[glebert]

My guess (I bet this is the truth) most great players with world class short games learned most of what they do when they were a kid without instruction. They learned by experience, watching what good players do (dad), and emulating. The two best short games in the world were built on experience and refined through instruction.

This is actually one of the reasons I think I could use short game instruction, because I didn't grow up golfing (my dad hated golf), I really didn't play until I was in my 30's. Heck, I just figured out how to chip this year, and am still probably doing something wrong.