Where to find the BEST PGA instructor

[golf55]

For someone who wants to turn pro, everyone tells me I have great talent. If I can find a really good teaching pro I can turn pro! So how can I find THE BEST instructor who knows his stuff?

[plum]

how long have you been playing ?

[Harmonious]

Gee, I guess you should book the next flight to Las Vegas, and schedule a lesson from Butch Harmon.

Seriously, if you have that much talent, your local pro (if not himself) could probably recommend several good teachers in your area.

[HAVOC]

Originally Posted by golf55

For someone who wants to turn pro, everyone tells me I have great talent. If I can find a really good teaching pro I can turn pro! So how can I find THE BEST instructor who knows his stuff?

come on down to tucson well play a few rounds lets see what you got

[Quinn07]

You could always check out the listing in Golf Digest and take your pick.

[golf55]

Originally Posted by plum

how long have you been playing ?

about 8months and already shooting low 80s

Originally Posted by Harmonious

Gee, I guess you should book the next flight to Las Vegas, and schedule a lesson from Butch Harmon.

Seriously, if you have that much talent, your local pro (if not himself) could probably recommend several good teachers in your area.

I forgot to mention money is an issue. I just need someone to tell me "HOW" to do make some of the shots. When I'm practicing I don't know if I"m doing it right. According to my local pro I am but I don't think he knows how serious I want to take my game to next level.

[sean_miller]

If this thread is any indication of your personality in general, I'm pretty sure he knows.

Originally Posted by golf55

Quote:

Originally Posted by plum

how long have you been playing ?

about 8months and already shooting low 80s

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harmonious

Gee, I guess you should book the next flight to Las Vegas, and schedule a lesson from Butch Harmon.

Seriously, if you have that much talent, your local pro (if not himself) could probably recommend several good teachers in your area.

I forgot to mention money is an issue. I just need someone to tell me "HOW" to do make some of the shots. When I'm practicing I don't know if I"m doing it right. According to my local pro I am but I don't think he knows how serious I want to take my game to next level.

[plum]

golf55,

it sounds like you are truly gifted and borderline pro at this point. Im surprised the best teaching pros in the world havent come looking for you already.....

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by golf55

For someone who wants to turn pro, everyone tells me I have great talent. If I can find a really good teaching pro I can turn pro! So how can I find THE BEST instructor who knows his stuff?

I think it's you who needs to "know his stuff".  Like a million posters before you, you are putting the cart before the horse.

You are talking about "turning pro" as if it's something that is easily achievable because people who presumably know next to nothing about golf are telling you you have "great talent".

I'll tell you what:

1. Convert that "talent" into a game where you can regularly shoot par or better.

2. Win a few club and district championships

3. Get to the point where you can beat everyone in your area (unless there are a couple of successful pros there already)

4. Then shell out a few grand to join the thousands of other players trying to turn pro who are much better than you who are not within a mile of making money at the game.

[Uber$winG]

Originally Posted by golf55

For someone who wants to turn pro, everyone tells me I have great talent. If I can find a really good teaching pro I can turn pro! So how can I find THE BEST instructor who knows his stuff?

Everybody says my two talents include eating and sleeping and they’ve been saying this ever since I reached puberty. So two years ago I forfeited my amateur status and turned pro. I missed the sectional qualifier for the 4th of July Nathans Hot Dog Eating Contest by half a hot dog… and in the Rip Van Winkle Invitational I was disqualified when I tested positive for Robitussin.

I too am looking for THE BEST instructor who knows his stuff - except my search is in the discipline of eating and sleeping.

[Quinn07]

Well I would suggest speaking to Jim Furyk regarding the sleeping because he was able to sleep in and still with the Fedex Cup and for the eating part speak with Jessica Simpson...she just seems to be doing a lot of it lately.

[golf55]

Originally Posted by Shorty

Quote:

Originally Posted by golf55

For someone who wants to turn pro, everyone tells me I have great talent. If I can find a really good teaching pro I can turn pro! So how can I find THE BEST instructor who knows his stuff?

I think it's you who needs to "know his stuff".  Like a million posters before you, you are putting the cart before the horse.

You are talking about "turning pro" as if it's something that is easily achievable because people who presumably know next to nothing about golf are telling you you have "great talent".

I'll tell you what:

1. Convert that "talent" into a game where you can regularly shoot par or better.

2. Win a few club and district championships

3. Get to the point where you can beat everyone in your area (unless there are a couple of successful pros there already)

4. Then shell out a few grand to join the thousands of other players trying to turn pro who are much better than you who are not within a mile of making money at the game.

Not the replies I was looking for guys.........

I'm just confidence about my skills, all I wanted was to know how to find the best instructor to take me to next step.

I understand I need to lower my score and win local championships but in order to do that I need a great instructor.

I had couple lessons with different instructor and every single of them had a different method to golf swing. I just wanna find the "correct" way to practice.

I'm pretty sure most tour players had one of the best instructor to be where they are.

The reason I brought up being pro was to let you guys know how serious I am about taking my game to next level.

[Harmonious]

OK, you want good advice?  Here it is:

1)  There is no one BEST instructor, or one BEST method of instruction.  Ask 10 different knowledgeable golfers for their opinion, and you will get 10 different answers.

2)  You say you don't have a lot of money, so the chances of you learning from the very top of the top (Harmon, Leadbetter, Hardy, Plummer, Foley, Flick, etc.) is miniscule.  Therefore, look for someone nearby who is willing to show you the BASICS of the golf swing, understanding that one pro may differ from another is how they teach the game.  Doesn't mean either of them are wrong.

3)  Many of the top PGA players first learned from their fathers, or perhaps from their local club pro.  Then, only after they showed they had serious game, did they seek instruction from other golf teachers.  For many, this came from their college golf coach.  For others, it came from a golf school.

4)  It's nice you are confident and serious about improving.  Millions of golfers are just as serious.  But you have only been playing for a year or so and only shoot in the 80's.  That's OK, but you don't need the "best" instructor at this time.  Maybe later, but not now.

5)  This is not meant to discourage you in your challenge.  But you need to walk before you can sprint in the Olympics.  First things first.  Good luck.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

OK, you want good advice?  Here it is:

1)  There is no one BEST instructor, or one BEST method of instruction.  Ask 10 different knowledgeable golfers for their opinion, and you will get 10 different answers.

2)  You say you don't have a lot of money, so the chances of you learning from the very top of the top (Harmon, Leadbetter, Hardy, Plummer, Foley, Flick, etc.) is miniscule.  Therefore, look for someone nearby who is willing to show you the BASICS of the golf swing, understanding that one pro may differ from another is how they teach the game.  Doesn't mean either of them are wrong.

3)  Many of the top PGA players first learned from their fathers, or perhaps from their local club pro.  Then, only after they showed they had serious game, did they seek instruction from other golf teachers.  For many, this came from their college golf coach.  For others, it came from a golf school.

4)  It's nice you are confident and serious about improving.  Millions of golfers are just as serious.  But you have only been playing for a year or so and only shoot in the 80's.  That's OK, but you don't need the "best" instructor at this time.  Maybe later, but not now.

5)  This is not meant to discourage you in your challenge.  But you need to walk before you can sprint in the Olympics.  First things first.  Good luck.

They used to have walking in the Olympics too.

I'm not sure you fully realize how serious he is about getting to the next level.

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

They used to have walking in the Olympics too.

I'm not sure you fully realize how serious he is about getting to the next level.

Thought I would give it one last try at a reasoned response.  For all we know, maybe golf55 has what it takes.  I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt, at least for now.

[Clambake]

I'll also give you the benefit of the doubt - it is great to have a passion and dreams, and your ability to keep at them when everyone else is raining on your parade is a mandatory skill to get to the elite level.

One suggestion I offer is to pick up a copy of Tom Coyne's book "Paper Tiger", his account of trying to go pro.    One of the lessons in this book is that the best instructor for you has very little to do with if the instructor has star credentials or not.   Coyne worked with a few of the big name instructors and their academies, and while they might win those "best instructor" accolades in the golf magazines that means very little in creating the best student/teacher relationship.    You need to find someone who with whom you can communicate (both ways) to build the necessary level of trust.

At this early stage in your golf life, finding someone who will help you learn the fundamentals not only of the swing but of the fine nuances of the game will have the most benefit.    You don't say how old you are, but assuming your still quite young you'll probably find a number of good instructors in your area who would be like to take on such a project.   After all, which would you rather teach - someone who's just looking for a quick fix to their slice, or a person with a dream to be one of the best and who is willing to do whatever it takes?       Ask around at the local courses.   Call the coach of the high school golf team and ask him who he knows.   If there is a local university, try the same with its golf coach.   Research around and find out if there are any pros that hail from your area, and who they worked with.

And then interview the potential teaching pro candidates, and interview them hard.    Ask them for references.  Give some concrete examples of how they've worked with similar people.   Basically spend a fair amount of time talking with them about what you want and how they would approach.     And with all of this, again your looking for someone you feel completely comfortable with, because if you really want to go pro you'll be spending a lot of time with them.

[kpaulhus]

Go play with someone who didnt make it past the first round of Q School and see if you can beat them....I never knew how good these guys were till I played with a guy and I shot a 77 and he shot a 62....

[golf55]

Thanks for all the great feedbacks guys!

Originally Posted by kpaulhus

Go play with someone who didnt make it past the first round of Q School and see if you can beat them....I never knew how good these guys were till I played with a guy and I shot a 77 and he shot a 62....

62?!?! How could he not make the first round of Q school?