Is it common for your pro to give you free advice when he sees you?

[codwater]

I took my first lesson last week, and I really like the pro who is instructing me. When I first got out there he was talking to a group of young people. It looked like one guy was giving a lesson and my pro was just standing there chit chatting while waiting for me to show up. We went down to my stall and got the lesson underway. I felt like I made real positive progress. He gave me some exercises to do at home and told me to come to the range as much as I could and to play a round. I paid for my lesson and set up an appointment for a couple weeks later. I started to leave, but he ended up talking my ear off. I didn't really mind. I had no where to go, and he was mainly talking about golf related stuff. As we wrapped up our conversation he said, "Later. I see a lefty who needs my help." I am pretty positive that the lefty was not his next lesson, but he was just going over to give some advice to someone he knew.

The next day I went and play 9 holes after work. I ran into my instructor and chatted with him for a while. I asked if he was there for a lesson. He said he was, but the lesson was not starting for a while. It seems like he just kind of hangs out there. It is a munic. course, and none of the pros are paid by the course (only lessons).He gave me a couple of reminders before I hit the course.

I went out to the range today to get some practice in, and I saw my instructor again. I asked if he had lessons coming in, and he said not until later in the evening. We talked about my round. Then I thanked him for his help, and I went out to hit. After I hit about 90 balls my instructor came out and stood in my stall. We talked some more as I finished up my last 15 balls. When I got down to about 5 balls he started giving me pointers. I ran out of balls, and he went out on in front of the my stall and the vacant stalls near me and grabbed about 15 balls. He had me hit the balls and really gave me extensive instructions. He was moving me around, laying clubs out to help with my alignment, and running me through non-hitting drills. This lasted about 30 minutes before he asked me how long I could stay and practice. I got nervous when he said that because I felt like he was trying to turn this into a lesson that I would need to pay for. I started trying to pack my bag and leave after that, but he continued to talk to me and give me tips. When I left I didn't offer any compensation, and it did not seem awkward.

I guess my questions are: Is it normal for an instructor to give tips to his student off the clock? If so, is it normal for the instructor to hang out and give tips that last almost as long or as long as normal session? Also, would it have been kosher for me to go get another bucket or half-bucket of balls to capitalize on the free advice? I really did appreciate the help, and I think he is just a little on the friendly side. Although if he was trying to get paid, I had no money to even give him. I figure I will give him a good tip after my next lesson for the extra help.

Edit: Sorry, I just realized I probably should have posted this under the instruction section.

[bkoguy07]

Yeah my head teaching pro gives me lil tid bits every time he sees me.  No charge.  He hasnt stuck around for more than 15 mins though, so I'm not sure.  Sounds like your pro just loves teaching lol

[x129]

Think of them as Doctors/Lawyers or other professionals. It is ok for them to give you advice for free. It isn' cool to ask them for it. I know some instructors do this as a recruiting tool. Your guy seems a bit enthusastic but maybe he feels it more fun to teach than to sit in a back room twiddling his thumbs for an hour.

[awmgolfer]

The course I play at just up the road is a muni course and a very nice one at that which is starting to finally build up it's rep. They hired a full-time golf pro last year, an older gentlemen that went to school for it late. The course owner had me come up and meet him since I am the golf coach and we hit it off really well right away. Both of us have a rather large and a little dark sense of humor. We agreed up front that we will scratch each others back, I help him with the junior clinics and he helps me out with the golf team. I play with him all the time and have never had an official lesson with him in two years but he has basically become my swing coach..lol. He also builds clubs and has built all my clubs except for my putter and my game has improved a ton. I was around an 18 handicap when he got here last year and I am in the 12's now and lately with a few more tweaks from him have been in the upper 70's. It's been a weird experience but I never ask for help, he always offer. Every time I come in from a round he asks how it went and if I talk about something really not going well he grabs a bucket of balls and says let me see what you are doing. He does the same with my wife as she just started last year as I won't teach her anymore..lol. I think it really depends on the area and the individual in how they are. I've seen some that are very cold and it is a job to them, then there are others who just love being out there and helping others enjoy the game, and wow, they get paid to do it. That's how the guy is at our course, been a really great experience.

[WUTiger]

I have taken lessons the past four years from a pro at a local golf shop. He always told me if something isn't going right after a lesson, to come back and talk about it. I tell him the problem, and he'll demonstrate a sequence of two or three things to check on to straighten it out.

[iPutt]

I think it sounds pretty normal. Like someone above posted, he probably figures that interacting with people is better than doing nothing in his downtime. It also makes it more likely that you'll come back to him for paid lessons.

[MartinVR 182]

I've asked the pro I've been getting lessons off to check my swing when he gets 5 mins and he does

[Stretch]

Ours usually offers a brief word or two of encouragement when he walks by me practicing at the range. Yesterday it was: "Still sucking eh?" :-D

[AmazingWhacker]

Mine does (or did, when I was taking lessons).  Not as much as yours but enough that I started practicing at another range some of the time.  I liked the guy and he is a good teacher but sometimes I wanted to just work on whatever I wanted to.

[meenman]

When I took 1 hour lessons, I was often kept there for two hours and then told to stay and practice for an hour after that. While I was taking lessons, if my instructor saw me on the range before teeing off he watched and if everything looked good, he would congratulate me, if he saw something wrong - he would run up and fix it.

Its been a couple of years since I took lessons. Now he will stop and watch me on the range. I either get the old *keep it up* or *i didnt teach you that.* When I run into him off of the course now its more pleasantries. I would feel too guilty trying to pick his brain.

[evan01]

I work at a private club  our pros will give nothing away but the new 10 minute freebie the PGA is encouraging. I am a 12 handicap every now and then I can pick up a bad technic that maybe  25-30 handicapper has  tell them what they are doing wrong. If it works they are thrilled 1st comment is hey! that is worth $50. We laugh and move on. Pros should be more willing to give 5-10 min. and maybe people will take more lessons.

[codwater]

Thanks for the info guys. Next time he asks how long I can stay and practice, I will probably just pony up for another bucket of balls and not feel bad about it. I am relatively new to consistent golf, but I think I have a good read on the situation now. He is just a friendly guy who loves golf and instruction. He can't hit anymore because of back problems, and he moved here just to teach golf (he told me both of these our first lesson). I think this is just his way to stay connected to the sport.

[BrianJ]

Yea I bet if that is his first lesson as well he isn't very accustomed to coaching yet and is still working on what is proper and what isn't.  I've been taking lessons for over a year now, and have not experience anything like what you said in the OP.  One thing I know for sure though, the lessons helped tremendously.  Find a great coach and your game will drastically improve!

[codwater]

I don't think it is first lesson. He must be 60+ years old. He is kind of has that grumpy grandpa thing going for him. I think the guy who said he just loves coaching hit the nail on the head. It seems like he just enjoys hanging out on the range. I have never been there and not seen him. The cashier at the range loves the guy too (also recommended him to me). She doesn't really socialize with the other pros. When we were hitting this weekend she was trying to buy the man Popeye’s chicken for lunch. When I showed up for my first lesson, the cashier insisted that I call him Larry just to mess with him (apparently Larry his golf pro rival). I feel blessed to have been hooked up with him for lessons. He is inexpensive, easy to joke around with, and seems genuinely interested in my golf game improvement.

Hitting with my instructor I do not hit the slice that I usually do, but my shots don’t go nearly as far. But when I really concentrate on his advice, I hit some of the best shots of my life, and I don’t even really feel the contact with the ball. I just need to get consistent. Those few great shots I have been hitting have definately hooked me on practicing.

Originally Posted by BrianJ

Yea I bet if that is his first lesson as well he isn't very accustomed to coaching.

[iacas]

I will do this when I see people at the range. It's usually limited to 10-15 minutes, and I'll only work on things they're already working on. Typically someone will be doing a drill not quite right and I'll adjust what they're doing, or something like that.

I'm a bit concerned that your pro was putting so many things into your head. That's how it sounded. It also sounded like he gave you new things to work on and think about, and again a lot of them. Obviously I'm not the student so I could be way off base. Just be careful.

[imtomtomim]

My pro used to do that when I took lessons from him.  But that was 2 years ago when I started and I haven't taken one for the past 2 seasons so he never comes around anymore, just says hi and chit chats time to time.

[codwater]

I have now been taking golf lessons every other week for six weeks, and I finally turned a corner this week. The pro still stops and helps me for free when he sees me at the range, which as been great.

My practice routine has been to hit the range three days a week and hit a hundred balls each time. I played 9 holes the day after my first lesson. I shot an effing 72 on 9. I should have known better than to even attempt to play.

The lessons have really helped. The major things my pro has stressed have been to turn with my shoulders on my back swing, keep my wrist cocked back as I hit the ball until they naturally unfold in my follow through, and to keep my head down until my body forces my head move.

Up until this lesson, it has been a struggle to remember all of things that I need to do at the same time. After about half of a bucket I would get my rythem. Then after about 10-15 near perfect balls in a row,then fall apart for the rest of the basket. When I would forget about keeping my head down, I would slice the ball. When I would forget to turn my shoulders correctly, I would top the ball or miss completely.

My last session at the range, the pro stopped by when I had about 10 balls left. I hit every one of them perfect, and for the first time I had a true aha moment with my back swing. This entire week I have been really thinking about the mechanics of my swing, and as weird as it is sounds I feel like I somehow mentally trained my muscles to remember what to do.

Tonight I went to my lesson and hit about fifty balls with the pro. I hit every single one of them straight or with a slight slice resulting from head movement. To this point we have only been practicing with my seven iron. I told the pro I planned on playing 18 with a friend this weekend, and he said that we needed to work on my wedge then. We worked on hitting the ball 125 to the green on the range, 75, 55, and 30 yards. It was amazing how all of a sudden my body and my mind just got it.

I told the pro that I wasn't sure if I would even hit the driver during my round. I feel like I should stick to my irons. He said we would work on the driver the next lesson, but encouraged me to hit it during my game anyway.

[Grndslmhttr3]

When I took lessons, they usually ended up running like 15 minutes past schedule, and sometimes when my pro saw me on the range he'd stop by to check in, but he's normally busy most of the day giving lessons so when I'm at the range he's normally working. That said, I haven't seen him in a while since I haven't been hitting up the range much this summer.