Where to take Lessons?

[myndcraft]

So it's time to start looking at lessons and am looking for advice. As I see it I have 3 options...

• GolfTec
• Golf Galaxy
• Pro at a local course

I tend to be leaning at the moment towards GolfTec because although pricey I had a good feel after casing the joint and discussing on the phone with them.. I also like that video footage from your session is made readily availble to you.

So I guess at the moment I am leaning towards them over Galaxy, but I really have no idea when it comes to a local pro. I guess one hand I would expect a level of competence from the GolfTec staff, but at the same time I might not get as personalized experience as with a local Pro... But is a local Pro really going to know how to teach either? Sure they can play, but teaching and playing are not the same thing!

Any advice here? Or if you happen to know a good teacher in the NW burbs of Chicago I will take specific recommendations as well :D

[JaY_B]

So it's time to start looking at lessons and am looking for advice. As I see it I have 3 options...

I would suggest your local pro as you will get more one on one personal attention, and he will take a interest in your game.

how ever coming from England i have never head of Golftec or Golf galaxy so could be completely wrong lol

[Fried Egg]

Wherever you go, including a club pro, make sure that they teach a lot or at least have a good reputation. Just because they are a club pro doesn't mean they know how to teach, or play well for that matter. Do your homework.

[Shindig]

So it's time to start looking at lessons and am looking for advice. As I see it I have 3 options...

When you were in high school, you might have noticed that not everyone whose job was a "teacher" was able to teach. The same is true for golf pros. However, unlike schools, there are ways to verify that someone is a good teacher. My suggestion is to find a PGA Class A pro, or an LPGA pro with similar distinction (I'd need to look up what their equivalent is). You probably want to take lessons at a course that has a decent-quality (or better!) range and a quality short-game area, so that you can take lessons for both long and short game. The driving range is far better than a net because you can see your ball flight; it's one thing to learn to hit it straight, it's another to learn a draw or a fade (or so I'm told). And don't be afraid to ask for recommendations or set up in a stall near him and watch his lessons. I'm not saying that you should try to gain knowledge from his lessons about swinging, but see how he teaches, how his students perform and so on.

[kfowler]

Several thoughts from my experience:

Find one that has video for sure. It's invaluable in helping you understand what you're really doing. Especially if they have pro video to match your swing up to. I know it's made a huge difference to me.

If you're serious about taking lessons long term, find an instructor who you can build a relationship with. Mine takes notes of all our practices and knows where I'm at at the beginning of each lesson. I think this really helps communication.

I take lessons at a range and find it to be very helpful. They have all the practice facilities you could want.

I also recommend righting down questions you have in between lessons. Or e-mail your instructor if he/she allows it. Mine encourages this.

[golf_junkie27]

Golf Digest produces a listing every year of all the best golf instructors around the country. This list is extremely useful as it is broken down by age, price, experience and where they are teaching.

Also, never judge an instructor by the results of the student. Some people are not athletic, not flexible, have terrible hand/eye coordination and the results are terrible. This does not mean that the instructor isn't good. He/She is only as good as their students.

You should also find out if your instructor is capable of performing a fitting. He/she should be able to tell you what clubs you should be using and why. That's the first and most important step, IMO.

[Shindig]

One more reason to take a lesson at a course - I can't believe I neglected to mention this the first time! - is that the pro can play 3 or 9 or 18 holes with you. I'm told that playing lessons are tremendous and helpful; I'm planning to play nine with my pro after the next round of quals are up for me.

[questforscratch]

I was going through the same debate recently that you are going through. Golftec or a teaching pro. I took lessons once a week for 6 months. I am so glad I decided on outdoor lessons with a teaching pro. He is also a player. He played in the PGA tour a couple of times and is still trying to get back in it.

Like someone said in an earlier post, it is much better to see your ball flight for real vs. seeing it in a net. My instructor was also able to take video of my swing and break it down frame by frame. I think video is a must also.

I know a friend of mine that took Golftec lessons and it was all great inside during the lessons but I don't think he could transfer it to the course. Inside it's all mats and I hate hitting off those things!

The playing lessons on the course were a huge help also. Just knowing how these guys think their way around the course makes a big difference.

[Leek]

Golf Digest produces a listing every year of all the best golf instructors around the country. This list is extremely useful as it is broken down by age, price, experience and where they are teaching.

My only quarrel with this is that GD/golf's top teacher lists are a teaching popularity contest, voted on by the teaching pros. There are many fine instructors on the list, some are also not so good.

[TourSpoon]

My only quarrel with this is that GD/golf's top teacher lists are a teaching popularity contest, voted on by the teaching pros. There are many fine instructors on the list, some are also not so good.

Popularity and politics come into play with this list.

My requirements are: 1. Outdoors with observable ball flight 2. Video before and after working part of lesson to match how it feels to how it actually looks Luckily, I used to be an apprentice in a former life so I received a lot of informal lessons especially whenever we would play after work. The playing lessons were invaluable. I even had a friend that played on Tour and just watching how he practiced was a lesson within itself. I recently bought a club and used a flight simulator which I found to be pretty accurate, but to take lessons in a net off a mat will always be secondary to being on a range imo. If you don't know someone, try to get a referral. You can always walk up to someone on the range that has a great swing and ask them. Not only will you flatter that person, you will meet a new friend and hopefully a name of a pro that can help you out.

[myndcraft]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I will post back with some progress when it's been made :D

Golf Digest produces a listing every year of all the best golf instructors around the country. This list is extremely useful as it is broken down by age, price, experience and where they are teaching.

Any idea where on their site this would be? Perhaps I'm just blind, but I couldn't find it. Or if it's not online what issue it would be in?

EDIT - NVM I found the ranking.. turns out I'm blind. EDIT 2 - Well considering the only guy they mention in Illinois wants $230 an hour I'll be looking elsewhere LOL.

[ronaldkuntoro]

Yes, make sure you get a recommendation from someone...

One time, I took a lesson from a Driving Range Pro.... what a shitty teacher... and he makes fun people who are learning golf next to us.