Time for a new coach?

[rystaman]

Evening all,

I'd like to get some feedback from those of you who have taken lessons with various PGA Pros. I'm currently questioning whether I should continue with my current coach or find a new one.

I'm currently an 18 handicap and I've had five hour-long lessons with my current coach so far. The first lesson was unproductive and unprofessional. He didn't have the launch monitor, and during the whole hour, it seemed like he needed to be elsewhere and I didn't gain anything from the experience. The 2nd and 3rd lessons focused on adjusting my grip and takeaway (turning more with my chest), which were helpful. The 4th lesson was essentially engraining the previous 2 and didn't have anything new apart from one single comment about pressing down with my lead foot (which wasn't bought up again). After the last lesson, I just felt deflated. I needed to work on my early extension which I know I have and is a lot more apparent with longer irons/woods. After I'd already warmed up at the range I wanted to swiftly move onto them, but ended up hitting shorter clubs for about 30 minutes with limited feedback. He also disappeared halfway through this lesson for 5 minutes and just left me to hit without any real direction and didn't have anything to say coming back in.

He doesn't provide any drills for practice either. Outside of lessons I end up getting a bit too steep and over-the-top but I just didn't receive anything to help with this. I sent videos between lessons and didn't get a response either. The feedback in the lesson is very generalised like “bump your hips and turn them back” which I feel like I could ask how to fix early extension on YT and get the same thing. I get some people need it simplified but combined with not much feedback it's not great. I’m paying for a launch monitor lesson too as I understand the numbers but he doesn't seem too interested in it and seems more old-school.

As for my performance on the course, my scores haven't consistently improved since starting these lessons. In fact, my confidence in my tee shots and iron shots has decreased. The only areas I feel more confident in are my short game and putting, which I've practised independently.

I'm committed to practising at least twice a week at the range and playing 27 holes weekly. I'm genuinely interested in understanding my swing, the reasons behind certain issues, how to fix them and what the bad feeling is to watch out for. Unfortunately, I don't feel like I'm getting that from my current coach.

Considering I've spent £300 so far on these lessons, I can't help but wonder if I'm overreacting or if my concerns are valid. I'd appreciate hearing about other people's experiences with golf lessons and whether you think I should look for a new coach.

 

[Orikoru]

From reading that I find it staggering that you even have to ask. If he's not doing anything for you, there are countless other pros out there. You could even 'interview' them on the phone before booking anything, tell them what kind of lesson you prefer and see what their feedback is.

I'd have sacked your one after the first one. (But assuming you maybe bought a package of lessons up front or something?)

 

[Deleted member 25575]

Hey if you’re not happy, walk away, you have to be with a coach who works for you, you’re paying him, so it either works and you are happy with it or walk away.
Results vary sometimes you have a lesson and things don’t click and you don’t always improve but the sign of a good coach is the confidence to go and say “see that last lesson, xyz didn’t work for me and you go over it again or can we look at something else as I’m not getting it”
Doesn’t sound to me like you have that relationship or confidence in him/her to do that

 

[rystaman]

From reading that I find it staggering that you even have to ask. If he's not doing anything for you, there are countless other pros out there. You could even 'interview' them on the phone before booking anything, tell them what kind of lesson you prefer and see what their feedback is.

I'd have sacked your one after the first one. (But assuming you maybe bought a package of lessons up front or something?)

To be fair I was going to as well but then gave me the next lesson at a reduced amount. And I seemed to be making progress for the next 2 and thought hey everyone has their off day.

Just seeing other people’s progress online after 3-5 lessons I do feel it’s partially wasted money which annoys me more than anything

 

[Orikoru]

To be fair I was going to as well but then gave me the next lesson at a reduced amount. And I seemed to be making progress for the next 2 and thought hey everyone has their off day.

Just seeing other people’s progress online after 3-5 lessons I do feel it’s partially wasted money which annoys me more than anything

I don't really have lessons so I could be wrong, but surely there aren't many occasions where a pro has finally 'come good' in lesson 6 or 7, ha. If you try other pros and they're somehow worse you can always go back to him anyway, no harm done (besides more money spent). I wouldn't just keep giving him money on the off chance he becomes better though. If a barber gave you five rubbish haircuts you wouldn't think "maybe he'll get it right on the 6th one".

 

[Tashyboy]

I have always felt that for someone to learn they have to have a teacher that can get to their Re has to be good chemistry. Your not getting that.look elsewhere and get advice and feedback on the next guy you have.

 

[rystaman]

I don't really have lessons so I could be wrong, but surely there aren't many occasions where a pro has finally 'come good' in lesson 6 or 7, ha. If you try other pros and they're somehow worse you can always go back to him anyway, no harm done (besides more money spent). I wouldn't just keep giving him money on the off chance he becomes better though. If a barber gave you five rubbish haircuts you wouldn't think "maybe he'll get it right on the 6th one".

Yeah, I completely agree, and a very good analogy. I did feel like I was making progress after the initial lesson but yeah, think it's time for a change.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Evening all,

I'd like to get some feedback from those of you who have taken lessons with various PGA Pros. I'm currently questioning whether I should continue with my current coach or find a new one.

I'm currently an 18 handicap and I've had five hour-long lessons with my current coach so far. The first lesson was unproductive and unprofessional. He didn't have the launch monitor, and during the whole hour, it seemed like he needed to be elsewhere and I didn't gain anything from the experience. The 2nd and 3rd lessons focused on adjusting my grip and takeaway (turning more with my chest), which were helpful. The 4th lesson was essentially engraining the previous 2 and didn't have anything new apart from one single comment about pressing down with my lead foot (which wasn't bought up again). After the last lesson, I just felt deflated. I needed to work on my early extension which I know I have and is a lot more apparent with longer irons/woods. After I'd already warmed up at the range I wanted to swiftly move onto them, but ended up hitting shorter clubs for about 30 minutes with limited feedback. He also disappeared halfway through this lesson for 5 minutes and just left me to hit without any real direction and didn't have anything to say coming back in.

He doesn't provide any drills for practice either. Outside of lessons I end up getting a bit too steep and over-the-top but I just didn't receive anything to help with this. I sent videos between lessons and didn't get a response either. The feedback in the lesson is very generalised like “bump your hips and turn them back” which I feel like I could ask how to fix early extension on YT and get the same thing. I get some people need it simplified but combined with not much feedback it's not great. I’m paying for a launch monitor lesson too as I understand the numbers but he doesn't seem too interested in it and seems more old-school.

As for my performance on the course, my scores haven't consistently improved since starting these lessons. In fact, my confidence in my tee shots and iron shots has decreased. The only areas I feel more confident in are my short game and putting, which I've practised independently.

I'm committed to practising at least twice a week at the range and playing 27 holes weekly. I'm genuinely interested in understanding my swing, the reasons behind certain issues, how to fix them and what the bad feeling is to watch out for. Unfortunately, I don't feel like I'm getting that from my current coach.

Considering I've spent £300 so far on these lessons, I can't help but wonder if I'm overreacting or if my concerns are valid. I'd appreciate hearing about other people's experiences with golf lessons and whether you think I should look for a new coach.

It has taken me many, many months of perseverance and working on what I am getting in lessons (and that’s not the mechanics of a golf swing) for things to start coming together. And they are, but it has taken a long time, and my scoring was very variable to start with - in fact at times it was awful, but that was ok as my score was not what I was looking for from lessons, I was looking to build a more solid base from which to work - the scores will come.

One thing I have not been doing is double guessing what my pro should be teaching me and working on with me - and I couldn’t tell you of any technical aspects of the swing he‘s had me working on - because he hadn’t had me working on or practicing any - indeed for example I know nothing of this ‘extension’ thing of which you talk

My observation from your post is that you have your own idea of what you consider the component parts of a golf swing, and feel that it is these your coach should be focussing on. Maybe he’s not that sort of coach. Maybe he just wants you to hold the club reasonable securely and then help you find the swing that works for you, and you don’t need to understand your swing for that to happen and for it to work for you. Quite a number of coaches are moving to this approach - including mine - it’s not what I for one expected from lessons…I was sceptical at first but it’s bearing fruit.

As my coach tells me…the golf swing is a complex beast, but it is only that due to its many constituent parts; what we look to achieve is simple, we just make it complicated by focussing too much on the parts.

That said of course, if his approach is not technical enough for you then as others have said just change coach.

 

[HPIMG]

I have been to quite a few pros and always felt if you are not 100% believing in there teaching it’s time to walk away. I wouldn’t get caught up too much on a pro using a launch monitor, it is nice to have numbers but a good pro can see what’s up without one in my opinion.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Funnily enough I put this on twitter yesterday.. Me and the boy both had a lesson booked on Saturday and the plan was to work on short game, but, the previous evening Jamie had been playing a Junior match for his club, and had been pulling his irons left - we mentioned it to Lee (the coach), and he quickly took us inside to address it - as you can see in the video, it's a swing issue that I'd have never have seen in real time out on the course - but once he'd highlighted it - it was visible. Quick few suggestions to work on the feel of what was required then we were outside to work on a reliable pitching technique, and bunker play.
Every lesson always starts with "what are you struggling with", and then we work on our issues from there, and pretty much every time, it's one change to solve one problem, so we come away from lessons with a clear focus to take to the range or course.
Judging by your comments, you're clearly not happy with the current guy - so it's time to move on imho.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1658775009161097216

 

[PJ87]

I went through similar with my current pro

Hadn't had a lesson since 2019 , but dec last year I decided I needed one

Found a new pro as mine had moved even further away and I thought time to find someone nearer

Recommended someone who had just moved to the area and built indoor SIM..perfect

One lesson he got me hitting really well again

So got the package

Few lessons later I felt the lesson hadnt gone in, and his replies to emails hadn't been great

But I went in and spoke to him , said the last lesson hadnt sunk in could we try another approach and said about the emails he gave me his number

Since then everything whilst is slow progress building as I injured my wrist a bit , is just much better and feel the right decision was made

 

[Neilds]

To be fair I was going to as well but then gave me the next lesson at a reduced amount. And I seemed to be making progress for the next 2 and thought hey everyone has their off day.

Just seeing other people’s progress online after 3-5 lessons I do feel it’s partially wasted money which annoys me more than anything

Don’t believe everything you read on social media
On the point raised in the first post, you have no loyalty to the pro, if you don’t get on with him or his methods just swap to someone else. Just as everyone has their own learning methods, coaches have their own teaching methods and it may take a few to find one who matches what you want. What I would say though is make sure you communicate what you are after before you start the lesson, they should be a 2 way thing

 

[bobmac]

Time to move on

 

[spongebob59]

Where are you based, might be some recommendations on here

 

[Bdill93]

Sounds like a useless coach in my eyes.

You don't need a pro with a launch monitor to get better at golf either, I get we all like stats but don't not choose a pro because he's not using that stuff!!

Ive had lessons of 2 different pros, one is very old school and we chat a lot about the swing etc in the lesson and how things feel. The other was very data based and filmed bits which i could look back on etc via a link he sent you afetr the lesson - plus drills.

I actually do better with the first guy than the second - and I love data and stats etc

 

[Newnsy]

They don't seem like the right coach for you I would say move on.
We have a few teaching Pro's at our club and each of them teach differently but the two main Pro's are like chalk and cheese. One wants you to have a perfect swing so no matter how good you are starts with getting the fundamentals right grip posture etc. The other one works with what you have got and gets you hitting the ball better straight away but probably never going to get you to low single figures.
I struggle with early extension too and throw my hips at the ball, and used to get frustrated about not working on this with the first coach but now realise that everything he has been getting me to do is to help the early extension and getting in the right positions, and now its starting to convert into my golf getting a lot better and in the last year I've dropped 7 shots off my handicap down to 8.2 and I'm hoping to get down to below 5 before the end of the year.
100% find the right coach for you, but remember they don't all teach in the same way.

 

[patricks148]

I've switched after about 10 years with a mate. Tbh we had just been doing the same thing fir years, it didn't help is is a friend which I think was part of the problem. I only really used to go if I had a problem and he could get me back on track no problem, but we just didn't progress as much as I'd like and wasn't encouraged to practice tbh. Bit the bullet and saw the guy at club, he's much more technical using trackman and video, which my mate had never done.
New Pro has given my exercises to improve flexibility, a practice regime and drills to use during practice. The impact has been immediate, I've practiced more in the last month than I had in the last 10 years.

 

[Springveldt]

Sounds like it's time to find someone you gel better with. I'd be pretty annoyed if I was paying someone £60 for a lesson (since you've spent £300 and had 5 lessons so far) and he just decided to pop out for 5 minutes during it and left me to just batter balls, I can do that for £10 at the range.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Where are you based, might be some recommendations on here

Says Birmingham on his details.
I used to see Chris Ryan, when he was at the Belfry. He's now at Forest of Arden.
Halved my handicap with him.

 

[Slab]

Says Birmingham on his details.
I used to see Chris Ryan, when he was at the Belfry. He's now at Forest of Arden.
Halved my handicap with him.

That's a novel suggestion





I'll get my coat