Summary:
Golf lessons, you've probably talked to someone that has told you that their game improved 10 fold after taking a lesson. It's probably true, but did you know that there are different types of lessons you can take? Are you looking for a golf school or a private lesson? How about an instructional dvd, lots of people today teach themselves the game of golf right from home with a qualified instructor on their TV. No matter what way you choose to improve your game, the one thing...
Golf lessons, you've probably talked to someone that has told you that their game improved 10 fold after taking a lesson. It's probably true, but did you know that there are different types of lessons you can take? Are you looking for a golf school or a private lesson? How about an instructional dvd, lots of people today teach themselves the game of golf right from home with a qualified instructor on their TV. No matter what way you choose to improve your game, the one thing that is a must is you need to shop around. You wouldn't select the first contractor you called to come fix your home would you? Probably not so don't do the same with a golf instructor.
This article is a brief overview of what we believe you should evaluate and consider before forking out the cash for professional golf instruction. Before we get into the meat of it there are two things we want you to be sure to do before you begin shopping. The first is determining what it is you want to improve on, the second is setting your price limit for lessons. Without knowing what you want to improve on you can easily waste a lesson, and if you don't know what you can afford to spend, well that's for another article on budgeting but trust us it's better to set a price ahead of time.
Private, Golf School, Or Videos
When looking for golf lessons the first thing you need to decide is how you want to learn. Do you want to enroll for private one-on-one lessons with an instructor? Enroll in a golf school where a pro teaches several people at once, or try your hand at golf instructional videos from home. All of these scenarios will improve your game pending you do the work necessary. There is no silver bullet for golf improvement.
Private lessons will be the most expensive, before you start shopping you should have a clear idea of your price point, and stick to that. Higher end courses and practice facilities will likely have a higher price for lessons. How ever that doesn't always mean you'll receive better quality instruction. Look for experienced instructors, again they will generally be higher priced, but they'll be able to fix your troubles quicker. Don't be afraid to ask if you can meet the instructor before agreeing to lessons, you're going to be paying a premium dollar for their services so it only makes sense that you should feel comfortable in them as a person and their skills as a teacher.
If you're more drawn to enroll in a golf school to improve your game be sure to ask what the average number of students per instructor is. Just like any school if there are too many students in a class you won't be able to ask any questions or have one-on-one time with the teacher. One downfall to a golf school is that they often provide a ton of golf info in a short period of time, and generally don't have follow up lessons. While this is great for beginner golfers to achieve a perfect foundation of the game, it can mean you'll require additional instruction later on.
I want to say a quick bit about how golf videos are catching on as an instructional method. If you're a intermediate or beginner golfer than this is a very viable option for you, especially if you want to get that over view of the entire mechanics and finer points of the game. For forty bucks or so you can purchase some excellent golf instructional videos that will allow you to learn at your own pace, and refer to if you don't remember particular points. How ever, for advanced golfers videos will likely move to slow, and won't offer the pin point information you need to cut those next 3-5 strokes from your handicap.
So to sum it up, if you're a beginner or intermediate golfer consider videos, and/or a golf school to improve your game. There's a possibility you'll eventually take some one-on-one lessons once you feel your game has peaked but for now it will give you drills to practice and allow you to shoot more consistently. How ever if you're already an advanced golfer and just trying to get under 80 maybe a couple of private golf lessons would be better served for the money.