Have you ever taken golf lessons and you just got worse? You found the best instructor in your area, maybe they shot some video of you swinging the club, even recorded your ball flight numbers on Trackman, then they compared your swing to Tiger Woods and showed you how your swing is different to his and thus why you are playing so poorly. The Instructor then helped you work through a few drills, told you to go practice those drills and sent you on your way.
You felt good when you left, like you were on the right track and that these drills were going to allow you to play better than you ever had before. But despite you working on the drills all that happened is that you got worse. What was the point in spending the money on a golf lesson in the first place?
This is what your typical golf lesson looks like and it is exactly what you do not need if you want to improve your golf game. If you are serious about playing to the fullest of your potential, what you really need in a Golf Coach.
So how is a Golf Coach different to a Golf Instructor?
A Golf Coach looks at the game of golf as a series of skills, not just as the full swing. Their goal is to help you get the ball in the hole faster and thus shoot lower scores.
A Golf Coach will help you to accurately assess your ability in each skill area. This could be done by watching you play on the course, having you complete some skills tests or track your rounds and measure key statistics.
A Golf Coach will design a clear plan with the goal you have in mind along with a time line within which to accomplish that goal.
A Golf Coach will meet with you regularly to guide you in your skill development and design easy to follow practice sessions that will guarantee that you reach your goal in the designated time frame. If you decided to learn to play the guitar you wouldn’t take one lesson and expect to be able to play, so why do that with your golf game?
A Golf Coach will invest time with you on the golf course and not just the range. Golf is played on the course and in order for you to improve the most your coach must help you transfer your skills to the course as well as help you with skills that can only be learned on the playing field.
A Golf Coach will challenge you in your practice, designing practice routines that will push you just beyond your current skills, keeping your practice varied and exciting.
So if you are really serious about playing better golf, don’t take a golf lesson. Take the time to find a Golf Coach who is as invested in you as you are in playing your best. Only then will you be able to experience what you are truly capable of doing on the golf course.
