How do I choose the best instructor for me?

Things to look for in your Teacher...

Personality: Positive, energetic, caring, dedicated, and a passion for teaching!

Experience: Have they been teaching for 6 months or 20 years? If this were a brain surgeon giving you a life or death operation who would you rather have performing it? What credentials do they have? Are they PGA, LPGA or do they call themselves a golf instructor, full-time teaching instructor or head pro? A full-time instructor may have greater expertise, specialization and programs to offer and be easier to get an appointment with compared to a Head Pro who has many other responsibilities and only teaches 5 to 10 hours per week.

Completeness: Complete training--physical, mental, mechanics, playing lessons, etc. Some teachers are stuck in the stone age and don't offer video lessons. Instead, they emphasize practicing more and taking more lessons. Some only teach on a golf mat at the range.

Goal Oriented: Work with instructors that ask about YOUR goals, not theirs, for your game. Your success is their success and they will work hard to get you to reach your goals.

Commitment: It's fine to seek a second opinion (like with a doctor) but using 3 or more teachings philosophies will only confuse you, and inevitably they will conflict with one another. Find one you like and commit to it!

Inquire: Ask other good players who they see for help. Find out who get “results” and see them. Ask an instructor for referrals from other students. Don't be afraid to quiz the teacher on his/her own philosophies regarding golf instruction. After all, it's your money. You should be able to effectively communicate with the teacher not just be a sounding board for his/her "greatness".

Mark Csencsits, PGA