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Golf News & Opinion
Golf Lessons
Golf is a frustrating game, even for the top players in the world.
Golfers, almost without exception, say they want to improve but
the fact is most golfers don’t do much to actually accomplish that
goal.
Numbers show year in and year out only a small percentage
make that first important step towards game improvement, taking
golf lessons.
If you are one of the millions of players who has never worked with
an instructor you might reasonably ask, “How do I take a lesson?
” “What’s involved, what’s the price, where do I find a good pro and
what should I expect in the way of results?”
All are reasonable questions and to get the answers we talked
with Rick McCord, one of the top instructors in the country.
Cost is always a consideration when signing up for some lessons.
Note I used the plural since taking “a” golf lesson is usually a waste
of time.
Skeptical?
Look at the example of really good players - top amateurs and touring professionals - almost without
exception each has a long term relationship with an instructor. While we may not share their desire to
make tournament golf our life’s work, improving so we can hit better shots and score lower certainly
makes the game a lot more fun…even less frustrating. The road to a better game passes through the
lesson tee and practice range.
McCord points out, “We only retain about 20% of what is said in a lesson. Everything else is forgotten
or we
don’t really hear it because we are thinking of something else.” This of course makes a strong case
for a lesson series taken over a period of weeks.
Instruction prices vary over a fairly wide range although $30 seems to be the entry level price and at
the top end the cost can go to several hundreds of dollars if you choose an instructor with a national
reputation.
McCord says, “New players will probably find group lessons are a great way to get started. The cost is
very reasonable and they can reduce the potential embarrassment that comes spending time one-on-
one with a pro.”
Cracking a smile McCord, who over the years has taught players at every skill level, points out, “Keep
in mind,
I’ve seen it all from tour quality swings to the moves made by those never having picked up a club. We
look at everyone on a case by case basis and tailor what we do to what they need.”
Finding a teacher is as easy as calling a local golf course or driving range but friends who have taken
lessons are excellent source of referrals since they are likely to give you an unvarnished review of
their experience. Feel free to “interview” a potential instructor. Don’t be intimidated; ask questions
about prices, teaching methods and procedures until you are comfortable.
The results you can expect depend on your golfing background, athleticism, desire and amount of
practice time between learning sessions. Try to take away one or two concepts from each lesson and
practice them so over time you build a repeatable swing that fits you.
McCord gives an example of the approach he uses to create an atmosphere of learning and
improvement aimed at the student’s level of development. “Working with less skilled golfers is
different than more experienced players. In both instances though as part of getting the student
comfortable and putting him at ease before we start I always ask about his golfing experience and
background. For the ones who have been playing a while I work in to the conversation two questions.
‘What are you working on, and why?’”
Continuing McCord says, “They all say things like ‘I’m trying to stay behind the ball,’ or ‘I’m working to
keep my head still.’ Lots of times what they are trying to do isn’t necessarily the right thing nor do they
really know ‘why’ they want to do it.” From the student’s answers McCord then can determine the
proper point to begin his instruction to start him on the way to being a better player.
The bottom line is a little time and money needs to be invested to find an instructor we trust and who
communicates well. We are then on the road to lower scores and more fun .
Rick McCord
Golf is a frustrating game, even for the top players in the world.
Golfers, almost without exception, say they want to improve but
the fact is most golfers don’t do much to actually accomplish that
goal.
Numbers show year in and year out only a small percentage
make that first important step towards game improvement, taking
golf lessons.
If you are one of the millions of players who has never worked with
an instructor you might reasonably ask, “How do I take a lesson?
” “What’s involved, what’s the price, where do I find a good pro and
what should I expect in the way of results?”
All are reasonable questions and to get the answers we talked
with Rick McCord, one of the top instructors in the country.
Cost is always a consideration when signing up for some lessons.
Note I used the plural since taking “a” golf lesson is usually a waste
of time.
Skeptical?
Look at the example of really good players - top amateurs and touring professionals - almost without
exception each has a long term relationship with an instructor. While we may not share their desire to
make tournament golf our life’s work, improving so we can hit better shots and score lower certainly
makes the game a lot more fun…even less frustrating. The road to a better game passes through the
lesson tee and practice range.
McCord points out, “We only retain about 20% of what is said in a lesson. Everything else is forgotten
or we
don’t really hear it because we are thinking of something else.” This of course makes a strong case
for a lesson series taken over a period of weeks.
Instruction prices vary over a fairly wide range although $30 seems to be the entry level price and at
the top end the cost can go to several hundreds of dollars if you choose an instructor with a national
reputation.
McCord says, “New players will probably find group lessons are a great way to get started. The cost is
very reasonable and they can reduce the potential embarrassment that comes spending time one-on-
one with a pro.”
Cracking a smile McCord, who over the years has taught players at every skill level, points out, “Keep
in mind,
I’ve seen it all from tour quality swings to the moves made by those never having picked up a club. We
look at everyone on a case by case basis and tailor what we do to what they need.”
Finding a teacher is as easy as calling a local golf course or driving range but friends who have taken
lessons are excellent source of referrals since they are likely to give you an unvarnished review of
their experience. Feel free to “interview” a potential instructor. Don’t be intimidated; ask questions
about prices, teaching methods and procedures until you are comfortable.
The results you can expect depend on your golfing background, athleticism, desire and amount of
practice time between learning sessions. Try to take away one or two concepts from each lesson and
practice them so over time you build a repeatable swing that fits you.
McCord gives an example of the approach he uses to create an atmosphere of learning and
improvement aimed at the student’s level of development. “Working with less skilled golfers is
different than more experienced players. In both instances though as part of getting the student
comfortable and putting him at ease before we start I always ask about his golfing experience and
background. For the ones who have been playing a while I work in to the conversation two questions.
‘What are you working on, and why?’”
Continuing McCord says, “They all say things like ‘I’m trying to stay behind the ball,’ or ‘I’m working to
keep my head still.’ Lots of times what they are trying to do isn’t necessarily the right thing nor do they
really know ‘why’ they want to do it.” From the student’s answers McCord then can determine the
proper point to begin his instruction to start him on the way to being a better player.
The bottom line is a little time and money needs to be invested to find an instructor we trust and who
communicates well. We are then on the road to lower scores and more fun .
Rick McCord
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