Oh my God. I can't believe I forgot to mention that.... I'd heard and read that some years ago, and thought it was such an incredible bit of info. Going to pin this comment to the top. Thanks!
After attending several lessons with a local PGA certified instructor I realized that his goal was to tear down my current swing all together and start over. Unfortunately I just didn’t have the time and money needed for that. If I were 13 years old I would be all for that but as an adult I just wanted to be straighter and more consistent. His thoughts were “not possible without reprogramming.” With stack and tilt I’m shooting 81 to 83 on any given weekend. Hoping to break 80 next year. Thanks for video and keep putting out thought provoking stuff. I enjoy it.
That’s why I like Insteuctors who follow Mike Adams and. Terry Rowles . They measure you and test your movement patterns and help you swing the way your body wants to move. Most instructors try to make you swing the way they swing.
My best instructor was my father, who would say watch the grass jump before looking up. I know that bit of wisdom helped me at an invitational PGA PRO-AM. The team I was on had a dogleg right around a water hazard, I got up and set up for a straight shot which meant I had to cross 275 yards of water. The others tried to talk me out of doing that, and while they might have been right in their minds, it wasn't in mine. I hit the ball across that water hazard and it took off like a 747, long and low before climbing up to tree top height. Yes, it landed in the fairway and the others hit their balls going around that hazard, but it took them 2 strokes to get to where my ball was. I ended up near a ball marker that told me how far the green was from me, pulled out a pitching wedge, and dropped it on the green. Only, after I'd done the shot did they inform me that on the other side of a burm was another water hazard. It didn't phase me, I knew how far the ball would go because of that wedge. It landed 16" from the pin, and I got an Eagle for that par 5 hole. By remembering to watch the grass jump instead of bringing my head up immediately. No, I'm not a great player, nor do I play a whole lot since I retired back in 2017 at the age of 71. Since then I've had a spontaneous collapse of the Right Lung, a triple heart bypass operation, and 3 strokes. But every so often I'll pull out that wedge and hit the hickory nuts from the trees in my yard. Just to watch the grass jump.
Outstanding, Chad. You have clearly stated exactly what probably most of us think of “golf instruction “, and what all of us realize about elite golfers.
Great video Chad. My journey in golf has been similar to yours. I’ve worked at many different methods and have paid hard earned money to learn those methods. No matter what method you choose you will have to dedicate time and practice to improve. I’ve taken a bit from each method to play my version of golf. Your closing comments about clubface at impact along with path is the ultimate skill. There’s thousands of was to get there and your physical abilities are the driving factors to the level of success…not to mention the mental side. Every golf swing is like a thumbprint and it is based on your physical and mental assets and or disabilities.
I’ve been watching your videos over the past few months and I gotta say that you are the most genuine person I watch on here. I can tell that you put a ton of good effort into what you do and it shows. I hope your channel grows and more people can soak up this type of information! Keep doing what you’re doing, you have my support man!
Very big thanks for that. I try to keep cheap tricks out of it, even though that seems to make a lot of channels big. My growth is slower and more gradual, but I think doing it this way insures that the people that Sub are genuinely interested in the content.
@@GolfTestDummy I agree with ya! The most home-grown content is what sticks!! Also in general, I think understanding what causes certain things in the golf swing is the most important. There is no one cure swing or mechanic, everyone is different, but understanding what causes a fat or a thin and a hook or a slice has really helped me do things I need to do to correct the flaws.
I work at a golf course and this was actually really informative just knowing all that is involved with being a pga pro (I’m not a pro I just work the desk lol) Anyways I’ve taken a few lessons with my boss who’s regarded as one of the best in the area, and the thing I’ve learned is lessons are mainly tips and tricks for you to practice and see what works for you. For example I had an on course alignment lesson and during the lesson, of course I hit every fairway and green and had fairly decent shots throughout the lesson. Once I went on my own and used his tip to open my stance, I kept hitting slice after slice and ended up losing 6 balls. Found what square alignment is and on a good day I hit maybe 10 fairways. I think lessons are very helpful to have someone else see what you’re doing wrong or can improve on, but take bits and pieces of the advice and practice it to get the results YOU want.
It's always ball contact. Swing the club in whatever way you want! I'm glad you are pushing that concept now. Also, I hope you get better. I enjoy the on-course playing videos more than the lessons. Similar to the channel "Not a scratch golfer".
Golf is hard. I teach my kids to swing in circles in to out. Out to in. And an up arc like the count they're figuring it out on thier own. The best video I've watched was the science of golf for every degree off 0 your ball moves 5ft at 100 yards the ball starts where your face is aiming thats the info most people need to make it work. Good luck golfers it takes hard work and dedication.. Good video Chad 👍
That's a great place to start. What is the tool designed to do? How is it applied in different scenarios? Face to path dynamics. And then, it's really a process of trial and error on a personal level to learn to apply the face to the ball. Rinse and repeat.
Guy intriguing me right now: Dan Alton. I am a 74 year old. 8 index with very good distance for my age. When your new stuff comes up I try. Fun to experiment. No matter the method I use. handicap never changes. Same for the 15 years Ive been playing. LOL Always 77 to 80. Win share of skins. Love the game. I'll never be scratch, but so far, maintain. Best segment I got from you was closed ones with shoulder set ups.
Totally agree with you Chad , nearly gave up golf before I had started due to very poor and confusing lessons from a PGA instructor. I wonder if the same argument applies to golf clubs which are designed with elite players in mind , not the vast majority of high handicap players, and therefore whether a radical change of design would actually suit the recreational golfer , just wondering
Well, I'm not sure that equipment is an exact equal. Some clubs are designed for top speeds and performance, yes, but what most clubs today keep in mind is forgiveness on off-center strikes, helping compensate ball flight, getting the ball airborne, etc. Clubs seem to try and help by making things simpler, without changing your swing, while instruction is fairly complex, trying to change YOU.
Great video I like your honest thoughts on golf coaching and swing theories .. When i first started to play golf i came from baseball no coaches lessons of the such just borrowed my cousins clubs and away i went and played after a few years i got to a 8 handicap then i read articles on methods and such messed up swing handicap went skyrocketing swing was a total mess a friend of mine who was a decent player told me just to quit reading all the articles and swing like i use to took a bit of time to get back to where i was but since then I haven't changed my swing even though i do watch videos i enjoy them for the content and such i now play off a 3 handicap and happy with my game .....Hope you feel better soon and can start playing again soon
I have a similar experience. I picked up the game, no instruction, just figured it out, and played pretty well. Then I started looking for help to go further and it really just confused me and lead to worse golf. Naturally, you look for more, trying to chase your losses, and you get worse again. The only real compass you need is ball flight. It'll teach you.
WOW !!!! First off congratulations on this topic and how you delivered it. You have no idea how many people I have forwarded you video to. No worry about losing viewers. WOnderful THANK YOU
You are dead on. Absolutely right. Swing your swing, whatever that is. Golf is path and face, and the effect that has on the ball. Nothing more , nothing less. Golf swing just has to repeat consistently. what needs to be taught is what happened when you see the ball take off as far as path and face. Learn face,then add path swinging your swing. How you hold it and use your wrists is the face. How you stand to it, open, closed, posture ,ball position, arm structure is the path.
Truth 💣 years ago I took some lessons on the last lesson that PGA guy said you'll probably forget at least he was honest 😂 you've got yourself a new subscriber 👍
If you want simple and straight forward advice go watch Lee Trevino clips. His key tip for players hitting it badly is to keep moving the ball further back until the strike improves, and then work on direction.
I've seen that one, and Trevino is my favorite golfer of all time. His solution to bad lies, poor contact, not enough distance, etc is basically always, just move the ball back, haha.
HI Chad, This may be one of the best and most useful videos you have ever posted. For me personally, I 100% agree with everything in the video. As a super senior golfer, I have tried many different swings using You Tube and purchased golf instruction videos. I am self taught and play to a 9 handicap. As you have said many times, it is difficult to find "your" lifetime swing when you continuously switch from one swing to another. Since I enjoy trying different methods, that has never been a problem for me. I hit balls daily and constantly work on my short game. In summary, based on your recent video of reviewing your top 10 swings, I decided to go back and try the Moe Norman swing again. It has been very successful and my consistency has improved dramatically. Now I can stand over a ball with a setup that gives me confidence I am going to hit a solid straight shot. I think I have reached the end of my journey looking for my "lifetime" swing. I cannot thank you enough for helping me reach this goal.
So very glad to hear that I can be of help. That is the number one thing I've wanted to accomplish with this channel, so it's greatly satisfying to hear comments like this. Thank you.
Chad We’re on the same page with the golfer should understand what makes a ball do what it does Information the brain can use to understand what we’re trying todo You want to know how to find a good golf instructor…find one that guarantees his or her lessons “ you don’t learn ,you don’t pay” If you don’t believe in yourself and the information your trying to provide to the student ( it will show ) and just go regurgitating the talking points of the golf swing …then it won’t take long for that student to understand there not with the right instructor and find the one who does Information is priceless and to not share it is selfish As golfers we all have seen someone on a driving range that could use some help in any way with what there trying to accomplish pounding the dirt but we just don’t take that step forward and help Any help to the starter golfer is better then them leaving behind a empty large bucket of balls and going away and maybe not keep traveling down this long road of trying to learn a swing to play with The grip … swing plane…ball position just a few things we all can pass on We all can help someone Just like you have GTD 👍⛳️👍
Another viewer made a similar comment that payment should be based on improvement. It is a bit nuts that we pay for lessons in advance to have no assurances that we will improve, or maybe even get worse, haha.
Enjoy your video. Been playing Golf for over 50 years. I have taken lessons from at least 7 different PGA Certified Teaching Pro’s through the years. IMO it’s a money making racket period. The Biggest obstacle in anyone swing is tension and the brain. The swing is full of allusions. To me golf is simply the opposite of good sex (the closer you get to the hole the harder it gets)
Chad I agree with you 100 percent, great video. I had a friend who was a college baseball coach and he said the best coaches in this sport were college level coaches because they were teachers first and could communicate. The greatest baseball managers were guys that were borderline players. Ted Williams, great player, terrible coach. I am 78 and have played golf for 65 years and have come to the conclusion that the traditional golf swing is too difficult for the average person to master. I do believe that the Moe Norman swing is the easiest for most people to use and become competent enough with to have fun playing the game. I saw another golfer from Canada on You tube who was basically telling people to make a circle with the club and hit the ball toward the target. I think this guy is correct.
Very Indepth conversation about the differences between instructors and coaches. Definitely went down the rabbit hole. But very entertaining. Thanks for the insight.
From my own experience of lessons it appears to me that the vast majority of instructors are more interested in teaching a golf swing rather than how to actually play the game, there's a big difference between the two.
Great job, Chad. Being good at playing is not and should not be a requirement nor should being certified. I know of and have heard of many certified instructors who are not good at teaching. The problem, if there is one, is the time commitment and working on the right things that will improve your strike. What those right things are is the million dollar question, but they need to be found. Only then will you improve. You are absolutely correct that impact/strike is King. How we get there is irrelevant so long as we do so repeatedly. It also, as you rightly stated, depends on the type of golfer you want to be: weekend warrior, plays a few times a week, casual or competitive, or pursuing a single digit handicap, etc. If we truly want to get better, then we need to stop trying to emulate male Tour Pros, we’re much better off watching the ladies on Tour. RU-vid has its place for golf, but getting tips from so many people doesn’t help you in the long run, in fact, it hurts your game. If you want to get better, find a good teacher, I know easier said than done, as most are crappy, and stick with him or her for at least 3 or 4 months and gauge your improvement, if they are any good, it shouldn’t take a very long time to see progress. After all of this, what’s most important, is that golf should be fun, if it isn’t, do something else that is. Cheers.
I think you really nailed it. All instruction should be focused on target but it's not. This is what still endears Harvey Penick to many. 'Take Dead Aim' is still the best advice.😸
Great video... I'll listen to anyone certified or not that can help me. I've learned from your channel and other you tube golfers like Grant Horvat or George Bryan. If it's something that gets me going I'll put in the effort...
What do you want to get out of golf instruction? The purpose of any type of instruction is to provide an outside perspective on your reality, guidance on what to practice and how to prioritize for the most efficient improvement, and accountability on implementing the changes. Finding "the right" person who can provide all of that for an individual can be challenging. I would recommend using a variety of indicators to find a good coach. 1) Certification tells you that a coach has done the work to commit to a system and has proven their teaching ability to a certain level. 2) Recommendations from successful students also proves that a coach is capable of teaching others and has reached a certain level of trust. 3) Coaches working at a club or store will need to continue to have proven success, or there is a solid chance that they will no longer be employed by that company. 4) Take a lesson or two without a long term commitment so you can see first hand if their teaching style and system are acceptable to you (first hand knowledge). You will need to commit to practicing the skills they provide you at the lesson to be sure it works for you, but isn't that why you taking lessons anyway?!?!
Yep, all good thoughts. It speaks to what I was saying here. There are good coaches to be found, but we have to be good students, first and foremost. If you take the lessons, that's only 10 percent of it. The other 90 percent is your time and effort to absorb and practice what's in the lessons. If you can't give it that time, then the lessons are mostly pointless.
I also appreciated your comments that improvement will only happen through practice. Pairing consistent practice with solid guidance from an instructor will maximize your growth potential. ANYONE can improve at golf from where they are. Lessons are one of the FASTEST way to do this. However, not everyone has the physical and mental build to be BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. That is the definition of a pro. Talent is simply a multiplier of skill, knowledge, and practice. The formula is: (Skills + Knowledge + Practice) X Talent = Your Potential Like I said, anyone can improve at golf. Just work on the parts of the formula you can control, and be mindful and realistic about the ultimate outcome. :) Don't forget to enjoy the game along the way - there is no final destination when it comes to golf. The journey is the fun part! I would recommend a book called "The Practicing Mind" by Thomas Sterner to learn more. Only 140 pages - quick read, but good stuff!
You took a chance on this topic lol. Great video as always. I had to stop reading the comments lol. I agree with you on this Chad. I know good and bad instructors and most people don't stick with the instructions they are given beyond one poor round.
I 100% agree. Any lesson I ever took you have to make it "your own". Feels are different.... Also, you should if you haven't already check out Milo Lines. I went to their 2 day schools and all the instructors including Milo absolutely crush the ball...I mean "rediculous' so as an example, if I hit a were to hit a 7 iron 156 yards, I kinda got the "skunk eye".. that's because they teach how to be explosive... I am 57 in decent shape and I know there are days I hit a 7 iron 172. So I see where they are coming from... but it was eye opening that their expectation was "hey you need to move" ... lets not feather the swing...Great instruction.
Wow I’m my opinion this is your best video. An open an honest opinion on your experience. Which I would strongly agree with what you say. For the swing goes I think mike malaska says it best. The swing is a blend of body and arms. Some people need more of one than the other. But they need to work together
Stay honest, and whether people agree or disagree with you, they WILL follow you. I LOVE how unbiased toward the technique in mind you are. It would be SO easy to give kudos to techniques which mirror your own biases. I much prefer simple. I don't want fifty different things to think about. That's what I like about Marcus Edblad's technique or the RSS. Both use a pushing method, which at my age is preferable. Zero back stress, and only a couple of things to concentrate on. Thanks to you, each person can pick a technique that incorporates what they already like about their own swing. I'm never going to reach a professional level, but I DO want to enjoy my time out on the course.
Spot on 👌🏻💪🏻 I'm binging Marcus Edblad at the moment and ... this winter it the training period to ingrain some stuff. Awesome,... thx to Chad I got some various angles of different methodologies. Awesome 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻
Kudos Chad! I could not agree more. I have said most of these same things for years…like we are sharing the same brain LOL! I appreciate what you do & that you are bringing these questions out. Lets really consider these points. Thanks again & keep up the great work.
I teach golf to beginning kids on Saturday mornings. Ages 8 - 16. At my best I was a 14 handicap but that was a long while ago. I’ve had lots of lessons and I study the swing and swing methods endlessly. I believe I can teach sound fundamentals although I often pray that I don’t screw them up. Your video reminded me that my early coaches were just regular guys with a passion to share their time and knowledge. From them I learned sportsmanship, integrity, and a work ethic. I loved these guys. BUT I really hope I don’t screw the kids up. Lol
Good stuff Chad, when JV tells the story of his first professional teaching job and the 2 other teachers there teaching something different every week because they were searching for something missing in their own swing, it makes you wonder how many teachers actually have their students getting better. Certified or not that should be the measuring stick, if you’re teaching a 20 handicapper and 8 months later he’s still a 20 handicapper your certification might not mean much.
Personally, the key to shaving strokes in a game is practicing short game. Pitching, chipping and putting is the key. Not fun to practice, but the most important part. I lose most or may strokes in cutting a chip or three putting. Getting to the green in 2,3 or 4 strokes is the easy part. Scoring is where the rubber meets the road. Just my opinion. 😉
THIS video is on my list. This very thing. I have made short game videos and they are some of the LEAST viewed. It's literally the fastest way to drop strokes, but people only care about driver.
Yes. 💯 Golf and testosterone are never good playing partners. Just practice that short game and be happy that your shortish Drive is in the middle of the fairway. Your scores will be consistently lower and you’ll easily beat most players you meet.
Also Chad, I agree, that VERY simply put…..the ball only does what the club tells it & in that context…the club only does what the person tells it. How any one person finds that way…varies.
Out of all of these thousands of RU-vid instruction videos, the ‘only’ thing that has ever helped me has been reading and re-reading Ben Hogan’s 5 Lessons. It’s unreal how much valuable information is packed in there. I don’t know why his instruction resonates so well, but it does. Sorry… there actually is one individual on RU-vid that has helped my short game. That would be Lee Trevino.
I had to smile. I usually don't have Autoplay on in youtube but for some reason, I did while watching your video and immediately this video entitled "How to Swing Like a Tour Pro in 10 Minutes - AXIOM Webinar" by the Rotary Swing guy came up. The irony was just too comical. That being said, I think that the guy has some very solid axiomatic thoughts on a standard swing that many golfers can perform to at least a reasonable degree. Brian Manzella talks about getting top teachers together in a "symposium" yearly but also says that if you didn't control the channels of communication carefully enough and allowed too much free discussion, the debates would start to get pretty heated quite quickly. Golf can be pretty much summed up by describing the game of a friend that I play with often now. He is a very good athlete and highly coordinated but does not know much about the game and is learning constantly. He has an amazing natural swing that literallly could at times be that of a tour pro and has never taken a lesson. He plays entirely by feel. He can carry the ball 300 yds. and hit his irons unbelievable distances at times. For example, I saw him hit an 8-iron last year right at the pin from about 165. It was a magnificent soaring shot that took off like a rocket; only problem was that it carried around 200 yds., forty past the back pin, onto the next hole. Is that a good shot or a bad shot, being one of the best struck irons I've ever seen in my life? He does this kind of thing fairly often and the next shot could be a laser from 175 that stops a foot from the pin. The next hole some gremlin might pop up in his swing and he starts hitting the ball all over creation for 2 or 3 holes and then the pattern repeats to one degree or another. He can shoot in the high nineties or the mid-seventies depending on which golfer shows up that day. Can a system fix this problem, maybe but I would personally find that a dubious likelihood. This just highlights the fact that feel always has to tie everything together for every golfer since we can't watch ourselves swing and thus can't watch the club OR our bodies move in real time. So if impact is king, then feel is queen and that's the reality of golf and even the tour pros are clearly subject to this as even top ones are constantly talking about "finding something". Thus although golf gives the illusion of emminent repeatability (afterall you can create a robot to make an essentially perfect golf swing) with it's flight laws and mechanical axioms, it is just that, an illusion. In that way, it's like Siegfried and Roy's tiger that can give the appearance of being tamed but the wild beast is lying just beneath the surface. Any teacher that does not pay due respect to that fact and who thinks that they have fully tamed the beast for all players and cases (even unhindered ones) has fallen into folly. All anyone can really do is put the odds somewhat more in your favor by removing the variables that help your particular case the most. Cheers.
@@GolfTestDummy Interestingly, my friend has a slightly older cousin (he just found this out recently) who banged around the mini-tours for a while and went to Q-school a couple of times and never really "made" it. He's now a club pro in the Toronto area so genetics quite possibly are a factor there. Cheers.
I totally agree..if you have some athletic ability. I see so many bad athletes who could use a few lessons with a coach. I love Jim Flick's style and great video on you tube...fairly simple concepts...as your mentioned yet totally understandable. He is a big arms dictate..body follows. If you get the chance watch his vid with Bob Toski.
My dad didn't gave any trophies or certificates. He could read, understand, and show me. Ih the other hand doctors told my parents I would never walk, play games, etc. turns out they are wrong too.
In the 90s I started to play golf properly rather than have a hack round a course 3 times a year. I joined a club, got my first handicap (25) and started playing and practising a lot. In 15 months I was playing off 7 (6.5 actual). In 1998 I quit playing until this year. When I went to the driving range with my buddy it was like I'd never played golf in my life. I shanked probably 80% of my iron shots and the driver was even worse. We were there on a Friday morning and I was slicing my driver so far right the ball was coming down on Monday afternoon. Back in the 90s I had a baby draw with the driver. Anyway, I started to watch vids with this "new way" of swinging, using the hips, keeping the wrists firm....and everything was a nightmare. Long story short, I eventually came across Marcus Edblad who got me to understand that this new-fangled method of swinging wasn't for me. I went along with his swing which was similar to how I played in the 90s and my game came back. Sadly, I'm a lot older now but I'm down to a 12 handicap and there's no doubt I'll be back in single figures next year. A bad round for me on my own course is mid-high 80s and you'd probably have to amputate one of my arms for me to shoot in the 90s now. My point for posting this? It's to say that what suits one person doesn't necessarily suit another. Even the top pros have different swings. The only thing they ALL have in common is what happens at impact, they just have different ways of getting there. So if you're happy with your game and someone tells you _"You're doing it wrong"_ just ignore them. If you're playing well and someone knowledgeable helps you with the odd tweak, that's fine, but if they want to change your whole game, just walk away because they'll likely do more harm than good.
I'm willing to bet that quite a few people have experienced some variation relative to that at one point or another. When I started, it was all self guided, and trial and error. I played pretty well, but we to looking to improve by reading, watching, and listening. I got worse. To the point where it was no fun anymore and I quit.
@@GolfTestDummy I'm at the point now where I do what's comfortable and what suits my game. I'm not getting any younger and I'm certainly not gonna turn pro, but I can play reasonable golf and I enjoy it. To me, that's what counts.
I am shopping for a garmin r10 launch monitor. I will support your channel if a link and a good price are provided. Certifications or ability mean very little. I work with engineers with bs and masters degrees and as Marcus would say are sttuuupid.
Hi Chad, The intrinsic bottom-line reality assessment of a Golf Swing instructor/coach's ability to be classified as having the 'capability' of expertise standing to justify being 'qualified' to give golf swing instruction is purely relative only to one criterion .. that criterion being .. 'results'..why is that.. because you cannot get supported results if you do not have the knowledge/expertise relative to the coupling of a specific set of swing dynamics to suit an individual's neural uptake capabilities and their physical dexterity factors etc. I have a number of formal degrees in the psychology/behavioral sciences fields and the absolute most impressive lecturer I have ever encountered was a person who had no formal degree qualifications.. however, because he was so learned in those fields purely because of his 'own' developed understanding of those sciences... to that end, he was afforded an honorary Ph.D. by a very elite University. The person who had no formal accreditation status from the general establishment of accreditors was in fact far more skilled in the fields of the neural sciences than just about all of those who had formally accredited status...from my perspective, he was the most impressive lecturer I have ever been exposed to. I believe the only requirement you need to teach the Golf Swing is 'true' knowledge of golf swing dynamics relative to an individual's capability to apply those dynamics within 'their' specific frame of physicality maximization capability. To try and apply a specific 'system/method' of swing mechanics geometry/dynamics to an individual who does not have the physicality dexterity and intellectual levels capabilities to apply those dynamics/geometries is totally pointless.. and the individual that can determine that futility is the person that has the type of capability I am talking about.. he/she .. has the 'know-how' of swing dynamics to mold those dynamics to suit the individual's true needs and requirements both physically and neurally. You don't need any official organization accreditation to be considered a competent Golf Swing teacher.. you just need true competence of understanding of Golf Swing dynamics etc. I never started playing Golf until I was 31.. and whereas I managed in a relatively short time to be able to play at a fairly high competency level I never actually played at an elite level of competition .. I was able to do that because I had been involved in elite-level sports that required understanding expertise of significance relative to body balance and force dynamics etc .. I have actually spoken with the supposed 10 best swing coaches of the last 30 years .. and not one of those coaches told me anything I didn't already know about the golf swing.. not one thing...I developed all my own understanding. The salient point of that history is that of me not having any formal Golf Swing teaching exposure from anyone.. yet I still managed to have a very successful teaching career without any teaching association accreditation .. and without blowing my own trumpet in self recommendation.. I firmly believe no teacher in the realm of World Golf could tell me something about a particular player's Golf swing issues that I couldn't readily identify from my own expertise of analysis. The bottom line here is that for a given individual there are just things you must do physically and dynamically to achieve a competency of sport-specific performance capability... .. how you do that as an instructor/coach to maximum individual capability is invariably the result of inate high competency coaching ability .. a truly competent coach will always look to maximizing an individual's specific physicality traits to the specific sport dynamics requirements .. an incompetent coach will try to force textbook doctrines sports dynamics onto/into everyone's individual body dynamics. .the comparison being to try and get a 65-year-old Senior golfer..or even just a 40-year-old club golfer.. to try and apply the swing dynamics of Tiger woods or Rory McIlroy .. sure those players swing dynamics are very sound technically .. but they are just totally outside the physicality uptake and timing capabilities of a senior or general club rank and file golfer...point being..identify the realistic capabilities of a student and maximise those capabilities...the only thing that is point relevant to a swing instructor/coach's establishment of bona fides pertinent to being considered 'qualified' to teach the Golf Swing.. is the 'results' you achieve.. get the results.. and you justify your competency. Cheers JH
I dont know that I can add much to that, haha. Always good to hear from you JH, and hope you are doing well. The last part of this entry, where you spoke about realistic expectations, is one of my main points in this video also.
great video Chad, my view is that you don't pay unless you improve, i'm sure iv'e heard this before in another channel, but it should be progress based, if you shoot mid 90s consistently , then after a lesson your in the high 80s, you get paid. Sure gonna sort out the shit from the sugar... fantastic content mate
Haha, that's a hell of an idea. Like an attorney, a contractor, or a sandwich shop. It's nuts to think that we pay and HOPE that we get something for it. Kind of like a lotto scratcher.
agreed!! lets be honest , golf is an expensive game to play, i think a lot of 'teachers ' play on the that fact, lets keep them coming back. Time for a change, all the best mate @@GolfTestDummy
Finding an instructor is like finding a good doctor. Each often have a speciality that suits the player. I think that is the issue as some are better at diagnosing & solving issues that affects the golfer. But…the player needs to understand their own flaws first.
Good thoughts here. I think if you understand impact conditions and ball flight laws, that's the cornerstone, and you can make most swing methods work.
I don't believe people think of you as an instructor. Rather a golf scientist, using that method to inform. test, try and entertain with all of the options out there. Hopes are one will be right for the viewer. In many cases you break down certain methods better than the originators. Keep it up. Entertaining. Maybe do some match play vids. Do segments online with instructors. Can you be an instructor? Probably , don;t know the requirements such as own handicap index, affiliations, etc. Tons of "uncertified "instructors on YT. Doc Blade. Shade Tree Pro. JH...etc
Being certified is great but it's not an end all be all thing. You can go to a certified car dealer but not all the mechanics in there are all as knowledgeable as the next. Same with being a great player, some people just have a gift but can't teach or don't know the technical parts. The first thing is communicating your goals and depending on that the instruction should vary in intensity. If you're young, getting lessons especially with video is probably the best thing you can do, same if you have the time and money and are willing to rebuild your swing from scratch. Otherwise you need some motivation and determination to learn/apply stuff on your own like our Golf Test Dummy here lol
I've had over 10 coaches. Many of them top tier ones (some famous). I must say, most of them were not good at impacting my swing in a positive way. I felt many were a waste of money. I felt disheartened after many lessons and little improvement. This is coming from a practice obcessed golfer as well. Many coaches/instructors are just salesman that can hit a golf ball very well.
I wasted $500 on golftec lessons.....nice guy, good golfer...lazy teacher. Kinda seemed put off when I didn't want to buy the big 10 or 15 lesson package....no effective drills or swing thoughts for me and I was spending minimum 3 days a week at the range working on what was covered in lessons.... I actually made a bigger improvement buying a $50 sub. to PGZ and watching Eric Cogorno and GTD than any improvement made because of GT lessons
You are not a good driver just because you have a licens. You need practice regularly. It's the same about us instructors, we need to interested and practice to a good instructor. You know when your students friends are lining up for lessons.
I hate the one swing fits all mentality around the golf swing. The aim of the game is to get the ball in the hole. How the swing looks has no impact on that.
Whether I agree with you or not, your thoughts are always welcome. I like to keep an open mind, as I'm certainly no expert on golf swings as my card will varify. Maybe you can change the channel name to golf test philosopher? 😄
what the instructors are forgetting to students is that the dbl pivot , dbl axis rotational swing can only be performed if you 1,000's of balls and go to the gym ... full stop
glad you like the comment. the short story is after three years of study and trial and error, we're about to launch a new swing thats going to change everything. regardless of skill level its better than any move being used today. keep sn eye for the single axis revolution.
it isnt nessesarily capibilities. i compare it to playing a woodwin instrument. you may know the keys and notes to the song, but if you dont play constently you cant blow the horn. you dont have the armature ... thats it.
Wow. So many words to say the obvious. Must someone have a certification to be an effective instructor? Well, of course not. But, I offer this. If you’re looking for a financial advisor to entrust with your money, might you be able to find one without a CFP or similar credential who is good? Sure. However, are your odds of finding a good advisor if they have a CFP. Definitely. It’s not complicated.
That's true, and a good point. I don't know much about the world of finance, so I can't speak to that. But I'd say in either scenario, if you find the person helping you is just reading from a play book, with no dynamic thought of their own, I'd cut ties and find someone who is actively engaged in your improvement.
I'm not sure why you'd say that. Justin Rose is a very accomplished player. Mike Weir did well on the PGA and Champions Tour. And there are lots of pros that, even if they aren't using SNT to the absolute letter, still use many, if not most of the elements of SNT. I mean, I don't get paid if people like SNT, so I've got no skin in the game. Makes no difference to me. But I can't agree with your statement that no one uses it successfully.
So what exactly are you saying here are lessons a waste of time effort and money should we just focus on playing more and learn as we go and more importantly learn from our mistakes..??
I can't just make a blanket statement like that, however, if the golfer isn't going to practice and put in the time and effort, any lessons, good or bad, will likely be a waste.
Personally, I don’t think enough time is spent on gear. I’ve seen amazing swings ruined over time because improper lie angle or incorrect shaft flex/weight. The golfer makes adjustments to their swing to compensate. I see way more videos about technique, justifiable, than the importance of properly aligned gear. It’s like teaching proper shooting techniques and then expecting the shooter to perform at a high level with an inaccurate firearm.
I've had some of the same thoughts, and I always compare fitting to sighting in a rifle. If you're an established golfer, I really believe a fitting can help. But if your swing is always in flux, fitting is like trying to sight in a rifle from 100 yards, while the shooter is standing in a canoe, floating downstream, with a target moving around in a circle on the bank, lol.
Teaching somebody how to hit balls, doesn’t make them a good golfer. People who are great at hitting balls, aren’t always great golfers. Playing golf is not always about hitting balls. Can’t remember who said it at a clinic about Mac O’Grady but, they asked - if Mac is such a good ball striker, why doesn’t he win all the time? The guy said that he’s great at hitting balls, he just ain’t that great at playing golf tournaments.
There is not one coach of a touring professional who can beat him/her on course. A good instructor/coach does NOT teach cookbook swings. There are some fundamentals that should be adhered to but they are there to take what you bring to the table and make it better, not make you the mirror image of themselves or anyone else. Matt Wolfe and Jim Furyk are pretty good golfers but they look nothing like Freddie Couples or Tiger Woods.
One thing that I failed to mention that may be most important is the relationship between coach/instructor and player, as well as, their ability to communicate and motivate to institute positive change.@@GolfTestDummy
The two nick won 9 majors between them. Ernie els did pretty good. Si ri pak crushed everyone on the lpga tour. Ty tTryon was the youngest ever to qualify for the pga tour. Michelle wife worked with him. Exactly who’s swing did he ruin??
