I have been teaching golf for over 25 years and I finally met my match yesterday. I feel very competent about my abilities to help a player improve but this one was the exception. I had a student that no matter what I tried to explain and fix didn't seem to help. In fact he got worse! How many of you out there have had a similar experience....one I hope to never repeat. It almost got to the point I thought he was trying to be awful........I kept looking around looking for Alan Funt from Candid Camera!
Lesson from Hell
- Thread starter bax1865
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mgranato
New
Maybe suggest to him the "Dan Plan" lesson package? 10% off if he pre-pays for 10,000 hrs of lessons. 
One of my best friends growing up was a sports nut, a true super fan. He could quote you just about any fact or stat from any sport, just absolutely loved sports. Unfortunately, he had less than zero athletic ability/coordination. He tried everything, and struggled mightily to do the smallest things... throw a ball type things. He's now coaching HS football, and loves it. We knew he was always going to be involved in sports, it just wasn't going to be playing them.
One of my best friends growing up was a sports nut, a true super fan. He could quote you just about any fact or stat from any sport, just absolutely loved sports. Unfortunately, he had less than zero athletic ability/coordination. He tried everything, and struggled mightily to do the smallest things... throw a ball type things. He's now coaching HS football, and loves it. We knew he was always going to be involved in sports, it just wasn't going to be playing them.
I really tried everything I could to try to help this poor sole but his comment to any change, even the slightest adjustment, made him comment that it felt strange. It was almost like he was trying to prove that the correction wouldn't work! I don't know if I could survive 10,000 hours of that........but I do hope to have another crack at figuring him out. Any other horror stories from fellow Instructors are welcome along with suggestions on how to wrap up this type of lesson.
softconsult
New
There are personalities like this. I have seen it in a few people over my years in business. My advice is that it's his problem, not your problem. Who needs this grief? I would simply tell him that, because of his negative responses you will not be able to continue trying to help him.
faux_maestro
New
Tell him "well compared to that janky motion you were making before it SHOULD feel strange".
In all seriousness, I'm an instrumental music teacher which has some similarities to teaching golf or any other sport in that there is a combination of coordination and mentally understanding the concepts involved to be successful. I've had students who do exactly what you describe and I've found that usually they never get past that "this feel so weird, how the hell is this supposed to work" thing no matter what I do. I used to think that students like this were challenging me and my knowledge but I've come to the realization that this isn't always the case. It's just a personality thing. My only suggestion if you get to see him again is; tell him you are trying to get him to change his motion. It isn't anything like what he was doing before so it will feel weird and in the end he will play better with his new motion. When he first started playing I'm sure everything felt strange but eventually his motion started to feel natural though it was not necessarily optimal. It may just take time for the new motion to feel right.
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ZAP
New
Well if it feels the same then it is not really a change. If you want to be comfortable then just keep playing your same old game. If you want to get better then we may just need to change something and it just may feel different.
Just a couple of ideas.
I have the same issue when I try to help out my 14 yo son. It is like he tries to hit awful shots on purpose just to prove me wrong or make an idea not work.
Just a couple of ideas.
I have the same issue when I try to help out my 14 yo son. It is like he tries to hit awful shots on purpose just to prove me wrong or make an idea not work.
magicmarker
New
It felt strange huh, that's great news. We definitely WANT to CHANGE a few things. When you begin posting your lowest rounds ever this too will feel strange... accept the changes and attempt to implement them or don't. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.
His set up was awful. His right hand was completely turned under the shaft to a point that his right thumb was on the back side of the shaft. His upper body was way too bent over...so much that his weight during during the downswing would cause him to lose his balance toward the ball. He had no control of the club face whatsoever. Contact, when made was anywhere from the hosel to the toe of he club face. He whiffed when trying to hit a simple chip shot or he hit complete shank. I first tried to work on his posture and balance.......but he felt that was too awkward to do. Next we went to the grip in an attempt to control the club face.........that was also too much for him to change.......from there I tried to work on his path which was extremely inside to out and very under plane. I placed a foam pad outside the ball and asked him to make a small swing with the goal of missing the pad. No luck.....the pad went and the ball stayed. This went on for far too long.....other lessons were starting to arrive and he still hadn't hit a ball on the face of the club. It got to the point of no return and had to wrap it up. Good grief, this guy was a nightmare and thankfully today was much more successful! Life is good again.
Tony D'Antonio
New
Everyone learns at a different rate especially physical motions. Some are good at copying a motion others are not. I have twins, boy and girl. The girl could copy my motions and was good at school stuff, the boy, not so much. Being the dad I worked with my son a lot more than my daughter and for a time wondered whose son he really was . Slowly but surely (we're talking years) he became better, much better, at things like throwing and hitting and fielding (baseball). To his credit he stuck with it. My daughter made all her sports teams without really trying and they both achieved about the same level of competencies. It just took my son a lot more work. When he took up golf in his twenties he actually took to it quite easilty (even though he thinks he's the shits) and I imagine it is due to all the work he put in learning the baseball swing. I've even noticed that I pick up golf motions much more easily now than when I was first starting out thanks to all the thinking and learning I've done in the past. Bottom line, I think it is amazing that golf instructors can make much headway in an hour lesson since there are so many details to concentrate on. Just getting someone to change one thing, sort of, seems to be an accomplishment. I know exactly how you feel when you try to help someone and it doesn't come close to working out. Some folks just take more time.
My two cents.
. Slowly but surely (we're talking years) he became better, much better, at things like throwing and hitting and fielding (baseball). To his credit he stuck with it. My daughter made all her sports teams without really trying and they both achieved about the same level of competencies. It just took my son a lot more work. When he took up golf in his twenties he actually took to it quite easilty (even though he thinks he's the shits) and I imagine it is due to all the work he put in learning the baseball swing. I've even noticed that I pick up golf motions much more easily now than when I was first starting out thanks to all the thinking and learning I've done in the past. Bottom line, I think it is amazing that golf instructors can make much headway in an hour lesson since there are so many details to concentrate on. Just getting someone to change one thing, sort of, seems to be an accomplishment. I know exactly how you feel when you try to help someone and it doesn't come close to working out. Some folks just take more time.My two cents.
Matt Bryda
New
I am willing to bet some part of that lesson stuck with him and he will do his best to implement it on his own.
I can recall a couple lessons where the concepts made sense to me but I just could not get it. After some work by myself I was able to do what I was being taught from the lessons in the past.
dschultz6072
New
This is how all but my very best teachings go. I either learn it right there or if I'm struggling, I decide if it makes sense and try to go with it on my own. I always listen to my teachers' ideas, and sometimes things they told me before didn't click. All of a sudden I will be swinging and something will change, and I'll say "oh hey...that's what he was talking about!" This game is stupid.
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
From the sounds of it, he started with nothing and left with nothing. You did your best and if you know that, it's all you can do. There are a few patterns that make me cringe when I see them as well. One of the problems I see is if the first suggestion feels weird or makes them hit it worse, they tune you out and do anything they can to put the club on the ball. It's rough.
i remember someone telling me that ben doyle called these "time bombs". i've had a few for sure.
hp12c
New
See this why I love this place, chicken salad out of chicken shit, DC u made my morning!!!!
ZAP
New
Kevin himself spent about an hour trying to teach yours truly how to hit a simple tour pitch. I have the video to prove it. Only after watching it about a hundred times and finally giving up on hitting the tour pitch did I have an epiphany about it. Looking back at the video he said that very thing directly to me and I never caught it. I am betting this guy if he was listening at all will find something useful.
Oh and thanks Kevin for not killing me on the spot.
Oh and thanks Kevin for not killing me on the spot.
Burner
New
Let it go!
Come on mate. I was only having fun when I called you Lord Haw Haw. No need to get personal now; its over.
Come on mate. I was only having fun when I called you Lord Haw Haw. No need to get personal now; its over.
Matt Bryda
New
Or had never thought about their swing or ever had a lesson before,
maybe..
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