The hallmark of a great instructor
- Thread starter Cloran
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Great insight Virtuoso. All the "casual" forum swing analysis done here and at other www's by armchair instructors is simply no comparison to having someone show up at the range to meet with you for an hour and who fully/rightfully expects to be hitting it considerably better after that hour as you swipe their credit card for $XYZ.
Any instructor with a conscience is gonna feel like doo-doo is they don't deliver. There is a certain amount of pressure there that can be hard to describe.
Any instructor with a conscience is gonna feel like doo-doo is they don't deliver. There is a certain amount of pressure there that can be hard to describe.
Brian Manzella
Administrator
How do you become the best teacher of all-time....
Well for one, there is the math.
And the math says that tens of millions of people play golf. A certain percentage will never take a lesson and never read a book and never watch a video. I'd say that is probably about a third of all golfers. That leaves you with two-thirds.
To be the best that ever was you'd HAVE TO do the following, or else you simply won't qualify:
You have to reach tens of thousand of golfers, probably more like a couple of hundred thousand. You certainly can't teach all of those folks, so you have to write articles, do videos, write some books, and they have to get to a lot of people.
Even that won't be enough, so you need other teachers to learn from you, and whatever they learn has to be good enough that they can reach a lot of folks positively with your information, and maybe even a couple of degrees of separation the info stills holds up.
To do that, in a way better than Ernest Jones, Alex Morrison, Percy Boomer, Homer Kelley, Davis Love Jr., Manuel DeLa Torre, Claude Harmon, Sr., John Jacobs, Bill Strausbaugh, Jr., Eddie Merrins, Harvey Pennick, Cochran and Stobbs, Bob Toski, Jim Flick, Gary Wiren, Jimmy Ballard, Hank Haney, David Leadbetter, Ben Doyle, Bennet and Plummer, and no more than a few others have done, you had better be able to put together some kind of stellar body of work, and make it interesting enough for the masses to want to learn from it, and breed really good teachers like a bunny on Viagra.
You had better had multiple PGA Tour winners, or some kind of equivalent.
And you better actually be able to teach pretty much as good or better—LIVE—than just about anyone has ever seen. And you had better been a pretty big deal in a couple of markets, and your reach of regular golfers has to be at least national, but international is preferred.
You simply can't do all of the above in your spare time, in ten years, or if you are a method teacher.
The math will kick your little arse.
You have to have star quality, because eventually, you have to be on TV or whatever winds up on a Apple branded TV, or whatever everyone watches one day. If you have a squeaky little voice, or look at your shoes too much, don't apply for this job.
That pretty much means this: You have to be able to fix Mrs. Havercamp, Mr. Internet Golf Junkie, and a PGA Tour star on the same day, or at least the same week.
All the while, while you keep doing all of the above well.
Well for one, there is the math.
And the math says that tens of millions of people play golf. A certain percentage will never take a lesson and never read a book and never watch a video. I'd say that is probably about a third of all golfers. That leaves you with two-thirds.
To be the best that ever was you'd HAVE TO do the following, or else you simply won't qualify:
You have to reach tens of thousand of golfers, probably more like a couple of hundred thousand. You certainly can't teach all of those folks, so you have to write articles, do videos, write some books, and they have to get to a lot of people.
Even that won't be enough, so you need other teachers to learn from you, and whatever they learn has to be good enough that they can reach a lot of folks positively with your information, and maybe even a couple of degrees of separation the info stills holds up.
To do that, in a way better than Ernest Jones, Alex Morrison, Percy Boomer, Homer Kelley, Davis Love Jr., Manuel DeLa Torre, Claude Harmon, Sr., John Jacobs, Bill Strausbaugh, Jr., Eddie Merrins, Harvey Pennick, Cochran and Stobbs, Bob Toski, Jim Flick, Gary Wiren, Jimmy Ballard, Hank Haney, David Leadbetter, Ben Doyle, Bennet and Plummer, and no more than a few others have done, you had better be able to put together some kind of stellar body of work, and make it interesting enough for the masses to want to learn from it, and breed really good teachers like a bunny on Viagra.
You had better had multiple PGA Tour winners, or some kind of equivalent.
And you better actually be able to teach pretty much as good or better—LIVE—than just about anyone has ever seen. And you had better been a pretty big deal in a couple of markets, and your reach of regular golfers has to be at least national, but international is preferred.
You simply can't do all of the above in your spare time, in ten years, or if you are a method teacher.
The math will kick your little arse.
You have to have star quality, because eventually, you have to be on TV or whatever winds up on a Apple branded TV, or whatever everyone watches one day. If you have a squeaky little voice, or look at your shoes too much, don't apply for this job.
That pretty much means this: You have to be able to fix Mrs. Havercamp, Mr. Internet Golf Junkie, and a PGA Tour star on the same day, or at least the same week.
All the while, while you keep doing all of the above well.
This is a great thread because it allows Mrs Haverkampf etc to understand why her golf coach is a clown. But she ain't reading it so the world of golf instruction will continue "as was". My question to Brian:
Do you feel an obligation as part of your desire to be the "best ever" to enlighten the golfing public to the fact that 90% of golf pros can't teach?
Do you feel an obligation as part of your desire to be the "best ever" to enlighten the golfing public to the fact that 90% of golf pros can't teach?
Brian Manzella
Administrator
Wulsy....
Only 11% of golfers have taken a least 1 lesson in the last three years.
I think that speaks for itself.
Only 11% of golfers have taken a least 1 lesson in the last three years.
I think that speaks for itself.
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
I don't know where you come up with 90% but I'm actually starting to think its not far off. Been in a lot of conversations with people and while I will never bat 1.000 some of these guys left me scratching my head. I want them all to be better so people wouldn't be afraid to take lessons.
There is a small group that actually dedicate themselves to the craft. There are alot of reasons for that (which could be a whole thread in itself). But briefly: teaching is a very difficult way to make a decent living. Most people cannot afford to live on what they make on the lesson tee alone. I started teaching making $20 dollars a lesson some 30 years ago. And because I didn't have a shop job or salary, I took EVERY lesson I could find. I worked the "line" at driving ranges, stayed out there 12 hours a day, because I loved it and was determined to make it. If you are forced to take a shop job or choose to play part time for a living, you do not get enough exposure or experience to do the thousands of lessons you need to get good at the craft. That, IMO, is why most teachers don't ever get it. One of the reasons anyway.
Brian Manzella
Administrator
No doubt Dennis.
You are also SCREWED if you have too much free supply.
There are club's that Mike Jacobs' dog Vegas would be booked all day.
Nothing against Vegas....I'd take a lesson from her.
You are also SCREWED if you have too much free supply.
There are club's that Mike Jacobs' dog Vegas would be booked all day.
Nothing against Vegas....I'd take a lesson from her.
Rick Dandy
New
Viva Vegas!
TROYNYGOLFER
New
Does it?? While good golf instruction is not easy to find, if you want to improve it is your own individual responsibility to find it. I am still baffled by people who insist Joe Blow is THE best instructor in the area becaue the local paper survey and golf columnist (who barely broke 100 the day I played with him) anointed him. How about the guys who were watching the Nike Speed Trial (complete with Flightscope X-2) with me and when I remarked about how impressive it was that Nike was confident enough to use a FS and give out all data, ball and club, responded with "if that thing is so great why doesn't Golf Galaxy have one?"
Deciding who the best golf instructor in the world at any point in time or of all time is too subjective IMO.
Too many great instructors both past and present. Each offer their own expertise. Taking a high capper
and making them better is a far cry from being able to deal with professional players playing golf for a
living. I know many people think working with players who are talented should be easy. It's not.
A poor student can make a good instructor look suspect. Many, many students out there who fight doing
what they need to do looking for the magic, quick solution to better ball striking. It's an epidemic.
If you are a good instructor, teach those willing to learn and work hard and make them better. If you're
really good, then those seeking careers as professionals and those currently playing as professionals
will come knocking on your door. Who's the best? Who cares? Just do the job well.
Too many great instructors both past and present. Each offer their own expertise. Taking a high capper
and making them better is a far cry from being able to deal with professional players playing golf for a
living. I know many people think working with players who are talented should be easy. It's not.
A poor student can make a good instructor look suspect. Many, many students out there who fight doing
what they need to do looking for the magic, quick solution to better ball striking. It's an epidemic.
If you are a good instructor, teach those willing to learn and work hard and make them better. If you're
really good, then those seeking careers as professionals and those currently playing as professionals
will come knocking on your door. Who's the best? Who cares? Just do the job well.
Brian, by free supply do you mean too much open time in the schedule book?
Does it?? While good golf instruction is not easy to find, if you want to improve it is your own individual responsibility to find it. I am still baffled by people who insist Joe Blow is THE best instructor in the area becaue the local paper survey and golf columnist (who barely broke 100 the day I played with him) anointed him. How about the guys who were watching the Nike Speed Trial (complete with Flightscope X-2) with me and when I remarked about how impressive it was that Nike was confident enough to use a FS and give out all data, ball and club, responded with "if that thing is so great why doesn't Golf Galaxy have one?"
That the mugs I'm talkin about! The fools deserve to throw their money away making some DF clown golf pro richer...
I don't think so. He means members etc who take lessons with their pro whether he is good or bad. Kinda like eating at mcDs cos you have a voucher for free food. IMO.
No he means a bunch of lessons from people who don't know any better. get a PGA card and a job at a busy range with some sort of "right of first refusal" clause, and you'll get a ton of lessons regardless of your ability to fix golf swings. I see it every day. The gullibility of the of the lesson taking segment of the market amazes me. The things I've seen over the years you would not believe. Once I saw a retired guy take up golf for a hobby at 50. About a year later, He was shooting around 100... and giving lessons at a range.
DC, yep, makes you wonder how on earth these people gain any credibility. I see it regularly as well. In my club/area you have a retired basketball player/coach who couldn't break 90, a non-qualified South American who can hit a decent ball but that's about it, an 11-HCP schoolgirl, an out of work tennis coach and a retired ski instructor all giving lesson for money! And the people recommend them to their friends!
It really makes you wonder whether the job of teaching golf to "regular golf punters" is just a joke until you get to the higher levels of coaching.
It really makes you wonder whether the job of teaching golf to "regular golf punters" is just a joke until you get to the higher levels of coaching.
Now Wulsy, with that competition you must be raking in the Euros hand over fist, no?
Virtuoso
New
But you didn't mention whether they could actually teach or not. I've seen people come from other industries that end up being better instructors than many Class A PGA members that play to scratch or better.
If I could spy in on a lesson from the schoolgirl and she got her student hitting the ball better, she'd get my stamp of approval.
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