What makes a good teacher?

[swingcirclecenter]

With all the talk about who is the best teacher ever.
I thought this would be a good topic on what makes a teacher a good teacher. My opinion is he MUST use video, not just a video camera but a full blown system! I take a video of my lesson home with me every week, it's very cool.

Teaching Aids/Gimmicks don't need em, I guess certain teachers use them but why?

I have bought tapes, Perfect Impact (George Hibbard is drier than the Sonoran Desert). This new De La Torre DVD the worst produced thing ever. Martin Green's is ok.

Redgoat, EdZ, Brian, what do you guys think?

 

[Mathew]

What makes a good teacher....

Credibility - They must be able to execute a 'fairly' decent swing himself/herself.

Communication - Good communication is of the most vital concepts - A good teacher must do as the einstein quote goes (paraphrase) "things must be made as simple as possible but not simplier"

The right attitude and personality - A teacher should always be a pleasure to go and see because he makes it fun to go...

And last but not least - Significantly better knowledge than the pupil - This means the better you get - the more qualified your teacher must be - your teacher should without a shadow of a doubt, be superior in knowledge than you....otherwise your just being their experiment.

Not exclusive to the above, your teacher should have somewhat a defined idea or road for you from where you are now to where you are going.

 

[EdZ]

I'd agree with Mathew on his points, and say that when properly understood and used, training aids are VERY effective and should never be discounted. The key is having a full understanding of the aids, and the swing, and to know which aid will give a student the 'missing link' in their swing at any given moment. I wouldn't say video is an absolute, but it is most certainly helpful, and becomes more and more valuable the better the player. The trick is how you use it

 

[mb6606]

I have never had any luck with "position" golf instruction. There is no one swing fits all!!!
Every instructor I have met teaches a different method. They look for results without knowledge to why?
Teach me to understand the physical science involved using (videos, gimmicks, aids, text, photos, etc.) and I can educate my hands to follow.

 

[EdZ]

Well said mb6606.... and I would add, you must 'see' those concepts in your mind, and react to them without 'trying'.

 

[swingcirclecenter]

quote:Originally posted by EdZ

I wouldn't say video is an absolute, but it is most certainly helpful, and becomes more and more valuable the better the player. The trick is how you use it

I have to disagree here. To me it's just the opposite. The beginner needs video more than anyone so they can relate to what the teacher is saying to them and relive the lesson by watching the vhs tape.
I think that guys who do not use video to teach are Lazy and should be avoided at all cost.

 

[FanofHogan]

Ed, dont take this as an attack or anything because it isnt intended as such, but in another thread you said people are visual and I assumed you meant that we should do all we can to utlize that fact. Well, to me video is almost an absolute must. I have had things drilled into my head until I am sick of them, but seeing it one time on video was enough to fully grasp what the messenger's intent was. I view video as the ultimate swing aid. I agree with Swing in that it is especially imperative for a beginner and also useful for a student that is a little further along. A more advanced student can see his divots and determine clubhead path, or an advanced student can actually 'feel' what is wrong in his swing. But for a raw beginner, man there is nothing like seeing their swing for themselves and then watching a pro's swing for comparison.

 

[mb6606]

Tell me to keep my left arm straight, right shoulder down, chin up , head down, weight on my toes, knees bent, back straight, right elbow bent,head still etc. etc. then swing just doesn't work for me.
Tell me to hit the aft-inside quadrant of the ball(because you are on plane if you do), I can learn.
If showed Steve Elkington and Lee Trevino their swings side by side on video, Lee Trevino would be laughing all the way to the Hall of Fame. Video is great mind you but it is a 2D format depicting a 3D action.

 

[6bee1dee]

quote:Originally posted by mb6606

Tell me to keep my left arm straight, right shoulder down, chin up , head down, weight on my toes, knees bent, back straight, right elbow bent,head still etc. etc. then swing just doesn't work for me.
Tell me to hit the aft-inside quadrant of the ball(because you are on plane if you do), I can learn.
If showed Steve Elkington and Lee Trevino their swings side by side on video, Lee Trevino would be laughing all the way to the Hall of Fame. Video is great mind you but it is a 2D format depicting a 3D action.

Video is a wonderful tool. Ben Doyle wouldn't teach without it. I love it.

Another teacher I know, not an AI, but a true life time student of the swing, does NOT use video with beginners, only with his better students. He doesn't want his students to see how bad they look until they improve.

 

[FanofHogan]

quote:Originally posted by 6bee1dee

quote:Originally posted by mb6606

Tell me to keep my left arm straight, right shoulder down, chin up , head down, weight on my toes, knees bent, back straight, right elbow bent,head still etc. etc. then swing just doesn't work for me.
Tell me to hit the aft-inside quadrant of the ball(because you are on plane if you do), I can learn.
If showed Steve Elkington and Lee Trevino their swings side by side on video, Lee Trevino would be laughing all the way to the Hall of Fame. Video is great mind you but it is a 2D format depicting a 3D action.

Video is a wonderful tool. Ben Doyle wouldn't teach without it. I love it.

Another teacher I know, not an AI, but a true life time student of the swing, does NOT use video with beginners, only with his better students. He doesn't want his students to see how bad they look until they improve.

That is a good point. That kind of reminds me of the first golf lesson I took. The guy asked me how long I had been playing. I told him about a year. He said, "Good, I prefer my students not to be raw beginners. I want them to have a little of an understanding of the golf swing." I should have walked out the door right there.

 

[EdZ]

No worries Fan, I'm not against video... just don't think you 'need' it to teach. It is very much worth using for people to 'see' their swings, especially their 'good' swings, so they have an image they can replay in their minds of their good swings before each shot, and can associate the 'feels' of that motion. I do, however, think it can be used too much to look at 'bad' swings... once is enough - you want positive images in your mind, not negative ones.

Always remember your good shots - 'see' them.

 

[Redgoat]

EdZ,

I agree that the teacher doesn't need it to teach. However, it sure helps the student. I can tell them what is going on by watching because I have been looking at swings forever but it is better for the student to see it.

In terms of not looking at the bad, I disagree. As a player, I want the truth. It it felt right and it was wrong then show me so I can get it fixed. If the student doesn't like seeing it when it isn't correct than it is more motivation for them to fix it.

Just my thoughts.

Redgoat

 

[EdZ]

Yes, it does help for students to see themselves, no doubt about it. I should clarify (since the initial poster was saying it was an 'absolute') - I don't disagree at all, nor do I think they shouldn't see their bad swings, I just suggest using it differently than most - to replay the good shots, so they 'see' their swing after a good shot.

we don't disagree about the bad either..... I would just show it once to get the point across, and then show the 'better' images more, when they do make a good swing.

Positive reinforcement, visual reinforcement of good swings

might seem a subtle difference, but it can really help speed up learning, because folks can 'go to the movies' as Jack would say (literally), and then just create that visual in their mind and swing... a very powerful way to learn

 

[FanofHogan]

quote:Originally posted by Redgoat

EdZ,

I agree that the teacher doesn't need it to teach. However, it sure helps the student. I can tell them what is going on by watching because I have been looking at swings forever but it is better for the student to see it.

In terms of not looking at the bad, I disagree. As a player, I want the truth. It it felt right and it was wrong then show me so I can get it fixed. If the student doesn't like seeing it when it isn't correct than it is more motivation for them to fix it.

Just my thoughts.

Redgoat

Amen on things "feeling" correct even if they are wrong. No way I would have believed I was taking the club back inside too soon if you hadnt pointed it out to me. I always thought that I had a nice takeaway.