Most golf lessons sort of go like this.

You turn up. Wait around a bit and hit some balls to get warmed up. You’re then ushered into the teaching bay – have your swing videoed, then you’re off to the video room to have the swing analysed.

From here, the pro draws lots of lines on the screen – he will show you your head position, the swing plane and anything else that stands out. In some instances, your swing will be compared to a golfing great and your swing and his, will be shown side by side so you can see what they do that you don’t.

Time is now at a premium. Most coaches only have 30 minutes and with a full book, there’s no spare time for chit chat or extended analysis. The pro gives you some drills that will fix your mistake(s) – there’s just enough time to hit some balls with your 6 iron, and if you’re lucky, a a quick video of your “new” swing. You hit some balls, working hard on implementing what you’ve just been told.

Just when you think you’re making progress the pro says, “Righto Smithy, my next lesson is waiting. Keep working on the drills and make sure you practice some. Please book your next lesson with my assistant on the way out. See you in a few weeks”.

I know not every pro teaches exactly like this, but the situation has certainly been my experience. It is stock standard practice and I’m not sure it really has been questioned that much. This is a shame really because it just doesn’t work too well.

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