Excellent question! Your golf coach is knowledgeable in all aspects of the game of golf, and can help speed up the learning process and make the game more enjoyable. Without a doubt, golf is very challenging game! But remember, golf is a GAME, and games are supposed to be FUN. Golf can be a very rewarding game, but also a very frustrating one! There is also an awful lot to learn about the many different aspects of the game and proper golf instruction can simplify all the thoughts running through your mind. The golf swing can seem very complicated but a great golf instructor can work with your physical capabilities and get you hitting the ball with more consistency after one lesson . The game of golf also involves many shots that do not involve full power – called 'finesse shots'. Putting is a different game in itself – some call it an 'art'. Then there is the 'mental' aspect of the game – perhaps the most challenging aspect of all! Even the best players in the world will NEVER fully master the game after many years of trying.

You should expect to learn something new, something that may not have experienced or felt before, perhaps feels awkward at first, and may take time to feel comfortable. Such changes will ONLY feel comfortable through repetition. Remember, you’ve made the decision to take a lesson for one of many reasons: you are a beginner, just starting out. Maybe you have played a little, but have made the commitment to yourself that you want to improve. Maybe you play often, but may have ‘lost the feel’ and need assistance to get your swing back. In other words, what you are doing right now is not working and you may not know what needs to be changed. Your golf coach can quickly determine the changes, and offer a plan to make these changes into long-lasting improvements.

Arrive early. Stretch, loosen up, and hit some warm-up shots.

Your instruction time is usually limited. If you use your lesson time as your warm up & to regain your timing, you are wasting valuable time. Some days, it only takes a few warm up shots to 'get into the groove'. Other days, it can take quite a few, if at all.

Practice in-between lessons!

As simple as this sounds, and for many different reasons, many golfers DON'T practice in between lessons! Practice on the driving range, or on the golf course. Practice the swing drills at home that your coach showed you.

As your instructor /coach, within the first few swings, I can usually see the biggest part of your swing that will need attention. Most often, we can't 'fix' everything in one session but you will definitely leave your first lesson with much improvement and feeling better about your golf game. Unfortunately there is a old saying ''You must get worse before you get better''. I have never had a student leave a lesson hitting the ball worse than when they arrived. A lot of golf instructors focus on making too many changes and this can confuse the student. You do not have to have a golf swing that is perfect to hit the ball far and consistently. Within your first few swings, I can determine what we have to work on today, next time, and probably the time after that. I also know which practice drills should be your homework.

Realize that changes lead to long-lasting improvement.

Another excellent question! If your 'best' shot that you hit today is better than the 'best' shot that you hit before, then you ARE making a step forward. Once again, remember that some changes may take time to feel comfortable, through repetition and practice. Initially, you may start out your practice sessions averaging only 1 or 2 good shots out of 10, 3 or 4 mediocre ones and 3 to 4 lousy shots! Through hard work and practice, you MAY improve to 3 to 4 good shots out of 10. With more time and practice, you may further improve to 4 or 5 good shots. The best way to determine if you are making an improvement is to assess your 'best' shot of that particular practice session.

A lesson once a week usually offers the most productive results – assuming that the golfer has an opportunity to practice in between lessons. Most golf instruction is cumulative – meaning that any changes / improvements that we need to make NEXT time are dependent of understanding / feeling comfortable / getting used to the changes we make TODAY. Long lasting improvement comes from making many small, manageable changes. We usually can't 'fix' everything in one session. How quickly that these changes feel comfortable depends on the individual golfer, and how much effort is put in.

Once again, that depends on the individual. For beginners, we recommend a series of lessons. Your coach can then ‘map’ out a plan of instruction, and offer that instruction in manageable bites. For experienced golfers with established golf games, one or two single lessons may be sufficient or you may want to enroll in a full season coaching program.

Absolutely! A picture is worth 1,000 words. Video analysis of the golf swing is a very powerful tool and can present a very clear, concise picture to the golfer. Quite often, what you FEEL you are doing in your golf swing compared to what you are ACTUALLY doing in your golf swing are widely different. Research has also shown that visual learning (by the use of videotape analysis) can be more effective than verbal learning (your golf coach simply talk, talk, talking). Once the golfer has a visual picture of his golf swing in his mind, then the verbal instruction and accompanying swing drills can offer much better results.

The definition of 'consistent' is 'repeating the same thing every time'. Golfers often say: "I can hit some really good shots, but also can hit some really bad shots." The quest for consistency usually leads to the questions: how often do you practice, how effective is your technique, do you have a consistent routine that you use to get prepared to make a golf shot, or does your routine vary, depending on your mood, emotion, or circumstances?

No doubt about it, the golf swing is a very complicated series of athletic movements. The golf swing is all about ‘timing’. Timing of the many intricate parts coming together at that brief moment when the golf clubhead makes contact with the golf ball. As the golfer watches the ball, hands are gripping, arms are moving, shoulders are turning, legs are supporting, knees are flexing, wrists are hinging, unhinging and hinging again, weight is shifting, and the body is rotating. The actual physics of a golf clubhead striking a golf ball at a high rate of speed is very exacting. The clubhead can be traveling at speeds of over 100 mph when it makes contact with the golf ball - the moment of impact. The clubhead travels in a circle around the body, and is rotating counter-clockwise very quickly as it approaches the ball. The clubhead also travels in an arc: on the ground at the start, upwards to a high point at the top of the backswing, back down to a low point at impact, and then up high again at the finish. Correct timing results in the golf ball flying straight and true!