Instruction
5 Reasons Why Golf Instruction Will Never Be The Same
I have been teaching golf full-time for more than 20 years and during this time I have seen countless training aids, swing theories and new technologies all claim to be the holy grail in golf instruction. Some of them were effective, while others didn’t work at all… remember the Kallassy Swing Magic?
Here’s five things that I think are the real deal in golf instruction and have the potential to make the game easier to learn and more fun to play. Thanks to them, golf instruction will never be the same… and that’s a good thing.
No. 1: Doppler Radar Launch Monitors
If you have read my GolfWRX instruction articles, you know that I use Trackman and feel that it has changed the way golf instructors see and view the swing. I’ve always stated, however, that Doppler Radar Launch Monitors like Trackman and FlightScope are tools that are only as useful as the teacher interpreting the information. As teachers learn more about the best ways to use them, fewer will be as obsessed with the position-perfect golf instruction that has become popular in recent decades. They’ll rely more on helping their students groove swings that are consistent and functional. That will lead to more individuality within golf swings on the professional tours and give students freedom to own more repeatable swings.
It doesn’t bother me if my top players have weird motions in their swings if they are able to repeat them under pressure. As time goes on, instructors will get away from trying to perfect a player’s launch monitors numbers, which can create robotic, doubt-filled swings. Golfers are not robots, and while it is good to see perfect numbers it’s more important to strive for consistency. No matter how good golfers are, they rarely can control their swing from day-to-day within 1 degree. Once instructors get past this boxed-in way of thinking, we’ll be off to the races.
No. 2: Gears Golf
3D Motion Analysis has been around for many years. In fact, I had one of the earliest systems in the 90’s and have been a huge fan of this technology ever since. The problem with past 3D Systems was that their club data didn’t show the whole picture. They assumed that the club shaft was an unbendable entity, giving us incorrect information as to how it would react, and impact point data was nonexistent. For that reason, we had no idea as to how much gear effect was occurring within each of the golfers’ shots. Then along came Gears Golf with solutions to both problems.
Gears takes into account how the body moves and gives accurate club data, including impact point. Because of that, there is no question as to what’s happening and how it’s occurring. As these systems become more popular, they will give instructors more insight into how the body and club work together and change golf instruction for the better.
The only downside of the technology? It must be enclosed in a special room, but one day that will not be the case. Consider me a fan!
No. 3: Force Plates
Like 3D Motion Analysis, center of gravity monitors and force plates have been around for many years, but now companies such as BodiTrak have allowed us to see how weight and pressure moves more accurately within the golf swing at a price that many instructors can actually afford.
We know that moving weight around in some fashion can add distance and power. The key is knowing how to move your weight and in what sequence your weight shift must occur so you can transition the club more effectively. We are learning that there are certain trace patterns of how the center of pressure moves, and as we continue to learn more, we will begin to see more trends among handicap levels and learn to improve golfers’ movements from the ground up.
No. 4: Golf BioSwing Dynamics
I was an exercise science major in college, so the role of the body within the golf swing has always been of interest to me.
In most cases, if golfers cannot move their bodies in a certain ways they will have trouble making swing changes. Programs such as the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) have done wonders to show us how golfers can train their bodies to be more functional and prevent long-term injuries. Such programs have been great for general golf fitness, but I feel that an understanding of what swings will work best for certain body types has been lacking… until now.
Mike Adams and E.A. Tischler have come up with a system called Golf BioSwing Dynamics that runs golfers through simple tests to determine how they move, what plane they will swing on, how much hip rotation they will have and so on. The instructor then uses this information to help teach the player how they will swing best from a biomechanical standpoint. The best part about this system is that it works with the training programs golfers are already using like TPI or the C.H.E.K Institute.
I spent two days learning about the system in a seminar last month, and it’s one of the most interesting things I have seen regarding mechanics since Homer Kelley came out with The Golfing Machine in 1969. Using their system, I can now understand how people tend to swing and what works best for their bodies from a biomechanical standpoint.
I have a feeling that Mike and E.A. are on to something, and that a better understanding of the golf swing through physical testing protocols will be the next great wave in instruction. I look forward to the day when we stop trying to force people into golf swings that counteract what their body wants to do naturally.
No. 5: The Next Generation of Instructors
The biggest change we’ll see over the next few generations? It will be the instructors themselves.
My generation of teachers has been fortunate to have so much revolutionary technology introduced during our peak, but we had to spend a lot of time experimenting with it so we knew how to best use it. We are on the downside of understanding how to use the new technologies and it’s because of this that we can mentor younger teachers better than ever before.
If I can help young teachers not make the same mistakes that I did when I was learning how to teach, then I am creating a better generation of teachers and this will continue generation after generation. The kids coming out of golf colleges have the internet and YouTube so they can learn whatever they want when they want to learn it. For that reason, they are more educated than we were when we started — they just lack the hours on the lesson tee honing their craft.
I think the next few generations of teachers will be better than we were and they will get there much faster than we ever did because they have people like us to train them. From a golf instruction standpoint, the game is and will continue to be in good hands.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Nick
Nov 13, 2014 at 1:03 pm
I think the million dollar question is how, with all this tech, the average golf score hasn’t moved the needle lower. I guess the answer is that data is just data unless you marry it with a solid plan for improvement and commitment to execute that plan and these tools only help with that so much.
tom stickney
Nov 13, 2014 at 2:04 pm
It’s been incorrect information from the instructors in the past (myself included!) until we knew more, inefficient practice from our students, and finally, 85% of the public does not take lessons thus the average handicap will never go down. But I take my share of the blame for sure, as I could have done more “coaching” in my early career rather than “teaching.”
James
Nov 12, 2014 at 9:25 am
My question is this, are instructors now going to use these tools to try and mold every golfer into the same patterns? That would be incorrect approach in my view. We are all built different, have physical limitations and so forth that drive the way we swing. Just seems to me the downside of modern teaching is someone like Trevino or Furyk or even Nicklaus would be told they must change their swings to some computer generated image to have success.
Tom Stickney
Nov 12, 2014 at 10:26 am
James…just the opposite. I let my students figure out how they can best move the number we need to change thus teaching individuality.
Mad-Mex
Nov 11, 2014 at 11:20 pm
I believe a warning should say that these are mere tools, you still NEED to TEACH how to CORRECT the flaws. you can get too involved with numbers these tools give, I have seen countless threads here were members do nothing but quote numbers! claiming their new boron-graphite-morybillidium shafted 460CC magnesium/beryllium driver combo has lowered their launch angle by .25 degrees and their rpm’s by 200,but never how this helped their game,, you cant teach athleticism or the “feel”. Being told by my teacher to try to “feel” like my left arm stay across my chest until it is pulled away after impact, did more to improve my scores (high 80’s to low 80’s with some high 70’s in a month and half)) Than all the video and numbers combined!!! Very nice article about what is out there.
tom stickney
Nov 12, 2014 at 12:17 am
Mad– Agree…if you don’t use the machines to teach the new “feel” to the student as well as how to audit if you are in the correct position then you are not doing them any favors….
jeff dantas
Nov 11, 2014 at 5:49 pm
A swing learning device is only as good as the one using it to teach others…the word Training Aid I assume means aiding in one’s training, yet the AIDS that are on the market Market do nothing like that.#theprocess check out the Sequence Stick for better information..
tom stickney
Nov 11, 2014 at 6:47 pm
And the training aids are only good if you remember the FEEL that they give you that’s different from your normal flawed motion
Frank McChrystal
Nov 11, 2014 at 3:29 pm
“The next generation of golf instructors will be better…….” Absolutely true that, there is only one direction they CAN go.
tom stickney
Nov 11, 2014 at 3:51 pm
You obviously have not had a good lesson experience to date…
JMaron
Nov 11, 2014 at 3:27 pm
“As time goes on, instructors will get away from trying to perfect a player’s launch monitors numbers, which can create robotic, doubt-filled swings. Golfers are not robots..”
Wow did that every hit home for me. I took some video lessons this winter and the pro’s whole process was about trying to get my numbers to fit Adam Scott and other pros in things like shoulder tilt. I went in thinking I had a pretty decent swing – came out completely self conscious. Worked my butt off trying to implement the changes but the results were a big decline in my ball striking numbers (fairways down 67 to 55).
I live in Canada – so I only get 6 months to practice outside. Took the lessons in March/April – gave up trying to implement those changes in Aug – started hitting it a little better at the end of the year, but the doubts are still there and I waffled back and forth trying to find my swing right through the end of the season.
tom stickney
Nov 11, 2014 at 3:52 pm
Agree…we have all been tied up trying to be something we are not…technology can be dangerous in the wrong hands
Barry S.
Nov 11, 2014 at 1:19 pm
No offense to anyone but IMO golf instruction is killing golf. Most of the teachers owe reparations to their students for junking up their golfing brains.
Form follows function.
tom stickney
Nov 11, 2014 at 3:54 pm
Barry–
Sadly there are good and bad teachers out there for sure…the problem is that we have no way to “test” all of us. If there was an accreditation process that was worth its weight, I’d be the first to sign up. The PGA of America is and always has done a poor job of training instructors.
Dennis Clark
Nov 11, 2014 at 4:04 pm
Truer words cannot be said…
Tom Stickney
Nov 12, 2014 at 10:26 am
D. Sad reality.
Oli Tucker
Nov 21, 2014 at 2:28 pm
Can’t comment in the PGA that side if the pond but coach education in golf a long way behind other sports.
Oli Tucker
Nov 21, 2014 at 2:33 pm
Great article.
Launch monitors just another teaching aid (a really good one). Down to the coach to control what information is used / shared with the player to help then reach their goals.
Matt
Nov 11, 2014 at 12:41 pm
Hi Tom, I’ve returned to the game recently and my irons + short game are ok considering my limited time to play, but struggling with consistency off the tee. Not a slice, hook, distance, equipment issue but topping it a few times each round on the tee only which can cost a lot of shots per round. I know the best medicine will be a few pro lessons, and I’m going to do that soon (just want a repeatable swing to bring me back to playing in the 80’s). So, I’m wondering if smart phone swing apps are helpful for time-strapped players like me, or perhaps something that should only really be used in conjunction with a coach?
tom stickney
Nov 11, 2014 at 12:57 pm
Anything is better than nothing; however, I’d start with a credible teacher in your area and use the app to support what you both are working on
ca1879
Nov 11, 2014 at 9:09 am
Tom – I agree that using a player’s innate swing tendencies is likely to increase as we understand them better, but a saying attributed to the great track coach Bill Bowerman comes to mind. He said, with respect to running form: “Do what’s natural as long as it’s efficient. If it’s not, then do what’s efficient until it’s natural.” Seems like that applies to the golf swing just as well.
Tom Stickney
Nov 11, 2014 at 9:37 am
Agree.
Pingback: This technology will lead to all golfers with perfect swings - The Mitchell Report
Chris
Nov 10, 2014 at 10:44 pm
More technology and yet scores and handicaps remain largely unchanged for your average joe. I’m sure there is a place for some technology but I question the benefit of sticking a 20 handicapper on a flightscope/trackman and filling his head with numbers relating to ball speed, spin and launch angle etc. The golf swing takes a second or so – how can we amateurs realistically expect to consciously change our impact parameters for more distance/better or a better ball flight?
The revolution that golf instruction needs is one of simplicity. I can tell how well or badly I’m hitting it by observing how my swing felt, the feel of ball on clubface, the position and angle of my divots and by observing the ball flight without having to analyse an avalanche of data.
Good golf is more art than science and I think instruction would benefit more from emphasising the development of touch and feel than on optimising ones trackman numbers. I’m sure touring pros can benefit by optimising the numbers but for the remaining %99 (the majority of the instruction consumers) analysing the data doesn’t make it any easier to make a swing improvement that leads to lower scores.
Tom Stickney
Nov 10, 2014 at 11:25 pm
It’s not about giving you the numbers. In fact I only use them to audit my own suggestions. If the numbers get worse then we need another feel. If you go to anyone and they fill your head with technical stuff I’d suggest you run the other way.
MikeOZ
Nov 11, 2014 at 7:18 am
yeah we are all like bubba watson and can work out our own swing. You sound just like any average golfer that is too stubborn to realise they need instruction. When you get it, you try it once, can’t make it work and go back to old habits.. thus your handicap remains the same.
Chris
Nov 11, 2014 at 7:59 pm
I’ve taken instruction and as a result gone from an 18 to 10 hcap but there wasn’t a launch monitor, 3D analysis or force plate in sight. I just checked forum recommendations and found a decent coach. I’m not against instruction at all but away from the lesson tee you have to be able to work on things yourself using ball flight and other feel based feedback.
tom stickney
Nov 13, 2014 at 4:54 pm
Agree totally chris
CD
Nov 11, 2014 at 1:53 pm
Why wouldn’t you want to optimise your numbers??? That means you’re improving ball striking?
You talk about conscious control – that’s half the problem, golf should be non-conscious. You don’t optimise your numbers by thinking about swinging on a path that is a precise degree! That’s madness! Do high handicappers seriously try to control impact consciously? I’m astonished. I’ve always felt you do it by feel and from proper, brain compatible suggestions. I’d want my coach to make a feel suggestion based on the calculated data not start talking 0.47474. Although I don’t immediately see the issue with knowing what you are doing either. I’m pretty open minded about that.
My only gripe with the article is I think you should strive for inconsistency not consistency, random applicable skill not ‘playing driving range’. Golf is a game of many different shots and you never have the same shot twice. I can’t think of one good golfer that wasn’t brilliant at being able to hit a full range of shots. I mean, the Opens are a fantastic test of ones ability to apply your skill in a multitude of conditions.
I agree with the basic premise of the article but it is interesting these are body and ball striking aids.
I think the biggest barrier to dropping handicaps are closed minded students, the distance-ego, and no-one takes enough playing lessons! Playing lessons IMO will cut you strokes time after time.
Chris
Nov 11, 2014 at 8:20 pm
Isn’t the reverse also true? that better ball striking = improved launch numbers? The article promotes the idea that the technology is going to revolutionise golf instruction. Sure it will further our understanding of swing mechanics etc. but I doubt that it will produce a vastly more reliable method of improving amatuer golfers over and above what good coaches have achieved in the past without the aid of video, 3d and radar.
I can see a time in the not too distant future when the range is full of personal launch monitors and people obsessing over reams of data after every shot.
Tom Stickney
Nov 11, 2014 at 9:38 pm
Chris. Better ball striking does not always mean better numbers overall. All depends on what your goal is.
Chris
Nov 12, 2014 at 12:19 am
Tom, do you care to elaborate on this? I can’t think of a circumstance where I would want to hit the ball worse in return for more optimal trackman numbers?
Tom Stickney
Nov 12, 2014 at 10:32 am
Chris…sure…what I was saying is that better numbers don’t always mean optimal results. Case in point former number one tour player hits 2-3 down with driver yet hits every fairway due to his higher spinloft numbers. Both values not “optimal” but functional for him.
tim
Nov 10, 2014 at 7:38 pm
This was a very interesting read. I have a question. How as a consumer of instruction can I be certain that my coach 1)uses these technologies and 2)is competent? I live in Indianapolis, Indiana if anyone knows of good high tech instructors.
Konnor
Nov 10, 2014 at 10:13 pm
Jeff Smith in Columbus Indiana, http://www.planeandsimplegolf.com/
Love everything he teaches and is well versed in numerous areas of technology. Helped shape countless players, myself included. Honestly recommend him to everyone I know. His website tells you everything you need to know. Not to mention an absolutely awesome indoor practice facility at Otter Creek.
More than worth the phone call!
Good luck!
Tom Stickney
Nov 10, 2014 at 10:25 pm
Konner– thx for the help.
tim
Nov 11, 2014 at 8:43 pm
Thanks Konnor! Columbus is a haul for me, but it sounds like it would be worth the drive.
Tom Stickney
Nov 10, 2014 at 10:25 pm
There are top teacher lists by golf, golf digest, golf for women, golf range association etc. And digest publishes a top teacher by state listing. Suggest you begin there.
tim
Nov 11, 2014 at 8:52 pm
Tom thanks for the response. I have not found the lists yet, but do these lists indicate the type of technology the instructors use? The lists I have seen just indicate the name of the instructor.
Tom Stickney
Nov 11, 2014 at 9:39 pm
You’ll have to contact them.
Brian
Nov 10, 2014 at 7:31 pm
Exceptional piece – brings back confidence for us who play well-enough but need to be tuned every now and then – but fear the pro due to the static and antiquated teaching methods which are usually presented in a no-exception manner.
Thank you –
Tom Stickney
Nov 10, 2014 at 10:26 pm
My pleasure brian
farmer
Nov 10, 2014 at 7:29 pm
As you pointed out, the key will be skilled use of these new tools. Buying a big box of Snap-On doesn’t make you a mechanic, all these tools, independently, will not make a great teacher.
Tom Stickney
Nov 10, 2014 at 10:22 pm
Farmer…the tech is only as good as the teacher using it.
Mike
Nov 10, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Tom, was the conference you talked about that E.A. Tischler and Mike Adams did their thing at in N.C.?
Tom Stickney
Nov 10, 2014 at 4:06 pm
They touched on it in nc, but they did a full class in phx
other paul
Nov 10, 2014 at 3:31 pm
You missed YouTube swing coaches like Mark Crossfield. I learned a lot about my swing from guys like him. Also learned a little about course management, and that there is no substitute for a flightscope/trackman and high speed camera.
Tom Stickney
Nov 10, 2014 at 4:06 pm
Good point!
Jeff
Nov 10, 2014 at 3:23 pm
I can’t say I fully understand any of those tools but I can say I feel like Tom Stickney has made me a more realistic student of golf. I don’t have the time or money to see a pro, and the only one near me is at a super expensive vacation lodge. But I watch instruction all the time and thanks to these articles I can take a drill outside, and know within 5 minutes if it’s gonna help me or if it feels foreign or forced. Thanks
And if IBF is the best pitchman you have for a strait driVing swing aid, your swing aid is toast.
Tom Stickney
Nov 10, 2014 at 3:32 pm
Thank you Jeff.
M. Norman
Nov 10, 2014 at 2:57 pm
A lil more shut at the top and less active hands is all we need in lessons.
Tom Stickney
Nov 10, 2014 at 3:32 pm
M…?
Tom Stickney
Nov 10, 2014 at 2:41 pm
Thx sir
Dan Sueltz
Nov 10, 2014 at 2:32 pm
And you, Tom, have been a pioneer in simplifying all of the data stuff so your students can learn and implement faster and easier.