Instruction
You don’t really want to improve your swing, do you?
Some golfers want to implement the swing changes their golf instructor suggests, but simply do not have the talent or time to make lasting improvements. This article isn’t about them. It’s about the golfers who have the physical ability to make certain swing changes, but refuse to let their ingrained motions be altered.
Why would someone spend the money to take lessons from a teaching professional and either not listen to the instruction, or not take the necessary steps to ingrain the changes? I’ve found that most of these golfers, often better players, do not understand the process required to make real, impactful improvements to their game; improvements that will allow them to succeed under pressure in competition.
Homer Kelley’s book The Golfing Machine has a few great quotes regarding the process of proper instruction. One of my favorites: “The student must approach instruction as a step-by-step process. The only real short cuts are more and more know-how. Every board and every panel must be cut to fit its place and fit in with the overall design. It’s premature to expect the complete results of instruction before the last factor is fitted in, understood and mastered.”
Kelley goes on to say that each player deserves instruction tailored to their skill level: “The student who can play and practice only occasionally should not be induced to proceed on the lines and precision that a prospective champion would need.” In my instruction, I always tried to build the best, most consistent swing I can for my students with the least amount of work on their part. And for me, keeping most of their original swing pattern intact is usually the path of least resistance.
The instructor’s job is to “inform and explain, the players’ job is to absorb and apply,” Kelley wrote. Therefore, a teacher and a student must work together, because a one-sided teacher-student relationship just will not reap meaningful benefits.
Good golf instructors WILL NOT want to change what you’ve always been doing in your swing unless it’s for the betterment of your game… trust me on that. A successful golf swing is full of compensations for moves that are idiosyncratic to each player. But if I’ve determined that you need to change your position at the top of your swing and you’re not allowing me to show you how or help you through the process, then our progress will stall.
Golfers taking lessons also need to remember that improving a golf swing takes time. The pieces come together in stages, and it may be awhile before your new swing feels natural. Depending on the severity of the change, you may spend days, weeks or even months trying to ingrain a new motion.
Let’s say your trouble shot is a low hook, and you decide you want to fix it. You ask around and decide to take lessons from a reputable instructor who has a solid track record working with golfers of your skill level. He offers drills and technical information tailored to your game, and uses technology (high-speed video, a launch monitor, etc.) to provide real feedback. And after one or more lessons, he will provide an ultimate “fix” for your low hook.
Now the hard work begins. Your instructor is there to help you through any stumbles that might occur, but are you up to the challenge? Will you make the time to change? Are you able to deal with higher scores in the short term for lower scores in the future?
If not, then you don’t really want to improve your swing, do you? And that’s OK. Golf is supposed to be fun, and you don’t have to shoot low scores to enjoy your time on the course. Just be honest with yourself before you spend your time and money on lessons, or criticize a golf instructor who did his or her best to help you.
Here’s a four-minute video of Rory McIlroy taking about the work he’s done to improve his game.
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!
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Dill Pickleson
Dec 12, 2016 at 6:13 pm
Do your research as opposed to expect a pro to just magically get in your head and find out why you lift when he says rotate. Have an understanding of the swing and what your issues may be and talk to your pro. I’ve found the more I know, the more I get out of the pro. My experience is they all have a lot to offer.
Myron miller
Dec 12, 2016 at 9:04 am
I’ve had a number of intructors over the years and i’d say over 90% of them (and possibly even higher percentage) have made a swing change and then said continue doing that with no type of anything to how to continue doing the change or how to make the change permanent. No plan for how often to practice or what to practice (drills, etc) to make the change stick. Its all well and good to have the person make the change at the lesson tee but if he can’t really feel it and can’t continue it, with no way to really ensure that the change continues, what good is blaming the student for not practicing enough.
I’ve taught other things and I have learned thru the years, that if follow-ups and drills or things are not provided with plans on how often to do them, that the student will never actually learn the subject/change. And I put that blame on the instructor and not the student. its also on the instructor to understand how the student learns – visually, verbally or what and to help him with ways to make the changes needed.
And as someone mentioned, the student’s body has a lot to do with things. Having the student do moves that he can’t consistently repeat due to body issues is not productive. I’ve had more than a few instructors try to have me do things that I can’t physically do repetitively. I have a lot of physical issues and can’t do many things do to physical limitations.
So I would disagree that the onus is the student’s problem for not practicing and following up enough. Yes, there are students that are not motivated. but many of us, need followup plans and drills to help with reasonable recommendations on doing the drills given that we have other lives and can’t practice 10 hours a day like some people. Most of us are lucky to practice once per week besides playing. So reasonable expectations and suggestions on what it will take are useful.
TexasSnowman
Dec 11, 2016 at 11:11 am
Tom, you must be an exceptional teacher. I am single digit, and I have only taken a few lessons in my 46 yrs of playing. One reason I have not taken more is that I feel I have gotten low-value from the pros I have engaged. I share many of the frustrations voiced in some of the other comments. Many of the golf pros I have encountered are just too into themselves. Paragraphs are overrated.
Tom Stickney
Dec 12, 2016 at 8:44 am
Contact me and I’ll find a teacher for you
Dill Pickleson
Dec 12, 2016 at 6:08 pm
thanks, that’s a more constructive response.
Dill Pickleson
Dec 12, 2016 at 6:07 pm
Sounds like the opposite to me….
cgasucks
Dec 10, 2016 at 2:07 pm
Convincing a person to change his/her flawed golf swing is like convincing a drug addict to get clean…
If they want to improve their lives they must do 2 things.
1 – Admit they have a problem
2 – Have the motivation to do something about it
Dan
Dec 10, 2016 at 1:37 am
As a golf coach from australia, the first point of call is to ask the student what they wish to achieve? Then follow that up with a conversation about their lifestyle, time to practice and play? Do they have any injuries or anything that may cause an issue with swing instruction that I need to be aware of? Should a coach be accountable? Absolutely! But accountability is a two way street! I don’t personally believe in drastically changing a players natural hannits, unless it is a serious cause of poor shots! I do believe that a player playing off of 18 has had to shoot 13over par or better once, a ten marker he shot 5over par or better at least once! This leads me to believe that they are capable of better golf with what they are currently doing! What we as coaches should be doing is identifying players strengths and weaknesses and letting the player know what they are.
It’s quite often going to be inconsistencies in the swing, that’s not saying that a visually good or bad swing are better than one or other, but a good coach can identify ways to help build a consistent swing with what they player is already doing.
All I hope to achieve with my players is that they shoot better scores, enjoy the game more and understand their own swings.
Philip
Dec 9, 2016 at 10:21 pm
Maybe because the instructor is focused to much on the result and not enough on the cause – and no matter what you tell the individual “brain” the body will continue to do what is necessary to reduce pain and stress on the body – in spite of what the individual wants to do … just a thought. It has worked well for myself, starting to listen to my body instead of fighting it. I do not expect an instructor to know what my body needs and wants to be able to make the better golf swing the instructor is trying to help me achieve – I just let my body guide me towards the end goal the instructor has shown me … in the only way my body can do it, which would be impossible for any instructor to know. If an instructor thinks they know better than any students body .. then that instructor doe snot understand cause and effect and the uniqueness that each of us has. We are not robots – and even robots are not exact.
KK
Dec 9, 2016 at 8:07 pm
Easiest way to cut strokes is to work out 4-5 days a week. Most golfers don’t have the drive to do that. They sure don’t have the drive to incorporate swing changes. Let’s start teaching robots to golf instead.
David Ober
Dec 12, 2016 at 3:09 pm
Work out? As in “lift weights, stretch, and do cardio”?
Honestly? You think that’s going to help a 15 get to a 6? I can’t tell you how many wonderfully fit and limber guys I know who play golf two or three days days a week, who simply can’t figure out how to truly play this game.
If you don’t “get” the golf swing, working out isn’t going to make you appreciably better. The guys I’ve known who have made large strides in their games (I’ve seen a guy go from 12 to 2, for instance), have all dedicated themselves to learning how to strike the ball more consistently, while simultaneously working on their short games and mental games.
In my opinion, doing that takes work on the range and on the course, not the gym….
Jeff D.
Dec 9, 2016 at 7:48 pm
So, I’ve taken a lot of lessons over the years from different instructors. I think that we see the same thing happen in lessons and business presentations. I think people in both settings absorb very little of what is presented and what they do initially absorb – they quickly either completely forget or partially forget and misconstrue.
So while some people do their best to practice- the practice is imperfect – at best. For a few years I have believed MEGSA type equipment might allow for “Perfect Practice” and make the learning curve much shorter.
J
Dec 9, 2016 at 7:00 pm
This is my biggest complaint with golf instruction. I have never gone to an instructor (as an adult anyway) and been given a plan and a road map. If I were an instructor I would plan out a strategy over a time frame and plot checkpoints to hit at certain intervals. As it stands now there seems to be almost no accountability on the instructors side. If a player does not improve, it must be the students fault because “they really don’t want to improve”, or “they’re just looking for a quick fix”. Part of the instruction process should involve the analysis and goal setting with a correlation to not just understanding what to work on but also understanding how to work on it. From my point of view, golf instruction is and has been broken for a long time. You may be one of the exceptions Tom, but I have for the most part, been incredibly disappointed as an adult with the quality and focus of the instruction I have received. I think the pro’s who teach a lot of junior golfers are much better at this type of thing, providing structure and instilling discipline. I agree it’s much easier to communicate from the position of authority and elder status to a 12 year old kid than a 35 year old lawyer or such (can’t fill a cup that’s already full philosophy), but many adult students crave that firmness and discipline and imho showing the student (of any age) how to empty their cup and learn through process is just as important as any mechanical swing instruction and I think that is rarely a focus. I don’t want a buddy or partner as a golf coach, I, and I believe others want an authority figure who will also take some ownership and responsibility for the success or failures of the student and this means earning trust, having someone to support you. Unfortunately. My experiences as an adult trying to improve has been mostly suffering my failures and frustrations alone (to the point of contemplating quitting the game, a place I’m in even now.) then trying to squeeze as many questions and as much understanding I can into a 1 or 2 hour lesson as often as I can afford the 125-250$ an hour price tag. We learn nothing else in life in this fashion, why has this become the acceptable standard? If I were an instructor, the 1 hour lesson would not exist.
KK
Dec 9, 2016 at 8:02 pm
Step 1 of your plan should be to stop yapping so much. GolfWRX is not your diary.
Jafar
Dec 9, 2016 at 8:37 pm
Step 2 Ignore idiots like the above
J
Dec 9, 2016 at 9:20 pm
Perhaps I’m just a person who sees an established pro who is well respected and has won lots of awards and accolades from different golf publications and establishments in a bloated industry that like to pat eachother on the back and give eachother awards for the purpose of selling more books or instruction. The only thing that matters is how well you serve the guy standing in front of you at the time and as a whole I believe golf is failing at this. This is not my diary, but it’s the best avenue I have to express my opinion which is that PGA professionals should expend more effort to helping players and taking some ownership of the poor state of instruction and, in many ways the poor state of the industry as a whole instead of pointing the finger at the student and perpetuating the idea that their students are just unmotivated and lazy. A student requires a teacher to give them tools, then help them use those tools effectively. Giving a student tools with no knowledge is just as useless as asking someone to perform a task that requires a tool they do not possess.
KK
Dec 9, 2016 at 9:50 pm
And learn to use paragraphs. Please. For the love of humanity.
ASUgrad1988
Dec 9, 2016 at 6:23 pm
Tom:
I would change my swing if it would help. I’m retired so I have a lot of time. I’m a low single digit player, but my game is getting a little worse every year. I’m 62 and the main problem is I don’t hit as many greens, so consequently I practice my short game a lot so I can keep my handicap low. My driving distance is in the 245 yard range where its been for the last 4-5 years. I do stretching, and cardio work, so people tell me they hope to be as flexible as I am when they are 62. If we had someone who could actually help me I would be glad to change, but there isn’t anyone close by. I’ve taken videos of myself and I see parts of the swing I don’t like, but I don’t know how to fix it to get better.
Any suggestions? Is there a swing instructor that would look at my swing from just a video or do they all want to see the player in person?
Thank you, and great article!
Ron
Dec 9, 2016 at 1:10 pm
I used to be a good golfer. I beat balls into the night. When I worked on the night shift, I played a round every morning after work and got to near scratch.
And then I got older. A practice session that lasts more than 30-45 minutes means I can’t practice tomorrow. I can’t hit balls with the frequency necessary to ingrain anything a coach might give me. So, I guess I’m as good as I’m going to get now.
Steve S
Dec 9, 2016 at 12:07 pm
After watching numerous “coaches” at my local driving range I would say that Tom Stickney is a unique individual. I’ve watched numerous folks pay a lot of money to get instruction that I would say is “canned”. I think it is also telling that none of the single digit handicappers that regularly use the range use any of the local half dozen or so instructors.
For me I find that using video from my iphone has been valuable in analyzing and improving my swing. What it has shown me is that I have to improve my flexibility to get better.
tom stickney
Dec 9, 2016 at 11:58 am
Don, you must decide just how important you golf game is to you and what you are willing to “spend” to get to the next level.
It'sDoughTime
Dec 13, 2016 at 11:37 am
It’s all about the Benjamin’s.
tom stickney
Dec 9, 2016 at 11:57 am
The student ALWAYS leads the lesson direction from day one…the interview process we conduct before the first ball is hit will determine our direction and my experience will help the student to understand if this goal is attainable or not…from there we determine a short, mid, and long range plan for success.
Instructors that just “begin” without asking the students what their main objective is will hamper their progress
Robin
Dec 9, 2016 at 11:47 am
I was a real good boxer in the day. I was what you would call a scratch boxer according to golf. But CTES are starting to set in as I grow older,,, I have a tough time remembering swing thoughts…
But when I go to my lessons my swing coach says there isn’t anything wrong with that swing… But when I play I am so inconsistent I wonder why I play. Why is it that ?
All I know this game hurts more than boxing
Scott
Dec 9, 2016 at 11:05 am
Tom,
Should an instructor ask the student if they want to make a change and get rid of an obvious fault or try to make their swing work the way it is?
One story I have from this summer was watching two players under instruction. One, the more experienced player of the two, was very larger. He had a horrible sway back and through. He was awful,but because of his size, maybe he could not rotate and the sway was the only thing he could do. He had a much thinner friend who appeared new to the game and could not get the ball off the ground. The large man wanted his friend to swing like he did and he tried to copy this horrible sway – C to reverse C. Now maybe the instructor was between a rock and a hard place, with the large man shouting instructions, but I do not think the teacher should have allowed the poor instruction to continue. He appeared content to allow the poor motions to continue.