Instruction
GolfTEC: What it is and isn’t
What is GolfTEC?
Until recently, I didn’t have a clear answer to that question.
I had the opportunity to visit a GolfTEC facility in Burlington, Mass., earlier this week to learn about the company in general and the way specific locations function, in particular. Having been in the golf business for several years, I was tangentially aware of the 15-year-old Colorado-based franchise prior to my visit.
My assumptions were, basically, that the company was what many golf franchises are: Profit-motivated with hastily trained employees and managers, willing to approve the franchise application of anyone with enough cash to set up shop in a suburban strip mall.
My assumptions were incorrect on every front, and I was incredibly impressed by the company, its philosophy and its practices.
For those as woefully confused as I was, here’s a breakdown of what GolfTEC is and is not.
What GolfTEC Isn’t
A method-teaching franchise: Although GolfTEC did exhaustive research on the swings of over 150 tour professionals and developed optimal ranges they’d prefer to see a player in at various points during the swing, individual instructors don’t attempt to impose any particular school of golf thought on students.
Staffed by unqualified, ill-prepared teachers: At the GolfTEC I visited, three of the four teachers are PGA professionals or apprentices. The teacher at the facility with the least number of lessons given still had over 3,000. Additionally, instructors are certified through GolfTEC training and must complete ongoing education courses.
A place that teaches the full swing only: GolfTEC works with players on developing all facets of their game. For example, GolfTEC has developed the g-Putt system, which uses motion measurement, video capture and biofeedback tones to analyze and improve your putting stroke.
More expensive than lessons with a pro at a private club: Lessons at GolfTEC are priced comparable to those of professionals in the area and typically range between $50 and $70.
A sales-focused company attempting to peddle pre-packaged lesson products: After an initial assessment, a GolfTEC instructor (or “coach,” as the company calls them) lays out a lesson plan based on an individual’s goals, which can range from 5 to 50 lessons.
What GolfTEC Is
A group of qualified teaching professionals with a formula for success: As mentioned earlier, the GolfTEC coaches are qualified teachers. Further (and far from being a mere gimmick) the company has a “Proven Path” to student success. The Path is quoted below, and as you can see its both comprehensive and holistic
The five factors of The Proven Path
- Fact-based Diagnosis: An objective analysis using video, motion measurement and a proprietary database of over 150 Tour players.
- Sequential Lessons: GolfTEC’s Certified Personal Coaches give easily understood golf lessons that build repeatable skills and lasting results.
- Video-based Practice: Learning rates are dramatically accelerated with visual feedback that positively reinforces new swing habits.
- Advanced Retention Tools: GolfTEC’s online Player Performance Center provides private 24/7 access to golf lesson history, past swing videos and practice drills that reinforce every improvement program.
- Precision-matched Clubs: GolfTEC’s unbiased golf club fitting process filters through more than 1,000 clubs to find the ideal match to each player’s swing.
Focused on the long-term success of students: Swing tips and an annual lesson with your pro are great, however significant improvement in golf (or anything, really) takes a real investment of time and effort. Further, an impressive 95 percent of GolfTEC students report that they have met their defined goals — not merely “improved” — over the long term.
Committed to understanding a student’s swing flaws and deficiencies and explaining them to the student: Not surprisingly, many students don’t know much about how the golf swing (or even the golf club) works. GolfTEC focuses on helping students understand and own their swings, rather than simply telling them what to do differently.
A legitimate challenger to the traditional teaching pro and golf schools: Given the instructional methods outlined here, and the comparable pricing, GolfTEC — with its Proven Path — is positioned to challenge the bastions of golf teaching.
You can visit http://www.golftec.com/ to find a GolfTec near you.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
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 “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
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 “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
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” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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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Srhack62
Feb 16, 2017 at 11:01 am
I purchased 10 lessons from Golftec. Having a over the top swing & currently at lesson 8, I’ve been repeating almost the same drills over & over in the lessons w/2 to 3 times a week at the range. For the $ spent ($800). Am not pleased w/results & was not expecting quick fix. Currently have been using my iPhone to video my swing at the range, with some pretty good results. This is the 3rd instructor so far. Recently purchased The Orange Whip & have noticed some positive swing tempo.
Being a 15 handicap my goal of getting to a 10 seems a way off. Since Golftec my driver is my enemy,luckily I’ve almost always had a decent short game & putting stroke
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Jamie Katz
Aug 19, 2013 at 11:09 pm
I’ve taken lessons at a different indoor facility and at a range. Ryan Skoglund at the Burlington, MA GolfTec facility has been my best, most consistent, most flexible, and most disciplined teacher. He has helped me play my most consistent golf at my advanced age of 61. On occasion, he has showed me pro swings, but not to get me to adopt those swings–rather, just to show me aspects of the swing. He’s been flexible in thinking about my swing and has not tried to force me into a formulaic swing. There may be some GolfTecs that are not well run–but when they are well-run with good instructors, there’s nothing evil or improper about what they do, or how they do it. For me, GolfTec has made my golf experiences much better.
JHM
Aug 13, 2013 at 12:30 pm
As a former GolfTec customer – i think it all boils down to the quality of the instructor. A good instructor can help you anywhere, and a bad instructor, even with great technology, can do more harm than good.
With that said, I agree that GolfTec has incredible technology (hear it has gotten better since I left) and also agree that the last thing you shuld be worrying about is what the ball is doing when you are making changes
Steve Barry
Sep 3, 2013 at 5:00 pm
I’d agree with this. I got a series of 5 lessons as a gift one Christmas from my folks. I was down in NC and after the initial consultation, the instructors first question was “what do you want to improve?” I was taken back because he was concerned with what I was looking for in my golf game and not to impose his system/method on me. My response was I didn’t get a chance to play as much as I used to and the swing I had was very timing dependent. I could shoot even par or 85 on any given day. I said I wanted something more repeatable with less moving parts. Done.
When I played a ton, I was between 0-2 handicap. When I went to GolfTec, I was a 7. After the five lessons (which I took on my schedule, over the course of 4-5 months), I was right around 4 because my swing didn’t take as much maintenance as it did before. They asked what I wanted, I told them, and they delivered. This was in Cary, NC back in probably 2008 or so.
c
Aug 13, 2013 at 12:32 am
If you watch the average duffer at your local range they just rake balls and try to hit them well with no real concept of what they are doing with the club. I would argue that if you want to change your swing seeing the ball flight can actually hold you back. One of the best ways to make a drastic change to your swing flaws is to hit foam balls. The idea being that you forget about where the ball is going and concentrate on changing your motion. Once you have the motion ingrained you go back to hitting real balls. This fits the theory that there are two modes of practice.
1) practicing real golf, hitting to different targets with different clubs
2) practicing technique, hitting 100 7 irons in a row into a field
Most people try to do both at the same time with little success
JOL
Aug 12, 2013 at 10:25 am
After an initial swing analysis (purchased at a discount on Groupon) I purchased a series of 10 (?) lessons from GolfTec in Westchester, NY. The season had just ended and I wanted to improve over the off season. The instructor I had was a seasoned PGA professional that knew what she was doing. If you are a visual learner, the video system they have is great. They have both down the line and front shots, with playback modes in normal and slow motion. As a recap of the session, she also provided commentary on the video session that you can access via the internet on your own account. This particlar site didn’t have access to an outdoor driving range. I guess you can argue that not being able to see the actual ball flight has its pluses and minuses, but for me it got old after a while. The end result was that I was much more aware of my swing faults and have had some success at “fixing” them on the course. IMO, a combination of this type of learning coupled with on the course learning would be ideal.
Josh Lymon
Aug 11, 2013 at 5:58 pm
Some of this is just copied and pasted from the company’s site… odd.
Fred
Aug 12, 2013 at 3:17 pm
More than “odd” – kind of a bold-faced infomercial parading as objective reporting.
Ben Alberstadt
Aug 13, 2013 at 10:27 am
The only portion which has been “copied and pasted” is presented as so and is set off as a quotation. I figured a regurgitation of the core of GolfTEC’s teaching philosophy in my own words was of no greater value then adding the Proven Path wholesale for readers to have a look at.
Jason Burge
Aug 10, 2013 at 11:25 am
I purchased a 6 month program at Golftec and noticed significant improvement. I began as a 0 handicap and improved to a +2 fairly quickly. The best part about Golftec are the video practice sessions. Using the video during each practice swing is very effective since you know you’re doing exactly what you intend;ie feel isn’t real. I just wish they offered this service. Although, the instructors are great, I felt that after the 6 months of lessons, I knew my faults and only needed to maintain my swing.
Carlos Danger
Aug 10, 2013 at 8:25 am
test
MD
Aug 10, 2013 at 6:59 am
I took lessons at Golftec for the past 6 months, first of I ended up with the City Manager (PGA) pro wasted three months of my plan and the practice time I was shooting low 80’s before going there and went up in the 90’s then I switched to another teacher and now he has me trying to do a Dustin Johnson swing with a bowed wrist, it is hard as heck but if and when you connect and can lag you are able to hit the ball pretty straight but again if and when…I wish I never went, I have wasted money and this season down the drain. I can care less about their video and would rather take lessons from a pro at a driving range with an iphone camera at least I can see ball flight and make immediate corrections.
Pretty Ricky
Aug 10, 2013 at 4:33 am
I took lessons at golftec. AVG of 90 to avg 82 in 6 months. I wasn’t forced in to any sort of mold, but was taught a swing that could shoot the scores I wanted. Like Matt said- I was way outside on my takeaway, so they showed me zach johnson taking his hands/club inside to show the difference.
These are the facts – teaching and learning with video is way easier. Practicing solely at the range is a very tough way to ingrain your changes. If you do GolfTEC, you need to buy the practice membership.
Talk to all the coaches at your GolfTEC, find one you like, and quit reading golf digest hoping for a miracle.
Matt Newby, PGA
Aug 9, 2013 at 10:33 pm
Ben,
Thank you very much for the review. I can tell you 100% that many GolfTEC coaches are faithful GolfWRXers.
Mic
Aug 9, 2013 at 9:59 pm
Not profit-driven? Puhleeeeze. That concept is anathema to golfers.
Marty
Aug 9, 2013 at 9:51 pm
Have to disagree with the payment aspect of it. I am a semi-retired PGA pro and I’ve never had anyone sign a contract and leave a credit card number on file with me so I could charge you a monthly fee for however many lessons you took. While I never “made a commitment” (the instructor used that phrase A LOT.) to the GolfTEC plan, the way the instructor described it, it sure sounded like a method system to me. He said that after they take exhaustive measurements your physical characteristics are then matched with a tour pro so there can be a side-by-side comparison of what the tour pro is doing vs. you. I suppose if I wanted to be a tour pro this would be helpful but I don’t see how this helps old, less flexible, slightly flabby me. I already KNOW I can’t get into a tour pro’s positions, that’s why I taught.
I will say this though, their video system is the best I’ve ever seen, and it’s hooked up to a Trackman. I would have gladly paid for the time to use their system. I hear that is available at some GolfTEC facilities, unfortunately not at mine.
Matt Newby, PGA
Aug 9, 2013 at 10:43 pm
Marty,
I just want to clarify a few points on this. The payment system works a little differently than you described. We do not keep a card on file and then charge based on how many lessons you took. We do offer monthly payment options for pre-negotiated packages. For example if you purchased $1000 (arbitrary round number, not actual pricing) worth of lessons you would have the option to either pay all up front or for example pay $250 down and then 5 monthly payments around $150. This way you can spread the cost of your lessons over time.
Secondly, while we do use tour players as comparison it is not intended to have you swing like a certain tour player. We just may use an example of someone who does the opposite move in order to show contrast. For example if you have an extremely “cupped” wrist at the top I may show you Dustin Johnson since he is so “bowed”. But then I may use a different player to illustrate a different concept.
Marty
Aug 10, 2013 at 2:57 am
Thanks for the response, Mr. Newby. I appreciate the clarification on the use of the tour player video. I will stand by what I was told as a payment structure. I never was told how much a lesson cost. I was told that after an initial evaluation a plan would be developed and monthly financial commitment would need to be made and a contract would be signed. A fixed amount was never mentioned and in fact, I had received a Golfsmith gift card for$ 300 from my wife for my birthday and I asked him how many lessons I could get with that. I was told GolfTEC doesn’t work that old way of charging per lesson. To this day I am still unclear as to what the fee structure is.
Pretty Ricky
Aug 10, 2013 at 4:36 am
Golfsmith and GolfTEC are different companies my friend. Can you use a Starbucks gift card at safeway?
Marty
Aug 10, 2013 at 9:15 am
My local GolfTEC is located inside of a newly opened Golfsmith. The instructor was willing to take the gift card for the initial evaluation and if there had been thousands of dollars on it I’m sure he would have accepted that as payment for my commitment.
Matt Newby, PGA
Aug 10, 2013 at 2:19 pm
Ricky,
Could not help thinking back to the episode of Always Sunny in Philadelphia when Mac tries using his Dave & Buster’s card at TGI Friday’s…gave me a good laugh thank you. I hope you are familiar with the show/episode I am referring to.
Ronnie Martin
Aug 10, 2013 at 11:21 am
Marty,
You probably went to a franchise that us privately owned, that’s why they have Trackman at some locations and not others. GT is like any other business, it all depends on the instructor. The main drawback with GT, and it’s huge, is that it’s done indoors into a net, with no ball flight feedback. Positions are important , but without the feedback of seeing what the club made the ball do, you’re just excersizing.
dunfering
Aug 10, 2013 at 12:59 pm
I could be wrong,but I think all golftec’s have ball flight. the ball flight provided at golftec portland is better than being outside in my opinion.
1. it is coupled with video
2. it shows what actually happened at impact …your driving range pro still has ball flight laws WRONG.
Steve Lippincott
Aug 21, 2013 at 7:24 am
Marty,
Golfsmith and GolfTEC are two seperate entities. You would not be able to use a Golfsmith gift card at any GolfTEC just like you couldn’t use it at Edwin Watts/Golf Galaxy/Anywhere not named Golfsmith. We give a broad view on the fee structure as different centers in different areas off different programs. But on the whole I would say most of my clients in the Tampa area pay around $60 for a half hour lesson with me, whether or not they decide to pay it all up front or finance it with me to avoid a trip to the divorce lawyer ;). We’re not hear to sell them into anything, we’re here to help everyone enjoy golf more.
Appreciate your comments and interest in GolfTEC.
John Aiello
Aug 14, 2013 at 11:15 am
It was my experience that at the local GolfTec near my home that the instructor kept overlaying my swing with Tiger Woods in an effort to get me into the positions he gets into (in his golf swing). I am 60 years old. I am never going to have the flexibility of a tour player. I gave up after two lessons because I felt that the instruction was not right for me. I would never go back.
Thomas Howell - 20 year instructor
Aug 10, 2013 at 3:23 pm
I taught for 14 years before I ever heard of golfTEC and I sounded just like Marty before I truly became educated.
Marty – The pricing and purchasing is simple. Pay up front for a predetermined plan (that includes X amount of lessons and practice time) or finance it, just like buying a car or house.
GolfTEC does not use Trackman, WE use Foresight as Trackman is a doppler system that requires 40 yards of tracking range and costs over $20k. Foresight is available at all golfTEC’s thought on a limited basis, for a reason. All you golfers out there trying to “fix” something at the range in full speed motion are ingraining, not fixing. While golfTEC is not for everyone, just most, the results are undeniable. If you are a golfer that does not use video for improvement, or worse, an instructor not using video properly than you simply are not taking advantage of technology and doing yourselves and your students a disservice.
Obviously I am employed, PROUDLY, by golfTEC as the Regional Director of Orange County in Southern California. Yes, we are indoors, in a bay, into a net, in AC, and intentionally taking ball flight away for a reason. It is misleading. Not only am I a 20 year instructor but also a competitive player and student. Like many uneducated golfers I struggled making swing changes because I focused on IMMEDIATE results vs. permanent change and root cause. The difference? Permanent change is hard and requires dedication, time, money and most importantly FACT BASED FEEDBACK. Quick fixes don’t last because there is no reinforcement and there is a reason that over 80% of professional golfers work with a Swing Coach: Feedback and Reinforcement. Do you really think that Tiger, Justin Rose, Rory, Hunter, Phil don’t use video to make permanent changes? It is a staple in golf instruction and GolfTEC provides the ability for golfers to use video to develop REPEATABLE SKILLS then we train our players HOW to practice on the range. Ball flight is important and so is quality range time and of course, playing. We (golfTEC) have no delusions about this. We simply build a fact based plan to meet golfers goals and if you are a former client that is dissatisfied than I suggest you look in the mirror first. No one is perfect and sometimes a Coaching change is necessary because of communication barriers or personality conflicts. I have fired myself as a Coach and I have taken over several times for another Coach. Also, I have taken 100’s of lessons, some from top 10 teachers, and gained very little because of a method being forced upon me or the Instructor not taking the time to ask important questions to get to know me.
When a golfer feels they will benefit more from “traditional” instruction on a range, fine. That is an emotional response, not a rational response. There is TONS of data to support our Proven Path to Proven Results approach. Look up every top teaching school in the world and you will see glimpses of our business model but nothing exact as we own our own patented technology. Haney’s schools, Faldo Institute, Annika Academy, Leadbetter, etc. all use video, motion technology and ball flight substitution.
As a personal Coach and Director of Instruction it is my goal to build educated golfers that enjoy the game more. It is not my goal to turn everyone into a Tour Pro but rather help my students set realistic goals and build a fact based plan to achieve them. This will require indoor instruction, range time, rounds of golf, physical and mental conditioning and statistical analysis that is relative to my respective students goals. Once my students have reached their goals I usually like to see them once a month (roughly) to maintain their games or, we set new goals and put a new plan in place.
As I mentioned before, we have a business model and yes, we are profit driven as we are not a non-for profit organization. Our profits come from simply being VERY good at what we do. I will not go into detail but our Coaches make more money as clients games improve. We are success driven, not sales driven. Having said that, you must pay for our services. Our founders have created not only the best learning and teaching environment but also a business that rewards top Teaching Quality, Service and student goal achievement. We are not the cheapest lesson in town, just the best. We do not advertise pricing, neither does Ferrari. We do not make guarantees, just promises. We promise to match or exceed your commitment level but, please, don’t come to us with self-diagnoses, preconceived notions or a mentality that this doesn’t work. Over 4 million lessons taught to over 400,000 students in 5 different countries says otherwise.
Bring us your frustrations, your golfing desires and goals. Let us show you how we can and will help. We will build a plan, make a time based recommendation of how long we would like to work with you and then you decide how you want to move forward.
I love what I do and I am very good at it. If you are in Southern California and need some help with your game, come see me at GolfTEC in Irvine, CA or any of our facilities in LA or Orange County.
Matt Newby, PGA
Aug 10, 2013 at 6:58 pm
For Los Angeles GolfWRXers you can also find me at GolfTEC in El Segundo, CA.
Marty
Aug 11, 2013 at 9:34 am
Mr. Howell, with a couple of mouse clicks I can find out how much a Ferrari costs. I still have no idea how much a lesson costs and the more you guys talk, the more it sounds like signing up for a time share.
big meech
Aug 15, 2013 at 2:58 pm
its about 350 for 5 lessons
690 for 10
900 for 15
1300 for 25
something like that if i remember
I did a couple 15 packs and dropped 3 shots on the first one and 4 on the second. really pleased with the video practice and my coach
Jason
Aug 9, 2013 at 6:06 pm
I’m a pretty intelligent individual but I have no idea what tangentially means…..but I’m impressed with you’re vocabulary.
Boo
Aug 9, 2013 at 8:45 pm
Google it, actually quite commonly used!
Jason
Aug 9, 2013 at 9:07 pm
I googled it…..wasn’t used logically within the sentence.