Instruction
Learn to become your own swing teacher
A great golf teacher is one who imparts enough knowledge in his or her students that those students can self-correct based on knowing and feeling their OWN swing. That’s why the most important role of a teacher is to provide opportunities for discovery — those “aha” moments where real learning begins.
When students leave a lesson tee, they want to be sure they “get it.” To clarify, “it” is the true cause and effect in their swing. If they know the “it” and how to fix it, they’ve moved into self discovery, which is the key to long-term progress. I call this type of learning if this, then that and it is the most effective way of internalizing “the secret,” whatever that might be to you.
Ever wonder why you improve during a lesson but can’t take it to the golf course? It’s because you didn’t really get it. You didn’t discover enough on your own to go play.
The “how-to” lesson needs to go the way of the dinosaur if golfers are going to have real, sustained progress. Relying on your instructor during a session is fine, but at some point you need to get enough information so that you can self correct. There is a vast chasm between being told what to do and learning it on your own. I’m not saying that you don’t need guidance, but make sure to search for the essence of your feeling during the lesson, not just the teacher’s description of that feeling.
Here’s an example:
TEACHER: “On this next swing, turn more in the backswing.”
STUDENT: Why?
TEACHER: “Because it gives you a better chance of hitting more from the inside. When you see the ball slice, FOR YOU that means you did not turn properly in the backswing. Let’s do some drills to help you FEEL that.”
Investment in a lesson is more than simply financial if you, the student, want to get better. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen a false sense of improvement, which are better results based entirely on my feedback. Very often I say nothing after a few flubbed shots for a student, just to see what they have learned. Golfers on their own are in the best classroom in the world, the classroom of TRIAL and ERROR. A keep-making-mistakes-until-you-don’t approach to learning is going to create the best long-term progress you will ever have.
“What did I do on that swing, pro” should be a provisional state of confusion: a question to be answered when and only when the learner is completely at a loss. Invest yourself in the learning process deeply enough that you get your “aha” moment. Learn to embrace failure; it’s the best way to succeed. Golf is not a connect-the-dots, how-to game that you will learn by book or tape. You could learn history that way, but not golf. At least not for very long. Self discovery has a lasting effect. Being told what to do has a very fleeting effect (about an hour in most cases).
We teachers are trying to change habits — deeply ingrained muscle motions — that have been a part of your swing for a very long time. Those habits are not going to suddenly disappear by being TOLD WHAT TO DO. That’s why the instructor may say the same thing several different ways. For example, “turn your shoulders,” “get your back to the target,” “get your left shoulder under your chin” and “rotate your upper body” are all ways of saying the same thing. Which one works for you? Which one provides you with that “aha” moment where you can FEEL the new motion?
Perhaps you can relate it to something you’ve done before. Throwing a baseball or a football involves turning the upper body away in the wind up. Try every suggestion until one clicks. It will if you’re looking in the right place.
I have a building at my golf academy and often I sneak inside and watch students practice after a lesson just to see what they have actually learned. My concern is what happens when I leave. When the fear of looking foolish in front of the pro subsides, the real work of trial and error begins. You have maximized your investment if you have enough information to work you through to point of improvement on your own.
My lesson plan is simple and the diagnosis take all of a few minutes. The rest of the lesson is working with a student to provide them opportunities for self help. This takes years of experience. The subject matter — the “science” if you will — is finite, but communicating ways of self discovery are infinite.
For those of you not familiar with the work of Mike Hebron, I suggest you research him. I have learned a lot from him, but I never teach theories. His research into learning is beyond abstract because I have daily empirical evidence that it works. My lesson tee is its own trial-and-error classroom, where I implement only that which I know is effective.
Look for your own “aha” moments. They are there waiting for you.
As always, feel free to send a swing video to my Facebook page and I will do my best to give you my feedback.
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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Josh
Dec 21, 2014 at 6:24 pm
Click Here!
abman
Oct 11, 2014 at 4:56 am
Great article. I think thanks to Youtube, in general, the self-teaching movement is growing. I’ve been self-teaching with a highspeed video for the last five years and love going to the “lab” (practice range) to try out an idea and then see what the film says. I’m blown away by how many different feelings you can have that all produce a golf swing.
What I want to know is when I get an “aha moment” or good feeling I go through a period from a hour to a few days where the feeling is new and I’m grooving it and all is well. Then the “newness” goes away and shots don’t go as good because I can no longer feel the move but I know through video it’s still there. So my body instinctively looks for that “newness” again and on to another feeling. Like I’m addicted to the learning or myelination part. Is this normal? Does this happen to pros over the long term? Is there a point where you should stop learning and searching for new aha moments or should I just consign myself to always be learning? I’ve heard pros have different swing keys week to week depending on what their swing is doing due to fatigue or injury. What are your thoughts?
Dennis Clark
Oct 11, 2014 at 4:56 pm
Well remember i suggested “guided practice”. I don’t mean teaching yourself without the aid of a trained eye. If you’re having trouble keeping the feeling you want to get someone to work with that can watch your motion as you develop it. There is no substitute for a trained, OBJECTIVE eye. not “how-to’ …just can you feel this type of approach.
ANOTHER JEFF
Oct 12, 2014 at 8:29 pm
Dennis,
Can you give us your thoughts on MEGSA type of equipment? It seems to me that this type equipment could be as revolutionary to golf swing development as Video has proven to be. At this point I think it is prohibitively expensive for home use – maybe even range use.
For those who do not know MEGSA basically allows a Teaching Pro to “dial you in” into what – to me – resembles a Proper Golf Swing Jig. It allows for both positive and negative feedback when learning the swing. It seems like it could “fast track” “digging it out of the dirt” to me.
Dennis Clark
Oct 14, 2014 at 7:34 pm
sure i like Most efficient swing…anything that helps golfers get a feel, that offers feedback based on feeling is good. It’s elaborate and expensive so not something the average golfer can use regularly but I expect some training centers will have them soon. The problem might be just that; you “feel” it there, then have to go home. His bender Stick is handy too.
Dennis Clark
Oct 14, 2014 at 7:39 pm
video in and of itself cannot offer feedback. In motor skill learning there is only one way to change a motion and that is feedback-from the golf ball, the flight of it or other stimuli the body can FEEL, not see. I’d say your experience is common, the feeling does go away, thats why we have coaches to guide you back to the feeling. Not to tell you how, simply to let you experience it yourself. And then on to another it’s just the nature of the beast. 🙂
Jafar
Oct 6, 2014 at 2:10 pm
I’d say instructors should be clubfitters also and the student should only bring 1 club to the practice session, like a 6 or 7 iron, and get their swing path and lie angles matched up along with shaft length for better posture.
From there you can begin other lessons on fading/drawing or high vs low trajectory shots.
Dennis Clark
Oct 6, 2014 at 9:39 pm
good idea. Do you teach and or fit?
Jafar
Oct 7, 2014 at 9:27 am
No maybe one day though.
RobG
Oct 6, 2014 at 9:50 am
My best teacher has always been my shadow. If I find myself struggling I make a few swings in a position where I can see my shadow on the ground while I’m swinging. I have found it really helps me control the length of my backswing, it helps me keep the transition to the downswing nice and smooth, and keeps me in tempo and in sync.
Dennis Clark
Oct 6, 2014 at 1:25 pm
Lamont Cranston, if you’re 0ld enough to remember, “The Shadow Knows” 🙂
Dennis Clark
Oct 5, 2014 at 10:12 pm
I’m mostly self taught, found my game in the dirt as Mr Hogan said. When I first started teaching I was at a loss to understand why my students couldn’t get “it”. I learned that I was not properly guiding them; I was merely showing them “how”. That was my LIGHT BULD TEACHING MOMENT.
Max
Oct 5, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Geezz…that’s kinda like doing your own diagnosis when your sick and NOT going to your family doctor. Max
Dennis Clark
Oct 5, 2014 at 4:08 pm
Whoa Max…doctors deal with life/death. I teach a golf swing. A little different, no? But if you’d like that analogy, then think of it like this: If your golf swing is sick, go to a teacher. But when you do, be looking for the light bulb moment that might help you take over on your own. You may need one lesson for that, you may need several, but soon your guided trial and error process will begin to show better, long term results.
good luck.
paul
Oct 5, 2014 at 4:28 pm
You mean the quality of my golf swing isn’t life or death!!!!???? Since when?? ????
Dennis Clark
Oct 5, 2014 at 7:27 pm
LOL. Old saying: “Golf is not life or death; it is much more important than that”!
Bear
Oct 5, 2014 at 9:01 pm
I’m a paediatrician. I love patients using the internet, the available information, involvement and engagement that it brings are fantastic. But the value is as an information source. Diagnosis of health problems is very difficult using algorithms, whether they are internet or computer based – there is a critical element of experience, human empathy and interaction, and just ‘feel’. The analogy to the golf swing is a good one. I have loved reading especially Dennis’ views, my improvement has come from some lessons from a good (golf) professional, coupled with a much deeper understanding from especially the ‘net’. In this context, loved this article in particular Dennis.
dustin fanciullo
Oct 5, 2014 at 11:15 am
found the mirror – it is http://www.mirrorsfortraining.co.uk
http://www.mirrorsfortraining.co.uk/golf%20training%20mirrors.htm
Dan
Oct 5, 2014 at 10:30 am
Great article. I have never taken a lesson, but read all the books and watched a lot of instructional video and for me personally nobody made it click better than Brian Manzella. Anybody who is starting out on their swing and doesnt have time or money for instruction look his stuff up. I dont know what his reputation in the industry is, and frankly I couldnt care less. I went from the 90s to the 70s very quickly after studying his stuff. For the short game I liked Stan Utley. I’m still searching for the material on putting that will take me to the next level. Perhaps I will break down and see a pro for that.
Dennis Clark
Oct 5, 2014 at 11:45 am
Great. Keep up the good work. There are a lot of great teachers you just found the one that worked for you. Well done
Jeff
Oct 4, 2014 at 11:40 pm
As a high school golf coach I preech self awareness, especially with the short game. There are many ways to get a ball up and down but the key is understanding how your club works with ball. So i have them experiment to come to their own conclusions. Amazingly, (joking) it has made some of them put the 60* away when greenside and opt for PW. I love your articles and just forwarded this one to some of my players.
Dennis Clark
Oct 5, 2014 at 10:11 am
Yes, the short game is a great place to start experimentation. They need feel, creativity ONCE they have learned a few basics. Good work
Philip
Oct 4, 2014 at 10:41 pm
I just have to get a large mirror for the winter. It’ll help me a lot in getting the right feels.
Tom Stickney
Oct 4, 2014 at 7:28 pm
Self-diagnosis is the key. Hebron’s stuff is great.
David
Oct 4, 2014 at 6:33 pm
Nice article Dennis. Some words of wisdom there. I´ve had some lessons during the 10yrs or so I´ve been in the game, both online and in person, amazingly I´m yet to find a teacher that cares, and I mean really cares for my progress, out of all the teachers I remember 1 that cared and asked about my game, how I was doing ect, unfortunately he´s not around anymore. So I read all those fancy articles about this and that, good and bad. But what really matters to me is to have a teacher that I trust and cares about My progress, asks my how I´m doing and offers help if I´m in need. I think partly golf is in decline because of this, bend your knees 50$ pls stuff.
I like your articles though, well thought out most of the time.
My opinion “A great teacher is the one that cares”
Unfortunately few and far between.
Dave
Dennis Clark
Oct 4, 2014 at 7:41 pm
Dave I appreciate the comments. Send me an email id like to respond at some length.
Michael Johnson
Oct 4, 2014 at 3:16 pm
Great Article. Love the mirror in the photo with the article. Where can I get one for myself?
jd
Oct 5, 2014 at 11:26 am
there’s a place called Bob’s mirrors and stuff in Peoria, North Dakota. No direct flights so you may have a layover.
sgniwder99
Oct 4, 2014 at 1:30 pm
This article definitely rings true from my experience. I usually find that I actually start hitting the ball better about 2 practice sessions after a lesson with my instructor, and that has a lot to do with being left to my own to experiment a bit to see what my feel keys are to produce the moves that he tries to get me to produce. This is one reason that I think practicing on video is so helpful: so I can actually have a process of trial and error, rather than just pure guesswork.
Dennis Clark
Oct 4, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Right. You get my point. Too much Reliance on how-to from the teacher does not make for long term retention. Self discovery after guidance does. Thx
Bobby Tewksbary
Oct 4, 2014 at 1:16 pm
Dennis – great article! I was a baseball player and now coach hitters at all levels (from 8 yr olds all the way up to MLB players.) I started playing golf last spring and got to re-enter a learning process and it has been terrific for my coaching! I have an even greater appreciation for the failure and self discovery that I’ve been going through myself. Great stuff!
Dennis Clark
Oct 4, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Bobby you’ll need direction and guidance for sure but the time between those lessons is critical. Glad you enjoyed it.