Why have a coach?
No matter where you are in your golfing journey, having a coach can make the process go more quickly as well as more fun. In all aspects of our life, whether it be personal or professional, we use the guidance and coaching of individuals around us.
Finding the right coach, however, can take a little bit of time and energy. The right coach knows how to listen and not just talk. The right coach can see beyond the “flaws” and instead see potential and possibilities. The right coach works with you from wherever you are starting from.
There will be times when you just want to go in and have someone look at your swing. No long-term commitment and more focused on short term results. In cases such as this, you can probably find a local teaching professional that can help get your swing on track.
When you want to improve your game and not just your swing then you need a more in-depth coach. In this case, it will be important to do a little research. Talk to friends and family and see who they have worked with in the past. Search PGA.Coach website to find possible coaches. Finally, once you have narrowed down your search, take a lesson from the potential coach and see if you like them. Think of that first lesson as an interview.
Some points to keep in mind during that first lesson:
- Was the booking process easy?
- Do they have the option of email or video access?
- Did they really listen to what you said?
- Did they ask LOTS of questions?
- Did you feel you could ask questions?
- Was the coach too technical or not technical enough?
- Did they use language that was easy to understand?
As you can see, part of what makes a coach a good coach is not just knowing the golf swing. They need to be able to present the swing and all parts of the game in a manner that works for you. You and your coach need to be able to communicate easily, so that you can work together to take your game to the next level.