I'm not sure how many of you golfers may have taken formal lessons from a Certified Golf Instructor but I think there are quite a few of you. And within that group I would imagine there are a number of you that have had an actual lesson while playing a round with your instructor, whereby he/she is actually able to see how you handle yourself and your game while in a live setting out on the golf course. I believe that this could actually benefit a person in quite a number of ways and at the same time allow the Certified Instructor to gain a better understanding of your actual abilities.
But what about the "On-Course Golf Instructor" who is not certified? You know the one that I'm talking about, in fact some of you reading this right now fall in to this category. The problem here is that you're neither certified nor an actual golf instructor. For the average golfer the problem with people like this is two-fold; first, their game is usually no better than yours, and second, they think their game is A LOT better than yours. I've never seen a woman do this so I'm going to follow the path that this person is normally a guy. This guy doesn't start telling you what to correct right away, in fact he'll usually wait a couple of holes. This provides him a better understanding of just where you need assistance and what type of assistance you will benefit from most. He then starts with simple pieces of advice such as; "keep your head still, slow your swing down, let the club do the work." He'll then try to come across as even more of an expert and ask about your clubs, "What's the lie on your irons?; Have you had your clubs fitted?; Are those cavity backed?, because you should probably use a cavity backed iron to help get the ball in the air." Meanwhile he's hacking it all over the place grumbling the whole time about his "game being off today".
I'm certainly not one of those people and I've only had someone like this try to tell me about my game once. When he did I immediately asked him if he was an instructor. When he said "no" I said "oh, I thought maybe you were since you seem to see a needed correction in my game." He started to make some grumbling noises so I asked him what his handicap was and to make a long story short, his was 12 strokes higher than mine and at the end of day I beat him by 15. Here's the rub; I don't even tell my buddies what they're doing wrong unless they ask me. And even then I'll keep my comments short, simple, and easy to understand simply because I'm not an instructor. Can I see things that might be correctable?....sure. But my advice may not be right for that person and bottome line....unless I'm asked a question specifically I don't offer advice.
Golf is a game that's hard enough to play even when you're a good golfer. When you're learning or even when you're a 15-20 handicap, the last thing you need is someone of equal ability (or in most cases worse) telling you what you're "doing wrong". All for the simple fact thay they're doing it wrong too. But "you'll get it if you keep practicing and keep at it", they'll tell you. "And don't forget to keep your head down!"
I played 9 holes again today with my girlfriend and her girlfriend. We played at Mariner's Point Golf Course, a great little 9 hole venue with a great practice area. We were joined by Brad, a single walk on player. Brad appeared to be carrying a big wallet in his back pocket and I think, no I'm sure, there must have been an On-Course Golf Instructors card in there because after only a couple of holes he began to tell my girlfriends friend how to correct her game. Now she is just learning the game, has taken a few formal lessons, and most importantly is trying. She is also like most of you, unfortunately easy fodder for these guys. I didn't say anything to her ...or him...since he had it well in hand. He gave her a bit of advice on most every hole until we finished, and the last thing he said to her when we walked off the course was "keep at it."
I love golf and today the weather was beautiful which makes the game even more enjoyable. Brad was certainly not a pain in the ass but he definitely fell in to that 15-20 handicap range. At least he didn't grab her club from her hands to show her how she should be doing it. I've seen that done before. She's going with her mother to Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club in Carmel in April to golf. Quail Lodge is an absolutely beautiful resort and she wants to be just a bit better when she goes, that's why we went out today. The Brad's of the world don't help, they think they do but they're only hurting and confusing to someones game. But they don't understand that that and they don't get that. They do this second nature and with the only thought that they know how to do it better.
If you want to get better go find a "Certified" PGA Instructor, there are thousands of them out there. Find one that's nice, is genuinely interested in making you better, and most of all one who enjoys teaching this great game. The only advice I gave her about Quail Lodge was to keep up with the others and have fun. That's why we all play, because it's an extremely fun way to spend your time. And when you hit a great shot, it's just about one of the best feelings in the world. Practice, get better, and enjoy!! Oh, and don't forget "keep at it."
http://www.quaillodge.com
http://www.marinerspoint.com
http://www.pga.com/improve/find-an-instructor/
http://lpga.nemexinc.com/directory.cfm