Do online lessons really work?

[Stillhackin]

I live in rural Indiana and have been trying to fix my golf swing in the garage all winter with little to no luck.

This area I live in is very limited with golf instructors and no indoor facilities for them to teach in during the winter.

I have an indoor hitting area in my garage and I was thinking about trying online lessons but wasn't sure how effective it would be and I never see any prices from those who offer online instruction on youtube.

Anybody have any success stories or failures with online lessons?

 

 

[sethdavidsdad]

Short answer is yes but it’s up to you. Best results, get multiple lessons from the same instructor. Most online lessons you will get one maybe two points, really up to you to drill it and fix it before the next lesson. Get a lesson wait or week or two then get another one. To really make a swing change it will take several weeks.

[naj959]

I've had much better lessons from the teachers here on wrx than the 4 or 5 local pros I've seen in my lifetime. I now have a deeper understanding of the golf swing in general and what I need to do to hit good shots and why I hit bad ones. I will say that sometimes it takes multiple viewings of the lessons before I really get what the instructor is trying to tell me. The beauty of videos it that you can watch the lesson over and over and slowly digest every word. With in person lessons, I have to rely on my note taking skills. Your really can't go wrong for $60-80 bucks.

[Golfjack]

Yeah, but some of the more famous ones are charging way more than that though. Actually just saw on Skillest you can find someone who is on here quite a lot and knows his stuff for a good price. I'd give that guy a try.

[crapula]

I've been primarily taking online lessons from Dan and Monte for the last 5 years. I'll do maybe one a year. I just went back and watched a lesson from Dan I took early last year.

[LyinEye]

Slower than most, how 'bout in, slower than most, slower than most.

[RichieHunt]

I have found they work with juniors who tend to pick things up quickly and more experienced lesson takers if they have seen the instructor once in person before.

 

 

 

 

RH

[Garush34]

I went down the online lesson route at the start of last year. I found the skillest app and took a punt on a pro who was doing lessons at a decent price. I chose someone based on the price because I wasn't sure if they would actually be any good, but I'm glad that I have because it has totally changed my game.

Like said above you'll generally get a couple of points to work on, and its up to you to then go away and work on it. But the main advantage is that you can rematch the video back over and over again to get it right in your mind what your changing.

You just need to find the right instructor to help you with your game, the same as in person lessons but at least generally the price is cheaper.

[vsabre]

Some good posts on here about finding the right fit and there is plenty of free content on YouTube by the instructors that help out here before you go the online lesson route. See who speaks to you in a way that connects with what your goals are. I've been playing for over 50 years, played in college and used to be in the business back in the day so what connects to me may not be appropriate for your stage in the golf journey. Monte Scheinblum has been a big help for me and I've taken an online lesson and purchased his short game videos. He's generous with his knowledge and a great follow on Instagram and YouTube.

 

I used to teach and some students I connected with in making positive improvements in their golf game and others not so much. The knowledge is nice but the ability to communicate is equally important. Fortunately this forum gives you plenty of teaching styles to explore!

[MPStrat]

Detailed information about your golf swing from someone smart is never going to be a bad thing and the price often makes accessing that information a good value. However, IMO, there is no substitute for in-person instruction. I have heard there are some that have found success from online lessons without any in-person work, but I personally have never seen it. It is rare.

[nevets88]

This is what I've found. If I've worked with an instructor live and then talk online, lesson is more effective.

I wonder if video conferencing type lessons (FaceTime) will get to be a thing. It's often done, but nothing like send your swing in I'll get back to you popular.

[kobe123]

I took an online lesson from Iteach (Dan C.) and really enjoyed it for the price. Gave me a few things to work on, but as others said, you have to work on it. I'll be continuing my lessons with him moving forward.

[Stillhackin]

I have never heard of Skillest but will look into it.

I am new on here so I didn't know there were instructors on here so I may look into that also.

I did see Monte is on here I already follow him on YouTube and Instagram. Hes a likable guy.

In person instruction is over an hr away for me. I would do it if I found the right person.

Recording the online lesson is a great idea if I go that route.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

 

 

[MK7Golf21]

I think online lessons could work pretty well if instructors actually made a personalized video of themselves where they are demonstrating the problem and changes etc instead of just drawing/talking on a video. I've seen a few instructors make personalized videos for the student addressing issues and them demonstrating and it seemed very helpful. Most instructors just send stock video clips of drills and kind of cheapens the lesson, even worse is just sending a student some text under a still photo as a lesson.

[FairwaysToHeaven]

i think the key to lessons is having the ability to video and see your own swing. if you getting lessons from someone in person, they can see what you're doing and tell you or video and show you. If you are trying to change swing by yourself you need to be able to video and review the swing. you need to see if you are actually doing what you feel or think you are doing.

[GungHoGolf]

I strongly recommend online lessons from Dan Carraher, who is available on Skillest:https://dancarrahergolf.com/online-lessons/

[Krt22]

They can be extremely effective if you are diligent with your practice and have a general idea of what your key swing issues are. In terms of diagnosing what is the most glaring issue, there isn't much difference between an online lesson and in person lesson. The key difference is the instructor being there real time to see how you react to the recommended fix and making on the fly tweaks, and perhaps catching the next low hanging fruit that pops up next. Basically its likely just a longer iteration cycle to address the same issue, but ultimately there is still incredible value if done with the right instructor, even more so if you can manage an in person lesson at some point and then supplement with online. I have made more progress with online lessons with the right person than I have with in-person lessons with someone that didn't quite speak the same language.

[nevets88]

I think for some online instructors who have such a deep library of videos, sending a stock video for student to work on is ok.

Imho what is lost with online instruction is that whatever, initial 15 minutes where the student tries the changes and instructor comments on feedback.

From my little keyhole of looking at social media before and after videos, there are many who are getting a lot out of online lessons, but imho, it's not for everyone. People have different, "feel/perception" IQs, various levels of athleticism, etc...

One thing might be to get an analysis online and find someone local who agrees with analysis and take over from there live.

[MK7Golf21]

stock video clips is ok but its kinda like looking up a youtube video or golf digest drill for your known issue. I just thought seeing these customized videos where the instructor was on camera saying your name and demonstrating your issue and fix took it to another level to help the student improve.

[Chunking]

I can vouch for Monte after doing an online lesson with him.

As someone who is relatively new to golf (4 years) and a higher handicap (17) I struggled with prioritizing what flaws in my swing to work on. He was able to give me a good starting point and has me working on address and hip turn. Now that those have become engrained, I’m about ready to do a follow up lesson.

Ive only worked with Monte but Dan C has a great rep here. I don’t think you can go wrong with either of them.

[Buzzkill]

I haven't BUT I'm sure it would work!

[MPStrat]

I agree. The on the fly tweaks are super important and they are the main things that obviously can't be replicated in an online lesson. Attempting to fix a couple issues can often create unforeseen mismatches resulting in unplayable golf shots. Also, there are things that can't be seen on a couple 2d videos. There are other pitfalls to online lessons but those are the main drawbacks. For $50ish, I think it's a good value. Some are charging 3-4x that amount and more, and at that point I don't think it's worth it. I think the best attitude to take is to not expect anything more in return than being more educated on your swing issues, which on it's own is still very valuable. If you expect more than that, you may be disappointed.

[Krt22]

100% agree with you there. Learning about your swing and key issues is well worth the $50-60 plenty of extremely accomplished instructors charge. I can't fathom $150+ for an online lesson for a standard online lesson based off 2 videos.

[Lefty_3Jack]

I took a few lessons from Dan Carraher before I started to get what he was wanting done and more importantly how to do it, but it wasn't till i went and saw him that it made sense. From that point I was able to understand what and how he wanted things done in online lessons. Even then, I still think if I lived in North Florida I would be a better golfer getting to see him in person more (well year round practice/play would help too). So the answer is yes they can work, but you have to understand what they're wanting done and you need to know how to practice it. Even then I think you'll improve faster and be less prone to replapses of bad habits if you're periodically seeing the person you're taking the online lessons from.

[nevets88]

Another idea, maybe not so great, charge whatever for the online lesson, $50, then a package of 5 $10 quick look at your practice session swing, where you get one or two sentences of direction.

[Stillhackin]

I signed up on the skillest app.

It looks like I pick a coach then send them my video and they just send me drills to work on?

No live interaction.

Is this correct?

[GungHoGolf]

Live interaction is far more costly (in time) for an instructor, so they’d need to charge more for a live remote session - pretty much as much as they’d charge for in-person sessions.

It’s the asynchronous nature of online lessons that allows world-class instructors to offer them at a reasonable price. They can fit the work into their down-time, filling the gaps in their already-busy live appointment calendar.

[Garush34]

Just upload your swings and leave a comment on your tendencies/what your looking to work on. They will either come back with questions or comments for you or if they have went straight in they will have reviewed your swing and you'll get a video back.

The guy I use will send me back a video reviewing my swing and explaining what we want to work on and why it will improve my swing. From the beginning he's used a video of my swing up against Adams Scott's for reference which I like because it gives me another frame of reference to check what I'm working on. We're 6 lessons in now over and 18 month period so everything we have worked on has developed over time to get my swing functioning better. I've had a couple of lessons working on the same thing but with different drills to work it.

For me its a no brainier. The lessons I get are 15 AUD which works out to £9 converted, which for me, I can get 3 online lessons for the price of 1 lesson near me, and that obviously cuts out the extra cost of travel. Don't get me wrong in person lessons are great, and there will probably come a time where I will use them again, but for me I switched to online due to starting a family, and the guy I used was an hour away which was no good. He did improve my swing but didn't improve my game, and he didn't really seem that interested outside of the 45 mins lesson so I wanted a change anyway.

The great thing about Skillest and Online lessons in general is you can get help from some of the best instructors without the hassle. The guys I use is in Australia while I'm in Scotland, but if I wanted to use Dan C. or Monte for an example then I could. If they only did in person lessons I would never have the chance to learn from them and improve my game, If you can find someone on Skillest at a price point for you, and are happy to take the risk that it might be a one time wasted experience then go for it, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

[scopek]

I've done online lessons on and off for the last couple of years. I'd say that Skillest is the way to go with an instructor that offers unlimited reviews. In my opinion, the reason this is good is that if you get a review and the instructor recommends a drill, how do you know if you're doing it correctly without sending more video? With the unlimited reviews, you can send in a video of yourself doing the drill to check on your progress without having to spend another $50 or whatever. The other great thing about online lessons with Skillest or someone that does unlimited reviews is that you can ask questions when you get stuck instead of waiting a week to see an instructor in person.

HOWEVER, having an in person lesson is superior. I may have found an instructor who I can see in person who also does online lessons. That may be the best combination. But if you don't have access to a quality instructor, online lessons can work.

[Stillhackin]

Yes my concern is getting a drill to do and do it wrong the whole time then get another lesson only to find out ive made zero progress.

Unlimited views sounds good.