i’m starting to think my instructor is using me as a bank account to fill his schedule

[Oz Max]

That seems very unprofessional to me, I also take lessons from a busy coach, who has a student on the PGA tour. Yet despite his busy schedule, he always gives me his full and undivided attention. No looking at his phone or chit-chatting with anyone else and many a time lessons have gone over the normal hour, if he doesn't have a student scheduled after me. As others have said, the grass might be greener elsewhere!

[Hawkeye77]

The OP touches so many bases I'm starting to think it's made up. But as I said above, if not the answer is pretty obvious.

[jrr811]

> @DavePelz4 said:

> If he gives you grief, hit a stinger into his twig and berries and thank him for showing you that shot.

 

This is gold haha!

 

I'll be the first to admit that I am someone to avoid conflict, and @wowdrood1983 might be feeling the same way. Sometimes it's hard to separate the business aspect from someone that has helped you succeed. As much as those conversations may be hard, if you're taking to this forum with your concerns, it's time to have a conversation.

 

It's key to remember you're paying him; if he values your teacher-student relationship and wants to continue to help you grow, he'll listen to your feedback and make changes.

 

If your fears are confirmed, be amicable and express your concerns, and let him know you'll not be continuing with lessons.

 

Use those foundations you've learned with him and try someone new; just because they're not on the same "level" on paper as him does not mean that there's not something else to learn from a new perspective that could continue to improve your game.

[Forged4ever]

What’s wrong with your “standard PGA Pro working at a club?”

 

Cheers?

RP

[MysteryV]

It's not always easy, but you need to have a conversation with him. My take on specific issues:

- People are busy. My coach is busy and usually takes a day or two to get back to me via email to schedule a lesson. There's nothing wrong with that part. If you want to schedule weekly lessons, spend a minute when you're leaving to pick a time and pencil it in.

- Texting during your lesson is not ok. If you're paying for his time, that time is YOURS (obviously barring some emergency scenario). Tell him - "Hey man, I'm sorry if it's an emergency or something, but I find it a bit distracting that you're texting during the lesson. Any way you could hold off?"

- Starting late happens - but cutting your lesson short is BS. Make a note of the time when you start every time and make him aware "Hey man - we running a little late again today?" When he tries to boot you at 1pm after starting at 12:20 say "We started at 12:20 right? Shouldn't we go until 1:20?" etc

 

The guy may be a jerk. He may have things going on in life that are distracting him. He may just not care. If you value his services, it's worth having the conversation and pointing out the places where you're feeling frustrated (within reason). At the end of the day, he's your employee and you cannot let an employee have leverage over you. Sometimes, when they don't see it that way, you're forced to fire them.

[TB07]

He might just not want to coach you anymore. It’s a two way street so it might be a way of telling you.

[kobe123]

So what happen? I'm curious.

[dodger]

You are paying for the instructor's expertise, not his "time". If you see him and he says one thing in ten minutes that has you striping it, why would that be worth less because he is a good coach? He is a professional and you booked an hour because that is how he sets up the lessons and his time. If he fixes you immediately and then gossips for fifty minutes about his tour pros while you hit balls, why is that worth an hour but his expertise isn't. If you have a surgery scheduled and the doctor charges a certain fee, you don't ask for a reduction because it only took five minutes. You are paying for professional assistance for your swing, if you needed more time and did not get it, that should be the issue. If he is helping you, pay it, if not go elsewhere. If I saw an instructor with a stop clock on the lesson tee, I would find another guy. Some lessons don't take long, particularly if he knows your swing and game from prior visits.

[airjammer]

> @dodger said:

> You are paying for the instructor's expertise, not his "time". If you see him and he says one thing in ten minutes that has you striping it, why would that be worth less because he is a good coach? He is a professional and you booked an hour because that is how he sets up the lessons and his time. If he fixes you immediately and then gossips for fifty minutes about his tour pros while you hit balls, why is that worth an hour but his expertise isn't. If you have a surgery scheduled and the doctor charges a certain fee, you don't ask for a reduction because it only took five minutes. You are paying for professional assistance for your swing, if you needed more time and did not get it, that should be the issue. If he is helping you, pay it, if not go elsewhere. If I saw an instructor with a stop clock on the lesson tee, I would find another guy. Some lessons don't take long, particularly if he knows your swing and game from prior visits.

 

Maybe you didn’t read his entire post. He is basically stuck at a certain issue that he hasn’t been able to resolve. So it sounds like to me that his instructor should certainly be paying attention and maybe looking to find a new way of explaining or showing in order to help him break through this plateau.

[MysteryV]

> @airjammer said:

> > @dodger said:

> > You are paying for the instructor's expertise, not his "time". If you see him and he says one thing in ten minutes that has you striping it, why would that be worth less because he is a good coach? He is a professional and you booked an hour because that is how he sets up the lessons and his time. If he fixes you immediately and then gossips for fifty minutes about his tour pros while you hit balls, why is that worth an hour but his expertise isn't. If you have a surgery scheduled and the doctor charges a certain fee, you don't ask for a reduction because it only took five minutes. You are paying for professional assistance for your swing, if you needed more time and did not get it, that should be the issue. If he is helping you, pay it, if not go elsewhere. If I saw an instructor with a stop clock on the lesson tee, I would find another guy. Some lessons don't take long, particularly if he knows your swing and game from prior visits.

>

> Maybe you didn’t read his entire post. He is basically stuck at a certain issue that he hasn’t been able to resolve. So it sounds like to me that his instructor should certainly be paying attention and maybe looking to find a new way of explaining or showing in order to help him break through this plateau.

 

This.

[ceejay81]

> @dodger said:

> You are paying for the instructor's expertise, not his "time". If you see him and he says one thing in ten minutes that has you striping it, why would that be worth less because he is a good coach? He is a professional and you booked an hour because that is how he sets up the lessons and his time. If he fixes you immediately and then gossips for fifty minutes about his tour pros while you hit balls, why is that worth an hour but his expertise isn't. If you have a surgery scheduled and the doctor charges a certain fee, you don't ask for a reduction because it only took five minutes. You are paying for professional assistance for your swing, if you needed more time and did not get it, that should be the issue. If he is helping you, pay it, if not go elsewhere. If I saw an instructor with a stop clock on the lesson tee, I would find another guy. Some lessons don't take long, particularly if he knows your swing and game from prior visits.

 

You tried.

 

Not even close to being a good comparison. Doctors aren't advertising their services as "half hour surgeries" and "full hour surgeries." If you're paying for an hour of someone's time, then you get that full hour. This isn't rocket science. It's not an open ended time situation where the lesson lasts "as long as it lasts." Instructors are selling their expertise in half hour and full hour blocks of time.

[Forged4ever]

> @Hawkeye77 said:

> The OP touches so many bases I'm starting to think it's made up. But as I said above, if not the answer is pretty obvious.

 

Lolol, Bro, I was thinkin the same thing however I didn’t want to just drop in and say that??

 

Then he makes the remark about “your standard PGA Pro working at a club,” as though it’s a step down or a lesser level of Teacher, when in fact THEY are the back bone of the Teaching profession, and many are as good as, if not better than, any of these high falutin glamour boys?

 

Hell, that’s all that Pete was, lolol

 

His range had very few “even” lies and didn’t even have grass after June??

 

But if you were a regular of his you could hit a ball off of ANY lie that you’d ever encounter on ANY course, lolol.

 

I hope that you’re well and had a great season⛳️

 

Maddie sends hugs & kisses and me, well, a hug and a fist bump are gonna have to suffice????

 

Stay well Brother,

Richard

[Hawkeye77]

> @Forged4ever said:

> Maddie sends hugs & kisses and me, well, a hug and a fist bump are gonna have to suffice????

>

> Stay well Brother,

> Richard

 

Same right back at all of you!

[wowdrood1983]

I have another lesson booked this week so we will see how that one goes

[TIM929]

> @wowdrood1983 said:

> I have another lesson booked this week so we will see how that one goes

 

Text him before you see him in a humble way you need to get to scratch and text him your issues. Ask him if a swing or playing lesson is better.. The more transparent you are the better he can prepare for your lesson.. Communication is the key success, hope you keep us posted.

[wowdrood1983]

So first lesson since posting this was better, I didn’t confront him or anything about this but there wasn’t any texting/talking to other people. As for the content of the lesson I kind of feel like we are on a side tracked path, today was about producing more speed at the ball however my p6 is consistently behind me (ala monte 68 ballerina) and I cant put any more force into the club past p5.5 ish or else I will miss the ball.... leading to a slight scoop. This has been my biggest issue for a while now

[TimK1]

I only read through one page here. So if I repeat someone else's comment , I'm sorry about that.

Why are you seeing anybody? I'm a two. I have said on here many times, I have never had a lesson. However, if you are good enough to keep a six then you don't need lessons. Once I started to get to where I could shoot under 80 it became all about short game.

50 yards and in. Putting also. If you desire to get down lower than a 6 this is what you will need to work on.

I know my swing inside and out. I don't need an instructor. With video and all the information out there I say, become your own teacher!!!! It will save you time and a ton of money in the long run.

[Hawkeye77]

I hate to add to this thread again, but as a 7, yes I do get benefit from lessons and continuing to improve and yes, it helps maintain my handicap. And if I want to get to a 5, it's not 50 yards and in that's the issue at all for me.

It works for you and that's great, but it's not one size fits all.

[TimK1]

ok

seems you have your mind made up

hope it works out for you

[BB28403]

This^^^ x1000. This + Find your inner confidence.

[Ghost of Snead]

Sure ... who needs a competent instructor when there's a million Youtube tips out there ? Can't be that difficult to sort through them all and find the ones that apply to your swing.

[Hawkeye77]

WTF?

Has nothing to do with having my "mind made up" - I know why I've improved and what it will take to improve further. Simply reporting my experience and (correctly) suggesting that what works for one doesn't necessarily work for all.

 

[Krt22]

There are a handful of golfers who have gotten really good with little help and think because they did it, that anyone can do it. We all know that simply is not true.

[MaineMariner]

Is it really normal to send your instructor videos of your swing every time you touch a club? Especially if that means multiple videos per week? My first thought that that the instructor was kinda sick of this guy. Or just bored of him. Which isn't a good thing, obviously, and would be good reason to move on.

[TimK1]

What I said was this.

90 percent of the golfing population cannot break 90. Over half of that can't break 100 If you are good enough to be a six then it is not your full swing. Anybody I know who plays to less than a two got the last four or five strokes off their handicap with short game and putting.

You obviously have your mind made up that you disagree.

Sorry I said anything, take care.

[Krt22]

Yeah, this debate is hashed over and over and over. You don't know anything about the OP, his game, or where he loses his strokes, so to say its "all short game" more than likely isn't true. Statistically speaking, it is generally still a ball striking issue

[BB28403]

There is ALOT of misinformation on YouTube.

The competent instructors are few and far between on there.

I am of the opinion that players can progress pretty far without direction. That over thinking and over analyzation paralyze them. I mean look at these threads on this forum where they post every random thought and give us what they ate for lunch. Learn some internal confidence , practice that.

After you reach a plateau then seek out a competent instructor.

[Krt22]

Competent students are also few and far between.

[Hawkeye77]

No, what you said is what I quoted.

Not interested in what you reported, that's different than "disagreeing", lol.

Reported my experience only - you presume to give "the" answer.

But since you can't process that, then I will disagree with your one size fits all: To improve some low caps need better ball striking, some need better short games, some need better putting, some need better course management, some need solid PSR, some need combinations of the foregoing.

 

 

[TimK1]

yep