What to look for in a golf instructor?

[mikedellgolf]

Therefore, I am looking for a golf instructor for my seventeen and ten years old sons.  Seventeen years old has been playing for 18 months while the ten years old is a complete beginer.

 

What do you look for in a golf instructor?  What is a reasonable price in Northern Virginia?  I was quoted $145/hour.  Is that reasonable?

 

TIA

[Medson]

Check out this thread. "

"

[mikedellgolf]

10 minutes ago, Medson said:

Check out this thread. "

"

Thank you.  

 

There are two Pros in my areas of Northern Virginia:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Estes

 

https://www.thumbtack.com/va/oakton/golf-lessons/golf-professional-mike-vechery/service/266696700444443668

 

They charge between $145 and $175 per hour.  Can someone on this board provide some inputs?  I am new to this.

 

 

[Medson]

Hard to comment on specific pricing. 

 

- Do bring up it's for junior golfers. Most(if not all) coaches have discounted rate for juniors. 

- It might be worthwhile to buy a package of lessons. More discounts. 

 

I do remember there are folks in MD/VA area. So they may comment on specific coaches and prices. 

[weavej1]

I guess i would ask you , “what are your expectations for these kids”

 

do you want them to have fun? Are you looking for college scholarships?  
 

you are the client since you are paying, what do you want.

 

 

if it’s for fun then maybe you are looking for group lesson settings.  Lessons on Kids (and many adults) usually is a waste of money if you ask me.  They usually don’t practice what has been taught so from lesson to lesson there isn’t any progression.   What they need is a dedicated time to commit to golf each week, and group lessons like first tee at least provide that.  If your child excells or shows exceptional talent then individual lessons may be warranted From that point

Edited March 15, 2022 by weavej1

[Movingday]

6 hours ago, mikedellgolf said:

Therefore, I am looking for a golf instructor for my seventeen and ten years old sons.  Seventeen years old has been playing for 18 months while the ten years old is a complete beginer.

 

What do you look for in a golf instructor?  What is a reasonable price in Northern Virginia?  I was quoted $145/hour.  Is that reasonable?

 

TIA

Doesn’t your oldest play college golf? Come on Tiger, you can do better than this 

[mikedellgolf]

7 hours ago, Movingday said:

Doesn’t your oldest play college golf? Come on Tiger, you can do better than this 

My college-age son plays golf, NOT college golf, and he also only plays golf for less than two years.  He takes a private lessons here and there but mostly self taught.  He was coaching his younger brothers but he just doesn't have time now because of his increasing Computer Science work load and social life.  Therefore, I think it is best that I should find a real golf instructor for my younger sons.

 

10 hours ago, weavej1 said:

I guess i would ask you , “what are your expectations for these kids”

 

do you want them to have fun? Are you looking for college scholarships?  
 

you are the client since you are paying, what do you want.

 

 

if it’s for fun then maybe you are looking for group lesson settings.  Lessons on Kids (and many adults) usually is a waste of money if you ask me.  They usually don’t practice what has been taught so from lesson to lesson there isn’t any progression.   What they need is a dedicated time to commit to golf each week, and group lessons like first tee at least provide that.  If your child excells or shows exceptional talent then individual lessons may be warranted From that point

 

I don't care about the scholarships, they have enough 529 college saving for both undergrad and graduate tuition, room & board.  Just want my kids to enjoy playing golf, and hopefully good enough to play with senior management folks where I work for future professional networking opportunities.  

[darter79]

Rates will be a huge influx depending on where you are. Some might charge $50 some might charge $250. Its just one of those you have to find the best match for your kid and personality and honestly might not be the same coach for both kids. 

[kekoa]

1 hour ago, darter79 said:

Rates will be a huge influx depending on where you are. Some might charge $50 some might charge $250. Its just one of those you have to find the best match for your kid and personality and honestly might not be the same coach for both kids. 

I agree with this.  FWIW, I personally would not spend more than $100 per kid in lessons if your only plan is for them to play recreationally.  Also, you may find yourself going through a few coaches before you find the right fit for your kids.  Don't be afraid to move on if you or your son's aren't happy with the instructor's attitude, teaching style, etc.  In my experience, more expensive coaches are used to working with more accomplished players and are not as patient working with beginners.  

[Wham49]

I agree with moving around till you find the right coach for your child. My 11 year old daughter has gone through 3 coaches till she found her current coach who will be with her for the long haul. She connects with her. Her coach is the coach at Loyola of Chicago women's team and is wonderful with her. They are the same stature so Her coach understands working with girls and especially smaller women as she is one. They talk about off the course stuff and I could not be happier. Search for the right fit guys it will be totally worth it.

[mikedellgolf]

thank you everyone.  I am trying out a few coaches.  We tried one yesterday for $145/hour 😂

[mikedellgolf]

I found an golf instructor and he charges $50 for 45 minutes lesson.  He is about 40 mins drive from me.  Will try him out next week.

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

On 3/14/2022 at 5:45 PM, Medson said:

Hard to comment on specific pricing. 

 

- Do bring up it's for junior golfers. Most(if not all) coaches have discounted rate for juniors. 

- It might be worthwhile to buy a package of lessons. More discounts. 

 

I do remember there are folks in MD/VA area. So they may comment on specific coaches and prices. 

You rang?

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

58 minutes ago, mikedellgolf said:

I found an golf instructor and he charges $50 for 45 minutes lesson.  He is about 40 mins drive from me.  Will try him out next week.

DM me if that doesn't work out.  I can send you my son's coaches information.  He is a old school guy, but was perfect for my son.

 

He doesn't talk 200 words a minute or the constant ok let me show you.

 

 

[kekoa]

When looking at coaches, a quick phone call goes a long way before you spend potentially wasted money.   Just a few weeks ago, I spoke with a coach out here who I never really heard of.   Come to find out he coaches one of the top ranked amateur girls in the world and he lets you know this right away and won't let you forget it.   One of his first questions was how often does your son practice?  I said 3-4 times a week maybe an hour at a time with tournaments on weekends.  His first response was why so little practice?  My response-  Ummm work, school, life in general.   He then asked for a quick swing vid and here is the best part.  After reviewing some swings he basically said we have major issues and there is no way my son can play high level golf with his existing flaws.   This coach seems to focus primarily on girl golfers which makes a difference from others that see top level boys and girls.   It took everything in me to not hang up on the guy.

[leezer99]

3 hours ago, kekoa said:

When looking at coaches, a quick phone call goes a long way before you spend potentially wasted money.   Just a few weeks ago, I spoke with a coach out here who I never really heard of.   Come to find out he coaches one of the top ranked amateur girls in the world and he lets you know this right away and won't let you forget it.   One of his first questions was how often does your son practice?  I said 3-4 times a week maybe an hour at a time with tournaments on weekends.  His first response was why so little practice?  My response-  Ummm work, school, life in general.   He then asked for a quick swing vid and here is the best part.  After reviewing some swings he basically said we have major issues and there is no way my son can play high level golf with his existing flaws.   This coach seems to focus primarily on girl golfers which makes a difference from others that see top level boys and girls.   It took everything in me to not hang up on the guy.

 

Sounds like some epic level social skills similar to another user on this forum.

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

21 hours ago, leezer99 said:

 

Sounds like some epic level social skills similar to another user on this forum.

@ me bruh 😉

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

On 3/31/2022 at 1:39 PM, kekoa said:

When looking at coaches, a quick phone call goes a long way before you spend potentially wasted money.   Just a few weeks ago, I spoke with a coach out here who I never really heard of.   Come to find out he coaches one of the top ranked amateur girls in the world and he lets you know this right away and won't let you forget it.   One of his first questions was how often does your son practice?  I said 3-4 times a week maybe an hour at a time with tournaments on weekends.  His first response was why so little practice?  My response-  Ummm work, school, life in general.   He then asked for a quick swing vid and here is the best part.  After reviewing some swings he basically said we have major issues and there is no way my son can play high level golf with his existing flaws.   This coach seems to focus primarily on girl golfers which makes a difference from others that see top level boys and girls.   It took everything in me to not hang up on the guy.

The phone call "father to coach" can go along ways.  I think I talked to several before we decided on DS coach.  One guy like you mentioned was pedal to the metal.  We need to be in the studio or range 20 hours a week.  Prepare his tournament schedule.  Summer camps. 

 

I think then you need to know your child as well.  Some kids want that, others want to stay balance.

 

You can spend 100 out of 168 hours a week  playing golf, shooting in the 60s, but if you don't have the SAT/ACT and grades its doesn't matter.

 

 

 

 

[tiger1873]

2 hours ago, TripleBogeysrbetter said:

The phone call "father to coach" can go along ways.  I think I talked to several before we decided on DS coach.  One guy like you mentioned was pedal to the metal.  We need to be in the studio or range 20 hours a week.  Prepare his tournament schedule.  Summer camps. 

 

I think then you need to know your child as well.  Some kids want that, others want to stay balance.

 

You can spend 100 out of 168 hours a week  playing golf, shooting in the 60s, but if you don't have the SAT/ACT and grades its doesn't matter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are a kid shooting in the 60's you can be dumb as a brick.  There is a $1 million dollars a week out there and all a person has to do is score low to get it. 

 

I don't think practicing a lot has anything to do with how well you do in school.  Lots of kids do just fine and still put in lots of hours in the range. It's all about time management and the will to do it.

 

Not everyone is dedicated to golf like some are and that is ok just don't expect to get a top coach.

[mikedellgolf]

22 minutes ago, tiger1873 said:

 

 

If you are a kid shooting in the 60's you can be dumb as a brick.  There is a $1 million dollars a week out there and all a person has to do is score low to get it. 

 

I don't think practicing a lot has anything to do with how well you do in school.  Lots of kids do just fine and still put in lots of hours in the range. It's all about time management and the will to do it.

 

Not everyone is dedicated to golf like some are and that is ok just don't expect to get a top coach.

 

There are a lot of kids from the local HS in my neighborhood, I will not name the school but you can guess, that are high achievers, high SAT/ACT scores with 4.22 GPAs and get rejected by UVA and William & Mary.  You can go to UVA or WM with a 3.0 GPA and 1050 SAT score if you are a recruited golf athlete.  I personally know one kid who has a 3.3 GPA with 1200 SAT score and he is now at the Naval Academy because he is recruited.  I don't know about you but it is not that hard to get 3.5+ GPA in Fairfax County Public Schools and it is not that hard to score 1500+ on the SAT either, especially when parents put a lot of money into tutoring and SAT/ACT prep.  Lots of money in the area where I live, especially when you see Mercedes, Lexus and Audi in the public school parking lot on a daily basis.  The first time my son took the SAT, he scored 1100.  After five months of intense SAT prep, he scored 1560.  You can game the SAT system with a lot of SAT prep.

 

SAT/ACT scores and GPAs are much lower for recruited athletes than for regular students to be accepted at schools like UVA and/or WM, just saying.

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

On 4/1/2022 at 7:09 PM, mikedellgolf said:

 

There are a lot of kids from the local HS in my neighborhood, I will not name the school but you can guess, that are high achievers, high SAT/ACT scores with 4.22 GPAs and get rejected by UVA and William & Mary.  You can go to UVA or WM with a 3.0 GPA and 1050 SAT score if you are a recruited golf athlete.  I personally know one kid who has a 3.3 GPA with 1200 SAT score and he is now at the Naval Academy because he is recruited.  I don't know about you but it is not that hard to get 3.5+ GPA in Fairfax County Public Schools and it is not that hard to score 1500+ on the SAT either, especially when parents put a lot of money into tutoring and SAT/ACT prep.  Lots of money in the area where I live, especially when you see Mercedes, Lexus and Audi in the public school parking lot on a daily basis.  The first time my son took the SAT, he scored 1100.  After five months of intense SAT prep, he scored 1560.  You can game the SAT system with a lot of SAT prep.

 

SAT/ACT scores and GPAs are much lower for recruited athletes than for regular students to be accepted at schools like UVA and/or WM, just saying.

My kids would never go to two safety schools like UVA or WM.

[mikedellgolf]

26 minutes ago, TripleBogeysrbetter said:

My kids would never go to two safety schools like UVA or WM.

 

 May I ask why they would never go to "safety" schools like UVA or WM?  UVA and WM are top choices for many students in Northern Virginia.

[DevilDog]

My son started lessons at age 12 and that instructor while good could not communicate effectively with my son and he was not improving.  Changed to another instructor after 2 years of frustration and it was like magic for him.  Communication was easy for my son and he understood what he needed to do to get better.  Also, this instructor ALWAYS uses Trackman and high speed cameras in his studio every single lesson.  They go outside too when weather cooperates.  Took him from a 5 handicap to a +3 in about 4 months

[miamigolfman]

On 4/1/2022 at 7:09 PM, mikedellgolf said:

 

There are a lot of kids from the local HS in my neighborhood, I will not name the school but you can guess, that are high achievers, high SAT/ACT scores with 4.22 GPAs and get rejected by UVA and William & Mary.  You can go to UVA or WM with a 3.0 GPA and 1050 SAT score if you are a recruited golf athlete.  I personally know one kid who has a 3.3 GPA with 1200 SAT score and he is now at the Naval Academy because he is recruited.  I don't know about you but it is not that hard to get 3.5+ GPA in Fairfax County Public Schools and it is not that hard to score 1500+ on the SAT either, especially when parents put a lot of money into tutoring and SAT/ACT prep.  Lots of money in the area where I live, especially when you see Mercedes, Lexus and Audi in the public school parking lot on a daily basis.  The first time my son took the SAT, he scored 1100.  After five months of intense SAT prep, he scored 1560.  You can game the SAT system with a lot of SAT prep.

 

SAT/ACT scores and GPAs are much lower for recruited athletes than for regular students to be accepted at schools like UVA and/or WM, just saying.

 

I played college baseball in the mid 2000's.  I was recruited by Tennessee, UMiami, Duke, West Point, Harvard, and ultimately chose to play at Columbia.  I was NOT a stellar student.  My SAT at the time was average at 1130 and my GPA was around 3.1- I practiced at least 50 hrs. of baseball a week + gym time, if not more.  

 

Secondly, at other schools which deal with scholarships, there is average GPA the team needs to hold.  If the average needs to be 2.75 and your kid is a constant 2.0 at HS then his sports skills need to be worth the risk, and the coach needs to make sure that other members of the team are able to carry the lower GPA. Some schools have that flexibility but others do not.  One of the best pitchers in my area growing up was bypassed by our local school because they feared he would drag the average GPA down below acceptable/permitted levels.  

 

All this to say- baseball opened doors that I would of never have dreamed of and this was the case for a good amount of the student athletes I knew at my school.  

Edited April 12, 2022 by miamigolfman

[againstthegrain]

On 4/4/2022 at 8:46 AM, mikedellgolf said:

 

 May I ask why they would never go to "safety" schools like UVA or WM?  UVA and WM are top choices for many students in Northern Virginia.

It's a joke, relax.