Are Golftec lessons good?

[bapefiend]

Hi,

 

I'm new on this board. I started playing golf about a month and a half ago and have been shooting 100-105 through 18. My friend who has been playing for quite awhile thinks that I have a pretty natural swing and is surprised by my quick progress. At this point I'd really like to start taking a few lessons to help me with my pre-shot routine and how to better attack the course and I was wondering if Golftec lessons are any good? I'm a little skeptic since they are indoors and you hit into a white screen as opposed to lessons at driving range where you can get a real good feel of your shot. Would I be better off taking lessons at a driving range or golftec and can anybody suggest any good places around Northern NJ (newport, jersey city). Thanks for your advice and looking forward on improving my game.

[juststeve]

I've never taken a golf-tec lesson but I have seen several given at a single location in Dallas. Based on that tiny sample it appears that what they have is one method to which they try to fit all students. Your answer therefore is that the lessons will do you good if what you need is what they are selling.

 

This may be an unfair assessment based on a very small sample but that's all I have.

 

Steve

[spk74]

If you have a good "natural swing"...and you only want help with your pre-shot routine and course management...then GolfTec probably isn't a very good match for you. My impressions of GolfTec are that they have a bunch of gizmos and gadgets that they use as aids to help correct people who have horrible natural swings.

 

My advice, regarding the two facets you mentioned, is to read up a little and go practice. You need to find the preshot routine that works to calm you down and helps you make consistent swings. There are a few threads on here about various people's preshot routines. While they all share similarities, they are also unique to the individual. There are plenty of books and videos about good course management.

[SuperTiger18]

If you have a good "natural swing"...and you only want help with your pre-shot routine and course management...then GolfTec probably isn't a very good match for you. My impressions of GolfTec are that they have a bunch of gizmos and gadgets that they use as aids to help correct people who have horrible natural swings.

 

My advice, regarding the two facets you mentioned, is to read up a little and go practice. You need to find the preshot routine that works to calm you down and helps you make consistent swings. There are a few threads on here about various people's preshot routines. While they all share similarities, they are also unique to the individual. There are plenty of books and videos about good course management.

 

 

I disagree. I had a pretty good natural swing and decided to go the GolfTec route. They have the ability to pinpoint very, very small errors in the swing and give you drills to work on those. At the time of my initial visit I was having a problem with my trajectory being higher than I'd like and after a few minutes on the monitor he was able to suggest a minor change to my grip and address that corrected the problem. On future visits he's made suggestions that have helped develop more consistency and hitting a variety of shots.

 

I've been very happy with it and feel that they are able to see the errors that someone simply watching your swing with their eyes alone couldn't capture. It's much easier to see a huge flaw with the eye than it is a very small one (which the monitors and software can easily capture).

[spk74]

Right, I'm definitely not saying that GolfTec is bad. I've only heard GREAT things about them being able to quickly identify and fix swing flaws. The original poster could probably benefit greatly from their lessons.

 

I am saying that they probably won't be equipped to help him with his PRE-SHOT ROUTINE and COURSE MANAGEMENT...which are the two things he mentioned in his original post. I was just encouraging him to figure those out on his own, or seek the advice of friends, etc.

[hayzooos]

My take on GolfTec is the same as most other golf instruction...they can't turn "crap" into gold. They're not going to make a 30 handicap into a scratch golfer. They can however, take someone interested in the game, and make them better by teaching a fundamentally sound golf swing. They do not have a certain swing they teach to everyone as I've seen some people state.

 

They'll look at your body size and come up with a tour pro who's comparable in size and go with that. You're not going to have someone who weighs 260 pounds swing like Tiger...it's just not going to happen, unless they're willing to lose about 70 pounds as well.

 

Many people prefer outdoor lessons, which makes sense...you get instant feedback. With GolfTec, everything is done indoors so they can control everything. This will lead to a sound swing no matter the weather and/or conditions.

 

My take on GolfTec is you have to be willing to learn and practice and you will see improvement. If you don't practice with your lessons you will not get any better.

 

Many people say it's too expensive and comparable to $120/hour. Yes and No, really. From what I've done, I usually get to practice for about half an hour to an hour after I'm done with my lesson. Although the pro is no longer at my side, I can still see each successive swing right after I swing with their video and he just told me what I need to work on.

 

I don't think anything can compare to seeing your swing on video. You have a picture in your mind of what it looks like, but when you see it, you're first thought will be "is that really what my swing looks like?"

 

I would recommend GolfTec to anyone who really wants to get better. I usually go to a lesson every other week, and I go to the driving range 2-3 times per week. It's a little much in between, but I used to give lessons so I have a pretty good idea of what's going on in my swing anyway.

 

Give it a shot and if you don't like it, don't go back. Just remember the first thing I said in this post!

[TLGTECH]

"When the student is ready the teahcer will arive"Even if you take one thing away from a lesson, it was worth it! dont ya think? i.e. dont limt yourself to just one method.A method that works for one,may not work for another.

Ask for a introductory price, see if you like or can relate to the instuction first.

[stevestrike]

I've taken quite a few GolfTEC lessons (do a search for some old posts on this subject too) so I feel qualified to make a few comments here.

 

1. Yes, they do teach the "same" swing to everyone--well almost. If you are young, reasonably athletic, and have a average height/weight/build then, yes they will try to to teach you their swing. However, I know they work with elderly clients, and some women who cannot perform this swing. They will work within your abilities. However, of the three friends that I know who take lessons there, we are all getting the same basic stuff (from three different instructors!) To be fair, the "same" stuff is important stuff--proper setup, solid backswing and positions throughout.

 

2. hayzoos is spot-on. You have to practice what you learn in the lessons, or they won't do you any good. This is probably true of any lessons though. The 30-minutes you get are not enough to learn something new, so you have to be willing to take it out to the range and work on it.

 

3. The video and instant feedback are great, as is the website where you can review an download your lessons for later on.

 

4. They will try to sell you a package of lessons. I don't care much for this aspect of the company, but it is what it is. You probably won't get this kind of a push from your local club pro.

 

5. Some instructors are great, some not so much. I've established a good relationship with my instructor, and in fact we play 18 yesterday. So be picky, and make sure whoever you take lessons from is a good fit.

 

6. Take their evaluation lesson. It's usually $150-200 and includes 1 or 2 lessons, and some other stuff. It's a great way to become familiar with what they do. Expect a sales pitch here too. And the lesson will at minimum get you started, even if you don't stay.

 

7. I think they are most beneficial in taking beginning golfers, and getting them up to speed with the core--setup, posture, balance, etc.. and the proper moves through the golf swing. I also think they are beneficial to very good golfers, who want to tweak small things, as the video aspect can really nail this down. What they don't help as much is a medium player becoming a great player. The only thing that seems to help this is hitting 1,000's of balls and draining putts.

 

 

My impressions of GolfTec are that they have a bunch of gizmos and gadgets that they use as aids to help correct people who have horrible natural swings.

Then your impressions are wrong. The only gizmo/gadget I've ever used at GolfTEC other than a golf club is an impact bag. Oh yeah, and a ball one time to help feel the connectedness of my arms and upper torso.

[Blues Golfer]

First off, go get lessons. You are new to the game, go now while you don't have ingrained bad habits to overcome.

 

I considered golftec, but went with a pro suggested by a friend, who had the video equipment and software. This had the benefit of being on grass on a range, not off turf in a net.

 

The pro was a lot cheaper. Whether the Golftec pro would have diagnosed the same problem that my pro found, who knows.

 

What I do know, is that only through video would that fault have been found, and only through seeing it on the video was I able to see and understand it.

 

I'm going to differ and say that your pre shot routine is probably ripe for video. Getting your set up right to the point of being quick, natural, and totally correct is a lot more important than it might seem. And getting the correct set up on video now is going to help you in the long run, because you can study it and work on preserving it.

 

When you are shooting low 90's, then I think it's more the right time to think about course management. Right now I think the focus should be on getting set up right and making solid contact with the same swing every time.

[CJOO9O]

I've seen a few posts about golftec on golfwrx and I feel that some of the concepts and ideas are a little misunderstood.
first of all, I am an instructor at GolfTEC and a Class A PGA professional. I can tell you that from my experience, my clients at golftec do move very very quickly compared to students i have coached on the range. The video equiptment is extremely helpful in pinpointing swing flaws and helping correct them with that "instant feedback"

About teaching the same swing to everyone, I dont believe this is true. There are certain fundamentals that we try to teach to everyone, but these are no different than you would learn from any other PGA instructor. Things like ball flight laws (angle of approach, centeredness of contact, club path, clubface angle, swing speed) and the 15 different principals. All of these have a significant impact on ball flight, so if someone comes to us with a problem, these things are the things we watch for.

Of course not everyone can swing like tiger, but a person can have alot of similar positions, and at the same time, we can use Tiger's swing to SHOW our students what they should be doing, again based on what we are working on in their swing. We try to body and swing match so if someone has a build of say John Daly, and they swing alot like John, then obviously lets compare that person to him. If a person has a build like Mike Weir, lets compare to mike weir. Again, NOT SAYING lets build their swing EXACTLY to match, but it would be a good swing to look at for comparison only.

The Tour Averages we have that measure shoulder turn, tilt, and bend, and the same with the hips, are for reference and comparison to track a students progress and as a reference to show what needs to be worked on. yes, not all tour pros swing the same and do not have the same build. that is why it is an AVERAGE and not exact number.

About hitting indoors, I think its actually better to work in doors and neglect the ball flight and fix what needs to be fixed to make a repeatable golf swing without worrying about what the ball is doing. Yes ball flight is important (which is why we do outdoor lessons too) but to get the student thinking about correct mechanics and positions first is more important than hitting 30 bad shots outside with the same result, while the student gets frustrated and goes back to the old ways.

Hope this helps, Come in for a 1 hour evaluation if you have any questions. Any golftec pro will be willing to answer and questions.

[sshadow2]

I've experienced Golftec in lessons and fitting. I thought the computerized analytics were great for both, and they're teaching helped turn my entire game around especially my driving. As posted above, they match you to a pro in their DB. They didn't have the one I wanted (Hunter Mahan because of his rotary swing) but you can't get everything. They give you an account to their website so that you get look at your results and see videos of drills that they recommended for you on fixing the faults they find in your swing. I had a very good experience.

However, I did not like their fitting process at all. I had my irons and wedges fit. After all the analysis, they fit you based on a single iron (my 6i). They tout the process like it's the closest thing to a tour van fitting but its not. Only examined the usual length, lie and flex. No shaft recommendations, no ball flight characteristics, no analysis on individual irons, no gap analysis, nothing. This was ultimately no different than a regular fitting at Golfsmith, only computerized and 4x the price. That was a complete waste of my money.

[stevestrike]

[quote name='CJOO9O' date='18 July 2010 - 03:27 PM' timestamp='1279484866' post='2583979']
I've seen a few posts about golftec on golfwrx and I feel that some of the concepts and ideas are a little misunderstood.
[/quote]
This thread was over two years old, and you revived it?

[iteachgolf]

As I've said many times before, lessons are only as good as the teacher giving them. With a company as large as GolfTEC, some will be great and some will be bad. Even in the same market or store the level instruction may vary greatly. The teachers that have been around a while will have a lot of experience and given a lot of lessons which means at least they have perfected their style, good or bad. A good instructor is a good instructor whether at GolfTEC or another location. So interview the instructor and see if they are a good fit and if possible talk to some of their students.

[lui_boy]

[quote name='stevestrike' date='19 July 2010 - 01:58 PM' timestamp='1279573101' post='2586419']
[quote name='CJOO9O' date='18 July 2010 - 03:27 PM' timestamp='1279484866' post='2583979']
I've seen a few posts about golftec on golfwrx and I feel that some of the concepts and ideas are a little misunderstood.
[/quote]
This thread was over two years old, and you revived it?
[/quote]
2006, 2008, 2010.. I'm assuming we'll see this thread again in 2012 if the world still exists.

[HipCheck]

One day I'm going to start a thread dedicated to GolfTEC, but for now I'll post here.

I've been doing this since January, when golf is just a dream in the winter of the northeast. I went for the $99 evaluation and saw my swing compared to tour pros over the 1 hour session. While my swing was smooth, the flaws were too numerous to list. Overswinging. Late wrist hinge. Flip at impact. Stacking on left side at the top. Really eye opening. I signed up for an initial 10 lesson package and then after seeing results, ultimately signed up for 1 year starting April 1.

Indoors I do not worry about ball flight. I worry about form, and when working on it, I worry about contact. Aside from putting, I have never had a lesson with a club besides a 6 iron. The idea is to groove your swing. There's no reason to bring ball position variances into the equation. For example, with a 3 wood, I'd need to swing flatter. There's no reason for me to learn this until I understand and follow proper technique with the club I've been working with. I trusted in this and it worked.

The putting lesson also helped me greatly. I showed I should go back to left hand low, and they alone has kept my wrists from breaking down. My big key there is, to have a backstroke to forwardstroke ratio of 1:2. This has helped me greatly with pace and returned a little 'hit' to my stroke.

There's a BIG commitment to changing YOUR swing to conform to tour averages. You need to practice, but above all, need to do the drills assigned to you. I'd work 3-4 times a week on this and it can be REALLY frustrating, especially when you take your swing to the driving range. Because of my waaaaay too long backswing, I needed to work a lot on wrist hinging and controlling the release. I spent the first 14 lessons on BACKSWING. That's it. Now I did swing at the ball, but I basically had a NEW backswing matched with my OLD downswing. It was killing me for a while. I almost quit. However I kept working and FINALLY got it. As soon as I moved on to downswing, everything clicked. Since that lesson, my last 5 rounds have been +10, +6, +10, +7 and +8.

For a 14 index, these are GREAT scores. Oddest thing is, even just working with a 6 iron, all aspects of my game have improved. My driving accuracy is 5% better, although I'm STRICT on missed fairways (1st cut=miss). My GIR is 14% better. Scrambling is 12% better. Sand save percentage has MORE than doubled to 57%. So far I've gone from a 13.7 index to a 9.8 this year. I have never been in single digits before (yes, I'm rounding down )

My exact quote to my instructor is "I've never worked so hard in order to have fun." For me, the video instruction and side-by-side player comparison makes all the difference.

Next step is outdoor short game lessons. GolfTEC has an agreement with the local academy so we can work for hours outside. I can't wait to see how low I can go later this year.

[Harob11]

Went for a lesson at Golftec today. My only previous experience consists of only a swing evaluation. I was impressed then and i'm impressed now. I've taken a quick 30min lesson at the PGA Tour Superstore in Az, as well as a few lesson from club pros and Golftec was easily the most informative and effective. I highly recommend them.
The only thing they taught me that I found debatable was their - the club fact should be at a 45* angle at parallel... they're VERY against rotating the club during the backswing and very against even a slightly open face at the top.

[larrybud]

[quote name='Harob11' timestamp='1303270236' post='3169654']
Went for a lesson at Golftec today. My only previous experience consists of only a swing evaluation. I was impressed then and i'm impressed now. I've taken a quick 30min lesson at the PGA Tour Superstore in Az, as well as a few lesson from club pros and Golftec was easily the most informative and effective. I highly recommend them.
The only thing they taught me that I found debatable was their - the club fact should be at a 45* angle at parallel... they're VERY against rotating the club during the backswing and very against even a slightly open face at the top.
[/quote]

I need some clarificaton:
They advocate the club face being closed, at a 45 degree angle relative to the horizon in a down the line view, when the club shaft is parallel to the ground, on the back swing?

[prestiege]

its a possibility, look at the shawn clement fade topic and watch his video, if you take the club with the body insted of the arms, the face ends up shut before folding the right elbow, after folding though the club is in perfect position

[Artin]

Great business model but clearly all about keeping you hooked on the drug. Higher ups in their corporation feel like their methodology is compromised if the instructors schedule too many outside lessons. Their mantra is " ball flight only distracts the student" Unfortunatley for GolfTEC golf is played outdoors not into a net 18 feet away. If you are an accomplished player that wants to work on specific moves in your action you MIGHT give it try but it's highky unlikely that you'll find an instructor experienced enough to teach without seeing ballflight. It coulkd work if you were using a good LM. But using low speed video is tough indoors. You don't have a clue to what kind of contact your making because you are working off of mats. A good player knows but the avergae golfer does not. As an instructor with 20 years experience I have to use impact tape to make sure they are hitting it crisply. Most youngsters riught out of PGM just can't do it. Not a knock on the young guys because there are some good ones. But it's really hit or miss on the quality of the instructor. Let's face it, it's all about the instructor you get stuck with.

They hire a lot of kids right out of PGM programs and send them to Denver to GTU where they are trained. It's a very good training program. I went through it and learned a lot.- The problem with indoor teaching is that the student is only learning the "golfswing" and not how to play golf. The average golfer needs MUCH more than ball strking lessons. I've seen and met clients that have worked with GT for 3 or 4 years and never seen a ball fly farther than 18 feet. Once the student goes outside threy can't get the ball airborne. I've seen GT clients go outside in the spring and can't putt or chip.That's where I start with all my students. If you can't maintain a flat left wrist chipping how the worrld can you do it at 65 to 80 mph? Especially with as little work on the pivot that GT does. I don't think I heard the word pivot in the 3 years I was there.

The TEC is an acronym for Technology, Equipment, and Conditioning. They fall very short in the technology department in that they just use video with barely 60fps, Accusport Vector LM technology for fitting only, and I'm not sure where the conditioning comes in unless it's working on the biceps getting your wallet out of your pocket. You would think that a company that hangs their hat on their technology expertise they would have at the very least Flightscope LM's. I understand Trackman is just too damn expensive. FS is has almost caught up to them. Dollar for doallar they have surpassed TM. IMO I talked to a GT instructor that was written up for using is Casio high speed camera too much. Another was written up for scheduling too many outside lessons. Sad, but not shocking.
There are obviously some good young instructors at GT but you can train a monkey to run a computor with teaching software loaded on it. But most of the good teachers leave after a couple of years because of the quota pressure and corporate beatdown over making your numbers.

Lastly, the thing that I had a hard time with ethically as an employee was their promotion of 160 + tour pros making up the tour averages that they so proudly tout. If you saw the names you would fall out of your chair laughing. It was embarrassing and because of that it is a closely guarded corporate secret. Trust me, the tour average numbers are NOT the tour pros used in their day to day video teaching. It's blatant false advertising.

[otto6457]

I guess I'm a different GolfTec customer than most. I have a teacher that I travel to go see a few times a year. But I signed up for the "Practice Package" at Golftec and use it mostly during the winter to stay sharp and work on areas that my teacher has identified as areas that need improvement. I did take a couple of lessons from the Golftec instructor since they were part of a promotional package that came with the practice time I purchased, and he was knowledgeable and professional.

[j_moo]

Just got a coupon for a 30 min eval for $25 at GT. Thinking about going to see what they say, but don't see how GT justtifies charging so much more for their lessons than the average driving range PGA pro.

Of course, having the swing scrutinized might do more bad than good...

[triplebogeyblues]

[quote name='Artin' timestamp='1303347690' post='3172273']
Great business model but clearly all about keeping you hooked on the drug. Higher ups in their corporation feel like their methodology is compromised if the instructors schedule too many outside lessons. Their mantra is " ball flight only distracts the student" Unfortunatley for GolfTEC golf is played outdoors not into a net 18 feet away. If you are an accomplished player that wants to work on specific moves in your action you MIGHT give it try but it's highky unlikely that you'll find an instructor experienced enough to teach without seeing ballflight. It coulkd work if you were using a good LM. But using low speed video is tough indoors. You don't have a clue to what kind of contact your making because you are working off of mats. A good player knows but the avergae golfer does not. As an instructor with 20 years experience I have to use impact tape to make sure they are hitting it crisply. Most youngsters riught out of PGM just can't do it. Not a knock on the young guys because there are some good ones. But it's really hit or miss on the quality of the instructor. Let's face it, it's all about the instructor you get stuck with.

They hire a lot of kids right out of PGM programs and send them to Denver to GTU where they are trained. It's a very good training program. I went through it and learned a lot.- The problem with indoor teaching is that the student is only learning the "golfswing" and not how to play golf. The average golfer needs MUCH more than ball strking lessons. I've seen and met clients that have worked with GT for 3 or 4 years and never seen a ball fly farther than 18 feet. Once the student goes outside threy can't get the ball airborne. I've seen GT clients go outside in the spring and can't putt or chip.That's where I start with all my students. If you can't maintain a flat left wrist chipping how the worrld can you do it at 65 to 80 mph? Especially with as little work on the pivot that GT does. I don't think I heard the word pivot in the 3 years I was there.

The TEC is an acronym for Technology, Equipment, and Conditioning. They fall very short in the technology department in that they just use video with barely 60fps, Accusport Vector LM technology for fitting only, and I'm not sure where the conditioning comes in unless it's working on the biceps getting your wallet out of your pocket. You would think that a company that hangs their hat on their technology expertise they would have at the very least Flightscope LM's. I understand Trackman is just too damn expensive. FS is has almost caught up to them. Dollar for doallar they have surpassed TM. IMO I talked to a GT instructor that was written up for using is Casio high speed camera too much. Another was written up for scheduling too many outside lessons. Sad, but not shocking.
There are obviously some good young instructors at GT but you can train a monkey to run a computor with teaching software loaded on it. But most of the good teachers leave after a couple of years because of the quota pressure and corporate beatdown over making your numbers.

Lastly, the thing that I had a hard time with ethically as an employee was their promotion of 160 + tour pros making up the tour averages that they so proudly tout. If you saw the names you would fall out of your chair laughing. It was embarrassing and because of that it is a closely guarded corporate secret. Trust me, the tour average numbers are NOT the tour pros used in their day to day video teaching. It's blatant false advertising.
[/quote]

You bring up very solid points. As a former Golftec student, I wasn't impressed with my local GT. Their business model was apparent right from the get go.

However, I have to respectfully disagree with you on the falling very short in the technology department. The "vest" they use is pretty high tech IMO. I liked how they had the ability to make a sound when the vest was in desired positions.

[ErikTaylor]

If it would be very easy to fall into paralysis from analysis with golftec.

[ErikTaylor]

It would be *

[j_moo]

Every golfer has swing flaws, even the pros. So is it wise to learn from the approach of fixing your weaknesses a la GT or should it be utilizing your strengths instead?

[mikeelias]

Golf Tec is a serious ripoff and anyone considering this as an option should save a bunch of money and go see a real golf professional. I was a 6 handicap when I signed up, paid a $ grand and quickly became a 12 handicap. The instructors are terrible and they all have a different opinions on how to teach. I went from one instructor to another and they were all horrible. SAVE YOUR MONEY and don’t do this to yourself!!!! I feel like they actually stole from me…. For anyone considering owning a franchise or taking lessons here, do yourself a favor and PASS.

[pgapro13]

[quote name='spk74' timestamp='1160766557' post='306660']
Right, I'm definitely not saying that GolfTec is bad. I've only heard GREAT things about them being able to quickly identify and fix swing flaws. The original poster could probably benefit greatly from their lessons.

I am saying that they probably won't be equipped to help him with his PRE-SHOT ROUTINE and COURSE MANAGEMENT...which are the two things he mentioned in his original post. I was just encouraging him to figure those out on his own, or seek the advice of friends, etc.
[/quote]

The majority of Golftec professionals are PGA members, most are Class A, other are Apprentices... but they are making an effort to hire PGA members and apprentices to make the company better.

That being said, all the professionals in the PGA are capable in helping you with pre-shot routine and course management, and any other facet of the game you need help with. That is what the education and PGA is all about. All you have to do is ask, and they will find a way to help you with any part of your game.

And a final note on "teaching everyone the same swing"... 1) There are fundamentals in the golf swing that we (instructors) try to achieve that make the golf swing efficient and repeatable. 2) Anyone who truly believes that all every instructor in an academy or school teach the same way or teach the same swing is completely misguided. 3) You are probably the person who doesnt want to work that hard on their game because you are scared to change anything. Trust the professionals, I guarantee you will improve if you are willing to listen and work hard!

[dmadelung]

I am a 6 handicap and won a free hour lesson. I play a fade and he basically told me I am slightly over the top which I knew and was not helpful. But they did give me some really good advice with my lack of hip turn on the way back causing some hip slide and also my head falls forward. First range session after that lesson was my best in awhile.

So I would say take what they say with a grain of salt as they do teach 1 swing but some small things can always help.

[spaldingsmails70]

They were setup in a tent at the Senior PGA. Mercedes was sponsoring it. They hooked me up and spent about 15 minutes with me. I have already taken what they showed to my makeshift range here on the farm. I have never had a formal lesson. What they told me has really worked. Basically corrected my spine angle at setup and getting my takeaway on plane. It was free. So I more than got my money's worth.

[BlueChao]

[quote name='pgapro13' timestamp='1304377269' post='3203213']
[quote name='spk74' timestamp='1160766557' post='306660']
Right, I'm definitely not saying that GolfTec is bad. I've only heard GREAT things about them being able to quickly identify and fix swing flaws. The original poster could probably benefit greatly from their lessons.

I am saying that they probably won't be equipped to help him with his PRE-SHOT ROUTINE and COURSE MANAGEMENT...which are the two things he mentioned in his original post. I was just encouraging him to figure those out on his own, or seek the advice of friends, etc.
[/quote]

The majority of Golftec professionals are PGA members, most are Class A, other are Apprentices... but they are making an effort to hire PGA members and apprentices to make the company better.

That being said, all the professionals in the PGA are capable in helping you with pre-shot routine and course management, and any other facet of the game you need help with. That is what the education and PGA is all about. All you have to do is ask, and they will find a way to help you with any part of your game.

And a final note on "teaching everyone the same swing"... 1) There are fundamentals in the golf swing that we (instructors) try to achieve that make the golf swing efficient and repeatable. 2) Anyone who truly believes that all every instructor in an academy or school teach the same way or teach the same swing is completely misguided. 3) You are probably the person who doesnt want to work that hard on their game because you are scared to change anything. Trust the professionals, I guarantee you will improve if you are willing to listen and work hard!
[/quote]

I went to GolfTec and purchased lesson package. I was a little skeptical as I played with a guy in a leaue who went to GolfTec and he went from bad to really sucking. After GolfTec he hit an occasional really good shot, but most of his shots were poorer than befoire he went to GolfTec. I've only been golfing about 5 years but steadily improved to about 16 HCap. My game was getting a little loose at end of year and I knew I needed help hitting Driver. Plus, over winter I was developing shanks in the indoor range. So, I went for swing eval and GolfTec Pro convinced me I needed a bunch of lessons. What kind of "teacher" is concerned about selling lesson packages?

Anyway, I went to my lessons, had teacher tell me "you need to turn more, etc, etc. I'm now a 23 HCAP and probably will quit golfing which is really depressing for me. It has not been for lack of practice either. I have been to the range regularly trying to incorporate all the things I've been told. I'm finally at a point where I'm back to at least hitting my irons consistently, albeit shorter than before.

So, all the BS the "GolfTec Pro" fed me initially, I would hit ball further, we'd get my driver straightened out ,etc has not materialized. But, what recourse do I have other than to take it as a lesson learned. GolfTec does not seem to stand behind anything. The GolfTec Pros might as well be used car salesmen