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What to Expect
and What Not to Expect from a Golf School
What You Should
Expect
Tough
Questions About Your Game
Nobody likes getting grilled, but expect the instructor
to search for the sore spots in your game. It is important to understand
the more you can make your instructor understand your purpose for
being there, the better his chance of being able to help you fulfill
it. While this may sound obvious, many golfers give blank stares
when asked why they are at school. Do yourself a big favor: Sit
down and write out your biggest beefs - recurring faults, inconsistencies,
nagging mishits - and share them your instructor. Please don’t
feel your telling them their business; all good teachers certainly
appreciate the direction.
Tons of New
Information
The fact that you’ve made it to golf school speaks volumes
for your commitment to learning; so don’t get frustrated if
you feel lost during discussions on swing mechanics or course management.
Whenever you feel lost or confused, you must immediately ask for
an explanation or clarification.
You may discover that it’s not really your swing that stinks
- it may be you aren’t managing your thinking and ultimately
your game around the course. And have you ever seen yourself swing
on a computer or TV? Point is, you probably won’t like everything
you’re told about your game, but chances are, the less you
want to hear something, the harder you should listen.
A Healthy
Workout
You’ll hit enough range balls during a three-day school to
fill a room in your house, and the time you’ll spend standing
over chips and putts could wear out even the most limber backs.
Most days you will play at least nine holes each afternoon, which
breaks up practice time but can add to your fatigue. And don’t
expect time for an afternoon snooze, schedules tend to be tight.
To head off fatigue and muscle soreness, do some stretching and
conditioning in advance. Leading up to school, walk at least a half-mile
daily (if you currently walk while playing or play tennis, you’ll
be fine), and toughen up your hands by practicing your swing and
grip while lounging around at home. Especially after a layoff, one
long session can wear blisters or even tear skin off your fingers.
A Complete
Check-Up
Expect your swing, your short game, your clubs, and even your body
to get their fair share of constructive criticism. Expect to see
your swing on video analyzed at least a couple of times - which
itself can be an eye opening experience.
Stay open minded and always listen to understand, not to respond.
What You Shouldn't
Expect
A Quick Fix
Some golfers who sign up for golf school subconsciously believe
that the mere act of blocking off a few days from their busy schedules
will translate into a better golf game.
Clearly, that’s a bit short sighted. Putting in the time is
important, but only a small part of the battle. Without a doubt,
the toughest habits to break are the ones you’ve had the longest
and unfortunately, some seem to get worse before they get better.
So be patient and do what the instructor tells you - even if it
doesn’t seem to work right away.
We will send you home with a personalized instructional video of
what you need to work on, replay it often and gauge your progress.
Remember that practice doesn’t make perfect - perfect practice
makes perfect.
A Private
Instructor All the Time
You will be sharing the instructor’s time with your classmates,
with the instructor working between the class and you individually
throughout the day.
You can be assured due to the low student - teacher ratio, you may
feel as if you have the instructor all to yourself. With the majority
of the instruction taught through the use of gradient drills, each
student will have a lot of individual interaction with the instructor.
Lots of Golf
Time
If you are looking to take a golf vacation of sorts, you may find
golf school a bit intense for you. Most days, you will play at least
9 holes each afternoon, but the first half of your days will be
spent listening to presentations, hitting balls and grinding over
your short game. We do offer an Advanced Playing School, where most
of your time is spent on the course, but even then, the idea is
to make you think better and play smarter. In other words, they’re
not like casual rounds with your regular foursome back home.
Your Swing
On Display
Instructors know most people don’t want a gaggle of onlookers
watching them, so that won’t happen at golf school. We have
a private practice tee just for the use of our students. In addition,
we group our classes by skill level. High handicappers will not
be put into a class with single digit player who wants to talk Tour
techniques and learn to fade a high 2-iron.
It’s a comfort factor - at both ends of the talent spectrum.
And don’t worry about impressing your instructor: They’ve
seen better and worse than anything you can muster up. Play the
way you play - that’s what needs the work.
It is important that you don’t make major changes to your golf
equipment prior to attending school; this includes woods, irons,
wedges and putters.
Many times people buy new equipment just prior to arrival that doesn’t
suit their particular needs. You are much better served by waiting
until you return home and you are able to make an educated decision
on what equipment best fits you and your game.
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