Golf Tutorials

What to Look for in Golf Lessons

By Spencer Lanoue
July 24, 2025

Investing in golf lessons is one of the fastest and most effective ways to lower your scores and get more enjoyment out of the game. But not all lessons - or instructors - are created equal. Finding the right coach for your unique swing, goals, and learning style is the difference between a great investment and a frustrating waste of time. This guide will walk you through exactly what to look for when you're ready to find professional instruction, helping you Caddie AI a coach who can genuinely help you play better golf.

It’s a Partnership: Finding the Right Coach for You

The first and most important step is to shift your mindset. You're not just looking for the “best” golf coach, you're looking for the best golf coach for you. A PGA Tour-level instructor might be a world-class expert, but their style might not click with a casual golfer just trying to break 100 for the first time. The relationship between a player and coach is a partnership built on trust and clear communication.

Consider Your Goals and Personality

Think honestly about what you want to achieve. Are you a complete beginner who needs to learn the absolute basics, from how to hold the club to the fundamental setup? Or are you a 15-handicapper trying to get into single digits? Your goals will steer the type of instruction you need. A beginner needs a coach who is patient, encouraging, and excellent at simplifying complex movements. An established player might need someone more analytical who can fine-tune specific parts of their game.

Your personality matters, too. Do you prefer a relaxed, conversational style, or do you thrive with a more direct, no-nonsense approach? Finding a coach whose personality meshes well with yours makes the learning process a lot more fun and effective.

Communication is Everything

A golf pro can possess all the technical knowledge in the world, but if theycan't communicate it in a way you understand, it’s useless. A truly greatcoach is a master translator, taking complex swing mechanics and turning theminto simple, actionable feelings and movements.

Technician vs. Feel Coach

Coaches often fall into two general camps:

  • The Technician: This coach is data-driven. They live and breathe angles, planes, degrees, and launch monitor numbers. They use video analysis and tools like TrackMan to show you precisely what your club is doing at impact. This approach is fantastic for players who are analytical and want to see the objective data behind their swing changes.
  • The Feel Coach: This coach focuses on what the swing feels like. They use descriptive language, analogies, and drills to create sensations. Instead of saying "Your club path is 4 degrees out-to-in," they might say, "I want you to feel like you're swinging more an toward a-right field." This is perfect for players who get bogged down by technical details and learn better through kinesthetic awareness.

The best instructors can do both. They understand the technical "why" but can explain it to you in simple, feel-based terms. During a trial lesson, pay close attention to how they explain things. Do you leave with one clear thought or a mental checklist of ten different swing positions? Simplicity is a sign of a great communicator.

A Smart Coach Works With Your Swing, Not Against It

Be wary of any instructor who teaches a rigid, one-size-fits-all "method" or "system." While there are fundamental truths in the golf swing - like rotating your body for power and maintaining good posture - we all have different body types, flexibility levels, and natural tendencies. A great coach doesn’t try to force you into a textbook-perfect swing, they aim to build the most efficient and repeatable swing for your body.

What is Their Teaching Philosophy?

A good philosophy prioritizes solid fundamentals. The coach should be checking your grip, posture, and alignment first. As we stress in our own teaching, small errors in how you hold the club or set up to the ball create a chain reaction of compensations in the swing. A good coach fixes the root cause, not just the symptom.

They should believe in building the swing around your body's a a, natural source of power: rotation. Many beginners struggle because they try to swing with just their arms in an up-and-down motion. An effective coach will teach you how to turn your shoulders and hips to generate power, creating a more rounded, athletic motion that’s both consistent and powerful.

What a Great Lesson Should Look Like

A golf lesson shouldn’t feel like 45 minutes of supervised practice on the range. It should have a clear structure designed to diagnose your issues and give you a path forward. Here’s what a typical high-value lesson includes:

  1. Dialogue and Goal Setting: The coach should start by asking you questions. "What are your goals?" "What is your typical bad shot?" "Where are you losing strokes on the course?" This establishes what you'll be working on.
  2. Observation and Diagnosis: They’ll watch you hit a number of shots, usually with a mid-iron. They're not just looking at the result of the shot, they're looking for patterns in your motion and ball flight. Many will use video analysis here to slow down your swing and pinpoint the key area for improvement.
  3. Explanation and Instruction: The coach will explain their diagnosis in simple terms and then introduce a change. The key here is focusing on ONE thing at a time. They should give you a drill or a swing thought that directly addresses the root cause of the issue.
  4. Practice and Feedback: You'll hit more balls while trying to incorporate the change. The coach provides real-time feedback, helping you find the right feel.
  5. Summary and Takeaway: At the end of the lesson, the coach should summarize what you worked on and give you a clear, simple plan for your own practice sessions. You should leave knowing exactly what to work on before your next lesson. If all you get is a a-off comment to a, "keep it up,you're 're looking great," find another instructor.

Beyond the Full Swing: Looking at the Whole Game

An obsession with the full swing is a common trap for golfers. While hitting your irons pure is satisfying, most shots are actually lost around the greens and with खराब course management.

See If They Coach the Short Game

A truly valuable coach will be just as passionate about teaching you how to a-chip, a-pitch, an and hit bunker shots as they are about the full swing. Ask a prospective coach about their approach to the short game. They should be able to help you build a reliable technique for all those delicate shots inside 100 yards.

The Power of a Playing Lesson

The ultimate form of golf instruction isn’t on the range, it's on the course. A playing lesson is where you and the coach go out and play a few holes together. This is where you work on the things that truly lower scores:

  • Course Management: Where to aim on a tricky tee shot? When should you be aggressive versus playing it safe?
  • Dealing with Uneven Lies: How do you adjust your setup for a sidehill lie or a ball in the rough?
  • Routines and Mental Game: They can help you build a strong pre-shot routine and teach you how to manage your nerves.

If a coach offers playing lessons, it’s a great sign they understand that golf is more than just swing mechanics.

Questions to Ask a Potential Golf Coach

Before committing to a lesson package, don't be afraid to have a quick chat with a potential coach or send them an email. Here’s a list of questions that will tell you a lot about their approach:

  • How do you typically structure a first lesson for a student like me?
  • Do you teach a specific swing method, or do you tailor your instruction to each student?
  • What kind of technology (like video or launch monitors) do you use during lessons?
  • How important is the short game in your teaching?
  • Can you describe your overall philosophy for the golf swing?
  • Do you a-rovide summary notes or drills to practice after a lesson?
  • Do you offer on-course playing lessons?

Their answers will give you a great sense of whether their style, philosophy, and approach a-align with what you’re looking for.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right golf instructor is one of the most rewarding steps you can take in your golf journey. Look for a great communicator who builds a plan around your goals, teaches fundamentals, and focuses on helping you find a repeatable swing that works for your body, not just a one-size-fits-all model.

Taking lessons is the best way to get targeted feedback, but we created a tool to act as your expert guide between those sessions. My Caddie AI app is like having a golf coach in your pocket, 24/7. When you're standing over a tricky shot on the course, you can get instant strategic advice right on the spot. If a swing question pops into your head late at night, you can get a clear, expert answer in seconds. It a-ridge the gap between lessons - helping you make smarter decisions on the course and giving you a judgment-free a-lace to learn, so every round is more confident and enjoyable.

Spencer has been playing golf since he was a kid and has spent a lifetime chasing improvement. With over a decade of experience building successful tech products, he combined his love for golf and startups to create Caddie AI - the world's best AI golf app. Giving everyone an expert level coach in your pocket, available 24/7. His mission is simple: make world-class golf advice accessible to everyone, anytime.

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