Golf Instruction -
Private Lessons vs. Golf Schools
Golf lessons can typically
be taken in one of two ways: one-on-one, individual instruction in a
series of lessons spread over several weeks or months; or in a group
setting at a 2- or 3-day golf school or daylong clinic.
Which is best for you?
That depends on several factors: how much you can spend, how much time
you have, and what type of instruction best suits your personality and
commitment.
Bryan Gathright, one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 teachers in America,
says the level of commitment is a key to making any lessons successful.
"You'll have someone came in and say, 'I want to be a 5 handicap,'" says
Gathright, who teaches out of Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio,
Tex.
"Well, how much time do you have to work on it? Do you get to practice
3-4 days a week and play a couple times a week? 'Well, no, maybe I get
to hit balls once every 2-3 weeks and play a couple times a month.'
Well, that’s unrealistic.
"They might be able to get to a 5 if they're a 3," Gathright says,
laughing, "but if they are a 10 or 12, that's not going to happen."
A commitment might be easier to make for those who can schedule
one-on-one lessons over a period of months. Because you know when you
leave the first lesson that there are things you have to work on before
the second - and that if you show up at the second without having worked
on those things, your instructor will know about it. A series of lessons
over time with a top instructor will often be more expensive than a golf
school (at least if you attend one in your local area). That's another
incentive to follow up on the lessons by working on your own.
But private lessons also provide follow-up instruction over time, and
allow the teacher to focus the message in each session, and then build
on that message in each succeeding session.
Multiday golf schools and daylong golf clinics place students in group
settings, which requires that the student be comfortable in such a
setting.
Schools are a great option for people who want to learn or improve their
golf game but are simply too busy to clear out multiple dates over a
period of months for individual lessons. With a golf school, you can
schedule one 2- to 3-day gap and get a lot of instruction all at once.
The drawback is that there is generally no follow-up help from an
instructor - you'll be on your own once you leave the school or clinic.
Also, in group teaching a student is likely to get far more information
thrown at them than they can possibly process. What do you focus on?
What will you take away from the experience?
If considering a golf school, it's important to find one with a low
student-to-teacher ratio, and also to know that the instructor(s) can
cut through all the information and communicate to you the handful of
most important things you should learn.
Michael Lamanna, Director of Schools at The Westin La Cantera Resort in
San Antonio, splits hit time between individual lessons and schools.
"In a golf school I cover every topic but I also look each person in the
eye and say, 'now this is what I want you to focus on,' and it will be
one thing," he says. Golf schools are also a great option for anyone
considering a golf vacation.
From:
http://golf.about.com/cs/golfinstructors/a/lessonvsschool.htm
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