Online Golf Lessons
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Online golf lessons are the fastest way to playing consistent golf and speeding up the learning curve of this complex sport.
Yet, some golfers are very resistant to lessons – whether it’s pride, a DIY mentality, or some other reason.
But as Jack Nicklaus said,
Don’t be too proud to take lessons. I’m not.
In this epic guide we’ll cover everything you need to know about online coaching including:
- Pros/cons of online lessons.
- How to find the right coach for your swing.
- Golf tips to become a top student and actually get results.
Plus, we’ll cover the most commonly asked questions about coaching and the easiest way to get started.
Online Golf Lessons
Online golf coaching is growing nearly as fast as the game itself. Golf has been booming since 2020 as tens of thousands are learning more about this great sport.
According to the National Golf Foundation,
The industry has had nine straight years with more than 2 million beginners, with the past three topping 3 million.
Prior to the pandemic-boosted totals of recent years, the previous recorded-high of 2.4 million was set in 2000, when Tiger Woods was at the height of his popularity.
Retention and conversion of newcomers remains an industry focus, and obstacle.
Online lessons are a great way for players – both new and experienced – to advance.
Advantages to Online Golf Coaching
The first major advantage to working with a coach remotely is that you can take a lesson anytime you want. You don’t have to try and align your schedules to make it work – which is very challenging for students or busy coaches.
Some popular coaches have their schedules booked months in advance but chances are you don’t want to wait that long to fix your swing.
Which might lead to “settling” on a different coach based on scheduling if you choose the in-person route.
With online lessons you can get lessons on a schedule that works for you. Simply video your golf swing, submit to your instructor for a swing analysis, and wait for feedback.
More Coaches to Work With
The second major advantage of online golf coaches is that you have a much bigger pool of coaches to choose from. You don’t have to only choose from coaches that are in your area.
Depending on where you live, this might be a huge advantage because some places don’t have nearly as many coaches or golf courses. With online coaching you can work with someone in a different state or country!
Prior to remote coaching, this wasn’t an option and might require you to travel, pay for hotel/airfare, and more to work with your ideal coach.
Another big advantage of online golf lessons is that there is no off season. Even if you live in a place with harsh winters, you can still get lessons and work on your game.
As long as you have a net and mat (or if you’re an overachiever, an at home golf simulator) you can make changes.
This can give you a huge leg up on your friends and members at the country club as you can work on your game in the off season.
When the weather gets better you can show up to your club ready to go and not waste months making swing changes.
Multiple pricing options is another big upside to online coaching. Not only can you work with a coach anywhere in the world, you can find more pricing options. Even if you’re on a budget you can have more options to find a coach that is priced right for you.
Also, you can’t beat the back and forth interaction with an online golf coach. With in-person golf lessons you typically get 30, 60, or 90 minutes to soak in as much knowledge as possible. But after the lesson, it’s usually radio silence from the instructor.
Video Feedback
With online coaching, not only do you get video feedback but some packages include check-ins too.
Some online golf coaches even have unlimited packages where you can submit multiple videos a week or month plus regular email communication. This would cost a fortune with an in-person instructor if it’s even offered.
Finally, online golf lessons can help you learn more about your swing sometimes than working with someone in-person.
While there are advantages to in-person coaching, sometimes players get overly dependent on their coaches. If things don’t go well on the course, they book another lesson to get hands-on feedback.
With remote golf lessons there is more hands-on learning and figuring out your swing. This type of coaching allows you to “own” your swing and get comfortable making adjustments on the golf course or in practice.
Disadvantages to Online Golf Coaching
Online golf coaching has definitely changed the game but there are some differences from in-person coaching.
The first thing that some golfers miss out is the in-person experience of meeting a pro at a local golf club. Some players enjoy the interaction even if it costs more and isn’t always easy to schedule.
The other issue for some golfers is that they don’t get hands-on feedback with online coaching. They have to feel out the issue and try out the drills provided but don’t get the same type of feedback.
But at Skillest, we think there are far more advantages than disadvantages to online golf lessons.
Training Aids vs. Golf Instructors to Improve Golf Swing
Another option to help your golf game is using training aids instead of a coach.
There are different types of training aids to help with various parts of the game including:
- Swing trainers: These training aids can help with your full swing like the LagShot swing trainer. Most of them allow you to hit balls with them as well for immediate feedback.
- Speed training programs: Weighted clubs, such as SuperSpeed Golf, are meant to help golfers improve club head speed. These devices over time (typically 8–12 weeks) can help improve speed for more distance with every club in the bag.
- Swing analyzers: These devices – such as Hackmotion Golf – are wearable devices to learn more about your swing. Using advanced algorithms they measure various parts of your swing and provide feedback on how to improve areas like wrist hinge, tempo, backswing, and more.
- Alignment aids: Getting your alignment dialed is one of the most important factors in golf. A set of alignment rods or other alignment aids are a staple in many players’ bags to always check aim at the range.
- Tempo trainers: These aids can help improve your tempo for a more consistent swing. A good example is the Tour Tempo app which uses auditory feedback to dial in your timing.
- Putting aids: Lastly, don’t forget about putting aids which can help with alignment and stroke. One of the most common are putting mirrors which are used by pros and amateur golfers alike.
Ultimately, we think that training aids work best when paired with coaching. Some teaching pros even create their own training aids as a lot of them see the same issue over and over again.
When working with a coach make sure to ask them if there is a specific training aid they recommend or might help your game. Also, don’t forget to read our picks for the best training aids here.
Now, let’s get into how to find the right person to guide you in your golf journey.
How to Pick the Right Coach for Your Golf Game
As you can tell, there are tons of advantages to working with a qualified golf instructor. But how do you choose the right golf coach? This is a good question as you might work with a coach for months or years.
Use this checklist below to match with a great coach.
Read Reviews
Skillest makes it easy to learn more about golf instructors by posting reviews from past students. This gives you the opportunity to learn more about their style and other students’ experiences from past lessons.
Make Sure They Provide Video Feedback
To make the most of your lessons make sure a video analysis of your swing is included. Having videos of your swing before and after a lesson will help you learn much faster. And they’re great to have if you find yourself in a slump in the future.
Learn Their Style
If they have a YouTube channel with course vlogs or step-by-step instruction, watch them to see how you relate to the content.
Different golfers like different coaching plans and styles so free content via videos on social media is a good way to learn if you like working together.
How to Benefit From Online Golf Lessons
Any type of golf lesson – online or in-person – is half the battle to developing a consistent swing and improving your game quickly. As a student you must have the right mindset and work ethic to see results.
Stop Looking for Band-Aid Fixes
The first tip to benefit from online coaching is a mindset tip – stop looking for an instant fix. We live in a world where everyone wants everything now (thanks Amazon). But making swing changes in golf requires persistence and consistency to get long term results.
Too many golfers bounce around from instructor to instructor hoping for an immediate fix. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you might get a quick fix on a specific issue but your swing won’t change drastically overnight.
Make the Most of Your Lessons
The next tip is to get the most out of your lessons with a glass empty mentality.
So many golfers go into lessons thinking they know everything already – as if watching tons of online videos makes you an expert. But if this was the case, you wouldn’t have sought out a coach in the first place.
Which is why it’s crucial to act like a sponge and soak in new information. No matter what skill level you’re at, go into each lesson with an open mind.
Practice Between Lessons
No golf coach can do the work for you. Sure, they can help identify weaknesses and help with your swing, course strategy, and equipment, but they can’t make you do the work.
Another great quote from Jack “The Golden Bear” Nicklaus sums up this point perfectly.
Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.
Jim Rohn, a popular motivational speaker, said something similar,
You can’t hire someone else to do your push-ups for you.
The same goes with golf – no one can put in the reps on the driving range but you.
If you’re a beginner it takes hundreds of hours to develop a consistent swing. If you’ve been playing for years already, it might take plenty of practice to overcome bad habits and ingrain new ones.
But it will pay off when you stick with it…
Take Regular Breaks
While you need to put in the reps to reap results, don’t rapid fire hit a bucket of golf balls without regular breaks.
Instead, hit 5–7 balls at once, step away, think about different moves you’re trying to make, and repeat. After 20 or 30 balls it’s a good idea to take a longer five-minute break as well.
This isn’t only effective for your body to avoid injuries but more importantly your mind. This principle applies not only to golf but anything new you’re trying to learn.
As mentioned in Medical News Today,
Recent studies show that improved motor skills can occur even during a single practice session involving practice sessions interspersed with resting periods.
This improvement is mainly due to the memory consolidation that occurs during resting periods, known as micro-offline learning, rather than during the practice bouts.
Learning something as complex as golf is about forming memories and patterns. Taking regular breaks will help your mind consolidate memories and learn complex motor skills such as the golf swing.
It’s okay to get a large or jumbo size bucket for an intense practice session, just make sure you have enough time for regular breaks.
Less is sometimes more when it comes to learning new skills, especially ones as challenging as the golf swing.
Commit to the Process
The final tip to help with online golf lessons is to commit and go all-in. Golf is not one of those sports where you can dabble and hope for the best. You need an all in mentality to stay motivated, keep grinding, and get the results you want.
When you find a coach that you mesh with, stick with them to avoid conflicting messages. If you’re trying to work with more than one coach it’s easy to get confused on what to listen to (as no two coaches have the same language/style).
Remember to trust the process, not rush the process.
Top Questions
What is the best way to learn golf?
Golf is such a challenging sport for new golfers because there are so many clubs and shots to master. From hitting drivers off the tee, irons from the fairway, short game shots, and putting.
The best way to learn golf is through a combination of practice, lessons, and working on the short game. Once you’re able to make consistent contact with the golf ball you need to play golf on the course.
This way you can see how your swing holds up on the course and then work on your weaknesses in practice.
Playing golf regularly will also help you improve your practice routines too. Make sure to note what shots or clubs give you the most frustration on the course and spend more time with them in practice.
Plus, you’ll also get to meet new people, learn from fellow golfers, and begin to understand the mental game as well.
Who should get lessons in golf?
Yes, it’s one of the best investments you can make in your game.
So many golfers spend their money on equipment but neglect their fundamentals. While some golf clubs can help with swing issues (such as anti-slice drivers) these are band-aid, short-term fixes.
To groove a consistent swing you need to get the basics covered including grip, stance, posture, takeaway, and more. A coach can help you establish these solid fundamentals which makes it much easier to groove a consistent swing.
Are private golf lessons worth it?
Yes, 1:1 golf lessons are the fastest way to learn swing fundamentals and build a consistent, repeatable swing.
Some golfers might try the YouTube route since it’s free but it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the endless content. Plus, YouTube or any other golf content on social media is not customized to your unique swing.
When working with a coach through Skillest you’ll get customized swing tips – not generic advice that may or may not work.
Is golf the hardest sport to learn?
If you ask most golfers, they’d usually agree that golf has the steepest learning curve. While other sports might have more physicality, not many sports have the mental challenges of golf.
Should junior golfers get lessons?
Yes, junior golf is also booming too. According to the same National Golf Foundation report mentioned above,
3.4 Million juniors played golf on a course in 2022, its highest level since 2006. The 900,000 rise over the past three years is the most significant (a 36% jump) of any on-course participation segment.
This segment remains more diverse than the overall golf population.
Which means more and more young players can get started with golf lessons. Juniors getting lessons sets them up to learn fundamentals at an early age and avoid bad habits.
Plus, golf instructors can help teach them other parts of the game including etiquette, rules, short game, and more. Whether 1:1 or group lessons/camps, juniors will fuel growth of the game and help it continue to grow in popularity.
How should a beginner learn to golf?
A beginner should get started with golf lessons instead of a DIY approach on YouTube. While it’s okay to go with a friend to the driving range and start swinging, content online can lead to bad habits.
The problem with YouTube or other social media content is that it’s not personalized to your unique swing.
So you might change one part of your swing based on a video that then affects another part of your swing.
Can I learn to play golf at 60?
It’s never too early or too late to get started with golf. Even if you’re 60 years old, you can still learn this great game.
Golf lets you meet new people, get outdoors, challenge yourself, and so much more. If you’re getting started at a later age getting lessons is a great idea as lessons will speed up the learning curve drastically. Also, check out this guide for the best exercises for golfers over 60.
Can you get lessons on the golf course?
Yes, these are called playing lessons. This is a great time to learn how to hit out of different lies, get help with trouble shots, and learn the core elements of course management.
Summary
Expert golf instruction is easier than ever to access. Don’t let the challenge of learning golf swing fundamentals hold you back from having more fun and playing better golf.
To get out of the beginner phase and start playing better fast, it’s time to hire a coach. It’ll lead to more enjoyable golf, lower scores, and less time searching for answers on YouTube and social media.
Skillest is the #1 sports coaching platform that allows you to work with instructors around the world. Our coaches have helped thousands of students play their best golf.