5 Things to Consider When Looking for a Swing Coach

Welcome to GOLF.com’s Shave Shot series, where the game’s brightest minds share their tips to help you shave your shot! Today, Top 100 Golf Coach Trent Wearner shares five things to consider when looking for a swing coach.

If you really want to improve your golf game, it’s crucial to seek help from a swing coach. Of course, you can get better by practicing on your own, but if you want to take your game to the next level, working with a coach is your best bet.

Going to a swing coach (especially as a beginner) can be intimidating at first, but don’t worry – coaches are there to help you get better. They dedicate their lives to helping people improve their golf games. The teacher-student relationship is non-judgmental.

However, if you really want to get the most out of your sessions, it’s important to find the right instructor. When you are looking for a partner, there are some key points you should keep in mind.

In the list below, Top 100 Teacher Trent Wearner shares the top five things to consider when looking for a coach.

5 questions to ask when looking for a coach

The offseason is right around the corner, but that doesn’t mean you should put your clubs away for the winter. Instead, use this time as an opportunity to improve. One of the easiest ways to improve is to learn from a swing coach. But before you do that, you should ask a few questions.

1. How much experience do they have?

Ask the coach you are considering how long he has been coaching full time. I suggest the answer is at least seven years. You can also ask for a resume to find out where the person has worked and under whom. This may give you an idea of ​​what you will hear from your coach.

2. Do they teach outdoors?

If you only do most of your training indoors, you’ll be further away from the playing field. It seems to me that you are putting yourself in a hole that will be harder to dig yourself out of. Needless to say, the game is played outdoors and you will eventually have to learn it outdoors. For over twenty years I have had the privilege of being at a golf course facility that also had an indoor studio. I’ve seen people aim well indoors and swing very effectively indoors. But when we step outside, it’s a completely different story. There is certainly value in taking classes indoors, but ultimately you also need to learn how to play outdoor. If you only get coaching indoors, you’re cheating yourself.

3. How do they communicate?

Nearly every respected coach in the country has thousands, if not more hundreds Thousands of dollars are invested in technology, but you need to find someone who not only speaks your language but can walk you through knowing how to diagnose your swing and what to do when the technology isn’t there. When you’re practicing alone on the range or course, you need to know what’s going wrong. In a technology-heavy class, the instructor should ultimately question you from the following perspectives: If the technique didn’t exist, what would you do more or less of on your next swing?? This is critical to your ability to help yourself and do all the things a coach is supposed to do and empower you!

4. Are their students achieving?

You want to find a coach who can regularly and consistently lead players at your ability level to success and who is passionate about coaching people at your ability level. Any coach may be lucky enough to meet students who perform well, but ideally you want to go to those who have a long track record of success. Reading reviews online can be a helpful method, but be sure to ask around to see who most people recommend. Most importantly, look for someone who is honest and has your best interests in mind. If they are more interested in selling some large course packages, I would find someone more interested in your progress.

5. What is their teaching philosophy?

While student achievement may give you an idea of ​​this, you should look for a flexible philosophy. After all, that’s the beauty of coaching. This is an individual sport and no two swings are the same. You need someone with the experience that can only come from years of coaching so that their style can be flexible. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.