How to Find a Golf Pro

By Jamie Faidley under Practice

A lot of people look for golf pros to help them with their game.  It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner who wants to make sure they get off to a fast start without developing bad habits, or you are a top-notch professional (even Tiger Woods gets help).  The question you might be asking yourself is how to find a golf instructor that is right for you?  Here is what I would look for.

Communication

You need to be able to express to the teacher what you want to get out of the lessons.  If you have any general questions he should be able to answer them for you in a way that you can understand it.  Is the professional knowledgeable about different parts of the game?  Can you get along with him?  This might seem basic, but if you don’t really like the instructor then why force it?

Experience

Has anyone you know worked with him in the past?  If you can find out what someone else thinks then you will learn what they like and possibly don’t like about the pro.

Style of Learning/Teaching

Some people need to see videos of their swings and walk through instructions that way.  Others learn through listening and talking it through.  I like to go with feel, so an instructor will have to be able to put me in the right position so I can ingrain the feeling into my brain.  Can the pro match his teaching to your style of learning?

Those are the basics of what to look for when trying to find a golf pro to help you learn the game.  If you can think of anything else, I’d like to hear your responses in the comments.

What to ask a pro a few questions?  Take a look at the Golf Instruction at PGAProfessional.com.  PGA Professional is a golf instruction web site, featuring free golf tips, golf articles, “Ask the Pro,” and lots more!