5 COMMON MISTAKES
Golf Teaching Professionals Make

Let’s face it. Nobody’s perfect. We’re all human. We make mistakes. We screw up. We get tired. We miss the point. We drive the point home too hard. We don’t prepare. It’s the way the human was made.

While none of your students expect you to be perfect, there will be, and understandably so, high expectations associated with your skill in delivering a good, solid, memorable lesson. Why else would students knock on your door and give you their money? That said, there’s an obvious onus on the teaching pro to teach sound principles. And to do it effectively, efficiently, and successfully – without making major mistakes.

As with every professional in any business, minimizing mistakes is paramount if you want to have a long, prosperous career. Repeatedly making mistakes during a lesson – or even before the lesson begins – will hurt your reputation, your income, and can, ultimately, lead to your demise as an instructor. However, if you can build a business where a solid reputation precedes you, you stand a much better chance of being successful in what has become a fairly competitive market place.

Here are 5 common mistakes that golf instructors make – and some thoughts on how to avoid making them.  

1. over-analyzing the student.
Obviously, analysis is what this business is all about. We look at grips, positions, posture, movements (or lack there of) and soak in the hundreds of variables involved. It’s a daunting task, really. There is always so much to consider in every golf swing. Where do you begin? Unfortunately, even if we do have a firm grasp of what is really ailing the student, spouting off for fifteen minutes and addressing every single aspect of the student’s swing is, almost certainly, going to be a waste of everyone’s time. It is, however, a common mistake made by golf instructors.  Clear, concise, and simple direction is all that anyone wants in a golf lesson – including professional players. Go to the root of the problem and address it. Stay away from working on too many things at once. Keep yourself, and your student, focussed on correcting one thing at a time. Your students will love you for it.

2. Failure to keep things fun.
If golf becomes more than a game for your amateur students, then it’s not a game anymore – it’s work, a burden, something tedious and uninspiring. Webster’s definition of a “game” is, an activity providing entertainment and amusement, a pastime. Do your lessons resonate with the fact that golf is supposed to be a source of enjoyment – no matter how well it’s played? Do you laugh with your students? Do you share the odd story or joke? Do they walk away saying that that lesson was a lot of fun? They should. Every time. Or you’re not being true to the game.

3. Failure to adapt.
Assembly line teaching. Doesn’t really have a nice ring to it, does it? Unfortunately, many teachers only acquire the invaluable skill of adapting to the individual student after they have taught for many years. Not that young instructors can’t learn this skill, but generally, it takes some banked time to really understand how to adapt most effectively. In the introduction to Harvey Pennick’s Little Red Book, Tom Kite states, “Harvey allowed the swing to fit the student – his or her personality.” Kite went on to say that Pennick would never allow a student to watch another student’s lesson for fear that they would try to apply something that wasn’t relevant for them. Are you a “stock” teacher or do you allow your student’s personality and body type to dictate their swing?

4. poor record-keeping.
As a golf instructor, there are some things that are simply out of your control. How much a student practices, various learning disabilities, and the weather are all things that you have little or no say in. However, keeping accurate records of your students and their progress is not one of them. Sadly, many instructors fall short in this area. Keeping accurate information on goals, assigned drills, contact information, things worked on, etc. are all pertinent to their progress as a student and your competency as an instructor. Don’t sell yourself short as a professional! Keep thorough records of your students. It’s imperative for your student’s progress – and your career. 

5. poor marketing of the product.
The idea of marketing is, in my opinion, a grossly overlooked and underutilized tool amongst golf instructors. Why don’t we market ourselves more? The answers – or excuses – vary from laziness to misinterpreting its value. Are you “branding” your service? How do your clients perceive your service? Are you finding new ways to get people in the doors, especially during slow periods? Do you have a workable marketing plan for your teaching business? These are questions that you need to take seriously. There are literally thousands of books and resources available on this topic. Books to consider include: Service America, by Karl Albrecht, The World’s Best Known Marketing Secret, by Ivan Misner, Getting Business To Come To You, by Paul Edwards, and Small Business Marketing For Dummies, by Barbara Findley Schenck.

The bottom line is that being successful is hard work. It takes discipline, diligence, and a basic understanding of what your students expect and desire on the lesson tee. You have two choices: cut down your mistakes and watch your business grow or continue making mistakes and watch the guy down the street take all your business. Which one will you choose?

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