There’s so much golf instruction out there – anybody and everybody can be a golf instructor! It’s like half of the golfing world has a degree in Swing Plane 101. The dot.com bubble burst back in 2000 and some would say there’s now a real estate bubble that might be leaking – well now we’re in the midst of having a Golf Instruction Bubble!
It’s so easy today for someone to become a golf guru. All you need to have is a computer and access to the internet. Pseudo golf gurus can hide behind computers and screen names and come up with random golf theories. A struggling golfer will try anything once, so it’s feasible to get a million golfers who are willing to try a new theory.
The next step is to proclaim yourself as a guru and put out a DVD for $19.95 – that’s right around a price point where a lot of golfers wouldn’t think twice about spending money to improve their game. Fake golf gurus could put anything they want on this DVD and still sell thousands of copies because of the power of the internet.
I mean, all you have to do is go on the Golf Channel Discussion forum and pretend that you’re a regular golfer and say, “Has anyone ever seen the new DVD by the new Golf Guru Joe Monkey? It’s the greatest!” Then reply to your own message using another alias and say, “Yeah, I bought that DVD a couple of weeks ago and now I’ve turned my slice into a draw and gained 20 yards!” And there you go. That’s probably 1,228 DVD’s sold right there in the first day. And before anyone catches on, you’ve sold 25,000 DVD’s at $19.95.
This is one reason why I believe we’re on the verge of the Golf Instruction Bubble – it’s too easy for someone to be considered a guru. It’s just like the late 90’s when anyone could go on CNBC to tell you to buy shares of Cisco at $99 a share – nobody checked references – they just bought!
A lot of people lost a lot of money because they figured that just because someone was on CNBC – that the person had all the right answers. The same thing is happening now to golfers. Many believe that just because someone is featured in a golf magazine, that the instructor has all the answers. If you follow a fake golf guru, you’ll gain strokes on your game from bad advice. As we all know, once you gain strokes, it’s not so easy to get back to where you once were.
About the Author
PGA Professional Marc Solomon is the founder of Golf Made Simple. The philosophy of Golf Made Simple is what you would expect - simple. Prior to Golf Made Simple, most golfers have 13 different swings for the 13 woods and irons in their bag, which is complicated to keep consistent. Golf Made Simple believes in one swing that is different for each individual, but works for all 13 clubs. A results-based approach to golf instruction measures a golfer’s success right away. Golfers are taught to move their whole body in one fluid motion. There is no focusing on one body part, so there is less compensation and more consistency. Pro golfers don’t take 60 minute golf lessons once a week that are crammed in between work and family with no time for practice. Pros fly to their coaches for 3-5 days of intense instruction and then keep in touch on their progress via email and phone calls. The nationally recognized PGA professional, Marc Solomon and his staff lead four person classes for a customized experience. Golfers can take 3, 5 and 7-day classes in San Diego, CA, St. Augustine, FL, Amelia Island, FL, and Tampa, FL. Their Instructor For Life program guarantees that each golfer can always contact their instructor for free customized advice, tips, drills and exercises - for life. “92% of golfers who come to Golf Made Simple looking to break 90 for the first time have been successful in reaching their goal!” It’s Golf Made Simple. For more information, or to read Golf Improvement Weekly (the world’s most read golf improvement newsletter), please visit http://www.GolfMadeSimple.com.
You are definitely right about the flood of golf instruction on the Internet. However, most of the instruction is the same instruction that has been around for 100 years. Amateurs and professionals alike have used and taught the same grip (arguably the most important element of the golf swing) for 100 years.
Golf Guru’s have been around ever since the game started. Heck, if you look hard, I’ll bet you can find a miracle golf tonic from the late 1800’s. The only difference now is the information is more readily available, is faster to circulate and it’s mostly free. Players have always searched for that magic equation to play better golf. They have always been willing to pay for and try some new trick or technique. And unfortunately, many players end up with a patchwork swing and game.
Golf equipment has shared equally in the “get game quick” schemes. Materials and manufacturing has changed our equipment, but the average player has not seen any better playability. Equipment design changes are mostly cosmetic. Cavity back irons and graphite shafts have been around for over 30 years.
Many players that are looking for instant improvement will continue to spend their money on the next best thing. Just as it has always been, every player must learn how to learn golf. Golf schools and golf camps are great for rewiring a golf swing or game. But after the school ends, it is up to the player to continue their education, to continue improvement or even just maintain at a certain level.
The only sure aspect of golf improvement is that it is unique to every player. Just as no two swings can be exactly the same, there is no one perfect way to learn to play. Players must take bits and pieces of instruction from numerous sources and incorporate them into their games. They must constantly try new techniques. And they must seek the help of professionals.
Notice I used professionals in the plural. Great golf is the combination of many disciplines. Even though the head engineer at Titliest may have a great tip for your putting stroke, he probably isn’t the best professional to teach putting. Today’s player must seek advise and instruction from many sources. Tiger Woods didn’t get as good as he is by just listening to his father.
This means the player is (and always has been) responsible of finding and utilizing the best instruction for themselves. Which includes buying books, eBook and magazines. If a player was able to find one tip in that $20 eBook that lowered her average score by just one stroke, wouldn’t that be a good buy?
There’s so much golf instruction out there – anybody and everybody can be a golf instructor! It’s like half of the golfing world has a degree in Swing Plane 101. The dot.com bubble burst back in 2000 and some would say there’s now a real estate bubble that might be leaking – well now we’re in the midst of having a Golf Instruction Bubble!
It’s so easy today for someone to become a golf guru. All you need to have is a computer and access to the internet. Pseudo golf gurus can hide behind computers and screen names and come up with random golf theories. A struggling golfer will try anything once, so it’s feasible to get a million golfers who are willing to try a new theory.
The next step is to proclaim yourself as a guru and put out a DVD for $19.95 – that’s right around a price point where a lot of golfers wouldn’t think twice about spending money to improve their game. Fake golf gurus could put anything they want on this DVD and still sell thousands of copies because of the power of the internet.
I mean, all you have to do is go on the Golf Channel Discussion forum and pretend that you’re a regular golfer and say, “Has anyone ever seen the new DVD by the new Golf Guru Joe Monkey? It’s the greatest!” Then reply to your own message using another alias and say, “Yeah, I bought that DVD a couple of weeks ago and now I’ve turned my slice into a draw and gained 20 yards!” And there you go. That’s probably 1,228 DVD’s sold right there in the first day. And before anyone catches on, you’ve sold 25,000 DVD’s at $19.95.
This is one reason why I believe we’re on the verge of the Golf Instruction Bubble – it’s too easy for someone to be considered a guru. It’s just like the late 90’s when anyone could go on CNBC to tell you to buy shares of Cisco at $99 a share – nobody checked references – they just bought!
A lot of people lost a lot of money because they figured that just because someone was on CNBC – that the person had all the right answers. The same thing is happening now to golfers. Many believe that just because someone is featured in a golf magazine, that the instructor has all the answers. If you follow a fake golf guru, you’ll gain strokes on your game from bad advice. As we all know, once you gain strokes, it’s not so easy to get back to where you once were.
About the Author
PGA Professional Marc Solomon is the founder of Golf Made Simple. The philosophy of Golf Made Simple is what you would expect - simple. Prior to Golf Made Simple, most golfers have 13 different swings for the 13 woods and irons in their bag, which is complicated to keep consistent. Golf Made Simple believes in one swing that is different for each individual, but works for all 13 clubs. A results-based approach to golf instruction measures a golfer’s success right away. Golfers are taught to move their whole body in one fluid motion. There is no focusing on one body part, so there is less compensation and more consistency. Pro golfers don’t take 60 minute golf lessons once a week that are crammed in between work and family with no time for practice. Pros fly to their coaches for 3-5 days of intense instruction and then keep in touch on their progress via email and phone calls. The nationally recognized PGA professional, Marc Solomon and his staff lead four person classes for a customized experience. Golfers can take 3, 5 and 7-day classes in San Diego, CA, St. Augustine, FL, Amelia Island, FL, and Tampa, FL. Their Instructor For Life program guarantees that each golfer can always contact their instructor for free customized advice, tips, drills and exercises - for life. “92% of golfers who come to Golf Made Simple looking to break 90 for the first time have been successful in reaching their goal!” It’s Golf Made Simple. For more information, or to read Golf Improvement Weekly (the world’s most read golf improvement newsletter), please visit http://www.GolfMadeSimple.com.
Hi,
I’m Kean, and I am absolutely convinced that golf is an essential skill to network your way to the top of a company, which, of course, is my objective. I’m not completely wet behind the ears. I’m 51 and actually do a little golfing on the weekend with my buddies and some business associates. But considering what I have read in your post, I’m not just wet behind the ears. I’ve got Niagara Falls back there. My boss has started inviting me to play, and he is really good. So, I started researching any improvement tips, instructions, or advice. That’s why I’m here. I want to dry behind my ears, so to speak. I am interested in improving my golf game.
But if I got the gist of your post, the internet, as a source for golf information and strategies to improve your game, is a double edged sword. If I get instructions on a particular swing and give it a shot, I have just incorporated in new swing into my golf game portfolio that cannot be undone.
If this is the case, why would a newbie like me want any instructions at all? Why not just go out there and do what comes natural?
You are definitely right about the flood of golf instruction on the Internet. However, most of the instruction is the same instruction that has been around for 100 years. Amateurs and professionals alike have used and taught the same grip (arguably the most important element of the golf swing) for 100 years.
Golf Guru’s have been around ever since the game started. Heck, if you look hard, I’ll bet you can find a miracle golf tonic from the late 1800’s. The only difference now is the information is more readily available, is faster to circulate and it’s mostly free. Players have always searched for that magic equation to play better golf. They have always been willing to pay for and try some new trick or technique. And unfortunately, many players end up with a patchwork swing and game.
Golf equipment has shared equally in the “get game quick” schemes. Materials and manufacturing has changed our equipment, but the average player has not seen any better playability. Equipment design changes are mostly cosmetic. Cavity back irons and graphite shafts have been around for over 30 years.
Many players that are looking for instant improvement will continue to spend their money on the next best thing. Just as it has always been, every player must learn how to learn golf. Golf schools and golf camps are great for rewiring a golf swing or game. But after the school ends, it is up to the player to continue their education, to continue improvement or even just maintain at a certain level.
The only sure aspect of golf improvement is that it is unique to every player. Just as no two swings can be exactly the same, there is no one perfect way to learn to play. Players must take bits and pieces of instruction from numerous sources and incorporate them into their games. They must constantly try new techniques. And they must seek the help of professionals.
Notice I used professionals in the plural. Great golf is the combination of many disciplines. Even though the head engineer at Titliest may have a great tip for your putting stroke, he probably isn’t the best professional to teach putting. Today’s player must seek advise and instruction from many sources. Tiger Woods didn’t get as good as he is by just listening to his father.
This means the player is (and always has been) responsible of finding and utilizing the best instruction for themselves. Which includes buying books, eBook and magazines. If a player was able to find one tip in that $20 eBook that lowered her average score by just one stroke, wouldn’t that be a good buy?
Having read your post, I would really like to know your response to my question, why would a newbie like me want any instructions at all? Why not just go out there and do what comes natural?
Without a doubt, a newbie should go to a course and get basic instruction from a PGA Professional. You don’t want to play too long and get a bunch of bad habits ingrained—habits that will take forever to unlearn.
Once you have the grip, stance and takeaway down, you can go off and work on your own. I see my professional twice a year to get my setup checked and tweaked.
Without a doubt, a newbie should go to a course and get basic instruction from a PGA Professional. You don’t want to play too long and get a bunch of bad habits ingrained—habits that will take forever to unlearn.
Once you have the grip, stance and takeaway down, you can go off and work on your own. I see my professional twice a year to get my setup checked and tweaked.
So, essentially, professional advice and personal consistent practice makes perfect. Is that the fundamental basis of newcomers to the game?
It’s been a while since this topic was updated, but what the heck…
It’s becoming a cliche, but practice does not make perfect; practice makes permenant. Practicing bad fundamentals ain’t gonna make them any better. Golf being a profoundly un-natural and counter-intiutive act, developing sound fundamentals early will save a lot of aggrevation later on.
Disclaimer: I am not an instructor or golf professional. I haven’t stayed at a Holiday Inn Express lately, either.
