Yes, online golf instruction can truly help you take your game to the next level! There are many benefits to online golf instruction that fits the lifestyle and golf needs of many amateurs!
Personal Experience: Since 2017 I have followed online golf instruction closely and have improved my average score from between 75-80 down to 68-74. I am now playing to a scratch level and there are two things I attribute this to:
- Online golf instruction
- 365 days access to golf through my golf simulator build!
Can Online Golf Instruction Improve My Game?
Golf lessons are a great place to start. Today’s golf instruction has changed drastically from 10 to 20 years ago. With the internet in place and great video sources such as youtube, the approach to golf instruction has changed drastically as a result of online golf instruction.
Online golf instruction provides golfers across the world access to the best golf instruction we know. While it may not be as hands on as a traditional lesson, the understanding or philosophy might be superior to what you can get locally.
Only 2% of the today’s golfers are able to break 80 and golfers have struggled for many years to truly improve. Online golf instruction might be right for you. Regardless of what level you currently play at, this comprehensive guide will assist you in making sure you maximize the online golf instruction that is available.
20 years ago golfers had to rely on golf digest, golf magazine, books or their local professional. There are so many great free videos and affordable membership sites that can truly help you improve your game.
One major benefit is the time and the learning can take place on your schedule. There are also many resources you can with you in your car and wherever you find time to listen and learn.
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
Golf instruction has seen a bit of a revolution in the approach and there are many options out there from a philosophical approach. Some of the teaching of the past has been questioned and there are some bright minds out there working on the best way to communicate the feels and positions of a quality golf swing.
The video camera was the first piece of technology that started to change instruction and launch monitors and technology such as Trackman has revolutionized the game further with the amount of data and the ball flight laws that are now understood at such a higher level. You are able to get this cutting edge learning and apply it to your game. Check out our Recommended Products page on Golf Swing/Training Aids, Golf Balls, Golf Shoes and more.
How Can Online Golf Instruction Help Your Game?
Complete Overview Below!
- The top 10 ways to maximize online golf instruction
- The top 8 Instructors
We all want to improve our golf games and shoot lower scores. One way to do this is to improve your swing, short game or overall mental approach to the game. The beautiful thing about golf is that there always room for improvement and we may never feel like we truly arrive, but the journey is what brings the enjoyment.
As you begin your journey in improving your game or continue your journey, keep in mind that there are many great resources out there, but you must also put the time in to make adjustments, take on the swing philosophy and then you will see results.
1) Set A Clear Target – Top 10 Ways to Maximize Online Golf Instruction
When setting out on your journey to maximize online golf instruction, set a goal for yourself. For example, to improve your ball striking tee to green, or to hit more fairways, or to hit the ball further. Be clear about what you are trying to accomplish. This will help you get to the selection part of the process.
Each online golf instructors has their own strengths and weaknesses and areas of the game that they are great teaching. By setting this goal, you will also be able to measure at the end whether or not the online golf instruction was helpful to you. You can either work to make a weakness a strength or to make your something you are strong at even stronger.
2) Measure Your Baseline Data – Top 10 Ways to Maximize Online Golf Instruction
This is at the beginning stages and it is necessary to measure your current status. For example, average the total number of Greens Hit in Regulation over your last 5 rounds. Or count how many fairways you hit in your last 5 rounds. Or get your swing measured to see how fast you swing if you want to drive the ball further. This data will once again help you clarify where you are at and if you achieve your goal at the end. This baseline data lets you know if the teachings and the methods are working. It will provide clarity on selecting your area and measuring what you truly want to improve in.
3) Explore and Select – Top 10 Ways to Maximize Online Golf Instruction
Next you will want to explore all of the different options out there. Below we have our top 10 instructors that you can use to help you improve your game. Listed directly below are some items to think about when you select the online instructor:
- How much free content does the instructor have available?
- Does the philosophy match what you are comfortable with?
- Do you think you anticipate a major implementation dip?
- What is the current level you play at?
- Are there plenty of videos in the area where you would like to improve?
You want to ensure there is plenty of content by this online instructor to help you improve. Also, does the instructors personality match with what you are looking for in a teacher? Many of the instructors offer a premium channel that will often range from $5 to $25 per month.
Look at how this matches up with your needs. Ultimately, we want to ensure you get the personalization that you need. Some instructors will provide a free analysis or review of your swing and give you feedback on what would be the right steps to get to your next level.
4) Record Your Swing – Top 10 Ways to Maximize Online Golf Instruction
You will want to record your swing to get a visual of where you are currently at. As you begin your journey you want to be able to see the before and after of your swing as you make improvements throughout the progress. It will help encourage you and keep you on track. Also, some instructors for different ranges of fees will give you feedback and set you on a path for improvement.
Many teachers are positional based instructors and want to see the caddie view and the down the line view of your swing. They will often compare it to a PGA pro or someone with a quality swing.
If you are a visual learning, this will help you to see the positions and hopefully try to replicate. Many will give you drills to help you reproduce those positions. Check out our Recommended Products page on Golf Swing/Training Aids, Golf Balls, Golf Shoes and more.
5) Watch and Implement – Top 10 Ways to Maximize Online Golf Instruction
Now it is time to get to work. Watch the content in chunks and then go work on those elements. If you have a video analysis from your instructor it is a great way to start. Stay committed to this instructor and stick with it for at least a month so that you can measure your progress with data and with the video of your swing. Too often people quit too soon before the true progress can start taking place. Make sure you do the work and commit to the process.
6) Seek Feedback – Top 10 Ways to Maximize Online Golf Instruction
Go out and play and measure your game and progress. This will provide feedback on what you still need to work on. It will allow you to test how comfortable you are with the swing changes and the progress that you are making.
Be aware that it might not be comfortable at first, but hopefully you can see some promising signs with either added distance, better accuracy or something tangible in your journey to improve. If it is short game, maybe you were able to get 5 out of 10 shots within 10 feet on your chip shots or maybe you were able to hit 11 out of 14 fairways in your round, but it is essential that you go out and seek the feedback to help you adjust and adapt.
7) Analyze Data – Top 10 Ways to Maximize Online Golf Instruction
After 5 rounds with your new approach and new online golf instructor compare you 5 rounds of data to the previous 5 rounds. Are you better or are you worse? Did you suffer a slight implementation dip? Is your data getting better and trending upwards over the last 5 rounds? How does the swing look visually on your video?
This data will help you guide you in the next direction and may even allow you to know that you have reached your initial goal from a data standpoint.
8) Adjust and Adapt – Top 10 Ways to Maximize Online Golf Instruction
Now that you have played 5 rounds with your new approach and have feedback and data to analyze what further changes do you need? Now might be the time to jump further into the learning online, watch additional videos or seek another lesson with your online golf instructor. There are several teachers out there that will let you submit a video or two per week or per month. Now is the time to figure out the next steps.
Maybe you are hitting more fairways or more greens in regulation and are satisfied with your progress. It might the right time to start back at step one and and pick a new target. Hopefully, through this process you can systemize your progress and truly make improvements and now that you are making improvements through the data that you can analyze. The more you track, the more you will be able to make that determination.
One quick recommendation is to keep a golf journal. You can track simple data such as Greens in Regulation, Fairways Hit, Total Putts, Par Saves, Total Pars/Bogeys/Birdies/etc. Also in this journal you can write down how you were feeling that day and where your mind was. Were you total focused on your round and what swing thoughts did you have that day?
This can be something you turn to when you are struggling in the future to bring you back to some basics that might help. Excellent Read by Dr. Rotella, “Golf Is Not A Game of Perfect” (Check Current Price on Amazon).
9) Take Ownership In Your Learning – Top 10 Ways to Maximize Online Golf Instruction
It can be easy to become frustrated when learning a new skill within the game of golf or making a swing change, even if it is minor one. The key here is that you are practicing the drills or fully implementing what the teachers is trying to help you with. There are different ways to swing and you have to fully trust in the process that you have committed to.
Often times, people take a lesson, online or traditional, play one round and then revert back to what they were doing previously. This is a way to cause confusion in your game and start to make the game frustrating.
A quick tip here is that many other golfers are trying to make the same changes with online golf instructors. You can find a forum where people talk about their journey which will help you receive feedback from your fellow golfers who are striving to get better as well.
10) Commit – Top 10 Ways to Maximize Online Golf Instruction
I will admit that something I struggle with in the beginning was staying committed with one online golf instructor. I found myself in the pattern of always seeking the next piece of advice that was going to help me improve.
This cause some confusion in my mind. Eventually, I stuck with Shawn Clement for a period of months and was able to get away from always striving to hit certain positions in the golf swing to actually playing golf based on the target.
This brought freedom to my game and brought back the fun. The key here was committing to one teacher and working through the ups and downs. It can be easy to get frustrated and switch. It takes the best golfers in the world months to fully implement something. This doesn’t mean that you have to struggle for months, but understand there might be good rounds and some bad rounds. Make sure you get out there and practice!
Next Steps – Top 10 Ways to Maximize Online Golf Instruction
You can either continue on and work on your area that you have selected or head back to step number 1 and pick another area. I recommend charting and collecting data in rounds of 5 to make sure you don’t have an outlier that is skewing the data.
If you continue on with this process for 1 to 2 years, you will be able to attack different weak spots in your game and make them strengths. With the abundance of information you may be able to utilize the different instructors based on what matches up with your game and personality.
My Top 8 Instructors and Resources
Now we are going to dive into the top 8 instructors and resources. I will try to give you the strength of each instructor or resources and who they match up best with. These aren’t in any specific order.
1) Shawn Clement – My Top 8 Instructors and Resources
Overall Approach: He teaches golf from a feel perspective and spends a significant amount of time looking at the different natural movements that our body already makes in actual life. For example, he often uses the swinging of a hammer or swinging of a grass whip. You will also find that he spends a great time of time talking about using gravity, the arm/club unit and allowing the natural flow and movement of your body to happen.
He very rarely will talk about a position that you want to get into, but instead places a great deal of focus on the movements. His other main teaching point is a target based swing. He wants you to focus on the target of there you are trying to make the ball go and ensuring the ball is not the target.
Who: Anyone that is sick and tired of trying to hit certain positions and may struggle with ball contact of consistency. He frees you up from the position based instruction and is a very positive person that believe we are all capable of playing high level golf based on the “gravity geniuses” that we all are.
His target based approach is refreshing and he believes in hitting draws and fades. His premium site has many quality on course vlogs that take you through the course management and mental side of the game and also dives in deeper than his free youtube videos. However, the quality of the content on the youtube channel is quite impressive and is a good place to start. The premium membership takes it to a new level.
2) Mike Malaska – My Top 8 Instructors and Resources
Overall Approach: My favorite thing about Mike Malaska is that he is a bit of a revolutionary in his teaching of the swing. He is a golfer that got caught up in the teaching of the past that tried to get him to get clubs in certain positions behind him, which then forced him to rely on timing as he flipped the club through.
One of his most impressive videos is where he shows you the 4 different types of swings and talks about the strengths and weaknesses of each swing. His ability to show these different swings is quite impressive. His overall approach is one that is somewhat natural where the golfer is encourage to direct the momentum of the club. He too, stays aways from positional based teaching, but does often talk about the “Malaska Move” which is great if you are someone that gets stuck.
Who: Any golfer that gets “stuck” in the downswing and maybe over relying on the timing and flipping the club through. He has also produced many resources for those that struggle with pain. This is a guy that has been around the block, has worked closely with Jack Nicklaus and is a wonderful communicator. He makes it sound so simple and often will show you what he is talking about by making swings. He has some quality videos with Be Better Golf on playing vlogs. It is great to see your instructor actually play some golf and see what he or she can do.
3) George Gankas – My Top 8 Instructors and Resources
Overall Approach: Very unique in his personality and approach, he offers a method that is refreshing and has helped many youth golfers. He utilizes technology and the data to help you with the matchups in your swing. Two of his main movements are the squat early on in the downswing and then a good amount of rotation through the ball. He helps people shallow the club in the downswing.
He has a great deal of following on his instagram and has become somewhat of an icon as a representative for the new style of instructor that is out there. A great players in his own right, he has helped many of the top amateurs in the country and within several years I will think you will hear his name often on Sunday broadcasts of the PGA tour.
Who: I would say he is amazing with youth golfers, but I have also seen him work with older golfers who are quality athletes. Overall, his players crush the ball and are some of the longest hitters around. His approach is refreshing and you have to be willing to work with someone that doesn’t follow all of the “unwritten rules” of golf, such as having your shirt tucked in or giving lessons in sandals. He works to take the stuffiness out of golf.
4) Stack and Tilt – My Top 8 Instructors and Resources
Overall Approach: The Stack and Tilt approach has brought about great debate in the golf community, but they offer so much that we can learn from. They are some of the first to truly make clear what the new ball flight laws are and how they work. Did you know that you can hit a draw with an open club face as long as it is closed to the path?
These two gentlemen take you through a systematic approach to striking the ground in the same spot every time, having enough distance, and controlling the curve of the swing. Many people got too caught up in the weight being 60% on the front foot, but many instructors have turned to this teaching and approach now and you see less instructors teaching people to move off the board and now encourage golfers to stay centered. Overall, they challenge the so called “fundamentals” and they proved the wide range of grips, alignments and swings to prove that these really weren’t the true “fundamentals” in golf.
Who: The person who likes systems and wants to know what is causing their mishits when they happen. I love that they provide very clear guidance on what is causing a slice or a pull hook or whatever shot you are struggling with. When I used Stack and Tilt for 10 years, my ball striking improved greatly and a draw became my stock, go to shot. I still use elements of stack and tilt and strike the ball exceptionally clean with irons.
5) Monte Scheinblum – My Top 8 Instructors and Resources
Overall Approach: Another fantastic online golf instructor that at one point in his career was the long drive champion of the world. He breaks away from the traditional lessons that led many people astray for years and looks at instruction from a common sense viewpoint. He is phenomenal at truly explaining the cause and effect in a golf swing. He takes on the importance of lag, early extension and other major flaws that people have in their swings to help them truly improve. He has been very active on message boards and for a fairly reasonable price will give you swing review and drills to work on.
Who: The name of his company is “Rebellion Golf”, which I think fits Monte extremely well. He is a guy who loves the game of golf and loves helping people, but has grown tired of the traditional teaching that has led people astray. He has some reasonably priced instruction on both the driver and the short game. Be Better Golf has produced playing vlogs of Monte out on the course and you can see where he struggles with his game and where he excels. He has a simple, basic move that brings efficient power even has he ages.
6) Bobby Lopez – My Top 8 Instructors and Resources
Overall Approach: Bobby Lopez is an easy going, fun loving, joking around senior aged golfer who loves the game of golf. He believes in staying “onsides” and works with people to stay behind the ball in the golf swing. He has playing videos with Be Better Golf as well and the guy still stripes the ball and loves to talk about the game of golf.
He does believe in moving slightly off the ball to give you room to stay behind the ball. I have submitted videos to him in the past and he does quickly spot flaws and provides some quality drills. His approach to life is refreshing as he always comes across positive and is looking to make a joke.
Who: He offers a very reasonable price for two video analysis per month over the course of the year. In addition to this, you gain access to all of the drills that he utilizes to help his students. He is very positional based and utilizes comparison with many of the pro golfers to measure you positions. He believes that by being in the right positions, you can increase the efficiency of your swing and cut down on the bad shots.
7) Jim Venetos – My Top 8 Instructors and Resources
Overall Approach: If you are looking for someone totally out of the box, then JV is your man! He promotes a closed, set position to which you then just move your arms. He wants 70% of your weight forward and to only have one swing thought, “Stillness.” He claims to hit the ball over 300 yards with his swing and for a monthly price will monitor your swing with you very frequently. He has a complete system to help you play better golf, from putting to the driver.
Who: Someone who has tried many of the traditional approaches and wants something different. You will strike the ball pretty clear and start playing golf and now playing in golf swing. I utilized his swing and still take certain elements from his approach. I never felt more relaxed while utilizing his swing, but I struggled with the overall distance of my driver with the JV swing. You will find people online that completely bash his approach, but there is something there that just may help you! He comes across as a very unique individual that loves to help people.
8) Tathata Golf – My Top 8 Instructors and Resources
Overall Approach: A 60 day program that has a great deal of focus on the movements of the swing. Think martial arts combined with the golf swing. You will spend time going through the program working on the key movements in a very calm and relaxed manner. This is supposed to train your body and mind to make the movements necessary. This approach is somewhat refreshing from a non positional approach and trusting your swing.
Who: You must be patient enough to commit to the process and not hit golf balls. This would be a great program during the winter for the person looking to overhaul their swing and likes this approach to golf instruction. I would never be patient enough to commit for 60 days, but there is definitely some merit in the approach.
Summary
Please note that these are my top 8 instructors and resources. There are many quality instructors out there that I haven’t experimented with yet, but these 8 are all quality and I believe if you commit to the system of any of the 8 listed above, you will experience success.
Don’t forget that the key is to use the 10 steps above so you can fully implement and measure your success. Whether you are using online golf instruction or traditional golf instruction, the 10 step process to maximize your learning can help your game!
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options: