hi lee,

thks for the welcome and the advice. I'm picking up the game, its gonna be somewhere between leisure and serious, so i'm picking my beginner course carefully. but due to money constraint, i cant pay so much for 1 to 1 trainer, so just looking around for group training like the mizuno 1 or probably get a couple of ppl to join me in kota permai academy.

do u hv any recommendation?

zeroexz wrote:

hi lee, thks for the welcome and the advice. I'm picking up the game, its gonna be somewhere between leisure and serious, so i'm picking my beginner course carefully. but due to money constraint, i cant pay so much for 1 to 1 trainer, so just looking around for group training like the mizuno 1 or probably get a couple of ppl to join me in kota permai academy. do u hv any recommendation?

There is a "Give Golf A Go" program at the Glenmarie golf club which might fit the bill.

the program by MST? probably i will drop by n check it out, thks =)

Lee36328 wrote:

If a coach prioritizes changing your equipment over changing your swing, yes, you need a new coach. Just as there are many swing styles, there are also many coaching styles. 1. The Equipment Seller - tries to sell you new clubs rather than new swing techniques 2. The Swing Improver - works with the swing you have and tries to improve upon it rather than changing it, aka The Quick Fixer 3. The Swing Changer - has one fixed swing in mind, and tries to get you to conform to it regardless, aka The Swing Revamper 4. The Cash Maximizer - teaches you the same swing key repeatedly over several sessions 5. The Professional Coach - tries to understand your objective and works out a coaching plan to meet those objectives So, which coaching style is right for you would depend on what you want to achieve in your game and how you want to get there. Some are just starting out in golf and just want to get basic swing fundamentals. Some are quite seasoned and want to improve further but do not want to sacrifice their current scoring. They therefore would not accept any drastic changes to their swing. Some do not believe in paying for coaching, especially since they can get so much free advise at the driving range... So, the fact that you are looking for a coach means you want to improve in a structured manner; you have an objective. The question next is which style would fit your objective. To see if a coach is right for you, watch him teach another student the next time you are at a driving range. Another way is to find a good student and you usually will find a good coach.

Just to share my experience on "Professional coaches"
I had 3 of them.

Before I share my thoughts for each of them, a little background on my sporting life... I have always been an avid sports person and am very detailed in terms of learning any sports that I commit to. I normally spend a lot of time in trying to fine tune my game, so much so that I was able to represent our country in one of my sports. When I was representing Malaysia in bowling, I experienced first hand, the dedication of our national coaches who were genuinely interested in improving my game. If I committed 8 hours a day practicing, they will be around to watch me and point out areas of improvement and will frequently check back with me during the long practice sessions just to see if I am on the right track.

Now back to golf...

Coach 1: He taught me the basics of the game and was always at the driving range. Whenever I practiced, he would pop by to take a look, even though it was not an official lesson. He will still video me and show me what's right and what needs to be changed. He is genuinely interested in improving my game. However, he was offered a better job and accepted it.

Coach 2 and 3: They will only be present during the scheduled lessons. Even if they are in the driving range, they will NOT want to observe me, even for a few minutes just to let me know that I am on the right track or not. Just to let you know, I paid 980.00 for 8 lessons with Coach 3 and have only used up 3 lessons. I don't think I will be continuing with my remaining lessons with him as I am sure he is not interested whether I play well or not. Coach 3 overhauled my swing and I was committed to do it and sacrifice my scores for the short term. I totally understand that I have to patient for a few months and I have to practice really hard. With my commitment in changing my swing, all I expect from my coach, (which I already paid in full), is his presence for a few minutes just to see if I am on the right track. If he is with his students, I do not expect him to observe me. But when he is free, I would ask him to just take a look for a while, but usually, he will not...

Based on my experience, my word of advise to those who want to engage a coach; talk to fellow golfers and find out more about the teaching pros in your area. Solicit feedback and then make a decision on who you want as a coach.

Secondly, do not sign up on packages. It may be cheaper in the long run, but once you pay in full, and you do not feel comfortable with the coach, you will not be saving much money. 3 lessons cost me RM980.
When the coach gets your money, and you do not want to continue, I don't think he will give you a refund. FYI, Coach 3 does not even call me up to enquire whether I am free for my remaining lessons...

Just my two cents worth.....

DenMeister wrote:

Lee36328 wrote: If a coach prioritizes changing your equipment over changing your swing, yes, you need a new coach. Just as there are many swing styles, there are also many coaching styles. 1. The Equipment Seller - tries to sell you new clubs rather than new swing techniques 2. The Swing Improver - works with the swing you have and tries to improve upon it rather than changing it, aka The Quick Fixer 3. The Swing Changer - has one fixed swing in mind, and tries to get you to conform to it regardless, aka The Swing Revamper 4. The Cash Maximizer - teaches you the same swing key repeatedly over several sessions 5. The Professional Coach - tries to understand your objective and works out a coaching plan to meet those objectives So, which coaching style is right for you would depend on what you want to achieve in your game and how you want to get there. Some are just starting out in golf and just want to get basic swing fundamentals. Some are quite seasoned and want to improve further but do not want to sacrifice their current scoring. They therefore would not accept any drastic changes to their swing. Some do not believe in paying for coaching, especially since they can get so much free advise at the driving range... So, the fact that you are looking for a coach means you want to improve in a structured manner; you have an objective. The question next is which style would fit your objective. To see if a coach is right for you, watch him teach another student the next time you are at a driving range. Another way is to find a good student and you usually will find a good coach. Just to share my experience on "Professional coaches" I had 3 of them. Before I share my thoughts for each of them, a little background on my sporting life... I have always been an avid sports person and am very detailed in terms of learning any sports that I commit to. I normally spend a lot of time in trying to fine tune my game, so much so that I was able to represent our country in one of my sports. When I was representing Malaysia in bowling, I experienced first hand, the dedication of our national coaches who were genuinely interested in improving my game. If I committed 8 hours a day practicing, they will be around to watch me and point out areas of improvement and will frequently check back with me during the long practice sessions just to see if I am on the right track. Now back to golf... Coach 1: He taught me the basics of the game and was always at the driving range. Whenever I practiced, he would pop by to take a look, even though it was not an official lesson. He will still video me and show me what's right and what needs to be changed. He is genuinely interested in improving my game. However, he was offered a better job and accepted it. Coach 2 and 3: They will only be present during the scheduled lessons. Even if they are in the driving range, they will NOT want to observe me, even for a few minutes just to let me know that I am on the right track or not. Just to let you know, I paid 980.00 for 8 lessons with Coach 3 and have only used up 3 lessons. I don't think I will be continuing with my remaining lessons with him as I am sure he is not interested whether I play well or not. Coach 3 overhauled my swing and I was committed to do it and sacrifice my scores for the short term. I totally understand that I have to patient for a few months and I have to practice really hard. With my commitment in changing my swing, all I expect from my coach, (which I already paid in full), is his presence for a few minutes just to see if I am on the right track. If he is with his students, I do not expect him to observe me. But when he is free, I would ask him to just take a look for a while, but usually, he will not... Based on my experience, my word of advise to those who want to engage a coach; talk to fellow golfers and find out more about the teaching pros in your area. Solicit feedback and then make a decision on who you want as a coach. Secondly, do not sign up on packages. It may be cheaper in the long run, but once you pay in full, and you do not feel comfortable with the coach, you will not be saving much money. 3 lessons cost me RM980. When the coach gets your money, and you do not want to continue, I don't think he will give you a refund. FYI, Coach 3 does not even call me up to enquire whether I am free for my remaining lessons... Just my two cents worth.....

i'm totally agreed

You guys were slightly lucky.

My Pro was "helping" me to sell my irons set. Collected money from other student and given me his cheque...
first time bounced ...second also bounced...but the 3rd time when he about to issue...i asked to go to bank and withdraw for me.
That time was about 8 lessons i took(with full payment paid even before first lesson)....i stopped learning from him after that as i could not respect and learn from a dishonest person.

This guy SMS alot while he was teaching.......I knew he might got problem with his personal love life....but come on,i paid for the lessons,,,and not paying to learn how to sms.

Unfortunately, the above scenarios are not the exception.

Some coaches answer the phone too much while teaching. Some coaches teach the same thing repeatedly over several lessons. Some coaches use the teacher-student relationship to sell products. I am fortunate that I found a coach who is the complete opposite of this.

On the other hand, it's a demand-supply equation in the economy that drives such behaviour. As long as students will only pay a minimal fee, the standard of coaching will also be minimal. Good coaches can charge more, but not many students are willing to pay more. So then, we get sub-standard coaching, as well as coaching that is supplemented by other revenue generating activities.

A good coach is definitely hard to find. When you find one, hold on to him. My coach is now on a retainer basis after the completion of my lessons, as I feel I have a lot more to learn from him.

i found my coach that is technically and patient enough to guide me and help me to find where my problem.

Like Lee said, what you pay is what you get. Get a good 1 will help you learn faster and better, rather a cheapo 1, that repeat the same things for several lessons.

There is time, when i was suppose to start my class, he saw my swing and he asked me go for practise, rather lesson. bcos he knows i am not ready for the next level.

The reason why I engaged Coach 3 was to score lower as I was shooting in my high 90s. Most of my golfing mates said that I have potential to shoot low as my swing fundamentals are strong. Coach 3's lessons did not help as I felt that by overhauling my swing, I needed him to stay engaged in the process.

But I was fortunate enough to get to know and play with a young touring pro and a very experienced single handicapper. With their feedback and tips, I am proud to say that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have shot a few rounds in the high 80s and that is with a few double bogeys, too! I have a knack of losing my concentration during a game and that has led to disastrous scores. However, if I look at the bright side, all I need to do is to maintain full concentration and I may be able to shoot low 80s!!!

Just to let you know, I dropped to low 90s and high 80s primarily because I improved on my chipping and putting. I used to be clueless with my chips, landing them near the pin and rolling out far far away. After that, I either 2 or 3 putt for my double or triple bogey. As I seldom practice my chipping, I did not know what I was doing wrong.

My gracious sifu advised me to work on my chipping and my putting will definitely improve. At first, I did not understand how an improvement in my chipping will directly improve my putting. One cool eveing, I went ahead and spent 3 hours on the chipping grounds at my club. In the beginning of the session, the usual, fly the ball to the pin and roll it 20ft past the hole. 50 balls later, erratic results but all not good.... until a light bulb illuminated...

I am actually doing very well. Before my stroke, I am looking at the pin as my target and I AM sending my shots to the pin. I then realized that I should actually be shifting my target to the midpoint between my starting position and the pin. Look at 50%...Chip... roll.... stop near pin. Look at 60%... chip...roll... 6 inch past pin. Wow!!! The dormant Chipping King has awakened!!!!

Per my sifu said, improve chips will improve your putts... The chances of max 2 putting from 3-4ft is almost 99% Now I understand what sifu meant. Today I am happy to say that my comfort putting range is about 6ft. Still working hard on chipping and putting to shave off more strokes in order to hit my1st <85 score.

I have also realized that I am rather inconsistent with my 60 to 20m pitches. Need to work on that too.

In a nutshell, dedicated coaches are a rare breed. True, sincere golfing buddies are a lot more. If you want to improve, play with golfers who are MUCH, MUCH, MUCH better than you, ask for feedback and Practice like Lee, the algolfholic.

I salute you, Lee, for the 7 hour range sessions that you put in daily!!! YOU DA MAN!!!! But don't neglect your chips and putts, they are the ones that will lower your scores fast.

DenMeister wrote:

I am actually doing very well. Before my stroke, I am looking at the pin as my target and I AM sending my shots to the pin. I then realized that I should actually be shifting my target to the midpoint between my starting position and the pin. Look at 50%...Chip... roll.... stop near pin. Look at 60%... chip...roll... 6 inch past pin. Wow!!! The dormant Chipping King has awakened!!!!

Congrats on your lightbulb moment. People don't understand why we love golf because they don't know about these moments. It's like when the caveman discovered fire. Suddenly you feel smarter and more powerful!

DenMeister wrote:

I salute you, Lee, for the 7 hour range sessions that you put in daily!!! YOU DA MAN!!!! But don't neglect your chips and putts, they are the ones that will lower your scores fast.

Have been chipping 200-400 balls daily recently. In all kinds of weather. Got sick. Can't practice. No fun

Also, congrats on your low scores. Am sure you will shoot low 80's soon.

having reading thru all the comments....it seems tat its very difficult to get a good coach
its gonna be very difficult for ppl like me to start walking around some driving range to find coaches =p

zeroexz wrote:

having reading thru all the comments....it seems tat its very difficult to get a good coach its gonna be very difficult for ppl like me to start walking around some driving range to find coaches =p

I think many have response with wonderful information and reference about coach. I guess the most important is location that near to where you are staying. Unless, you are like me whom are so crazy ( staying Indonesia and take my lesson in Singapore).

Ask your golf buddies staying in the same area or town. Watch some coaches when they are conducting a lesson ( but do not get too close to interrupt someone having lesson though) ... Ask his students later after they have done without letting the coach know .. I believe good coach does not come cheap ( just like good quality stuffs usually are expensive ).

Try to check out the coach background ... Is he doing coaching as a living or just part time ? What qualify coaching school or organization he is from ... etc

I understand before you buy the program. You are allow to have him analysis your swing and see how good he really is ? Prepare allot of questions to ask him. i am sure you can feel it whether he can be your coach .. Last thing, do not forget you are his customer .. Good luck.

"I understand before you buy the program. You are allow to have him analysis your swing and see how good he really is ? Prepare allot of questions to ask him. i am sure you can feel it whether he can be your coach .. Last thing, do not forget you are his customer .. Good luck."

Regardless on how knowledgeable the coach is, you must not commit to him until you are 100% sure that HE is committed to you! Paying him does not guarantee his commitment in improving your game. Best is to ask the good golfers for their recommendations. Do not just ask his students as u will only hear one side of the story. Those that do not have a good experience with the coach are usually not his students anymore

ish but then for ppl like me dun really hv much friends playing golf.

probably i ll take the advice to look for a beginner course near and convenient to me =p

zeroexz wrote:

ish but then for ppl like me dun really hv much friends playing golf. probably i ll take the advice to look for a beginner course near and convenient to me =p

Since we did not know your location but I am sure there are many player in Mygolf, staying in your location are most than happy to have a round with you. I actually do not mind playing with beginner because I have been a beginner before and I understand. ... Happy golfing