How to Select the Best Golf Instruction Method to Take Your Game to the Next Level

Before you take that next swing on the golf course, you may want to see a golf professional about tweaking your stance or adding more power. But, with so many instructors available online and the value of in-person instruction, how do you know which learning method and golf guru to choose? Use this checklist to make sure you have everything you need to unlock your full potential without breaking your budget.

In-Person Golf Pro Lessons
Many people believe they learn faster when taught in person by a golf professional. This notion commonly stems from years of sitting in a classroom at school with a teacher defining, analyzing, and demonstrating newly introduced material during a set period of time. Then, that material is reviewed and practiced at home by completing assignments and projects. For learning new golf habits or skills, in-person learning can offer the following benefits.

Benefits to in-person golf lessons may include:

• You can ask the pro questions and receive an immediate response.
• The golf pro can see all angles of your swing to better determine what’s off and what is working well.
• The golf pro gets to know your personality, skillset, and goals by working more closely with you one-on-one or in a small group setting.
• The same instructor typically works with you each session for consistent instruction making any need for corrections easier to spot and therefore more effective.

Drawbacks to in-person golf lessons may include:

• Greater expense for less time.
• Golf pros may only be trained to focus on your physical performance where the game is often mindset driven.
• You are limited to the course where the golf pro works.
• Golf pros offering in-person lessons are limited to the number of people per group.
• Scheduling conflicts can push your lessons out farther than you would like.

Online Live Instruction Golf Pro Lessons
Live golf lessons online with a pro can make scheduling more convenient and often cost a fraction of the cost of in-person instruction. Plus, you can receive your instruction wherever you travel and many golf pros offer lessons you can start to apply inside your home or hotel that can help you know what to practice later on the golf course. This opens up opportunities to learn and grow your skillset beyond an hour session on the golf course when your local golf pro is not already scheduled with another client.

Benefits to live golf lessons online may include:

• You can ask the pro questions and receive an immediate response through messaging or the chat feature of the meeting platform being used.
• The golf pro can view your swing through the camera on your laptop or phone to analyze your performance.
• The cost is often lower than in-person lessons.
• Scheduling is often easier.
• Enjoy the flexibility of lessons at any golf course and often in your own home.
• If you schedule your sessions with the same professional, you will receive consistent instruction which makes it easier to detect when something needs adjusting.

Drawbacks to live golf lessons online may include:

• More impersonal than in-person lessons.
• Golf pros may only be trained to focus on your physical performance where the game is often mindset driven.

Online Lessons with a Golf Mindset Pro
When you think of what you would like to change about your golf game, you may be tempted to think the answers are all found in your swing, stance, angles, and follow through. If that’s the case, a traditional golf pro could offer suggestions to improve your performance. However, you might be missing out on the one ingredient that could shift your whole game into a more enjoyable experience where lower scores become your new norm. That difference comes with a special kind of golf professional who also has received years of additional training in altering your mindset to a positive and challenge-accepting mentality. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) professionals who also have experienced as a golf instructor are excellent resources for the added value of learning how to play the mentally challenging aspects of golf. They can also help you leave your stress behind and find the joy in each round, including the ones you would otherwise probably try to forget. Don’t worry. We’ve all been there! But, NLP instructors know how to uncover what mental block is holding you back, unlock it, and let more positive goal-driven thoughts take the lead so your next round will be an improvement without having to pick up a golf club to practice first.

Benefits to live golf lessons online may include:

• You can ask the pro questions and receive an immediate response through messaging or the chat feature of the meeting platform being used.
• The golf pro can view your swing through the camera on your laptop or phone to analyze your performance.
• The cost is often lower than in-person lessons.
• Scheduling typically depends on the course times and dates, although multiple courses are usually held throughout the year.
• Enjoy the flexibility of lessons at any golf course and often in your own home.
• If you schedule your sessions with the same professional, you will receive consistent instruction which makes it easier to detect when something needs adjusting.
• Your full potential can be unlocked on the golf course by adding the champion mindset instruction to some of the form corrections.
• Lower scores can be achieved in less than a week!
• A personal approach that uncovers the mental blocks that have been holding you back from achieving your goals!

Get More Out of Your Golf Lessons
There are times when a blend of all three of the above styles of golf instruction are  useful to give you the confidence and consistency you seek on the golf course, along with a lower score. However, if you are playing a physical game and leaving out the mindset aspects of golf, the best way to reach that next level is to seek out an NLP professional. For example, as both an LPGA professional and a certified NLP professional, Debbie O’Connell offers groundbreaking courses and live instruction opportunities you can use for immediate results that also transfer to and impact other areas of your life, such as your career goals, relationship goals, and fitness goals. Discover which course is right for you on the Golf Positive! website and get the best value for your golf lessons while changing your game forever!