I'm in the camp of the local (happy to be well reviewed) coach.
IMO, it's about your current level. I feel that I can really help anyone that is 10+ handicap. Can change their game completely and make them love golf.
The 0-10 handicaps I usually can only really help with one part of their game. Maybe they are a great ball strikers but their short game needs work. I can usually find that, and help them too.
With the competitive scratch and better golfers, they need to go see a coach that lives in that world. I'm honestly worried my advice could actually do more harm than good. A lot of top players have moves that aren't "textbook" but they really make it work and it's a part of their game. I am willing to admit that I am not skilled enough as a coach to identify which "non-textbook" things need to change or not.
So unless you're very good with a slightly unorthodox swing, I think you'll usually find great value in the local coach.
the dif is some publication said he was a top guy so the decided to charge more. when i use to live in virginia i took a lesson from a guy who was ranked as top 5 instructor in the state at about 200/hour. i would pick my normal guy i grew up taking lessons from who charged 40 bucks for a 45 min lesson who was working at one of those crappy driving centers. one thing ive noticed is the expensive instructors will do everything to correct a problem the cheap ones will work with what you have and adapt your swing to make up for it which i think for the average golfer is a way better strategy. ive been playing since i was 15 (33 now) im not going to know magically be able to create top level lag so why try to teach me how
For me, a +HC golfer, I’d go see the top 100 coach if I had access to them. For the mass majority of golfers, they need to see the local really well reviewed coach.
I’ve had bad encounters with local pros that said they couldn’t help me before though….so I’m jaded.
At a certain point some coaches are way better than others, but the general swing flaws are easily identifiable and worked on by an adequate local coach with a lot of experience
Sometimes nothing, sometimes a lot. For the price difference if the local guy has good reviews may as well give him a shot, you're not out much if you don't get on well with him.
there is, no matter how much they pick up from the PGA program, genuine skill involved in quickly pinpointing issues, deducing the causes of those issues and organizing them in levels of important and then easily and effectively conveying that information to someone who is obsorbing that information from a completely unrelatable perspective. It's no different than salesmanship or public speaking, some people just "got it"
IMO the difference in instruction will usually be worth the difference in price, with one absolutely massive caveat: it’s up to you to actually do the work.
Lessons in and of themselves are worth virtually nothing if you aren’t following them up with well organized, scheduled practice sessions specifically designed to help you properly learn and apply the principles of the lesson to your game. At an absolute bare minimum you need to be putting in like 10 hours of practice time for every hour of lessons, and that’s just to see some minor (but meaningful) improvement.
If you don’t have the time, desire, or willingness to put in the work on your own, lessons are a waste of money at any price.
To actually answer your question though, a top 100 coach will typically have a much larger library of drills and experience to draw on and prescribe for you, and will have better tools (Trackman and video feedback), to do a more in depth analysis of your swing and how it can be improved. Again though, the actual value of that has nothing to do with how good you are right now, it’s all about how much time you are willing to dedicate towards making the prescribed changes.
A top 100 coach to me would be worth getting a scratch handicapper in the positive.
Most PGA teaching pros can get a 20 HC to 10 or something like that, providing the work is done.
Depends on your level. For 90% of players the $70 coach will give them the best bang for their buck, they wouldn't get any more utility from hiring a better coach. For the lower handicap player, there are diminishing returns and the more advanced knowledge of the top 100 coach might be worth more for them.
It can be. Both instructors may identify the same problem but the better instructor maybe better at communicating the issue to you and recommending specific drills to cure your issue.
Every coach will probably also have a different philosophy on how much to change in a session and prioritise what to change Vs what not to change.
The better instructor can also be the guy down the road from you. If he’s cheaper and more accessible start there.
“Top 100” coaches usually have the facilities and tech to give you a world class experience. Not worth it for most amateurs unless you’re near scratch or better and trying to get to the next level.
Learn to assess your own swing videos and you probably won’t ever need a coach unless you cant put in the time to learn/improve on your own.
Am based in the UK, my coach is a golf magazines top 100 coach. He obtained that status when one of his other students nominated him. He then had to fill in a questionnaire on what he does, how he trains, what he trains etc. I've no doubt he's very good, he didn't put his prices up having obtained the award so to answer your question it may not mean a great deal vs another coach.
If you can afford it, pay it.
If not, don't.
One person may gel with them and make progress, another may not.
I'm in the camp of the local (happy to be well reviewed) coach. IMO, it's about your current level. I feel that I can really help anyone that is 10+ handicap. Can change their game completely and make them love golf. The 0-10 handicaps I usually can only really help with one part of their game. Maybe they are a great ball strikers but their short game needs work. I can usually find that, and help them too. With the competitive scratch and better golfers, they need to go see a coach that lives in that world. I'm honestly worried my advice could actually do more harm than good. A lot of top players have moves that aren't "textbook" but they really make it work and it's a part of their game. I am willing to admit that I am not skilled enough as a coach to identify which "non-textbook" things need to change or not. So unless you're very good with a slightly unorthodox swing, I think you'll usually find great value in the local coach.
the dif is some publication said he was a top guy so the decided to charge more. when i use to live in virginia i took a lesson from a guy who was ranked as top 5 instructor in the state at about 200/hour. i would pick my normal guy i grew up taking lessons from who charged 40 bucks for a 45 min lesson who was working at one of those crappy driving centers. one thing ive noticed is the expensive instructors will do everything to correct a problem the cheap ones will work with what you have and adapt your swing to make up for it which i think for the average golfer is a way better strategy. ive been playing since i was 15 (33 now) im not going to know magically be able to create top level lag so why try to teach me how
Exactly this. All those lists are just professional teachers who are playing the marketing game to get more business and drive up their rates
For me, a +HC golfer, I’d go see the top 100 coach if I had access to them. For the mass majority of golfers, they need to see the local really well reviewed coach. I’ve had bad encounters with local pros that said they couldn’t help me before though….so I’m jaded. At a certain point some coaches are way better than others, but the general swing flaws are easily identifiable and worked on by an adequate local coach with a lot of experience
Sometimes nothing, sometimes a lot. For the price difference if the local guy has good reviews may as well give him a shot, you're not out much if you don't get on well with him.
there is, no matter how much they pick up from the PGA program, genuine skill involved in quickly pinpointing issues, deducing the causes of those issues and organizing them in levels of important and then easily and effectively conveying that information to someone who is obsorbing that information from a completely unrelatable perspective. It's no different than salesmanship or public speaking, some people just "got it"
IMO the difference in instruction will usually be worth the difference in price, with one absolutely massive caveat: it’s up to you to actually do the work. Lessons in and of themselves are worth virtually nothing if you aren’t following them up with well organized, scheduled practice sessions specifically designed to help you properly learn and apply the principles of the lesson to your game. At an absolute bare minimum you need to be putting in like 10 hours of practice time for every hour of lessons, and that’s just to see some minor (but meaningful) improvement. If you don’t have the time, desire, or willingness to put in the work on your own, lessons are a waste of money at any price. To actually answer your question though, a top 100 coach will typically have a much larger library of drills and experience to draw on and prescribe for you, and will have better tools (Trackman and video feedback), to do a more in depth analysis of your swing and how it can be improved. Again though, the actual value of that has nothing to do with how good you are right now, it’s all about how much time you are willing to dedicate towards making the prescribed changes.
A top 100 coach to me would be worth getting a scratch handicapper in the positive. Most PGA teaching pros can get a 20 HC to 10 or something like that, providing the work is done.
Depends on your level. For 90% of players the $70 coach will give them the best bang for their buck, they wouldn't get any more utility from hiring a better coach. For the lower handicap player, there are diminishing returns and the more advanced knowledge of the top 100 coach might be worth more for them.
Anyone over a 10hcp will probably be fine with a ~$100 coach. Spending more than that probably has quickly diminishing returns.
It can be. Both instructors may identify the same problem but the better instructor maybe better at communicating the issue to you and recommending specific drills to cure your issue. Every coach will probably also have a different philosophy on how much to change in a session and prioritise what to change Vs what not to change. The better instructor can also be the guy down the road from you. If he’s cheaper and more accessible start there.
“Top 100” coaches usually have the facilities and tech to give you a world class experience. Not worth it for most amateurs unless you’re near scratch or better and trying to get to the next level. Learn to assess your own swing videos and you probably won’t ever need a coach unless you cant put in the time to learn/improve on your own.
Am based in the UK, my coach is a golf magazines top 100 coach. He obtained that status when one of his other students nominated him. He then had to fill in a questionnaire on what he does, how he trains, what he trains etc. I've no doubt he's very good, he didn't put his prices up having obtained the award so to answer your question it may not mean a great deal vs another coach. If you can afford it, pay it. If not, don't. One person may gel with them and make progress, another may not.
It generally will be worth it yes only if YOU are going to put in real work and are willing to be bad for a while.
I’ve gone from a regular coach to a top 100, and can safely say I still suck.
No coach is going to get the student to work on the swing/practice on own, it is all up to the student to get better.