Golf Instruction

Golf instruction involves the teaching and learning of the game of golf.

Proficiency in teaching golf instruction requires not only technical and physical ability, but also knowledge of the rules and etiquette of the game. Golf instruction is best performed by recognised teachers certified by the relevant bodies; in the United States, the recommended teachers are those who are PGA Class A Professionals although many of the greatest teachers are not affiliated to the PGA . Instructors use a combination of physical conditioning, mental visualization, classroom sessions, club fitting, driving range instruction, on-course play under real conditions, and review of videotaped swings in slow motion to teach golf.

Beginning players typically receive a series of lessons, in either a group or individual setting, covering the fundamentals of the golf swing and aspects of pitching, chipping, and putting. Golf is an unilateral exercise that can break body balances, requiring also adequate exercises to keep the balance in muscles. Experienced recreational players often return for instruction, either to fix a specific problem they are encountering or to improve their game. Reconstruction of a golf swing to reach a high level of play often involves series of lessons over an extended period of time. Junior golfers often begin receiving instruction by age 10 or younger, and often retain private teachers even when coached on a high school golf team.

Some top instructors who work with professional golfers have become quite well known in their own right over the years, including Harvey Penick, Jack Grout, Dick Harmon, Jim McLean, David Leadbetter, Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, Richard Trammel, Ben Doyle, Mike Bender Sean Foley, John Marshall, Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer. Some of the teachers maintain teaching facilities or schools, such as the Jim McLean Golf Schools or the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, where they or their disciples use their methods or systems. A few instructors focus solely on a particular aspect of the sport, such as Dave Pelz with the short game and Bob Rotella with the mental game. Some famous golfers have been tightly bound with their instructor, such as Jack Nicklaus with Jack Grout, while in other cases golfers have made high-profile switches from one instructor to another, such as Tiger Woods moving from Butch Harmon to various other instructors.

Recreational golfers are constantly seeking tips on how to improve, and the major golf publications such as Golf Magazine and Golf Digest devote substantial portions of their pages to instructional material of various kinds, often written by top-level instructors. Even television broadcasts of professional golf tournaments often contain short instructional segments, delivered by commentators who are also instructors such as Peter Kostis.

Golf instruction may be augmented by training aids such as specially weighting or jointed clubs, putting cups for practice on the den room carpet, mini practice tees with feedback for use in garages, and so forth. Some training aids are sold via television infomercials and the more peculiar varieties were satirized in the 1996 film Tin Cup.

Golf instruction is no guarantee of success or improved play in the game. Bad mechanics can be deeply ingrained in a subject's swing, and psychological factors can also hinder progress. The 2009 Golf Channel program The Haney Project: Charles Barkley showcased some of these issues, as Hank Haney attempted to fix former NBA great Charles Barkley's infamously bad swing.