Ask ten golf instructors who has the best swing on tour and you may well get a list of ten different players.  How about the right way to hold the club?  Same thing, a variety of answers each having its own merit.  In golf there are an endless number of different thoughts, ideas and beliefs on the best way to improve your game.

Just walk the isles of a local book store and you can literally pick from hundreds of books, magazines and DVD’s each one claiming to lower scores.

So how does the average player separate the hype from the facts?  Or more importantly, when getting ready to drop down some hard earned money for a lesson, how do you know this pro can improve your game?  Well, here’s some guidance.  Start by asking yourself and potential teacher these few questions.  You might just find a little research can go a long way.

How long have you been teaching?

This seems like such a simple and important question but rarely gets asked.  Experience breeds wisdom and only long hours on the lesson tee will give an instructor the tools he needs to do the job.  Look for someone with at least five years under their belt.

Avoid method teachers.

Methods come and go.  Stack and Tilt and One Plane Two Plane are just a few of the most recent concepts floating around.  Great teachers base their advice on sound fundamentals and evaluating what each individual student is capable of physically doing.

What training or education have you done in the last few years?

If you could see the instructors that are attending the education opportunities around the country what you would see is the best of the best.  Any golf instructor worth their lesson fee should have attended at least one certification program in the last few years.  Be careful of the guy who thinks he already knows it all.

Programs

Ask about what programs are available.  I’m not talking about a series of three lessons either.  Anyone can do that.  Does the instructor have a program in place that truly “develops” players?  If not, find someone who does.  You might have to look but they are out there.  No one truly improves their golf game in one lesson and a quality instructor knows this.

Ask around

The best in any field no matter the line of work will be known around the community.  Check with other golfers or parents that have kids who have improved and are playing at a high level.  If the same name comes up 2-3 times you have probably found your guy.