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Hiring a Golf Pro

Many would say that golf is a sport that ought to be enjoyed for its own sake and that a measure such as hiring a pro to instruct you the sport defeats the purpose of the game as leisure and amusement.

But while in the United States alone over 26 million men and women play golf, most of them rarely or ever get to break a score of 100. Many complain not just over a game less than exemplary but also of body aches and pains after playing.

Mastering the sport by playing on one's own may work for some people, but perhaps not as efficiently as acquiring someone more knowledgeable, like a coach, to assist you. Besides, getting to be good at golf AND enjoying it at the same time can only multiply the fun the game already brings you.

The decision to get a golf coach is about as significant as choosing your golf equipment. You would want to understand what your goals are, to what extent you're willing to pursue those and how much money you can put into the game. Here are some things you may want to know about getting a pro to instruct you.

- A big advantage in hiring a golf pro is that your exact weaknesses are addressed. Having identified these, your coach will be qualified to prescribe exercises to correct these and see to it that you're doing it right.

- A golf pro ought to also be able to help you take away some nasty playing habits that result to painful injuries such as golfer elbow. He/she ought to also be able to conduct you by way of a warm-up routine. This is by far the biggest advantage as the help you get goes beyond mere play and helps to relieve pains you might not have to live with at all.

- Talk to the prospective coach on their take in playing and teaching golf. A pro worth his salt should eagerly tell you that they would work on the basics of golf and not go using the latest fads and quick-fix methods. A reply such as the latter may get you faster results. But more frequently than not, as soon as you stop working with them, your performance dwindles back to what you were previously. The tried and tested fundamentals may take a while to learn but the results are more long-lasting.

- The average rate for a one-on-one lesson using a golf pro is about $75 for an hour's lesson. Of course, the cost can vary with the pro you'll be working with and because of the golf club or school you'll be taking your lessons at.

- If the rates for an exclusive one-on-one lesson are too high-priced for you, you may opt to go with a group of other golfers to divide the expenses. However, try to go with a class that is no larger than 4 students to a coach. That way, you get as much help as a one-on-one session without spending too much. A one-hour group lesson for 4 people would cost about $120.

- Something you should also bear in mind when working with a pro is going for quality rather than quantity. After all, this is the reason you hired them in the first place. With a small number of lessons, go for the goal of being excellent at a few techniques than knowing so many but being unable to accomplish them properly.

- A professional coach will teach you things you can ultimately do on your own even without his/her supervision. The idea, after all, is so that you can play an improved game on your own. That includes not only the playing proper but also your warm-up and stretching routine as well.

- Finally, even after your lessons and (hopefully) improvements in your game, it is still a good thing to come back to your coach at least once a year for him/her to check up your game and see if there are things you should work on again. There's always space for improvement, so as long as you can play you might as well play better.