5 Types of Golf Lessons

When most golfers think about lessons, they think about 1:1 swing lessons with a golf pro at the driving range. But as you’ll discover today there are various types of golf lessons – both remotely and in person – that can help with other areas of your game.

Obviously, the swing is very important especially if you’re just getting started with your golf journey. As you progress and start breaking 100, 90, or 80, other parts of the game are just as important. This includes your short game, course management, putting, and the mental side.

Luckily there are tons of skilled coaches that can help with any facet of your game. Keep reading to learn more about in person vs. online golf instruction and different types of lessons. 

Comparing In Person vs. Online Golf Lessons

Before getting into the different types of lessons, let’s first debate in-person coaching vs. online coaching. 

In-Person Golf Coaching

Most golfers think about in-person coaching from a local golf instructor. Think of this like Chubbs Peterson helping Happy Gilmore learning how to play the game.

It’s the oldest and most traditional type of coaching. Most PGA Tour pros have a swing coach and some coaches work with a variety of professionals across various tours.

Amateur golfers tend to work with golf professionals at local golf courses, country clubs, or driving ranges. Golf lessons improve full swing mechanics but some players might opt for a short game, putting, or bunker lesson instead. 

Here are some of the biggest advantages to working closely with an instructor.

Immediate Feedback

With 1:1 coaching there is less “guessing and testing” like there is with remote golf lessons. When working together with a PGA instructor you’ll be able to instantly see if the changes work and how to adapt.

A coach can sometimes identify swing issues faster than online which can speed up the process of making swing changes. Professional golfers need a golf instructor nearby to help get results faster as they’re playing each week for tons of money.

More Connection

With in-person coaching it’s easy to feel more connection with your coach than one who is halfway around the world. They can demonstrate different grips or techniques, position your body in the right spots, and make adjustments quickly. 

Being next to your golf coach can also help you focus more and provide a sense of accountability. Since you want to make the most of your lesson together it’s common to really focus and sometimes get faster results.

It can also lead to them becoming more like a golf mentor not just a swing coach. 

On-Course Experience

Lastly, a huge benefit to working with a coach in-person is you can take your swing to the golf course with a playing lesson. A playing lesson is typically 9 or 18 holes with your instructor to see how you perform in real life situations. 

During these lessons a coach will look at your pre-shot routine, alignment, decision-making, club selection, and more. It’s like having a professional caddy with you and a great chance to learn how to think your way around the golf course better.

It teaches you how to adapt to different challenges and conditions that you can’t simulate on a driving range. 

While these are extremely beneficial and recommended for intermediate golfers, they’re not cheap. Playing lessons are typically 2-3X (or more) the price of a normal lesson since they’re much longer. 

Golf Camps and Clinics

An alternative to 1:1 coaching is enrolling in a golf camp or clinic. Golf camps tend to last a few days and focus on different parts of the game. 

For example, the morning half of the day might focus on swing changes and fundamentals. While the second half of the day is all about the short game or even going to the course for playing lessons. 

Golf camps are a great way for beginner golfers (or junior golfers) to fully immerse themselves into the game over a few days. It’s common to have one main coach and possibly several assistant coaches depending on how many people are in camp.

These are usually pretty expensive compared to a 1:1 lesson that typically only lasts 60 minutes but great for committed golfers. 

Golf clinics are another form of group coaching but typically only last 60–120 minutes. These clinics tend to focus on one part of the game like full swing, short game, putting, or course management skills. 

Clinics are typically cheaper than camps but still a great way to learn in a group setting. 

Online Golf Coaching – Ultimate Convenience

The alternative to 1:1 coaching, camps, or clinics is online golf coaching. This is a newer form of golf instruction that is more about convenience than anything else. It’s a win-win situation for both coaches and players thanks to the flexibility. 

Extremely Convenient and Cost-Effective

We live in a world of convenience and let’s face it, finding a local golf coach is anything but convenient.

You have to first search for golf coaches near you, inquire about pricing/packages, schedule a lesson (which can take a while to schedule), drive to the lesson, hope for good weather, and then hope it’s a good relationship. 

Needless to say, it’s the exact opposite of convenient. But with online coaching you submit swing videos to a coach, they’ll review, and send video feedback.

While some online coaches do FaceTime coaching it’s not nearly as common and similarly priced as in-person coaching. 

After you get video feedback you can instantly start working on your swing when it’s convenient for you. Coaches will provide drills, training aid recommendations, and other tips to improve your golf game.

This is much more convenient for the everyday person who is busy with career, family, and other obligations. 

More Coaching Options 

While the flexibility of online coaching is great, we’d argue having access to more golf coaches is even more important. You no longer have to let your physical location dictate what type of coaches you can work with.

This is a huge benefit if you don’t live in a golf city or state like California, Arizona, Texas, or Florida. 

With online coaching you can work with someone that is in a different city, state, or even country. This exposes you to different types of coaching that might not be available with a local pro. Not to mention it’s much cheaper than a 1:1 lesson with them too. 

Self-Paced Learning 

Lastly, digital golf lessons are great for motivated, self-paced learners. If you’re someone that likes to tinker and fix things on your own, this style of coaching can really help. 

Plus, some online golf coaches also have other instructional training programs that are pre-recorded and focus on specific shots or areas of the game. This allows students to learn on their own time and schedule lessons when they’re needed. 

But if you’re someone that wants to keep things as simple as possible and don’t geek out on the golf swing, in-person might be a better choice.

How to Decide Between In-Person vs. Online Golf Coaching

Both styles of lessons have their own pros and cons but it ultimately depends on these factors:

• Skill level. If you’re an experienced player and already have a basic understanding of the swing, online lessons are great. A quick online lesson can help fix an issue in your swing and let you make changes on your own time. But if you’re brand new and need hands-on feedback, working with a coach in-person might work better.

• Budget. Golf lessons cost a lot more when working in-person. Since golf pros have to pay for a golf facility they have much higher overhead costs. This makes lesson costs much more expensive too. So if you’re on a tight budget, there is no doubt that remote lessons are likely a better choice. 

• Learning style. If you’re the type of person that likes to figure things out on your own, remote lesions are the best route. Coaches will give you plenty of help but you’ll still need to piece it together on your own in practice. But if you’re someone that wants more accountability and help, a lesson at the course might work out better. 

• Schedule. Finally, if scheduling a lesson with a local pro is nearly impossible, remote lessons are the way to go. You’ll be able to start making changes within a few days (or sooner) and not have to wait for a coach to have availability. 

5 Types of Golf Lessons

Now that you know a little more about online and in-person coaching, let’s get into the specific types of lessons. Most golfers only think of swing lessons but as you’ll see, golf lessons cover all aspects of the game.

Full Swing Lessons

There are two types of full swing lessons; fundamentals and fixes.

Fundamental lessons happen typically with new players. The goal of the instructor is to build the fundamentals for a consistent, repeatable golf swing. 

Most of the instruction time is spent on grip, posture, alignment, and takeaway. These four parts of the game setup the rest of the swing and largely determine your backswing and downswing. 

Fixes are the other main type of full swing lessons and what most instructors focus on. These lessons are meant to fix issues – whether it’s thinning, topping, slicing, or some other mishit.

At this point a player typically has a semi-consistent swing but it’s not yielding the results they want. A coach will help identify key issues – such as grip or takeaway – and provide drills to fix them.

Or, they might recommend a training aid that players can use at the driving range or at home. 

Playing Lessons (Course Management)

Another type of lesson that can help all skill levels is known as a playing lesson. This is where a coach rides along or plays 9 or 18 holes with a student.

A coach will monitor different parts of their game including tee box strategy, pre-shot routines, mental game, and target selection.

Since a lot of these issues aren’t possible to do on the driving range, it’s very beneficial for golfers. Unfortunately, this type of lesson isn’t generally available for online lessons. The only exception is if a coach does a live lesson with the help of another golfer. 

Short Game Coaching

The short game is also a big part of the game as so many shots happen around the green. Even the best players in the world only hit about 70% of greens in regulation. While most golfers don’t even hit 50% – which is why having a good short game is key.

Some golf coaches specifically work on the short game side of things to help with these shots:

• Bunker shots.
• Chipping/pitching.
• Flop shots and spinners. 

The more shots you have in your arsenal, the better you are prepared for the golf course. Plus, short game techniques are typically a lot easier to learn than the full swing.

Not to mention short game shots – like a basic pitch shot – don’t vanish from your game like a full swing can on certain days.

Having a good short game can help turn a good day into a great one. Or, salvage an off day by still scoring well (and psyching out your competitors).

If you don’t have a ton of confidence with your feel around the greens, invest in a short game lesson. It’ll pay dividends for years to come and help you score more consistently. 

Putting Lesson 

If you have a great swing but can’t putt, it’s extremely frustrating and feels like you’re “wasting shots.”  This is why a putting lesson might be just what your game needs. 

Think about it, the putter is the most used club in the bag. Unless you have a chip in, chances are you’ll use it on every hole, every round, for the rest of your career. In most cases you’ll use it at least once on every hole but sometimes two (or three or four). 

This is why it’s so important to gain confidence with the putter. Plus, most would argue it’s a lot easier to improve your putting quickly vs. your full swing. The putting motion is much simpler than a full swing which happens at 90-100 mph (or more). 

Studies have also shown that most amateur golfers can improve their scores fast by focusing on short putts. As My Golf Spy mentioned,

Scratch golfers see an 87-percent make percentage. 25-handicap golfers 73-percent. Making seven out of 10 within six feet is a solid performance. 

Can it be better? Most definitely. And by increasing that make percentage, higher-handicap golfers can certainly see an improvement in their scores.

With the help of an instructor, you can get the basics of putting dialed in quickly. Sometimes it’s just a subtle shift to your ball position, posture, or eye alignment that makes all the difference. 

Change your putting, change your game. If you’re not ready for putting lesson yet, make sure to check out these 10 putting tips now. 

Mental Golf Coaching

Lastly, it’s important to acknowledge the importance of the mental game on your scores.

The mental game is one of the most misunderstood parts of the game, especially for the everyday golfer. However, high-level amateurs and professionals know that a strong mental game can make a massive difference.

The lower scores you shoot, the more the mental game plays a bigger role. Which is why the best players in the world work with sports psychologists, not just swing coaches. 

A mental game lesson can help with all types of things including:

• Managing emotions on the golf course. 
• Learning how to make better decisions and play your game.
• Improving your body language and self-talk to stay positive, even after a bad shot or a few bad holes. 

Ultimately, a good mental game can save a bad ball striking round and make a good one even better. A stronger mind also makes it easier to enjoy the round, get in the zone more often, and impact your attitude.

As the late Payne Steward said,

A bad attitude is worse than a bad swing.

If your mindset is your Achilles heel don’t be afraid to get help to tap into your inner greatness.  

Download the Skillest App 

Ready to hit the golf ball better than ever or improve your short game? Skillest can help…

If you need a lesson on any part of the game mentioned above, download the Skillest app now. We have a marketplace of online golf coaches that not only help with the full swing all the way to mental game. 

No matter what issue you’re facing, we’re confident there is a coach that can help. Either a one-off lesson or a monthly plan for any budget to hit your goals and play better golf fast. 

Top Questions

How many golf lessons do I need?

How many golf lessons depends on a lot of factors such as experience, amount of practice time, and goals.

What is the best way to learn to play golf?

Every golfer has their own journey in the game. Some players like to develop a consistent swing on the range before attempting to play on the golf course. While other golfers get bored with practice on the range and prefer to start playing golf.

Our biggest piece of advice is to make golf fun. This is even more important when you’re just starting out as it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the complexity of the sport. 

The more fun you have, the more likely you are to keep playing this incredible sport. That might mean entering into formal competition, joining a country club, or just keeping it casual after work or on weekends.  

Also, make sure to check out our complete guide for the best way to learn golf. 

What do you do in your first golf lesson?

If you’re a new golfer the first lesson is generally around fundamentals like grip, posture, and alignment. 

The grip specifically is very important as it’s the only part of your body touching the golf club and directly impacts ball flight. Most newer golfers tend to have a weak grip which leads to a pesky slice.

This is why a lot of golf instructors will spend a lot of time on the grip and other fundamentals to build a solid foundation. 

If you’re more advanced than your first lesson might be to address a certain issue. For example, a lot of golfers seek out instruction when they’re missing putts or always missing left from a hook. 

What should I focus on in golf lessons?

It’s best to focus on the part of your game that is holding you back from playing your best golf. 

Spend most of your time on your weaknesses when working with an instructor to get the most out of your time. Good students are transparent with coaches and share as much as possible to help solve the issue. 

It’s also a good idea to record your session (if in-person) to make sure you don’t miss anything. Once a lesson is over, spend the next few days working on the biggest issues at the driving range before scheduling another session. 

Summary

Getting lessons – from full swing to mental game – can make playing golf much easier.

As Ben Crenshaw said,

Golf is the hardest game in the world. There is no way you can ever get it. Just when you think you do, the game jumps up and puts you in your place.

However, having a coach help on different aspects of the game can help make this hard game a little easier. Which will make it more likely you’ll stick with it, even if you’re going through a slump.

How many lessons you’ll need depends on each player but having a coach can help improve your game faster.

Lastly, don’t forget to enjoy the journey and the challenge of the sport. It’s one of the few activities you can play for the rest of your life, meet new people and spend time with family/friends.