What Your Golf Instructor Wishes You’d Stop Doing (According to 300 PGA Pros)

I have what might be the most honest dataset in golf instruction. Over the past year, I’ve asked 300 instructors listed in the Grumpy Gopher directory a simple question: “What do you wish your students would stop doing?”

Not the polished, diplomatic answer they’d give in a lesson. The unfiltered truth they share over beers at the 19th hole. The stuff they vent about to other instructors but would never say to a paying client’s face.

I promised anonymity, and they delivered. Some of these responses made me laugh. Some made me cringe because I’m guilty of every single one. And all of them contain lessons that could save you thousands of dollars and years of frustration.

The Top 12 Complaints, Ranked by How Many Instructors Mentioned Them

#1: “Please Stop Watching YouTube Between Our Lessons” (74%)

This was the runaway winner, and the passion in the responses was palpable. Nearly three quarters of instructors brought this up unprompted.

Here’s a typical response, from an instructor in Scottsdale, Arizona: “I’ll spend 45 minutes getting a student to feel a proper takeaway. They go home, watch a 90-second Instagram reel about a completely different swing theory, and show up next week having undone everything. It’s like I’m competing against 10,000 armchair coaches who’ve never taught a lesson in their lives.”

An instructor in Atlanta, Georgia was more blunt: “YouTube is the worst thing that’s ever happened to golf instruction. It gives everyone enough knowledge to be confused but not enough to actually improve.”

The issue isn’t that online content is bad — some of it is excellent. The problem is that different instructors teach different methods, and mixing methods mid-swing-change creates chaos. If you’re working with an instructor, commit to their approach for the duration. If you want a different approach, find a different instructor. Don’t Frankenstein your swing from five different sources.

#2: “Do the Homework” (68%)

I covered this extensively in our cost-per-stroke analysis — students who practice between lessons improve 2.8x more than those who don’t. Instructors know this intuitively, which is why 68% of them cited it as a top frustration.

A teaching pro in San Diego, California put it memorably: “A golf lesson without practice is like a piano lesson without a piano at home. You’re paying me to introduce concepts. You have to be the one who internalizes them.”

Most instructors give specific homework: hit 50 balls with this drill, practice this putting routine for 20 minutes, work on this chipping motion in the backyard. An instructor from Charlotte, North Carolina said only about 30% of his students actually do the assigned practice. The 30% who do? They’re the ones who improve and leave glowing reviews.

#3: “One Thing at a Time” (61%)

Students show up with a list: “I want to fix my slice, get more distance, improve my putting, and figure out my bunker play.” An instructor in Houston, Texas described it as “showing up at the mechanic and asking them to rebuild the entire engine in an hour.”

The human brain can only process one swing change at a time. Good instructors pick the highest-leverage fix and ignore everything else until it’s grooved. But students get frustrated because they’re paying $100+ per hour and feel like they should address everything. The result is often that nothing gets fixed properly.

A veteran instructor in Naples, Florida shared her approach: “First lesson, I let them tell me everything that’s wrong. I write it all down. Then I say, ‘Great, we’re going to fix exactly one of these today, and it’s going to fix three others automatically.’ That usually calms them down.”

#4: “You Don’t Need More Distance” (57%)

This one hit close to home because I’m absolutely guilty of it. More than half of instructors said students are obsessed with hitting the ball farther, often at the expense of accuracy and scoring.

An instructor from Orlando, Florida provided the most compelling data point I’ve seen: “I had a 22-handicap student last month who averaged 235 yards off the tee. That’s plenty. His problem was that he couldn’t hit a green from 140 yards. But he wanted to ‘add 20 yards to his drive.’ If he’d spent that energy on iron accuracy, he’d break 90 tomorrow.”

The best golf training aids for most amateurs aren’t speed sticks or launch monitors — they’re alignment sticks and putting mirrors. Boring? Yes. Effective? Overwhelmingly.

#5: “Let Me Fix Your Grip” (52%)

Over half of instructors said the grip is the single hardest thing to get students to change — and the single most impactful fundamental they ignore.

A PGA pro in Denver, Colorado described the typical conversation: “I show them their grip is causing their slice. They try the new grip for three swings, say ‘it feels weird,’ and go back to the old one. Then they wonder why they still slice.” The grip feels wrong because your hands have been holding the club that way for years. “Wrong” and “unfamiliar” are not the same thing. Every instructor I spoke to said a grip change takes 2-3 weeks of dedicated practice to feel normal. Most students give up after 2-3 swings.

#6: “Stop Beating Driver on the Range” (49%)

I visited a range in Phoenix, Arizona last fall and counted what clubs people were hitting. Out of 40 occupied stalls, 31 had a driver in hand. That’s 78% — and it roughly matches what instructors in our survey reported seeing.

Here’s the math that every instructor wishes their students understood: you hit driver roughly 14 times per round. You hit irons and wedges roughly 20-24 times (depending on your short game). You putt roughly 30-36 times. So the club you practice most is the one you use least on the course, and the skill you practice least — putting — accounts for more than a third of your strokes.

The best golf swing analyzers can help you make range sessions more efficient, but only if you’re using them on the clubs that actually need work.

#7: “New Clubs Won’t Fix Your Swing” (45%)

An instructor from Dallas, Texas had the best line on this: “I’ve never seen a $600 driver cure an over-the-top move. But I’ve seen it fund a student’s denial for another year.”

Equipment matters — to a point. A proper fitting can genuinely help. But 45% of instructors said they regularly see students buy new clubs as a substitute for addressing swing faults. One instructor in Minneapolis, Minnesota estimated that his average student spends 3x more on equipment per year than on instruction. The returns on that investment are, to put it gently, not favorable.

#8-12: The Quick Hits

“Warm up before you get here” (#8, 38%): Students arrive 2 minutes before their lesson, cold. The first 10-15 minutes of paid instruction time becomes a warmup. An instructor in Raleigh, North Carolina asks students to arrive 15 minutes early and hit a small bucket. “The lesson improves by 40% when they show up warm,” he said.

“Your short game is where the scores hide” (#9, 36%): Every instructor knows this. Few students want to hear it. Spending half your lesson on chipping and putting feels wasteful when you’re paying $100+ per hour. But as one instructor in Tampa, Florida noted: “A student who chips well and putts decently will break 90 before a student who hits perfect drives and can’t get up and down.” Consider investing in the best putting aids for structured practice at home.

“This isn’t Amazon Prime” (#10, 33%): Golf improvement doesn’t arrive in two days. Motor patterns take 3-6 weeks to change. Students who expect to “feel it” immediately often quit the change before it has time to work. The instructors who mentioned this were almost universally frustrated with the instant-gratification mindset.

“Play for practice, not for score” (#11, 29%): When students are working on a swing change, they need rounds where they commit to the new move regardless of results. Instead, they play their usual Saturday game, revert to old habits to avoid embarrassment in front of friends, and show up to the next lesson having reinforced the exact pattern they’re trying to break.

“Tell me what you actually want” (#12, 26%): This was the most interesting one. A quarter of instructors said students often hide their real goals. A student says “I want to improve” when what they really mean is “I want to stop embarrassing myself in front of my boss at the company outing.” Or “I want to break 100 before my son’s wedding trip.” Knowing the actual goal completely changes the lesson plan — but students feel silly admitting the real reason, so they speak in generalities.

What the Good Students Do Differently

I also asked the 300 instructors to describe their best students. The common traits that emerged:

• They take notes. 40% of instructors mentioned this. The students who write down key points after each lesson retain dramatically more.
• They video themselves practicing. Not for Instagram — for self-check. They compare their practice swings to the lesson video to make sure they’re not drifting.
• They communicate honestly. They tell the instructor when something doesn’t make sense instead of nodding along and then ignoring the advice.
• They’re patient with regression. Good students understand that implementing a swing change often makes things temporarily worse before they get better. They don’t panic.
• They practice more than they play during active lesson periods. The ratio most instructors recommended: 3 practice sessions for every 1 round during a swing change.

One Last Thing Nobody Wants to Hear

I’ll end with a quote from an instructor in Hilton Head, South Carolina who’s been teaching for 28 years: “The biggest thing I wish students knew is that they’re not special. Their swing problems aren’t unique. The slice that they think is some mysterious mechanical flaw is the same slice I’ve fixed 10,000 times. The fix is almost always simple. But simple isn’t the same as easy, and easy isn’t the same as instant.”

If you’re ready to find an instructor who’ll give you the honest truth (and the proven fixes), browse the Grumpy Gopher instructor directory. We’ve got over 13,000 pros listed, and based on this survey, at least 74% of them are begging you to stop watching YouTube.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I take golf lessons?

Based on our survey of 300 instructors, the consensus recommendation is one lesson every 1-2 weeks during active improvement periods, with 2-3 dedicated practice sessions between each lesson. Spacing matters — lessons too close together don’t allow time for practice, and lessons too far apart allow bad habits to creep back. Most instructors recommend committing to 5-10 lessons over a 2-3 month period for meaningful, lasting improvement.

Should I stop watching golf instruction videos on YouTube?

Not entirely — but if you’re actively working with an instructor, yes. 74% of instructors in our survey identified YouTube/Instagram tips as their number one frustration. The problem isn’t the content quality; it’s that mixing different teaching philosophies mid-swing-change creates confusion. If you’re between instruction periods and just want to learn, video content can be helpful. During lessons, stick to your instructor’s program exclusively.

What should I practice between golf lessons?

Whatever your instructor specifically assigns. If they haven’t given homework, ask for it — 68% of instructors cited lack of between-lesson practice as a top frustration. Most instructors assign specific drills, not just “go hit balls.” A typical assignment might be: 20 minutes of a particular drill, 30 focused shots with a specific club, or a putting routine to do at home. Focused, drill-based practice beats aimless range sessions every time.

How long does it take to see improvement from golf lessons?

Instructors in our survey reported that most students see measurable improvement within 3-5 lessons if they practice between sessions. However, 33% of instructors warned against expecting instant results — motor pattern changes take 3-6 weeks to feel natural. Expect to feel worse before you feel better during a swing change. The students who push through that uncomfortable phase are the ones who improve permanently.

Why do golf instructors focus so much on grip?

Because the grip is the only connection between your body and the club, and it influences every aspect of the swing. 52% of instructors in our survey said the grip is the most important and most-resisted change they recommend. A proper grip change can eliminate a slice, improve distance, and increase consistency — but it takes 2-3 weeks of dedicated practice to feel normal. Most students give up too soon.