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Presented by PGA Tour Superstore
EAST PALO ALTO, Calif. - I've been criticized and ridiculed for my unique swing (that's putting it mildly) ever since I picked up a golf club for the first time in college.
When I heard my swing described with the phrase "I can see a little Jon Rahm" during a recent in-store lesson with PGA Tour Superstore Instructor Christian Lopez, it was validation for all those years of shame.
As someone who gives thousands of lessons a year to new and struggling golfers, Lopez understands that giving positive, constructive feedback is one of the most important parts of his job. Lopez pulled up Rahm's swing next to mine on TrackMan and went on to break down our biggest similarity, a short and efficient back swing. I'll never hit it like Rahm, but Lopez gave me some advice to get the most out of my game. We worked on getting my hands higher in the backswing to promote a steeper and more powerful angle of attack into the ball. My swing plane has always been too shallow.
"Finding a good instructor is like finding a good therapist," Lopez said after our 45-minute session at one of the three PGA Tour Superstores closest to me in California's Bay Area. "It's very normal for players to go for one lesson [and say] 'Maybe it's not the right fit'. That's totally okay. Personally, I feel like my retention rate is pretty good. That's probably like 50 percent.
"We see so many students and so many players," Lopez said. "Once you do find instruction that you feel works, then you get to create a plan. I really like a player who after that lesson is like 'I want to commit to it.'"
Why taking lessons at PGA Tour Superstore might work for you
Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPass
Given that PGA Tour Superstore is so well known as a one-stop shopping destination for all things golf, it's easy to overlook the quality of its instruction program.
Each store is equipped with multiple indoor hitting bays for lessons and/or club-fitting. PGA Tour Superstore's signature STUDIO is technologically advanced with a Trackman simulator featuring multiple camera angles. My lesson leaned heavily into feedback from a V1 Pressure Mat. I've long known that I tend to "fall back" out of shots. Lopez monitored with the V1 where I was distributing my weight during full swings and short-game shots. Once he got me feeling comfortable transferring weight onto my front side during full swings and starting off with my weight on my front side for greenside chips and pitches, every strike was more crisp.
Lopez believes all this technology is the biggest strength of PGA Tour Superstore. He recorded each of my swings. What we worked on in the lesson is now available for review in the V1 Golf app.
"Our facilities are really up to snuff - that's what I really appreciate about PGA Tour Superstore," he said. "I'm very much into new-era instruction. I like to see as much information as possible. As far as the STUDIO goes, the company is very much committed that our facilities are very competitive with [top] technology and the rate as well. Another instructor who would have a facility this fleshed out would be charging a much higher premium."
Lessons at PGA Tour Superstore start at $30 per half hour for children under age 12, $44.99 for ages 13-18 and $79.99 for adults. They can be purchased individually or in a range of packages.
"Our pricing is very competitive," he continued. "Paying $30, for a lot of parents, that's where we have the edge. We have really good facilities for a very reasonable rate."
And for those golfers who crave lessons outside on real grass, let us point out that that's not always the best place to learn about the fundamentals and flaws of your golf swing. Players can get too caught up in watching where the ball goes. Using Trackman indoors, the numbers don't lie. Improving key data points will ultimately help your fundamentals and improve consistency, the no. 1 problem for amateurs.
Many golfers come into the store looking to buy new clubs thinking that's the best way forward. Lopez says that usually isn't the best way to improving long-term. He worked as both a club fitter and hard goods salesman on the store floor before focusing on teaching.
"A lot of our fitters on the floor will see a player struggling and be like, 'you've got some stuff going on. Let's fix some of this technique,' and they will refer me," he noted. "That's where I get a lot of my business. We get so many people coming through the door trying things (equipment-wise) and notice that it's not making a measurable difference. That's when they come to me. I think that's something the company is pretty committed to. That's why I love how we are brand-agnostic. Our value is trying to help all golfers get to the next level."
To learn more about lessons at a PGA Tour Superstore location near you, click here.
Comments (1)
I found it interesting that Mr. Lopez has noticed how many of the Superstore customers are not getting the bang for the buck they expected out of "new and better" equipment. While genuine equipment advances happen slowly, many golfers somehow have adopted the idea that things like new drivers will make a big difference in their games--otherwise, why shell out $400-500 or one? Instead, good instruction is far more important. I watch people on the range, regularly, who have no hope of being good until they get some realistically effective instruction.
Internet teachers can be valuable, but only if the player already has a STRONG working knowledge of the golf swing. Otherwise, forget it. Going to a qualified teacher--whether it's at a golf course or a superstore--makes a lot of sense for the vast majority of players.