TOP 5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING A GOLF SCHOOL: PART 2 — THREE THINGS TO ASK BEFORE YOU SIGN UP

So you want to go to golf school?

Retired tour pros, club pros, young pros who can't get club jobs . . . everybody's got a shingle and they're all hanging them out. After all, just about all of them know more about the golf swing than the average recreational golfer.

But golf school is an investment of your time and precious few dollars. So, ask some questions before you sign up.

What's the school's instruction philosophy? Some schools will break your swing down totally and build you a new one from scratch. If you've got lots of time to practice, then this kind of school might be for you. Just remember, even pros who rebuild their swings sometimes take a year or more to get back in contention. And, just possibly, they have more natural talent than you.

A better option for mere mortals is to choose a school where they will take what you have and show you how to improve on it. Unless your swing is a bad version of Jim Furyk's, that's the way for most of us to go. Ask if they provide you with a take-home video analysis of the swing you brought to school, compared to how it looked on the last day of school. Ask for drills that can help you keep that “after” glow. At home, take your drills to the range three or four times a week and practice what you've learned. Faithfully.

Here's a critical question: how big will the classes be? Golf school should promise individual attention and you should demand it. Look for a school that treats every student as an individual even though you may be in a group lesson. Instructors should be attuned to unique characteristics such as learning style, physique and physical strength. The best schools have small classes with just a few students. If there are 10 people in a class, you're not in golf school ― you're at a clinic.


Who are the instructors? If the school carries a famous TOUR-affiliated name, chances are you'll be paying for the marquee and that big name's teaching "philosophy." But don't count on seeing the celebrity teacher – unless you pay mucho bucks. Instead, look for schools that have been reviewed and ranked in Golf Magazine. Read student comments online.

Some of the best (and most affordable) schools in the country are owned and run by people who have dedicated their whole lives to helping average people like you play better golf. They're not big names, but they know how to help average golfers make big improvements.

Know what questions to ask and you'll end up spending less coin and getting more out of your golf school experience.

TOP 5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING A GOLF SCHOOL: PART 1 — THE PSYCH UP

Game improvement. Every golfer wants it but few actually pursue it. Oh, we all talk about it. But only a few of us actually dedicate the time and effort it takes to move up to another level of skill.

Most guys just try to figure out the game for themselves. They hit buckets of balls never realizing they are actually grooving imperfections into their swings. Good intentions. Bad results.

Most women learn the game from their husbands or significant others. Bad Idea. He's likely to groove his imperfections right into your swing.

Maybe you've taken lessons. But what was your motivation? We've all signed up for a lesson with our local pro when the old golf game's gone south. But those desperate attempts to get back on track are more mid-course corrections than conscious steps toward a better game. As soon as the “problem” is worked out, we stopped working with the pro and got back on the course to groove new bad habits.

Here's the problem. You've got to stop thinking about a lesson as medicine. It's not a trip to the golf hospital. It doesn't involve something horrible shoved down your throat.

Golf instruction is fun. Isn't that why you took up the game? FOR RECREATION? ENJOYMENT?

Consider this: What better way to spend a vacation than hitting golf balls and getting tips from someone who really knows what he's doing? Laughing and learning in an environment that's totally about golf? Sign me up!

Golf school could be the best investment you ever make for both your game and your sanity. Understand the golf swing better and you can fix little problems as they creep in – before they descend into crisis mode.

But golf school's expensive, you say? Not if you know what to look for.

Watch this space for five tips on what to look for in a golf school. I'm heading out to hit some balls and work on what I already learned. Yeah- - my game's getting better every day.