From the beginner who has barely picked up clubs to the advanced amateur who wants to fine-tune an area of his game, a golf teacher has to know how to get through to his students. The position requires knowledge of the game, communication ability and patience. The starting point for all golf instructors is teaching or refining the golf swing.
Step 1
Teach the fundamentals of the swing to new golfers. That includes the stance, the grip, the back swing, the downswing and the follow through. Start off with the stance because if the golfer is not aligned properly he will not be able to hit the ball consistently. The golfer's front shoulder must be facing the target and his feet should be about shoulder-width apart. The golfer's knees should be bent to accommodate an easy weight transfer.
Step 2
Teach the golfer how to hit balls from the fairway with the medium- and long-range irons as well as the fairway woods. Some golfers can hit the ball with the assistance of the tee fairly well but struggle when the ball is on the fairway. These shots require the golfer to hit down on the ball in order to get the ball up in the air. The telltale indication on whether the golfer has hit the ball well is a small divot located in the area just in front of where the ball was sitting. If the golfer creates such a divot, chances are she has hit the ball hard and well. If there is no divot, she has probably struggled to get distance because she has hit the top half of the ball.
Step 3
Teach the golfer how to use the pitching wedge when closer than 120 yards from the flag stick. A golfer who understands and can execute the short game has a better chance of scoring well than a golfer who can only blast the ball off the tee. The short game requires the the golfer to be able to get the ball up in the air and land it softly on the green. This will keep the ball from rolling or bouncing off the green. When you hit with the wedge, you want to develop a feel for distance so you can get it close to the flag stick, but you don't want to decelerate while swinging because you might shank the ball and ruin your hole.
Step 4
Teach the basics of putting to your students. Good golfers know how to read the green. Have the golfer crouch about 10 feet behind the ball and look for the creases and the breaks that the ball will have to cross in order to get to the hole. The golfer must account for these breaks as she prepares to putt. Have her walk up to her ball, take one practice stroke and then putt the ball. Have the golfer make a plan and stick to it and then putt the ball.
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