The Golf Training Questionnaire: An Innovation in Golf Instruction
Article by Herb Rubenstein
Introduction
Some golf instructors use a “questionnaire” where their potential students answer the questions before the first lesson. I applaud each and every golf instructor who does this. It does not happen often enough for a wide variety of reasons.
Sometimes a person goes up to a golf instructor and asks if they can get a lesson that same day. The instructor might not know the player or the player’s game. Maybe the player is having a particular problem they need some help with, but maybe they just want a general lesson. In this situation the pro is in a tough spot, but experienced golf instructors are quick on their feet and with their eyes and can analyze a golfer’s swing quickly and give excellent advice on swing mechanics after just seeing a few of the student’s swings.
Today, a golf instructor must be both a swing instructor and a golf coach. In these situations, it is good to know a lot about the golfer, their golf history, and many other pieces of information so the golf instructor can build rapport and be able to communicate to the student that is very effective.
Usually the instructor knows the player, or knows something about their game, and can talk to the student about what they want out of the lesson, or series of lessons if the student has signed up for some type of lesson package (strongly recommended) either before the lesson or at the beginning of the lesson.
This article addresses that situation where there is time between the scheduling of the lesson and the first lesson itself, and where there will likely be more than one lesson. However, I do recommend using the “Pre-Golf Lesson Questionnaire” not only with students who sign up for a series of lessons, but also with a person who signs up in advance for just one lesson. In fact, if you know of a person who is even thinking of a lesson, or even want to send this “Pre-Golf Lesson Questionnaire” to every member of your club or your entire email list as a possible way to generate interest in your golf lessons, I highly recommend it.
I do recommend that you modify this “Pre-Golf Lesson Questionnaire” so you gather the information you think is important for you to know. I have added many questions you will likely not want to use, and I have left out many questions you would want to ask those to whom you will be giving golf lessons, so please add ay question you like and put your name and contact information, and you picture on the “Pre-Golf Lesson Questionnaire” that you email or hand in in hard copy to your students. If you want to give this to some of your current golf students, just take off the word “Pre” and use as many questions as you deem relevant to a golfer you have already taught in one or more lessons.
The purpose of a golf instructor giving a golf student a pre-lesson questionnaire is so the golf instructor can get some excellent information on the student to help the golf instructor start off right in the beginning of the lesson or series of lessons with great instruction. Many golf instructors might think this is not necessary. They think they can take one look at a player’s swing, physique, and immediately figure out what the problem is and quickly tell the person how to “fix their swing. And often they can.
Doctors do not think this way. They always ask you to fill out a questionnaire or what is called a “patient intake form” so the doctor has some background before the doctor ever sees you. We at Golf Pro Delivered believe that many golf instructors would do well to follow this example.
Golf Pro Delivered, www.golfgpd.com, a company that offers inflatable, mobile, golf simulators for corporate events, charity events, hospitality events, and for rigorous golf instruction is providing the golf industry with this questionnaire as a public service to the game. Use or modify any question. You can tell your golf students that answering this questionnaire is voluntary, or you can make it mandatory. That is your call.
We believe that it is beneficial for golf instructors to really now their students, thus allowing them to be a golf coach, in addition to a golf instructor. Knowing “context” like why they play golf, their golf goals, how much they plan to practice, getting information in advance of their first lesson about their physical strengths and limitations, we believe is very helpful to create a solid instructor-student relationship even before the first golf lessons. In addition, we believe that knowing the history of other golf instruction they have received, and even what they think about their “hand-eye coordination” and having the student rate themselves on many golf related factors, will be useful both to the instructor and the student. While doing research for this article, we found no other examples of a Golf Training Questionnaire in the golf literature or on the internet. We also learned that one golf instructor gives their golf students a quick hand-eye coordination test before each and every lesson. We had never heard of this practice before, but we applaud it.
We understand that many golf instructors get a lot of this background information from their golf students just from talking with them in casual conversation. We believe such casual conversations are very important and should always take place between an instructor and a student. However, just leaving the collection of such information to casual conversations might miss some important items that will help the golf instructor provide the most impactful and best golf instruction to the golf student In addition, we believe that if the student goes through the process of answering the questions in the Golf Training Questionnaire, the student will be better prepared for the first lesson. We hope you find this questionnaire useful, and modify it as you wish, put your name on it, and use it often.
We also hope that using this Golf Training Questionnaire, or your modified version of it, will increase your business and make people who visit your website, golf course, club, or learn that you are a golf instructor, want to select you as their golf instructor. We believe that when a golf student goes through the process of answering this questionnaire, three things happen. First, they become even more invested in the lesson or series of lessons you will be giving them, which is a good thing. Second, they will put down answers regarding how much they practice that might get them to make a pledge to practice more and work harder between lessons, which is a very good thing. And third, they will rate themselves on many important criteria and after a few lessons you should invite them to go back and rate themselves again. This might help reveal to them many areas of improvement, which is a great thing, a great motivator.
Golf Training Questionnaire
Name of Golf Student: ________________________ Age: ___________ Occupation: _____________
Number of times you play or practice golf per month: ___________
For the past year - Average score: _____________; Best Score: ____________ Worst Score: _________
Number of times you exercise each week: ___________
Type and length of Exercise:
Why are you taking this golf lesson (Goals) ?
Why do you play golf? (Or if you are just beginning to play golf, why are you planning to start playing golf?
What are your goals for the next month, season, year, next several years for your golf game?
Your favorite professional golfer(s)?
Please rate yourself with a 5 being excellent, 4 being good, 3 being average, 2 being below average and 1 being poor in each of the following areas: Use an X or Checkmark in the correct column.5 4 3 2 1
Strength
Flexibility
Hand-Eye Coordination
Physical Stamina
Eyesight
Touch and Feel
Your Commitment to Improve
Ability to devote some time to golf
How well you know the rules of golf
Describe any physical limitations:
Describe your golf game in general terms:
How many years /months have played the game:
Number of golf lessons you have had, when, from whom and what did you work on during the lesson, what did you learn, how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the lesson/lessons, did you improve, what did you like or not like about the lessons,
Strengths in your golf game:
Weaknesses in your golf game:
Best golf instruction tip you ever received:
Biggest “miss” or shot(s) that either you are very bad at or types of shots that cost you the most strokes during a round:
The biggest source of frustration with your golf game:
Average driving distance:____; Average Number of Greens Hit Per Round: ___; Average number of fairways you hit per round: _____; Average Number of Putts Per Round:
Do you get nervous when you play golf? If yes, please describe what types of shots or situations make you nervous when you play golf.
Do you get very angry on the golf course? If so, please describe what types of shots or situations make you very angry when you play golf.
Describe your personality:
What golf books, magazines, websites, videos have you read or viewed recently:
Please rate your golf abilities with a 5 being excellent, 4 being good, 3 being average, 2 being below average and 1 being poor in each of the following areas: Use an X or Checkmark in the correct column. 5 4 3 2 1
Putting
Chipping
Full wedge
Short Irons Approaches
Middle Irons
Long Irons
Hybrids
Fairway Woods
Driver
Green side bunker play
Long bunker play
Ability to draw the ball
Ability to fade the ball
Ability to hit the ball straight
Ability to hit ball very low
Ability to hit ball very high
Your grip
Your stance and posture
Your ball position
Your on-course management
Your Temperament
Ability to play competitive golf
Ability to play under pressure
Ability to read greens
Your confidence level playing golf
What kinds of golf courses do you usually play?
What kind of golf clubs do you use?
What is your annual budget for golf?
How did you buy your golf clubs?
Have you ever been fitted for clubs? If so, where and when:
Describe what you believe are your biggest challenges or barriers to improving your golf game and your golf scores: Do other members of your family play golf and if so, who?
Is there anything else you would like the golf instructor to know about you or your golf game?