'An hour of golf instruction with a PGA Professional was a revelation'

Andrew Bradshaw, a 28 handicapper, had been playing golf for more than two decades but was getting frustrated with his game and becoming more erratic on the course. Having read magazines and watched online videos, he decided to invest in some golf lessons with PGA Captain Sarah Bennett. His aim was to get more consistency, lower scores and increased enjoyment.

Using PGA Play, Andrew searched for his nearest PGA Professional and from the results in his area, he chose Bennett based on her experience.

He said: “I read through of each PGA Professional’s profile and chose Sarah Bennett, as the lessons take place at a golf club I am  familiar with and she is one of the most qualified pros in the country, covering all aspects of your game.

“I filled in the contact form from Sarah’s ‘enquire Now’ link on her page. This was confirmed with an email letting me know that she would be in touch. The whole process was very user friendly and straightforward. It only took about 10 minutes and I knew a recognised golf professional would be in touch. Sarah called me within 24hours of submitting the form, and after a quick chat, during which Sarah confirmed my requirements and my contact details, we agreed a 60 minute lesson for an initial assessment.”

“Andrew had never received coaching previously so he was apprehensive but looking forward to receiving an improvement plan,” revealed Bennett, an ex-Ladies European Tour player and now Head Golf Professional at Three Rivers Golf & Country Club in Essex.

“The contact was the primary area he wanted to improve, his ball flight was very low/left and thin so with some background information he understood the requirement for subtle set up changes to accommodate the particular club being used. A drill was given with videos to demonstrate how the set up position would help to achieve a more ideal angle of attack into the ball.”

Andrew was feeling slightly nervous about his first golf lesson, but Bennett immediately put him at ease.

He said: “We walked around the range collecting balls from her previous lesson. We had a general chat about my golf strengths and weaknesses, how often I play, how often I could practice, what I would learn and what I was looking to get out of our lessons.”

Andrew played a few shots with his 8-iron while Sarah recorded his swing on a smart device. She then showed her new client the videos and explained why he was spraying balls across the range.

Andrew continued: “An enjoyable 45minutes or so followed with Sarah showing me how to hit the ball straighter and with more consistency, without filling my head with too many swing thoughts. This process was accompanied with further videos showing me how I was improving and comparing before and after swings - very enlightening!

“Having read magazines and watched online videos to work out why I was so inconsistent and how to improve with minimal success, an hour of Sarah’s instruction was a revelation.

“I left my golf lesson with clear guidance to take forward into my practice sessions at the range and then onto the course. Thanks Sarah, the start of my journey to better golf has begun!”

Bennett added: “I was delighted to hear from my client about his positive experience prior, during and after our coaching session.”

Find out how you can improve you game with the help of a PGA pro