Online vs In-Person Lessons, Part 2

In Part 1, I chronicled my experience taking my first online golf lesson via the Skillest app. If you haven’t read it yet, take a moment and read it here. To recap, Skillest offers the ability to find and work with nearly any instructor regardless of where you live, with even golf coaches like Sean Foley and Cameron McCormick available at the right price. My research in the app and online led me to Tre Mullins. While he appears to be a mere mortal, Mullins regularly posts videos to his Instagram feed displaying clubhead speed in the 140-mph range and ball speeds around 200 mph. As speed-obsessed as I am, working with him was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. After sending Mullins my six requested swing videos, he responded in short order with a plan and drill videos built for me. Lesson complete.

Mullins also plies his craft as a teaching professional at Fairways & Greens in Knoxville, Tenn. Knoxville is five hours from my house and my daughters live in the area, to boot. The stars having aligned, I got on the road and took a lesson from Mullins in person.

On the lesson tee

If you’re ever in the area, get to Fairways & Greens. It’s a great place for golf enthusiasts passionate about working on their game and improving. A huge outdoor driving range that even includes an area specifically for long drive practice is just the tip of the iceberg. Inside are a well-equipped gym, warm-up hitting nets and Trackman-powered lesson and fitting bays,  just a few of the amenities waiting for golf improvement junkies.

Mullins met me while I warmed up indoors, hitting a few irons into a net. From there, we went outside where I hit a series of 8-irons and drivers into the expansive range, all while Mullins took several videos and asked some questions. Unfortunately for me, the questions were not, “Wow, do you always hit it that far?” or “How did you develop such a wonderful swing?” More like, “Is that your typical miss?” as another 8-iron started at the flag and then took a sharp turn to the left.

After 40 or 50 swings, we headed back inside for some analysis. I’ll spare you the nitty-gritty on my golf swing—that’s not the point of this article. To quickly summarize, the fundamentals of my setup were poor, leading to some faulty weight distribution and limited hip turn. As a result, I was early-extending, meaning my hips were working into the ball. Unable to clear my hips, I’d flip the club and, presto, hook the ball. Or sometimes even find the hosel. I may have done that a couple times during the lesson. But let’s not talk about that. Moving on.

The fixes

Mullins prescribed what felt like very significant (and at first uncomfortable) fixes to the flaws in my setup and backswing. In short, bump my left side forward a bit to create a higher left hip than right at address, raise the handle at address a bit as well and get my weight into my heels more at the top of my backswing. He also introduced a Force Pedal under my left toe to further work on weight distribution in the swing.

We worked on irons into a net while he measured my weight and pressure distribution, then moved on to drivers in a hitting bay. And, yes, at one point Mullins was kind enough to take a swing to demonstrate a concept. Without a warmup and on his first swing of the day, he uncorked a 352-yard drive at 125-mph clubhead speed and 185-mph ball speed. I was awed, inspired and rather embarrassed at my own numbers. Again, moving on.

Instant feedback

What’s the difference from the in-person experience versus online? Plenty. Perhaps the greatest difference is the availability of instant feedback. Sure, plenty of Skillest and other online lesson platforms offer follow-up assessments. However, at no point can you take a cue from your video lesson and immediately ask your instructor in real time, “Like this?”

Case in point: In my online lesson, Mullins said it looked to him like I might be setting up with a slightly closed clubface. He prescribed a test of extending my arms directly in front of me, club in hand, to assess the face orientation before addressing the ball. It sounds silly but it was easily the most disconcerting and uncomfortable change from the online lesson and I felt like it was leading to some blocked shots on the course.

Quick fix?

When I got to my in-person lesson, it was easy to see why. I was overdoing it and opening the clubface. Mullins offered three seconds of correction to show me what a square clubface is supposed to look like and the problem was solved. (I know that sounds a little odd but if you’ve been setting up closed for a long time it can be hard to make the adjustment visually. Trust me.)

In that regard, online learning is kind of like sending a text. You can send a message, sure, but are you actually communicating effectively? In-person golf lessons ensure effective communication with your golf instructor. What’s more, there’s an opportunity in-person for immediate comparison of the before and after. Mullins pulled up the Skillest videos and then compared them to swings made with my new but very foreign-feeling setup. It was all I needed to see to know I’d be sticking with the changes. (And sticking with Mullins but more on that later.) Early extension, gone.

Limitations of video

No amount of video sorcery can compare to the naked eye. Sure, high-tech gadgets, devices and software are excellent for measuring and assessing swings. But, as I said in Part 1, online lessons rely on the student and their videography skills and some things don’t quite come through. For example, I wore a black pullover that draped over my waist along with gray pants for my Skillest lesson. Consequently, I unintentionally disguised the fact that my hips were essentially level and not optimal at setup. Once I got on the lesson tee in person, Mullins picked up on it right away. In many cases, subtle but meaningful nuances like that require some careful up-close observation that a few recorded swings from a cell phone camera aren’t going to reveal.

Buying with confidence

Online lessons are great and have opened up a world of possibilities for golfers in the search for quality instructors. They are still a largely blind transaction, though. Skillest has gone to decent lengths to try and instill confidence in would-be students. Reviews of instructors from other golfers are available and you can watch sample lessons before signing up. Still, you really can’t discern just how much effort went into your lesson, how much your instructor is actually invested in your improvement or a number of other factors you can likely pick up on in person. The most enjoyable aspect of my in-person lesson was Mullins’ near-infectious enthusiasm and positivity. I left energized (and still am) based largely on Mullins and the confidence he instilled in me and the changes we’re making. I’m not sure you can get that through an online lesson.

The way ahead

Online lessons versus a more traditional in-person needn’t be an either/or proposition. Why not both? If you live in Connecticut and you really want to work regularly with an instructor in Texas, I get it. Lessons through an online medium are really your only option. But consider this: If you only take an in-person lesson once every three months or so, how far are you willing to drive in that case? The answer could be your search radius for finding a golf professional who is also on Skillest, putting you in position to get the best of both worlds. 

Tre Mullins is a fantastic instructor and coach and I’m beyond excited for the improvements that are in store with his expert guidance. I’ve already got two more lessons scheduled. The next will be on Skillest and then I’ll head down to Fairways & Greens again in September. The advent of Skillest and other online lesson platforms makes that kind of arrangement feasible and if you’re not looking into these platforms you may be missing out. Online golf instruction provides convenience, allows you to go at your own pace and work with top coaches around the world. It’s an effective way to pursue improvement and better golf. Is it a perfect replacement for traditional golf lessons? No, but it opens up a lot of possibilities for your golf-improvement journey. Take advantage of them!