Choosing A Golf Specific Trainer

You have seen a lot of posts from me on this website talking about the benefits of physical training for golf. I have described the benefits of golf specific training, given you some simple advice and encouraged you to get involved in golf fitness training. In this post, I would like to talk about how best to go about choosing a golf specific trainer.
It is important that you make a smart choice when you are starting off in this space. You are going to working on your body, your strength, your flexibility and your overall fitness which will have a large influence on your golf swing and golf game. You need to make sure that the people you are choosing to work with are the best people for you.
I am going to outline the four things that I feel are the most important when it comes to choosing a golf specific trainer to work with.
Qualifications
The first thing that you need to check with a potential trainer is their qualifications. There are lots of different fitness qualifications in the market and you need to be careful with the qualifications your potential trainer has. Personally, I prefer fitness trainers with tertiary qualifications. In Australia, we have fitness qualifications of a lower level called Certificate IV and Diploma qualifications. I make sure all the trainers that I use in my programs have University/College degrees before using them.
Golf Specific Knowledge
Golf specific knowledge is also an important part of the skill set that your golf specific trainer needs to have. The golf swing is made up of a lot of complicated moves and some of these moves can place a high level of stress on the body. A good trainer will understand these movements and design a training program to build your strength, flexibility and other body systems to support these movements. Look for golf specific knowledge such as TPI qualifications and other golf industry based training.
Experience Working With Golfers
Qualifications are great to have but experience is also an important trait to look for in a potential trainer. You should be looking for a trainer that has a track record of working with, and improving, golfers. The ability for a trainer to demonstrate and use their skills and knowledge in a practical setting is one of the key things a trainer needs to be able to do. Ask your trainer to show you references and testimonials from golfers that they have worked with and you will be well on your way to working with a great trainer.
Personality
The last thing I look for in a trainer, and it is often overlooked, is personality. You will be working closely with your trainer and you need to click, personality wise, with them. Some people work well with a drill sergeant type trainer while some people need a more encouraging type trainer. Spend some time with your potential trainer and ask them what their training philosophy is. How do they motivate their clients? Do you like the trainer? Can you see yourself working with them?
These are the four main things that I look for in a golf specific trainer. What are the things that you think are important? What does your trainer do that works for you? What have a missed? Let me know in the comments and we can get a good discussion going.
Until next time,
Brent Davis