A good golf instructor will have a lot of successful students. This doesn’t mean that every great teacher works with tour players. It simply means that he or she has a number of students who have made significant progress and acheived some of their personal golf goals.
It’s a good idea to ask an instructor who his or her best student is, from a playing standpoint. have they worked with a PGA or LPGA player. Perhaps they work with better amateurs or college players. Do they work with or coach players at the local high school level?
I would want to work with an instructor that had coached someone well beyond my current skill level. Why is this important? Your teacher should help you progress towards your goals. In many cases, a good instructor will recognize your potential to go well beyond what you think is possible, and help you get there.
An instructor that works with good players will see you and work with you on a different level, and be more inclined to see your game from the big picture standpoint. Much as it’s helpful to play with better players, I feel it’s helpful to learn from someone that has worked with really good players. In addition to the teacher’s insights, you’ll also benefit from the insights the teacher has learned from these star pupils.
Asking about the instructor’s most accomplished students can also help you with a believable road map for the achievement of your goals. It’s always easier to embark on a journey that someone else has completed. Ask if the instructor has a student that has achieved a goal similar to yours. See if you can meet that student, and grab some insights on the process. At the very least try to get some information on how the good player got to that level. Every process has it’s steps, and these can be copied.
See if your instructor has a track record of success, and make sure that they have taught some folks that have already arrived at the place you’re looking to go.