After I give lessons, I ask my students for feedback via email. Here are several of the replys that I got. The only negative comment that I got was from my wife - she said that my hat and shirt colors didn't match for one of my lessons. Oh well.....can't please everyone I guess.

Hi Tom,

I thoroughly enjoyed each of the 4 lessons on putting, chipping, pitching and full swing. You were quite detailed and specific, first dealing with basic fundamentals, then gearing your teaching skills to my specific swing, mistake, problem or execution.

You gave thoughtful constructive criticism when needed, and positive feedback when warranted. I especially liked the teaching drills, many of them in rapid succession, which helped to make the mind and body memorize the movement. I also appreciated it when you told me to stop when you noticed I was doing something incorrectly, take a step back, practice the move as taught, then resume the activity specific to the skill, whether it be the chip, put pitch or full swing. You used a full array of teaching tools as well, which helped to further your point or aid in my development.

Finally, I like the idea of getting immediate feedback, on the spot and through timely emails with all the teaching instruction, drills and tips reviewed so that I can remind myself right after each lesson and copy them for continued reference.

Thanks for your efforts. I will be playing now with more confidence and am looking forward to improved scores.

I will let you know about seeking further lessons. Please keep me on your mailing list if you decide to do further instruction clinics.

Thanks, and my best,
Carl De Luca

p.s. I do not mind if you quote me.

Tom,

Thanks so much for the golf lessons. We have gotten the chance to play and already see a great improvement in our game. We appreciate the individualized critiques through email and are able to watch each other to correct our problems. We look forward to many more hours of playing and improving our golf.

We have truly enjoyed our lessons!

Thanks again,

Chad and Melissa Maniace

Hi Tom,

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you. I wanted to play a few times before I gave you some feedback.

WOW!

What a big improvement in my putting. I am averaging 1 & 2 putts with a rare 3 putt. I have more confidence when I address the ball, whether it is a tee, fairway or chipping shot. I am hitting the ball farther and straighter from the tee. I know now how each shot should be played and I practice doing it the correct way. I really enjoyed your organization and teaching methods.

Your follow-up notes are very helpful. I have copied key points to work on, onto index cards and carry them with me. I also love learning from someone who has a true passion for what they are doing. The best thing is I am having fun playing with a lot less frustration. The great thing is I parred a hole, beat Dick (Sharon's husband) on the same hole and tied with him on 2 other holes.

Tom, thanks again for your time and patience.

Sharon Hartman

Tom,

I want to thank you again for all of the time you spent teaching me how to chip. I practiced all of last week, and then played nine holes with a friend. I want you to know that I actually shaved TEN STROKES off of my usual score. I can honestly say that at least six of those strokes were due to improved chipping.

THANK YOU AGAIN,

Nancy Hoag

Tom,

Thanks so much for your patience with me. I thought you were very professional but also friendly and helpful. I liked the helpful hints and the practice drills - the lessons moved along nicely without being rushed. Also the email follow ups are very useful for me. Reading over the next day what we did and how to improve really helps it sink in. After a little practice I would like to continue working with you.

Thanks,
Craig Yunker

Hello, Tom

I thought your lessons and follow-up notes were great. I especially appreciate the follow-up notes, because not everything is absorbed during the instruction period. I really liked that you started with putting, because in my opinion, as a first time golfer, it is the least intimidating. It made sense to me to progress from the small ball to the long ball. I also appreciated your advice on etiquette at the golf course.

As a professional instructor, you never made your beginner students feel inadequate, and you took our lesson time very seriously. In one instance, I recall a couple of your acquaintances walked over to the practice area where our lesson was being held, and after you greeted your friends, you told them that you'd really love to chat, but couldn't because you were involved in our lesson. I appreciated that.

In all, your group lesson was beneficial to me and I have already recommended you to another golfer wanna-be.

Sincerely,
Linda Risewick

Hi Tom:

My apologies for not responding to your last e-mail sooner. I just finished a week of vacation, and am pleased to say my husband and I golfed everyday. The money for the golf lessons was well spent, and I wished I would have taken them sooner. I can't believe how much I have improved with just 3 lessons (and neither can my husband - he may be e-mailing you also). It has made golf much more enjoyable for both of us.

What I found most helpful was the way you were able to stop me at any point in my swing and correct whatever I was doing wrong at that time. My full-swing shots have increased dramatically both in distance and accuracy. I also appreciate the e-mail feedback and have used your notes to help reinforce what I learned from your lessons.

Feel free to use any of my comments as testimonial. I am interested in taking more lessons from you, although my schedule varies each week. I deeply appreciate your patience. You're an extremely good teacher.

Mary McCarthy

Hi Tom,

When I signed up for your golf lessons, it was because I really knew next to nothing about what I should be doing on the golf course. I found your lessons extremely helpful for all aspects of the game.

Learning the proper stance for each club from the putter to the drivers and how to swing each club was a terrific help for me. I used to stand stiff legged and try to kill the ball. Naturally, I had no idea why it went where it did. Now, when a ball goes left or right, I know what I did wrong, and I have actually corrected the balls flight on the range! Also, I have hit a couple of balls that just sounded different than any other balls I have ever hit in my life. And they flew far and straight. Now I know why golf is so addictive.

Thank you very much for the help. I can actually say I got more from your lessons than I hoped for. Yes, of course you may use anything I said as a testimonial if you would like to.

Thanks,
Dave Reichert

Hi Tom, Enjoyed all the lessons. My chip shots and putting have improved. Reduced my putting to mostly two strokes after on the green. Chipping is more accurate and better loft getting to the green. You are very knowledgeable and have great teaching tools. I appreciate the review of lessons and tips you have e-mailed me. I enjoyed working with you and will recommend you to others.

Dick Hartman

Hi Tom:

I was very pleased with all aspects of your teaching. You packed a lot of information into 60 minutes and the email reteach was very helpful for reinforcement. I also agreed with your philosophy of teaching from the hole back. Everyone got an equal amount of attention and the class size was just right. The putting aids were very useful. You used terminology everyone could grasp and added personal stories of interest. The whole experience was very worthwhile and well worth the investment of time and money. Thank you. I would like to follow-up with a few lessons to cure my tendency of pushing the ball to the right.

Don Hawkins

Hey Tom,

I am very satisfied with my game right now. I want to thank you for all of your advice and instruction. I would like to say that after going to a number of other instructors, you are my favorite. You showed a lot of interest in my game during our lessons and also through email. I really appreciate it. I liked the 3 lesson combo because it hit every aspect of the game for the most part. Another thing that I liked was the drills and tips on how to correct my swing or stroke. You are very organized and professional at what you do. There is nothing about our 3 lessons that I didn't like. Again I would like to thank you for working with me and I'm sure I will be back for another lesson. I just got a letter from the MCC coach and tryouts is a 4 day event starting on Aug. 21st so if my game gets shaky before then I will give you a call. As long as my game keeps heading in the right direction I think I will just continue getting reps on the range and practicing what we have gone over.

Thanks for everything

Best Wishes,
Jeremy Kern

Tom,

Thanks so much for the lesson .....we all enjoyed it. This is my 4th season golfing, so it's been difficult this year, because I no longer can blame all of my bad shots on being a beginner.

You certainly have a gift to teach.......I felt 99.9% more confident with my putting after you showed us a good grip, stance, and approach to the pin. Thanks for the email with tips for improving my game.

Thanks again
Jill Klotzbach

Tom -

Sorry I haven't e-mailed you sooner, we were out of town. I'm e-mailing with feedback for the lessons. I am becoming a very good putter since your class. I have gotten to the point where I no longer fear any kind of putt. As for chipping, I am still adjusting to distance in relation to whatever club I happen to choose. I just chipped in yesterday from about 30feet; I much better at that aspect, as well as pitching.

After taking your 3 lessons, I am much more confident, especially from approx. 100yds. and in.

It was a great lesson plan.

Thanks again,
John Lonergan

Thanks again, Tom for introducing and teaching me to golf. It was more enjoyable than I imagined. Your excitement about the game was contagious.

When teaching me a skill, you were very clear. The feedback was so helpful. It is a tremendous help to receive emails with review notes. I print them out and read them a few times in a day (especially on days that I golf on a course). The drills will really improve my strokes and give me the strength that I need.

I am optimistic about improving. I think by August, I should be golfing much better!! I will call you when I need a short brush up lesson but for now I need to practice ALL that you showed me. Enjoy the great summer,

Kathy Bettors

Last year I was walking off the course with 9 holes at 58-65 strokes. This year has been anywhere from 51-56. Almost 10 strokes off my game and still imporoving. I haven't had over an 8 on a hole in awhile and that is a HUGE improvement for me.

I feel like I know what I need to do. Whether I get up there and do it will be something that comes with time but at least I can tell now when I am doing something incorrectly or when I do it correctlly.

Thank you again Tom for all your instruction, patience and good humor during the lessons.

Michelle Scafetta

Note: the day after her Pitching Lesson - summer 2006 - Michelle called me to tell me she had her first ever hole-in-one. I guess she'll have to teach me that shot! Tom

The golf lessens were absolutely money well spent. It is now up to me to make it happen.

I had played in a tournament a couple weeks back and began to apply my new techniques. It was shaky at best, which told me to get back to practicing the skills you taught me. A comment from one of my golf partners was "I can tell what kind of shot you will have on how you approach the ball." He made me aware that when I applied your techniques, my shots were exactly how they should go. My biggest problem at that tournament was that I was too anxious to hit perfect shots all the time.

Here is my assessment: It is going to take me a while to break my old habits. I have proven that your methods work and that I have to break away from my "sins of the past". The only way I can accomplish that is to practice the basics.

I am in it for the long haul so you'll see me again for more lessons or even a "refresher".

Don't change a thing, I liked your approach and appreciate the extra attention you gave me!

Todd Bender