[cyslespitocop]

As people have probably discovered, I'm currently infatuated with the teachings of Shawn Clement (you can find him on YouTube). So much so, that when we were visiting Maine, I suggested a "13-hour side trip" over to Niagara Falls on the way home. The stated purpose was to see a great wonder I'd never seen before and let our kids see it too. However, my real excitement was that it put me two hours from Toronto, so I could drive up and take an in-person lesson with Shawn.

Why the excitement? Because he's done more for my golf swing than any instructor I've ever had in 35-plus years of golfing. His ideas just make sense to me. They're not new ideas, but the way he presents them is - at least to me. Am I a great player as a result? Not yet. However, my swing keeps getting more consistent with every passing day. I feel like I'm not that far from moving from a high-handicapper to a mid-handicapper if I can just avoid some dumb decisions on the course.

But, I'm in the same predicament as you. How do I find a local teacher that teaches the same things? Until Shawn establishes a "Shawn Clement Certified Teaching Professional" program, I have to just try various teachers until I find one I like and that agrees with the same concepts.

So, my advice would be to figure out what the concepts are that you want to learn, and then look for a pro that agrees with those concepts. I don't know if I can ever go back to a pro that teaches club manipulation for example: "take it back more inside...hinge your wrists more quickly....your face is 2 degrees open on impact...etc." I need one that focuses on gravity, momentum and the human anatomy in relation to the golf swing.

Just my long-winded thoughts on where I'm trying to go. Hopefully it helps you too.