What it Takes to Become a Jim McLean Instructor

IThe golf instructors at the JMGS are the most qualified and best trained teaching professionals in the world. No other school requires their teachers to undergo the extensive training that Jim McLean demands of his professionals. The process is intensive and lasts between one and two years depending on the individual.

The first step is to simply make it through the interview process and be hired as an assistant professional. This may be the most difficult step of all. They only hire candidates who have a passion for teaching and who have demonstrated the professional skills necessary to be a world class teaching professional. Many of their new hires are young professionals who come from the top private clubs in America. Some of their professionals in training have come from Merion GC, Baltusrol GC, Pine Valley GC, Augusta National GC, The Country Club, Caves Valley GC, The Inverness Club, Scioto CC, Maidestone GC, and Atlantic GC to name a few.

The second step is to spend at least one year and sometimes two years, working as an assistant at one of their schools. It's an extremely demanding year with less than half of the candidates moving on to teaching professional status. It is this time where it seems like you receive your gritty education and in some ways it is golf instructions own "School of Hard Knocks". During this period the assistant will:

Attend two 1.5 hour training sessions every week which are led by either Jim McLean or the school's Director of Instruction.
Complete the rigorous Jim McLean Certification Test. This comprehensive test on The Jim McLean Teaching System takes five months to complete and also requires the assistant to film themselves giving 18 different presentations on Jim's teaching system.
Compete in staff tournaments throughout the year to improve their own game and competitive skills.
Conduct their own golf swing research projects from the school's unparalleled data base of touring professional swings. Jim McLean is an ardent believer in "He who does no research has nothing to teach." ALL Jim McLean teaching professionals are required to conduct research on the golf swing.
Become an expert at videotaping golf swings. This may sound like an arbitrary skill to master, but it usually takes four months of diligent practice to reach Jim McLean's standards.
Video tape professional tour swings at PGA and LPGA Tour Events.
Give impromptu and prepared presentations on the golf swing and Jim McLean's teaching system in front of veteran Jim McLean teaching professionals during staff meetings and training sessions.
Conduct complimentary weekly golf clinics for Resort guests. These one hour clinics provide a stage for the assistants to hone their speaking, demonstrating and teaching skills.
Assist JMGS teaching professionals with private lessons, golf schools and clinics.
Seek out other top teaching professionals and take lessons to broaden their teaching knowledge and effectiveness.
Read books and texts of various golf subjects and teaching styles and give written and oral reports to the JMGS staff.

After successfully completing these two phases, a few assistants will be extended the opportunity to become a Jim McLean Instructor (the first level teaching professional) for the Jim McLean Golf Schools. Moving up to a JM Master Instructor and finally to the JM Lead Master Instructor level requires years of teaching, continual training and the approval of Jim McLean. The Jim McLean Golf School's greatest asset is their teachers.