[cometgolfer]

Certainly "buyer beware" applies to all things purchased these days, be it a golf lesson or a car. And I'm not saying that certifications alone determine one's level of expertise. However, there is a certain level of pragmatism/trust that has to be utilized, and unfortunately sometimes you do make the wrong choice and you make a change. (My car has to go to the dealer for maintenance to keep the warranty in effect. I have no idea which mechanic is going to do the work, I simply know that the ones that work there are certified so I have to assume they know what they're doing. If they screw it up, then I probably still have to use them to fix it, but do it enough times and I'm going to make a different decision when my car is out of warranty). Cert processes vary in their "rigor", so some are better indicators of the individuals probable expertise than others. Compda - I can't speak to the TGM certification process as I don't know what it is. But I have to believe it's far beyond the PGA process.

As many golf lessons as I've had over the years, and as much as I've "studied" the golf swing, I guess that I've come to realize that the TGM approach is the "real deal". This is a result of making a concerted effort to understand the book over the last few years. I certainly don't have it all down yet, but thanks to this forum (and posters like Mike O and Compda) I have a handle on many of the basics.

That said, I wouldn't hesitate to see any instructor who's attained a GSED or to recommend "the masses" to see a TGM based/certified teacher. I say that because the "average golfer" normally doesn't know where to begin when it comes to instruction and often ends up getting lessons from someone who has little real understanding of the golf swing and why it works the way it works. These teachers simply perpetuate the students' "blind struggle". There are certainly some great teachers who have never opened the yellow book, and there are probably some bad ones who are TGM certified, but if I had to start my golf "career" over I'd have tracked down a "TGM guy" for help.

CG