-
December 2019 by Sandeep Prabhu
Leigh is an awesome coach! Easy to get along with, and provides great insights that deliver results.There may be 10 things wrong with my swing, but each lesson he'll prioritize the 1-2 high-impact things I should focus on. In the first 2 lessons, I went from inconsistently hitting fat and thin shots to getting consistent ball strike, which I had never been able to do before!He uses slow-motion video capture to analyze your swing, identify issues, recommend solutions, and explains the theory behind it very well.I look forward to my regular sessions with Leigh - getting the coaching, practicing on the driving range, and seeing my game improve over time!
-
December 2019 by Sam M
I've been taking lessons from Leigh for ~8 months now (started w/ Groupon deal). I started as a complete newbie w/ bad habits, and my swing/game has improved tremendously since then - thanks to Leigh's insightful and patient instruction. Leigh is easy to work with and also very encouraging (esp important for someone new to the game). I really like the video recording and swing analysis during the lesson, it allows me to see my mistakes and what I should do instead (when compared side-by-side w/ a pro on the analysis software). The only reason I didn't give him 5-stars is I'm still waiting for the launch monitor to be installed... But all in all, Leigh's instruction has been very helpful and I'm sure it'll help you as well.p.s. I like Leigh's scheduling system for lessons, I can book my lessons months in advance and get reminders via email the day before.
-
December 2019 by Mei Chan
I found my love of golf through Leigh. Before coming to Leigh, I worked with 2 different golf instructors but with both all I got was frustration and was on the edge of giving up.Leigh's superpower is his ability to see through you on the first lesson, and he comes up with a plan that tailors to your need. I was completely clueless when I began to see Leigh, and my frustration comes from the countless things you need to pay attention to and remember in a swing. Golf is such a complex game and requires so much precision! Leigh made this very manageable by helping me set focus one thing at a time, which is exactly what I needed. He always spend the time to explain what is working and not, and along with video analysis, he pinpoints all the improvements needed for a good swing and helped me nail them down one by one over time.I can now enjoy a game of golf with my husband, all thanks to Leigh! He is such an amazing teacher, highly recommend him!
-
December 2019 by Anna Butzlaff
Great instructor. Golf, like a lot in life, you get out what you put in. Leigh gives you the tools to be successful, but it’s up to you to go out and put the work in in between lessons. I appreciate his patience and detailed feedback. In just 3 sessions he transformed my swing, but maybe more importantly he transformed my mindset. Unfortunately, I am moving back to the East Coast and only have 5 more sessions left with Leigh. It not for the move, I’d be a client for life.I also really appreciate how flexible Leigh is with scheduling. Lastly, he’s ridiculously affordable, something we all know is nearly impossible to find in the Bay Area.
-
December 2019 by Phil Chou
I’ve been working with Leigh for about 3 years that improves my game a lot. The way he teaches is not only focusing on technique but also addressing mentality. Leigh is been awesome. I enjoy the classes here with him.
-
December 2019 by L K
Do NOT recommend.Summary: Horrendous / non-existent scheduling system (all done through text messages), instructor who can't physically show / demonstrate what to do, and an inadequate / poor quality facility. Much better options in the Bay Area.Details on why I do not recommend GolfSmarts or Leigh:Terrible Scheduling / Rescheduling Experience:* Leigh does NOT have a scheduling system / calendar to manage his calendar with non-Groupon students. He even admitted this was a huge pain and issue, but did nothing to improve the issue.* Every single lesson I had with Leigh after my initial Groupon lessons was done over texts and resulted in unnecessary time and frustration as a result of his complete lack of a scheduling system. Imagine having to text someone multiple times a week just to nail down a lesson date / time.* We both had reasons for rescheduling that came up, but Leigh was often unresponsive to requests to reschedule / availability for several days* Leigh refuses to take lessons within 7 days of each other, yet didn’t have flexibility elsewhere in his schedule.* 31 days was the longest period of time in between lessons. I received 4 lessons in 2 months despite my best efforts to have them at least once a week. Completely unacceptable for any student looking to improve in golf.* Leigh originally assured me that he would get me in on Saturdays - but immediately after I already paid, it became clear that Saturday lessons would be an exception as he pushed for weekday evenings instead.Does NOT state his no-refund policy until you're actually dissatisfied (and want a refund):* He NEVER even mentioned no-refunds before or immediately after I paid for the package. The only place this is mentioned is on the receipt AFTER you have already paid. Very dishonest and sneaky business practice.* Tried to reach an amicable agreement with Leigh by offering 2X the rate of those 4 lessons compared to the packaged rate yet Leigh refused to issue a refund.* I only received 4 hour-long lessons (of 35 lesson + 2 on-course lesson package) until I had to dispute the charge with my credit card company.Drastic drop-off in quality of instruction:* Leigh gives 99% of instruction sitting down behind his computer desk while he looks at videos of your swing. He is physically incapable of standing for a long time given his bad knees (which I was NOT made aware of when I signed up for the lesson package) and can’t actually show / demonstrate to a student what to do. He'll just keep showing the same video from the early 90's of some random golfer who has a "perfect swing" and tell you to swing closer to one of the pros on tour. Not that helpful.* Leigh didn’t come prepared into our lessons. He gave me some good things to focus on in the first two lessons, but then just continued to ask me to do the same drills with no clear plan of action for upcoming lessons.* He was often tired in our lessons and would state to “not expect too much out of him today”* He spent the majority of the lessons telling overly drawn-out and unnecessarily long stories to get a point across that could have been communicated in plain english.Inadequate technology / low-quality facility:* Camera - Leigh uses a single slow-motion camera from a 45 degree angle behind the student whereas just about every other golf instructor or YouTube video or any "how to videotape your swing" article online tell you to use a down-the-line camera or a face-on camera view of the student. The latter two views are used is because they help pin-point the issue with a student’s swing. His videos don't have sound.* Mats / Net / Balls - the mats / net / balls are all very old. A student has to stand on one mat while hitting off of another and they shift in position over the course of the lesson. The net is heavily frayed. The balls are all very old and are scattered everywhere. They'll leave marks on your irons.The overall size of the hitting bay feels claustrophobic.
