Zach Heusser, 41, has been ranked as a top-20 teacher in California since 2005 by Golf Digest, which also honored him as one of the top-20 teachers under the age of 40 from 2007 to 2010. Heusser is also a self-admitted equipment junkie, and has been a forum moderator on GolfWRX since 2006.

Heusser took the time to answer a few questions from our staff about instruction, his college team and of course, equipment.

WRX: The hottest issue in the golf instruction world right now is the use of technology. Some teachers swear by it, while others swear it off. What’s your stance?

ZH: Technology is great, but teachers need to be careful about how much they use it and what students they use it with. I have a FlightScope X2 and high-speed cameras at my facility, Crystal Springs, but I don’t use them for every lesson. The most important part of teaching is figuring out how each of your students can learn best. Sometimes technology is part of that. But for most of my students, all I need to do is video a few of their swings to get them on the right track. My goal is to get my students playing better as fast as possible. Why would I complicate things and risk confusing them if I didn’t have to?

WRX: What kind of golfers have you needed to use your FlightScope for?

ZH: I always use it when students want to compare clubs, but I wouldn’t say I use it for any one type of golfer. Kids love to use it, as do good players. As an instructor, I like technology because it takes out a lot of the guess work and allows me to give my students facts.

WRX: True or false: There’s a right and a wrong way to swing the club.

ZH: Absolutely false. When I was a young teacher, I worked for Jim McLean, who trained me. He stressed that there are a lot of “right” ways for golfers to swing the club, and I still believe that today.

The most important responsibility a teacher has is not to give their students “the perfect swing,” but to give them a swing that helps them play their best. That’s why teachers should go through an interview process with their students. They’ll learn what ball flight a player desires and how much time they have to play and practice. That’s crucial information for an instructor to know before they look at video or FlightScope numbers.

Above: Heuser with one of his NDNU players at a college tournament. 

WRX: How are the college golfers you coach at Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) different than the other golfers you teach?

ZH: It sounds silly, but the primary responsibility an instructor has with talented young golfers and college golfers is not to make them worse. It’s easy to do, and unfortunately I see it happen all the time. College coaches and instructors have to think long and hard about changing something about a good golfer’s game. They should ask themselves, “Is the risk of this change worth the reward for them down the line?” Often, the answer is no. But for less-skilled golfers, the answer is often yes.

One particular red flag for working with good players is changing the positions of their club face. It’s likely that a young player has delivered the club face to the ball a certain way his whole life with good results, so trying to alter the angle of the face can be devastating, particularly if it’s a big change. On the other hand, I’ve been able to help young golfers improve tremendously by educating them on the relationship between the face and path, and how they can adjust that relationship to hit different shots. Imagine fighting a hook your whole life and not understanding why, and then someone tells you. That’s powerful stuff.

WRX: What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard about the golf swing? What’s the worst?

ZH: The worst advice? That’s easy. If you’re fighting a hook, swing farther right. And if you’re slicing, swing farther left. And that’s not just friends telling friends. I’ve heard instructors tell their students that. Nothing comes to mind for the best bit of advice I’ve ever heard, but I was lucky to have worked for Jim McLean and be trained by unbelievable teachers like Jerry Mowlds and Carl Welty. They taught me that if a golfer is out of whack and doesn’t practice much, it’s easier for him to fade the ball with a club face that’s closed at the top and draw the ball with a club face that’s opened at the top. Carl especially emphasized that in putting, the only thing that really matters is that a golfer can start his ball on line. How he does it is less important, as long as he does it consistently.

WRX: You’ve been teaching full time for 20 years. Is it hard for you to keep up a level of excitement for teaching golf?

ZH: It’s not hard at all. I love golf and golf clubs, which is how I first became involved with GolfWRX. Golf for me is 24/7. There’s always something new to learn, and there’s always another hole to play. I’m also very proud to be a college coach, because it’s very rewarding to help talented young golfers achieve their goals.

WRX: Tell me more about your love of golf clubs? I’ve heard you have a man cave full of them (click here to see photos of Heusser’s favorite clubs).

ZH: I started collecting putters when I was in high school, mainly blades like Arnold Palmer’s 8802’s, 8813’s, older ping Anser putters and Tommy Armour IronMasters. I have also always enjoyed trying new clubs and working on them. I’ve been fortunate to have been with TaylorMade a long time, which is fun because they always come out with great new clubs to play around with.

Above: A few of Heusser’s favorite putters in his “man cave.”

WRX: Is there a right time for golfers to change equipment, particularly better players like the college golfers you coach? 

ZH: As good as fitters are at places like TaylorMade’s The Kingdom, it’s never a bad time for a golfer to make a change. Respected fitters can almost perfectly match a golfer’s old equipment, and in most cases they can make it better. Today’s clubs are so much better than what I grew up playing, and fitters use technology that golfers from my generation could have never imagined. If one of my students thinks that a new driver is going to help him, it probably will. So I never advise against trying something new, as long as it’s been properly fit.

WRX: Thanks Zach!