From a language-barrier baptism in Vietnam to Director of Instruction at Trump International Dubai, Michael Lane has coached on three continents. He talks simple swings, YouTube myths and arguing with his dad on the range.
Golf coach Michael Lane has taught golfers in England, Vietnam and the UAE. Today, he is Director of Instruction at Trump International Dubai. In this interview, he explains why amateurs should simplify their swing, which YouTube myths he spends lessons undoing, and what genuinely knocks shots off a handicap.
Manchester to Vietnam and now Dubai is quite a journey. How did that happen, and which move changed you most as a coach?
It’s been quite a journey. As a young coach, I wanted to explore the world and different cultures. So I applied to a few countries, mainly in Southeast Asia, and landed a role in Da Nang. It’s a great spot for golf, if anyone’s thinking of going.
That move changed me most as a coach. There was a big language barrier with my students, and I often worked through translators. As a result, information passed through several people before it reached the golfer.
That forces you to keep things clear and precise rather than technical. You learn to focus on the key points. In short, you stop overcomplicating the lesson while still keeping it effective.
You’ve coached in very different parts of the world. Are golfers’ problems universal?
The problems are universal, but the tendencies differ. In Asia, players tend to be really flexible. You see it in their rotation and body control. However, that flexibility doesn’t always translate into control when they make a movement.
In the West, by contrast, you get bigger, stronger athletes who try to muscle the ball. They don’t always have the same flexibility. So it’s often the same underlying problem, just showing up in different ways.
When a new pupil walks onto your lesson tee, how quickly can you identify what’s really costing them shots?
It depends. Part of our job is to look at a player’s whole game, not just their swing. Sometimes we need to examine every aspect to find where they actually lose shots.
If it’s purely a swing issue, such as a slice, a ball-flight problem or a strike issue, we can usually spot it quickly. On the course, though, it’s harder. Players need to open up and give us the right information. Equally, we need to know how to draw that out of them.
What’s the biggest mistake amateur golfers make when they try to improve their swing?
Taking in too much information. There’s plenty of good content on social media and YouTube. Even so, not all of it applies to the individual golfer.
In fact, I’ve had lessons that were really just about dispelling myths people picked up online. The answer is to stick with a coach you trust to put you on the right path. That beats spending hours on content that might not be relevant to you.
Are golfers becoming too obsessed with TrackMan numbers, launch conditions and a technically perfect swing?
Some can be. I’ve been down that rabbit hole myself, trying to get everything perfect. But there’s no such thing as perfect in golf.
Ultimately, it’s all about what the ball does: your ball flight and your strike. TrackMan is great, and it gives coaches real insight. Still, it has to translate to the golf course. You don’t create scores by TrackMan.
What’s one piece of conventional golf instruction you don’t agree with?
There are a lot of fads out there. One I don’t agree with is the idea that more rotation always means more clubhead speed. That gets talked about a lot online.
If there’s a big disconnect between the body and the arms, it won’t create much speed. I see a lot of players spin out of the shot, especially faster players. Instead, everything has to match up. It’s about sequencing, not just turning as hard and fast as possible.
If you had an 18 handicapper for one hour, and your reputation depended on knocking shots off, what would you work on first?
The easy answer would be putting. For the long term, however, I’d focus on getting the driver on the fairway more often than not. Get that sorted, and everything else follows.
What separates the talented juniors you’ve coached from the ones who go on to succeed?
The good ones are always practising, and they know how to score. They also stay focused on what they’re meant to be working on. They don’t chase something that looks better or produces better TrackMan numbers but isn’t relevant to them.
Stick to the path with your coach; that’s how players improve. Scottie Scheffler is a good example. He’s had the same coach his whole life and stuck to the same principles. Stay on the same path while it’s working, and only look elsewhere if it stops.
Dubai golfers have fantastic facilities and year-round coaching. What weaknesses do you keep seeing despite those advantages?
The courses here tend to be quite similar, and quite American in style. If you hit it high and bomb it long, you usually do well, at least until the wind picks up. In England, on the other hand, you often have to play the ball much lower.
So trajectory and shot shaping are things we don’t see enough of here. It’s become a bit of a lost art. Yet it’s pretty cool when someone can flight it low and hit a stinger when the situation calls for it.
As Director of Instruction at Trump International Dubai, what do you want the academy to be known for?
Quality. We have a small team of just four, compared with some other academies. Even so, I’m confident every one of them delivers class coaching each time they step onto the lesson tee.
We’ve just revamped all the studios with new cameras and projectors. We’ll keep adding to that technology, so everyone gets a genuinely high-quality lesson experience at Trump.
If you could spend a day coaching any player in the world, who would it be, and what would you work on?
My dad comes to mind first, purely for the fun of it. We’ve had plenty of arguments on the tee over whatever idea he’s picked up from YouTube that week.
Among tour professionals, though, I’d love to spend a day coaching, or just watching, Rory McIlroy. I’d pick his brain on how he plays different shots and his ideas on the swing.
Give us one thing readers can do next time they practise to make it more effective.
Once you’ve had a lesson and know what you’re working on, stick to those swing thoughts on the range. There should only be a couple of them.
Don’t assume you’ve cracked it after five good shots and go looking for something else to fix. Instead, stay with what you and your coach agreed. Get consistent with it, and only move to the next stage once you’re ready.
Want lessons from golf coach Michael Lane and his team? Contact the academy at Trump International Dubai to book a session.
