From an instructor using eyes only to decipher a golf swing to currently having high speed cameras, launch monitors and force plates, the last 20-25 years have really changed how golf is being taught.
Some of the so called “absolutes” in golf have been proven wrong with modern technology. How the golfer’s body needs to work, how the golf club swings and the shaft influences during the swing are all being addressed more accurately today than every before.
Concerning the beginner, teaching the golfer to play from a short distance (up tees) and adding length to the hole as they progress, has been a great change in philosophy. But like everything else, the good instructors have been using what they know, what they have access to and explaining the same concepts in different ways in order to get the student better! I haven’t done this topic justice, as we can go down many different paths and touch many different talking points but it is a nice topic of discussion!