There Is No One Exact Method For Teaching Golf

By Mike Stevens, USGTF Contributing Writer

I don’t use Facebook nearly as much as some people do. I especially don’t get on to see political opinions. If and when I post, it is light stuff about things I find interesting, places I visit, or to see what friends or family are up to. Despite that, general topics seem to find their way into my stream whenever I do pull up the site. Mostly I ignore them, but one popped up the other day that caught my attention. It was titled the “Reverse Slice Sequence.” Apparently, one can cure their slice in 15 shots, according to the author. They claim a 99% success rate. It may be entirely true and is probably one of many ways to help fix a slice.

What bothered me, though, is that within their promotion they spent much of the time disparaging golf instructors and how they have been teaching incorrectly for years. Told golfers to stop wasting their time with incompetents and get on board with their right-brain method. I helped a lot of people correct a slice over the years, and the reason for the slice was not always the same in each case. People are different and their swings are often different for many reasons. Sometimes your approach must be based on what the person can or can’t do.

Most of the golf teachers I know are pretty good at what they do and not all teach the same, but they get results. If a person wants to teach a certain way and it works, great, but don’t denigrate others that do it differently and have success.

What’s Your GPA?…And The Myth Of Modern Technology

By Thomas T Wartelle, WGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional and Examiner 

Some of today’s golf instructors have gone over the top with the use of technology, terminology, and their claim to science.  To be clear, I am a science guy.  I have a degree in science.  I have always loved mechanics, engineering and science.  However, when you hear or read some of the propaganda that is being promoted by some of the “Top Teachers,” it is almost laughable. The invented terminology about the golf swing would make almost any true scientist or engineer cringe.  This phenomenon continues to perpetuate.  Many of these instructors seem to enjoy listening to themselves expound on their knowledge and their level of scientific expertise.

I have witnessed instructors rattling off launch monitor numbers to golfers (including many Tour players) who couldn’t care less about spin rates, angle of approach, and the D-plane.  As someone who was secretly working with the so-called D-plane over 30 years ago, I certainly am a fan of the science.   I have been involved in several projects on the very subject and was an early proponent (so was Ben Hogan over 70 years ago).  But, in most cases, such information should be kept in reserve and should not be relayed to students or clients.

Brooks Koepka, one of the top PGA Tour players today, recently said that he bought a launch monitor and used it only once. Koepka is an athlete and is known for some serious workout routines. For his golf practice routine, he said that he basically takes his mobile phone and videos a few swings.  Then, he monitors and works on grip, posture and alignment.  That is all he basically works on for mechanics.  If you go to any PGA Tour event, most of the players are monitoring these three things during practice sessions.

Golf is a reaction sport, the same as shooting a basketball, throwing a ball, hitting a baseball, or playing tennis.  If a player tries to think about too many moves or positions, speed and quality of contact diminishes.  With my students, we spend a lot of time on the process of proper grip, posture, and alignment (GPA).  We work on methods to make this repetitive.  All of this happens before the clubhead begins to swing.

Launch monitors are great and I love the data.  But if you ask most golfers, including Tour players, they just want to perform to some expectation.  They do not need terminology or data or the P-6 position.  They really do not care.  They just want a process to get the ball somewhere down the fairway, on the green, and in the hole.

Remember, as golf instructors we must always embrace technology and science.  That being said, temper the science and use it for your own knowledge.  The golf swing is not static.  Work on the swing being more reactionary.  Does everyone have the same grip, posture, and alignment?  Of course not!  Our job as golf instructors is to maximize each individual student’s physical parameters to achieve the best and most consistent results.

By the way, how is your GPA?

As a Certified Golf Teaching Professional® Which Social Platform should I use?

By: Kenneth Weaver

When you consider the vast array of Social Media Platforms it can be a daunting task trying to decide exactly where your Social Media presence would be best suited.

First you need to take a close look at your reasons for having a social media presence. Here are a few of the primary reasons why you need a social presence.

  • Establish credibility with new clients/prospects
  • Networking with consumers & Industry leaders
  • Increase business leads/sales
  • Boost SEO for your business website
  • Competitive advantage
  • SMM Drives targeted traffic to your website
  • Helps you build relationships with your audience
  • Which Social Platform/s should I use?

    That can vary depending on the focus of your business as well as the time and energy you have available to maintain your social presence.

    If your time and resources are limited you should have at the least have a Professional Facebook “Business Page” regardless of your business focus.

    For Golf teaching and coaching professionals:

  • Facebook: Your home base for social media marketing. This is also the best platform for paid/targeted marketing in your geographical region through Facebook ad campaigns. Note: 68% of Americans are on Facebook!
  • Linkedin: Your personal professional page to help establish your credibility and network. Linkedin also offers professional business pages that can be very effective, especially if you already have a professional following.
  • Instagram: Popular platform to share images/videos such as golf tips, feature students, feature teams…) all posts can be easily shared on your Facebook business page. Creating posts for Instagram (IG) is quite easy and time efficient with the added benefit that when you post on IG your post can also roll over to your FB page (one post covers two sites). Your IG posts can also be easily shared on Twitter!
  • If you have the time/resources to take things a step further:

  • Twitter: The top social platform to reach out and interact with others of similar interest. You choose who you follow and engage. The more active you are the higher level of engagement and exposure you will receive. You can easily share images/articles from your website to Twitter with “call to action” links back to your desired landing page/s.
  • If you have products or merchandise that you are selling/promoting:

  • Pinterest: This is by far the best social platform to promote products/merchandise for sale. The “pins” are easy to create can direct traffic back to your website or specifically your online marketplace. With Pinterest you set up “boards” covering various topics related to your business or niche. The boards attract followers and in turn the followers see and can click on your pins that display your products/merchandise.
  • The only reason I placed Facebook ahead of Linkedin is that Facebook provides more options for business in regard to targeted marketing and is a more effective platform for building and directing a large audience (68% of Americans are on FB) to your website. That being said having a Linkedin profile and business page is easy to maintain once it is set up. Facebook requires more input to build your following and engagement but is more effective overall.

    Summary

    Regardless which Social platform/s you choose it is vital that you set up profiles that are “Professional” in appearance and a bio that is well written with a clear message stating what you have to offer perspective clients/customers. Another vital element is “engagement” with your following. Unless you are a major celebrity most people won’t engage with you unless you interact back with them. Show them that you care and are interested in what they are posting. Be responsive and reply to comments that followers leave on your timeline. Take a few minutes three or four times a week and cruise your “home feed” and like/comment on your followers content. This more often than not brings them back to your content! As the title implies these are “Social” platforms and social implies that there is two way communication.

    In Social Media marketing (SMM) it is important to remember that your followers (prospects) don’t want to be constantly pitched to – they want honest informative/entertaining engagement. You have to provide them something of value. This can be by the way of entertaining images/videos, education (golf tips) a bit of humor goes a long way!

    If you want people to follow you, it is vital to present them a unique path filled with value that’s interesting to them!

    Note: This is the second in a series of social Media marketing articles. Be sure and click on one or more of the Social Media Icons at the top right of the page to follow us on your favorite social platform. I monitor all USGTF social platforms and will be posting additional articles through those channels. If you have any questions or need assistance in regard to social media marketing, SEO or graphic design feel free to contact me either through USGTF social channels or directly through email: Kenneth@weaverentp.com or on my Facebook business page: https://www.facebook.com/NetWebWeaver/ .

    If you would like a free consultation session with me you can follow link to schedule: CLICK HERE

    My next article is “Do I need a Website for my golf teaching/coaching business”?

    If you’ve found this information to be helpful please take a moment and click on one of the Social Share buttons below.

    Is Golf Too Hard?

    By Mike Stevens, USGTF contributing writer

    In the movie A league of Their Own, Gina Davis, the star player, tells Tom Hanks, the manager, she is quitting because the game is too hard. He replies, “It’s supposed to be hard; if it was easy, everyone would do it. It’s the hard that makes it great.” The difficulty is often cited as a reason golf’s population has declined in recent years or why people don’t take up the game as readily as some might like. I think it’s nonsense. Like anything that is a challenge, few will embrace the challenge, but most won’t. But in a country of 350 million, a few is still a lot. They say 24 million people play golf. Plenty for a thriving industry.

    Is it too hard? Balderdash! Yes, it is hard, but it was never meant to be easy. The game is supposed to test you. In playing it, you learn as much about yourself as anything else you experience in life. Simply put, golf takes effort, and effort takes commitment. It also requires a desire to be good at it because it doesn’t come quickly. To those few that have the mettle, the game is very rewarding despite the hard. As Kipling wrote, “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, then you’ll be a man, my son.” Or woman, my daughter – don’t want to be politically incorrect.

    The Spring Practice Plan    

    By David Vaught, USGTF Master Teacher and Hall of Fame Member

    With spring comes the excitement of a new golf season. Helping your students prepare for a fun and great ball striking season is a tremendous opportunity to build loyalty and get referrals.

    One of my core beliefs about the game and the struggle to improve is how poorly and unstructured the average golfer’s practice is. As an instructor, you can make a difference in how your students prepare for success. Let’s lay out some simple solutions and a sample plan to get the wheels turning in your mind about how this can be a success for you and your student.

    Most all of us know the difference between block practice and varied practice, but we should do a quick review. Block is the same task with the same club; varied is changing the task and the club and/or shot selection. We also know that golfers hit too many balls, too fast, and then wonder why they get poor results on the course. To remedy that, we need to be specific and direct about what how to practice.

    First, be adamant about stretching and make a very specific recommendations on stretches. If you are not comfortable with this, there is a bountiful amount of information out there. Pete Egoscue and Roger Fredericks are two I recommend reading. The stretches should be specific to their swing issues and restrictions. It should also be short. Time is critical to a good practice plan.

    Second, block putting to begin. Most golfers start with the driver. Big mistake. This should focus on a specific issue, using an aid. An example would be path or face using some sort of variation of golf tee setup or a putting mirror. Again, short blocks of time. The golfer then should practice from different distances, varying with each ball. Short, long, mid distances. They should play the putt out each time.This is the varied practice.

    Repeat this for chipping. Again, varied practice to finish with two different clubs. If possible, do the same with pitching. Block practice to work on the mechanics and then varied trajectory, never hitting the same shot twice in a row.

    Moving to the full swing, the judgment of the instructor is crucial here. Block practice should be very specific and focused on the golfer’s main challenge: low point, face, path or spin loft. The most effective block practice is with an aid or drill that can be used to create a ball strike. This simulates the condition of ball striking as opposed to swinging at air. There is some use to swings with no ball but they are not as effective. Be specific. For example, 20 balls with drill A and 20 balls with drill B. Once the blocked practice is complete, it is time to practice playing conditions. Tee off with the driver, then pull out an iron for the simulated approach shot. Next would be executing a pitch shot. Teach them to go through the pre-shot routine for each shot. Repeat the previous routine three or four times.

    This sample practice should take 60 to 90 minutes. My suggestion is to write down a basic template and then personalize it for each student.

    A golf instructor is not only a teacher but also a coach, mentor, great golf resource and a motivator. Good luck and have a successful year improving your students and growing the game we love.

    Impact! Understand These Simple Principles

    By Thomas T Wartelle, WGTF Master Professional

    There are five human performance factors that affect distance and direction:

    Direction
    1) Position of clubface at impact to the Intended Target Line: The initial path, the curve of the ball during its flight, and where the ball will finish are all greatly influenced by the clubhead position at impact. 2) Path of the clubhead at impact to the Intended Target Line: The initial direction of the ball is slightly influenced by the clubhead path at impact. Path and clubface position at impact influence the amount of tilt of the spin axis imparted on the golf ball.

    Direction/Distance
    3) Angle of approach: The angle of approach of the clubface at impact influences ball flight, the initial launch angle, spin rate, and true loft of the clubface. 4) Centeredness of contact: Shots not struck on the center of the clubface will result in reduced distance. An off-center hit also imparts curvature (tilt of the spin axis) to the ball via the gear-effect.

    Distance
    5) Clubhead speed:
    There are five human factors that influence clubhead speed at impact:
    a. physical strength
    b. body flexibility
    c. swing technique
    d. leverage
    e. neuro-muscular coordination

    A ball struck on the sweet spot will always leave the clubface very near to the direction the clubface was facing at impact. The ball will curve relative to the differential between the clubface and path of the clubhead at impact.

    Remember my expression – “The clubface sends it, and the differential bends it.”

    In summary, there is only one position in the golf swing that has influence on the ball. This is the moment in time when the clubface strikes the ball. The clubface position at impact is the primary concern. The differential between the clubface and the path of the clubhead at impact create the curvature: left curvature, right curvature, or no curvature.

    The ball will never cross the path of the clubhead (unless it is moved by an outside force, i.e., the wind). The ball has no bias and will react only to the forces applied to it at the moment of truth – IMPACT!

    Editorial – Another Unnecessary Black Eye for Golf’s Ruling Bodies

    If you haven’t seen or heard it by now, Haotong Li was penalized two strokes on the last hole of the Dubai Desert Classic for having his caddie standing on an extension of his line of play as he was preparing to take his stance for a putt.  A look at the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psvtcEDvmVA) shows Li’s caddie moving out of the way as Li was walking into his stance to hit a putt on the final hole.

    The wording of Rule 10.2b(4) states, “When a player begins taking a stance for the stroke and until the stroke is made, the player’s caddie must not deliberately stand in a location on or close to an extension of the line of play behind the ball for any reason.” The R&A’s Martin Slumbers supported the European Tour’s ruling by saying the rule does not allow for any discretion by the referee or rules officials, but the USGA and R&A official interpretation says, “There is no set procedure for determining when a player has begun to take a stance.” So the Interpretation, by definition, requires discretion, completely contradicting Slumbers. Some guidance is offered further in the Interpretation, saying, “If a player has his or her feet or body close to a position where useful guidance on aiming at the intended target could be given, it should be decided that the player has begun to take his or her stance.” However, a look at the video clearly shows 1) Li’s caddie beginning to move before useful guidance could be given, as Li was not yet facing the ball when his caddie started to move, 2) Li’s left foot was nowhere near its final position; 3) Li’s putter wasn’t even behind the ball.

    In my opinion as someone who administers the Rules and who made a decent score on the official USGA Rules test, I firmly believe the ruling was in error. And I don’t care if paid rules officials and the R&A say it was correct. The 2019 re-write of the Rules of Golf was designed to prevent goofy rulings like this, but yet again we see a penalty levied that clearly far outweighed any perceived crime – and again, I don’t believe one occurred. I always go by the tenet that if there is debate as to whether someone violated a rule, he likely didn’t. And that’s the way I will continue to make my rulings. It’s time for the all the tours, the USGA and R&A to do the same.

    By Mark Harman, USGTF National Course Director

    As a Certified Golf Teaching Professional® – Is a Social Media Presence Important?

    By: Kenneth Weaver

    I’ll cut straight to the point by stating one simple fact: Your business needs a “healthy” social media presence.

    Having a social media presence has reached the level where it is “expected”. If people search for you or your business and you don’t have a “healthy” presence on social media they often move on to the next business that does. A healthy and viable social media presence should be an essential element of your marketing strategy.

    There is never a “wrong time” to start building a social media presence. With that being said it is vital that your presence reflects yourself and your business in a professional manner. This is especially important in the golf industry (I’ll address this specific topic in an upcoming article).

    A consistent and viable Social Media Strategy can drive credibility and growth for yourself and your business by building relationships with your customers and prospects.

    Five ways a Social Media Presence can benefit your Golf Business

    Increased visibility and awareness of your brand

    Through a consistent and relevant social media presence targeting your “niche” and region will ultimately increase awareness of your “brand” of services and/or products!

    Build engagement with customers and prospects while taking customer service to a higher level

    Social Media provides an effective platform to engage with your customers and prospects by offering online support.

  • Be quick to respond to any concerns or questions.
  • Be helpful and portray a positive image.
  • Be a good listener and make your customers/followers feel heard.
  • Be quick to like/thank/compliment customers/followers when they engage with your posts.
  • Know when to resolve certain conversations in private messages or with a phone call.
  • Truly listen to what your customers/followers are saying. They can provide you with invaluable insight.
  • Build authority for yourself & your business within the Golf community

    Today’s customers have become more discerning when making the decision as to which businesses they choose to patronize and support. More often than not they will look for you and/or your business online. They will have an expectation of finding a professional, functional and up to date website. In addition they will be looking for your Facebook Business Page as well as other social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. This provides you with the perfect opportunity to establish yourself as an “authority” in your niche. Be it as a golf teacher, golf coach or in the golf merchandise business. This is your opportunity to outshine your competition.

    Social Media Marketing is less expensive than traditional advertising

    Let’s face it, conventional marketing (TV, Radio, Print Ads, direct mailing…) can be very expensive and not every business (especially small businesses) can afford huge campaigns. With social media advertising you can get a lot of value for your dollar. This provides an excellent and affordable opportunity to grow your audience. Using social media advertising platforms such as Facebook and/or Instagram you have the ability to reach out to a very specific and targeted market. If you make use of no other social media platform I highly recommend that you at the very least have a viable/active Facebook “business page” presence. I must emphasize that the “business page” presence is not the same as having your own personal Facebook. All posts/content on the business page need to be relative to your business or industry. This is not the place to be posting photos of you and your buddies Saturday night venture to the brew pub (I will address post content in an upcoming article).

    Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms among adults in the United States. According to Pew Research Center surveys conducted in 2018 around two-thirds of U.S. adults (68%) actively use Facebook. By using the Facebook marketing platform you can target your advertising by region, sex, age, profession and interests. This is one of several means in which you can reach out to a large targeted audience within your geographic region.

    Although it isn’t necessary to used paid social advertising to build your brand and find new customers it is by far the fastest means to do so. You always have the option of making full use of the appropriate platforms without the use of paid ads. This can work well if you happen to be someone that already has a personal social presence with a significant following. You can simple invite your current friends/followers to follow your new platforms and start building from there. This is a great approach to use to get started even if you plan to develop a paid advertising campaign.

    Note: This is the first in a series of Social Media Marketing articles. Be sure and click on one or more of the Social Media Icons at the top right of the page to follow us on your favorite social platform. I monitor all of the USGTF social platforms and will be posting additional articles through those channels. If you have any questions in regard to social media marketing feel free to contact me either through USGTF social channels or directly via my email: weaverentp@gmail.com

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    We Have A New Set Of Rules…Big Deal

    By Mike Stevens

    What’s the big whoop about new and simplified rules? I guess it’s human nature to resist change, but anything to speed up play is good, in my opinion. I just wonder why it took so long to get these implemented. The process began back in 2012. Remember the Nike ad – “Just Do It.” Heck, if you’re the so-called ruling body, you should be able to make whatever changes are in the best interest of the game. There were originally 13 basic rules, and except for the one saying you must tee off within one clublength from the hole, they served the game well for hundreds of years. Now, there will be 24, down from 34. They’re going in the right direction.

    But here is the real rub: 90 percent of golfers don’t play strictly by the rules, anyway. Yes, rules are important. As Kramer once said, “Without rules, there would be chaos.”  For tournament play, absolutely! The average golfer is just out for a day with their buddies. I play with a group of guys once a week. Even after a half-hour on the driving range, they all hit two balls off the first tee. It’s commonplace to improve their lie or take a drop for lost balls and O.B. shots instead of going back to replay. Guess what? They use their illegitimate handicaps each week and no one complains about rule breaking in the $5 skins game. So, if I were the King of Golf, the last page of my rule book would say, “These rules are for tournament play. For all other forms of recreational play – do as you please.”

    Virtual Reality Still Searching for a Place in the Golf Industry

    By Ben Bryant

    In early 2016, I wrote about the advent of virtual reality and its potential impact on the future of the golf industry.  Two and a half years later, virtual reality equipment is becoming more and more ubiquitous.  Some of the top holiday season sales are for VR gear from companies like Oculus and HTC.  One of the top movies last Spring was Ready Player One, a film about how VR will soon consume our society.  With VR becoming more and more popular, it’s time to revisit this trend and see how it’s affecting the entertainment industry generally and golf industry.

    Getting a top-of-the-line VR setup isn’t cheap. First, you’ll need a pretty powerful computer to operate the software.  Next, you’ll need to buy the VR equipment.  The aforementioned Oculus and HTC brands run around $350 to $500.  Finally, you’ll need a large empty room devoid of obstacles like furniture so you don’t hurt yourself or break something while playing. Setup is simple. A visor covers your eyes and most of your face and allows you see the virtual world.  A handheld controller allows you to interact with objects like golf balls and clubs and to navigate through menus.  The more advanced (expensive) VR setups include cameras set around the room, which place your body in the VR environment and records the movement of your body.

    One of the most fun things you do once everything is set up is to take a virtual tour of your favorite golf course.  Using Google Maps, you can explore any golf course you want on a 3-D tour.  Having never made it to the Masters yet, my first stop was Augusta National.  It’s an incredible experience to be “standing” on Hogan’s Bridge on No. 12.  Of course, what you’re actually exploring are high resolution static photographs – you can’t interact with the golf course, just explore it.  It’s fun to survey famous courses that I might not have the chance to visit in the real world, but it’s also useful to scout out a golf course I might play soon.  If you do nothing else with virtual reality, this ability is worth the price of admission.

    If you actually want to swing a club, you’ll need to buy a game that allows you to do so.  The top two golf programs are Galaxy Golf and Golf Club VR. The first is a sort of cartoonish mini-golf game where you hit bank shots to islands floating in space.  Obviously geared toward younger players, it’s safe to say it doesn’t create a very realistic golf experience.  Golf Club VR, on the other hand, is designed to be a more serious game.  You play on a realistic looking golf course.  Users can even design their own course and play on courses other players have designed. There are excellent reproductions of famous tracks like St. Andrews.  But most significantly, in order to play Golf Club VR well, you have to make an actual golf swing. Poor swings result in poor shots.  The big takeaway here is that improving your golf swing in Golf Club VR could have real-world impact on your game.

    Of course, there is still a long way to go until VR golf is comparable with the real thing.  For one, the controller could not be more unlike a golf club.  There are users who have attached their controller to a golf club shaft in order to provide a more authentic swing experience, but there’s nothing official from Oculus or HTC.  Also, Golf Club VR is a single-player game, which means you can’t play with friends or, for example, bring a golf teacher into your game for a lesson.  Lastly, the interactive graphics of the game lack the detail and naturalness of the static images in Google Earth.  Overall, these limitations feel like they’re temporary and will be solved with time.  As designers iron out exactly what users want to see, many of these barriers will be eliminated.

    While I was testing out this technology, the primary question I kept asking myself was, “Would a lesson in VR improve my game in real life?”  I think the answer to that question today would be a solid “maybe.”  There are certainly things you could work on in VR that would translate to your weekend foursome, but there is also still a pretty hefty gap to close.  There is, however, definitely a novelty to playing golf in VR.  A few hours after letting my son have a turn in Golf Club VR, he asked if we could go to the range to hit some golf balls – in real life.  For now, this might be the key to understanding how VR is changing the golf industry:  it can help get people interested in the real thing.