COACHING VERSUS TEACHING – A DIFFERENT TRAJECTORY
28 Oct 2015

COACHING VERSUS TEACHING – A DIFFERENT TRAJECTORY

By: Dave Hill, WGCA contributing writer Today, the term “coach” is thrown out there more often than ever, as opposed to “teacher” when referring to whom touring professionals are working with regarding their swings. Aaaah…wrong term, folks! One who teaches the golf swing, but rarely, if ever, enters into a holistic approach to game improvement, is not a coach but a teacher. A golf coach is a “jack of all trades and master of one.” The “one” happens to be golf technique instruction. However, a coach has a broad enough knowledge in many areas to recognize where help is also required. Furthermore, a coach is geared toward working with future or competitive athletes, be it a child, an adolescent, amateur competitor, or touring professional. Coaching is not reserved for the recreational golfer for a couple of important reasons, time constraints and physical constraints. Okay, time constraints one can understand. Career, family, other interests, etc., are factors, but physical constraints? One could perceive such a notion as insulting. Many adults are good athletes, so why wouldn’t one be able to tackle the demands it takes to become a better player if it fits into his or her schedule? Some may, but the easy answer is physical literacy. So, what is physical literacy? Physical literacy is a well-known term in the world of coaching. It covers three distinct movement groups or categories of movement that humans can perform, but more importantly, should perform within key windows of development starting at birth to approximately to the age of pre-pubescence. Most of these key movements can be achieved via simple play time with an introduction to all sorts of games and sports in a non-formal, non-instructive environment. It is well researched that humans learn best when at play, and children love to play. As an adult, we love it, too. Hence, the reason we play golf and many other games. When introducing formal instruction accompanied with one-sport specialization too early in a child’s development, a recipe for failure later on is almost certain. A few exceptions to the rule are body balance and control sports such as gymnastics, figure skating, and diving. We, of course, wish to focus on golf, which involves other skills along with different development timelines and career longevity. Fundamental Movement Categories Stability – Involves balance and body coordination including rhythm, balancing, centering, falling, spinning, floating, etc. Locomotion or traveling skills – Running, jumping, skipping, swimming, climbing, skating, etc. Object manipulation/control skills – Throwing, catching, dribbling, hitting, kicking, etc. What’s interesting is that not only are many of the movements incorporated through children’s play, but all enhance each other, helping a youngster become physically literate to excel in a sport of his or her choice. Without these fundamental movements learned within the opportune time frames of a child’s development, the percent chance they become a high-level performer in their chosen sport decreases. This is why, for those who teach golf to adults only, there are often be many questions as to why two athletic-looking 40-year-old men taking up the game can differ vastly in ability. Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones have never played golf in their lives, yet Mr. Smith picks it up with ease, but not Mr.Jones. By delving into their respective histories, one would discover Mr. Smith did it all in terms of play and sport during the magic years of physical literacy, while Mr. Jones did not. This isn’t assumption; this is science and fact. The moral of the story is when coaching an individual who is attempting to climb the competitive ladder, their physical literacy history is the first place a coach needs to research together with his or her athlete. Please see the diagram below to further understand the magic years for Fundamental Movement Development.  
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POSITIVE SELF TALK
28 Oct 2015

POSITIVE SELF TALK

By: Gregg Steinberg, WGCA contributing writer Serena Williams almost had a tennis season for the ages. In September, she came within two matches of winning the calendar grand slam for 2015. Williams won the first three majors, but lost in the semi-finals at the U.S. Open. Although disappointing, Williams has had a fabulous year, as well as an amazing career. When you look at Serena Williams, you see an amazing-looking athlete. She is extremely fit and muscular. She regularly out-powers her opponents, and according to most experts, Williams has the greatest serve of all time. Underappreciated, however, is her supreme mental toughness. And one of her key mental toughness weapons is her positive self-talk.  A wonderful example of her self-talk process happened when Williams was playing doubles with her sister Venus Williams. They have won 21 titles together, but on this afternoon, they were losing decisively. They needed to grind it out to win this match, but Venus was not particularly focused and looked despondent about their chances of winning. Usually during a changeover, the sisters talked about anything from movies to shopping, but during this changeover, Serena gave her older sister an earful. She said, “Listen, I don’t care what you do on your side of the court, but I’m not going to miss on my side. We will not lose this match.” Then Serena went on to say, “Look, Venus, no matter how you feel about your game, you have to show up at the court, right? You have a choice about whether you want to compete well or compete badly. I’m going to make the choice to compete well. Why don’t you do that, too!” All champions use positive self-talk. All successful golfers use self-talk. They routinely pump themselves up with the right words at the right time. Serena Williams talks herself and everyone around her into a winning mentality. Here are two key methods to help your students talk themselves into becoming a champion on the course: 1. Develop a Best Friend’s Journal. Get a small notebook and call it your best friend’s journal. At the start of every day, write one positive self-statement like:
  • I will have great confidence today.
  • I will have great energy today.
  • I will focus well today.
  • I will have a great attitude today.
But do more than just write one positive statement. Reread them over and over again. Then, when the pressure hits, your habit will be to talk yourself into greatness — just like Serena. 2. Snap out of it. Get a rubber band and wrap it around your wrist. Every time you say something negative, snap it. Then replace the negative thought with a positive self-statement. Over time, you will find your negativity diminishes while your positivity increases. You can keep wearing the rubber band for a fashion statement, if you wish. There is a reason why greatness happens. And it all starts with positive self-talk. Dr. Gregg Steinberg is a professor of human performance at Austin Peay State University. He is the sports psychologist for the USGTF. He is the author of the golf psychology book MentalRules for Golf, as well as the Washington Post bestselling business book Full Throttle.  Steinberg speaks about emotional toughness to Fortune 500 companies, as well as coaching business executives to develop greater confidence and creativity. Please email mentalrules24@msn.com with any questions and visit www.drgreggsteinberg.com.
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VISUALIZATION–PART OF YOUR PRE-SHOT ROUTINE
28 Oct 2015

VISUALIZATION–PART OF YOUR PRE-SHOT ROUTINE

Pre-shot routine is generally seen as the series of events leading up to the playing of a golf shot. These repetitive movements. as the term “routine” implies, are a great benefit to consistent shotmaking. If you know what you did before you swung the club (grip, stance, ball position), then all you are trying to retrieve is what the swing felt like. You must re-trace your steps to build the ability to set up to the ball with a high level of consistency. Also, this routine builds a safe haven that keeps pressure away from us. We end up creating a “window of opportunity” that allows us to feel the optimum time for us to swing the club. I teach my students that visualization, seeing the successful result, is as important as anything else in our pre-shot routine. I ask them to look at the target while aiming. Then, once they are satisfied that they are set up properly, they must have one last look that involves picturing the ball flying toward the target the way they had hoped. When they look down at the ball to swing, they must be within seconds of a very pleasant, successful picture in their mind. In the sales world, it is called the “suggestive sell.” During that sales call, you must ask questions that only get a “yes” answer. People don’t just call me and ask for a lesson. They say, “What time today can I have a lesson?” We ask our students to be optimistic. I ask them to try to think of only what they want. If they find themselves worrying about potential doom, quickly jump on that thought with a “not today, not this time” rebound thought. It takes real practice, and we do not have the same emotions on a daily basis. An affirmative series of actions greatly improves your chances of a good result. Before you play the pitch shot, you walk half way beside the shot and judge the depth. From that, you decide on a landing spot, which is based upon the lie and the club best suited for that lie. Then, you make practice swings thinking about and looking at the landing spot. All of this is a visualization exercise based upon having played this shot successfully before. This is called “playing golf,” rather than just chasing your ball around the course. Before you roll the putt, roll it with your eyes and see it going in, at exactly the right speed and the perfect part of the hole. Give your mind something it can work with. Your nerves will appreciate the mental support, as well. Much has been made lately of Jason Day closing his eyes to see his shot before he approaches the ball. He has been doing this for awhile, but his spectacular success this year has brought it to the forefront. This type of advice, when given to younger people, many times is discounted, so I never miss an opportunity to build vision while practicing and when analyzing a round. Any time a player tells me they are having trouble taking their range game to the course, they get the speech about practicing like they play, simulating playing conditions and visualizing. At the level of professional golf, where everyone hits the ball at a high level, mental skills are a separating point. Optimism, composure, and a mind that paints a vivid picture of success are the intangibles that save strokes and win tournaments. You must VISUALIZE TO REALIZE!  
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GOLF ON YOU TUBE: THE GOOD AND THE EVIL
28 Oct 2015

GOLF ON YOU TUBE: THE GOOD AND THE EVIL

For those of us over 40, YouTube means funny cat videos and crazy athletic stunts. For some instructors, You Tube is a way to market your business and reach out to students you never thought you would have the chance to help. Just as it pertains to other aspects of life, the Internet is a double-edged sword. For the well-connected instructor, YouTube can be a great learning tool, especially when it comes to technical subjects like ball flight, launch monitors, or how to use a training aid. If you have clients under 30, chances are they watch YouTube for help with their golf game. This begs the question: Is this media avenue helping or hurting the golf teaching professional? Most of the millennial generation grew up connecting with technology. Smartphones, the Golf Channel and interactive video platforms substituted for human interaction. For them, reaching out to the Internet for help with their slice is completely natural. Personally, if I don’t know how to fix something, I search for help on our YouTube friend. As we that teach the game know, feel is difficult to teach. Any sports coach or instructor will agree. This is even truer in golf. The key to learning a good swing or changing a swing is to feel what you are trying to do. For the best instructors, that means being interactive with your student, teaching the feel of the swing through engaging them physically. That could also mean devising a drill or exercise that teaches the feel you are trying to create for that particular individual, understanding that every golf swing is different and unique therefore the feel will be different for each and every golfer. So, how can they learn from their computer screen? There are definitely aspects of the game one can learn from watching demonstrations or listening to a well-informed instructor. Unfortunately, I see too many younger players trying to learn technique, or fix technique from YouTube videos. Learning the feel of a correct grip, understanding that the correct grip for each golfer could vary, is a great example of there not being a replacement for a an actual instructor placing the club in the hand. Working with the golfer to teach the feel of takeaway or transition is another example. We could think of hundreds of different reasons why replacing a person with a video is not a good way to learn the game. Of course, anything that brings attention or players to the game is good for golf. The Internet is a great platform to promote the game and for instructors to showcase their talent. The danger comes when the instructor promotes the Internet as a way to learn the game. When using the Internet, I would caution instructors to be careful not to promote their videos as the answer to the golfer’s problems. Use it in well-thought-out ways, but don’t promote it as the replacement for the one-on-one interaction that golfers need.
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YOU TRAIN, YOU TRAIN, YOU TRAIN – THEN YOU FALL APART. NOW WHAT?
27 Oct 2015

YOU TRAIN, YOU TRAIN, YOU TRAIN – THEN YOU FALL APART. NOW WHAT?

By: Arlen Bento, WGCA contributing writer My very talented high school golf team had a setback the other day in a state district tournament. After playing very well all season, we shot our highest score of the season at the worst time. What is it about golf that makes it so hard to play well with the pressure is on? No one is trying to tackle you or disrupt your swing.  No one is calling you names or trying to get you upset.  Yet, anyone who has played golf at a high level will tell you is that their nothing harder in sport than to play golf well when it counts. The good thing for my team is that we did finish second and still have a shot at the state regional.  In Florida, the top two or three teams advance from a district championship to the state regional.  The top two teams from the state regional advance to the state finals.  Each time, the slate is wiped clean, so you have to regroup and find a way to play well. Let me give you an overview of my team.  I am not using names, and I have to tell you that I have really good players. The reality is that other than my one best player, my other four players are 75-shooters.   Now, they are all 1 to +1 handicaps at their home courses, they have all shot under par in events, but on my team, playing tough golf courses under tough conditions, they average right under 75. My best player is ranked in the top five in his class and is averaging three under par.  He is a very good player and is a +4 handicap at his home course with numerous college scholarship offers. All season long, we work on our games, we talk about expectations, we focus on one shot at a time.  We track our stats, we all know we all play better when we hit more fairways and greens, and we get our putters to have a nice pace.  We all understand that golf is hard, and sometimes our games just don’t feel right.  It is the true test of champion players to be able to understand this and be able to accept when the golf game just is not right and still be able to play to our average or better.  Not play great, play well, go low, think that if we just try harder we can turn the game around, just hit driver over the corner, just go for the par-5s in two, or just attack the flag. Even though we know that our game is off, what we should be doing is getting it in play, hitting to the middle of the green, making par and letting our short game do the work. This is exactly what happened to four of my players this week – they went the wrong way.  They just could not help themselves. Now, these are 17-year-old young men, not mature, not grown up, still forgetful and disorganized, so we have to give them a little bit of slack, but if they really want to be great, this is what they have to do. First, they have to let go of the last event and focus on the next event.  Get back on the range, work on the short game, get the swing feeling good. Second, they have to think about their misses from the last event and how they are going to improve their scores by playing golf smarter, not harder. They have to understand that every day on the golf course is different, every day is a new challenge, and that expecting something great is just setting them up for failure. Third, they have to prepare for the next championship with the same game plan that they have used all year: 10 fairways, 10 greens, keep your putts in the low 30s, and see what happens. Start slowly, level, nothing hard.  Hit the driver down the middle, hit the iron to the middle of the green, roll the putt next to the hole at the right pace.  Then do it again, and again and again. If a putt goes in, great, don’t get too excited.  If you hit an iron close to the hole, great, don’t expect the putt to go in; just give it a good roll.  Miss a green, no problem. Chip it close, make the putt.  Driver not working? Go to the 3-wood. Three-wood not working? Go to a hybrid.  Nothing working?  Then tighten up the swing, hit low running shots, and just get around. We play all kinds of training games in practice: no greens allowed, three clubs only, no flag sticks. Every player on my team can break 80 with three clubs.  Every player on my team can shoot 75 with no greens. So, why can they not shoot 75 in a big event with all their clubs? Because they think they are better then they really are!  They think that they are going to play the best round of their lives that day. They all have expectations that are just too high.  Expectations kill great golf! Now, anyone reading this post needs to understand that I am talking about very highly skilled players. Just young, just not ready to play golf with the maturity that the game requires.  But they will. I hope that they listen, stay calm, stay confident, and play with low expectations.  It is amazing what happens when a few putts roll in and bogeys turn into pars and pars turn into birdies – championships! Master Teaching Professional Arlen Bento Jr. is a golf coach, golf sales business owner, golf product developer and golf writer living in Jensen Beach, Florida.   He is a former professional tournament player and is a national award-winning head golf professional at the PGA Country Club at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, FL.  He can be reached via Facebook at www.facebook.com/arlenbentojr or on his blog http://arlenbentojr.blogspot.com or on his business website www.abjgolfsales.com
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BAD COURSE CONDITIONS
6 Oct 2015

BAD COURSE CONDITIONS

If you watch golf on TV every weekend, you will see beautiful golf courses in perfect condition.  The players rave about how good the greens are and how nice the course is.  For most of us, this might not be the case.  Many people may not even be aware that the “tour” courses are closed down for weeks, if not a month, prior to the event.  And most “tour” events are held in locations where monthly dues are extremely high. I recently met with a student who played a tournament on a course that was not in very good condition.  He complained that the greens were bumpy and the fairways were too thin.  If you have played golf at any level, you have experienced this.  I heard a story about the great Gary Player saying that he loved fast greens when he was playing on them; then he said he loved slow greens a few weeks later playing a tournament on slow greens.  When asked which greens he liked, fast or slow, he responded he loved any greens he played on. I told my student this story.  Of course, I also had to add in a few other comments about not complaining and understanding that sometimes golf is not fair.  At the very least, he needed to work on becoming mentally tough, allowing his competition to be the one to complain.  We are all going to show up to an event, either a fun round with friends or a national tournament, and there is a chance the course will not be in the greatest condition.  We have a choice.  We can complain and let it affect our play in a negative way, or we can get excited, knowing a lot of the players won’t be in contention because they can’t mentally handle playing poor conditions.
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