Blog

3 Mar 2015 Corina Pelloni

Student Assessment: Key Ingredient In The Golf Teaching Recipe

Student Assessment Check List √ Previous golf experience √ Medical issues √ Body shape √ Motor coordination √ Flexibility √ Goal and objective Conducting a student assessment should be part of the first lesson and can be as simple as interviewing and observing the student. A lot of things can affect the way instructors teach and how the student learns. The more the instructor knows about a student gives the instructor the best chance to be successful with the instruction. It has been said many times that no two persons have like swings, and some of the reasons for that may be associated with items on the assessment checklist. Some items on the assessment checklist may interrelate, such as body style with coordination, flexibility, and coordination. Medical issues could certainly impact several of those areas, as well. It’s helpful if the instructor knows if the student possesses a positive or negative attitude, or if the student has goals to achieve with the lessons. The information gathered from the assessment can be a valuable tool for the instructor in developing the approach and methods used in conducting the lesson. The student assessment should be a must-be for lessons and is a good starting point. No more than 15 minutes is needed to conduct the assessment. Let the assessment flow using the checklist, and before you know it, it is complete. You may want to take notes to refer back to. Start the student assessment by obtaining the student’s golf experience. This will assist in determining the skill level of the student; it could be at the beginner, intermediate, or advanced levels. This background information, along with the other assessment criteria information, are used together to structure the lesson plan. Understanding the medical issues the student may have is high on the assessment list. Any medical issues would be unknown in most cases, unless they’re discussed together in the assessment. For example, the student could have limited range of motion in the shoulders and/or knees from injuries and surgeries. Being aware of the student’s medical issues will allow the instructor to design and adapt the lessons accordingly. One’s body shape has effects on body posture, which is an important aspect of the golf swing. Being overweight or underweight may cause changes in the human body’s shape as well as posture. This is why it’s important to evaluate this aspect, because the student’s body shape may or may not allow hip turn, desired spine angle in the swing setup, or a normal follow-through. However, instructors can develop and adapt golf swings for different body shapes, allowing students the opportunity to learn the game. Motor coordination is defined as the movement of parts together, the skillful and balanced movement of different parts – especially parts of the body – at the same time. There are some people that have shied away from golf because they think they are not coordinated. The common response is, “I can’t play golf; I’m not coordinated.” In some cases that may be true, but most people possess enough coordination and actually surprise themselves when they venture into lessons. This aspect can easily be assessed from observations from a few golf swings by the student. From this assessment, the instructor can reinforce to the student that the golf swing doesn’t have to be picture-perfect to play the game. This would a good time for an instructor’s demonstration of various unorthodox swing movements, while hitting the ball, to help prove that point. Touring pro Jim Furyk has done real well on tour with a swing that is somewhat unorthodox and matches no others. Instructors can use various drills to help develop the student’s balance and coordinated movements of the arms, hips and legs to get the club in a good backward swing position and forward follow-through. Every golfer wants to have a full golf swing. Flexibility allows a full range of motion within joints and muscles to execute the golf swing properly. Often, joint restrictions (i.e., tight muscles) in the lower back, hamstrings and shoulders cause the golfer to compensate within the golf swing. As with coordination, you can evaluate the student’s flexibility by having the student take a few easy swings with the golf club. Check the student’s rotary aspect of the swing and get feedback from the student as to where any stiffness may exist. As a result of the assessment, the instructor may suggest the student needs some golf stretching exercises to improve flexibility. The Internet is great resource where the student can get information on exercises to improve flexibility as it relates to the golf swing. Lastly, knowing what the student’s goal is will help the instructor design the lesson plans. The student’s goal may be to break 90 in one year, become a single-digit handicapper, or be able to play the game of golf. With goals there should be objectives discussed, such as improving chipping, making more putts, hitting the driver straighter and longer, etc. Having something to work for that is attainable is a win-win for the student and the instructor.

1 Mar 2015 Corina Pelloni

THE POWER OF POSITIVE

“Is the glass half full or half empty?”  This is a great question for golfers.  We know people who either complain about their golf game all the time or the golfer who always remains positive about their game even when things aren’t going well.  Which one has a better chance of being a good player?  Which player are you?  Which one do you teach your students? If you watched the Honda Classic, you witnessed Padraig Harrington playing some great and not-so-great golf on Sunday.  He didn’t have a great start, but he continued to grind on his game.  After the commentators quit talking about him, he rattled off four birdies in a row to get back at the top of the leaderboard.  Leading by one shot going into the very tough par three 17^th hole, Padraig hit the ball into the water.  It was the one place he could not miss, yet he did.  His double bogey put him one shot out of the lead. Lots of different things could happen to a golfer at this point.  They could lose their temper, they could go into deep depression mode, or they could do what Padraig did: stay positive and focused.  He knew that a birdie would get him into a playoff.  That’s exactly what Padraig did.  He made birdie on the par-five 18^th hole, forcing a playoff.  He won on the second playoff hole, which, ironically enough, happened to be the 17^th hole – the hole he made double bogey on less than 45 minutes earlier. Having a short memory is a good thing in golf.  Golf is a game of misses and you have to stay positive to play your best.  With free will, we have control over our thoughts and whether we want to remain positive or negative.  Once again, is the glass half full or half empty?  It’s up to you to decide and model for your students.

25 Feb 2015 Corina Pelloni

HANDLING TOURNAMENT PRESSURE

I was speaking to a student today about pressure. He said, “My swing won’t hold up under pressure.” He always assumes bad shots translate to his swing flaws. My statement to him was, “I think your swing is solid. It is not your SWING that won’t handle tournament pressure. It is your MECHANICS that don’t stand up to pressure.” Bad mechanics open up a wound on a solid golf swing. They force you to contrive the motion in hopes of scratching out a good result. Most of the time, it is a position we adopt before we ever swing the club that ruins the shot. A good player is on the range and he is deciding whether or not to play you for money today. If he notices a number of quirky or individualistic aspects to your game, he figures that it might be hard for you to play well all day long or when the pressure is on, and decides to give you a try. On the other hand, if your method is simple and free of clutter, it will give him the feeling that you can hit good shots repeatedly and he will steer clear of you. Sometimes, a green driving range mat can be quite useful. When a good player comes to me to “find” his game, I begin on a green range mat. This mat has lines drawn on it that insure the same, correct ball position, alignment, and stance width. Over the course of time, the consistent mechanics begin to heal the wounded golf swing. When you know your mechanics have been the same (and correct) for thousands of balls in a row, you then know the things you feel are correct and worth grooving. Random experimentation makes it improbable that you will ever settle on those things that stand strong under pressure. When our actions, before we ever swing the club, are affirmative and purposeful, then our swing can start to build feel and instinct again. When our mechanics are sorted out, we need to do nothing more than look at the ball and swing. Our mind can lie peacefully and allow our swing to run its course. It is the best way to swing a club, to strike a golf ball and to play golf.

12 Feb 2015 Corina Pelloni

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

When coming back to the game after an absence, managing expectations is very important.  We have all had setbacks in golf; they could be due to a long winter in the north or an injury.  Once we start playing again, the competitive juices begin to flow and we naturally have expectations of picking right up where we left off. It happens to everyone, from Tiger Woods to our students.  It is very hard to manage expectations.  As golf teaching professionals, we need to help our students by developing a proper game plan for their return.  Without a game plan, they will be set up for heartache by not immediately performing to their prior ability. One of my current students, whom I have been working with for a few years, has been playing the best golf of his life over the past year.  His handicap had gone from an 8 to a 3.  Four months ago, he had to have reconstructive surgery on his left ankle.   This was a major surgery that had a great impact on his golf game.  He was not allowed to play for three months.  To make matters worse, the repaired ankle supports his entire weight at the finish of his golf swing.  The closer it came to his return to the course, you could tell how the excitement of getting back had begun to consume his thoughts.  All he would talk about was how great he was going to play, how much practice time he was going to devote to the game, and how he couldn’t wait to start playing in tournaments.  When we sat down to visit prior to his first round, I asked him to follow some guidelines. I recommended that he play the front tees on par 5s and long par 4s, playing one tee back from the front tee on everything else.  I also had him play the ball up everywhere and gave him two mulligans per hole.  At first he was not happy with my request, he was ready to start shooting low scores and beating his buddies. By doing this, golf was free of pressure.  He hit some poor shots without the penalty of having a bad hole.  It was fun.  The shorter course allowed him to swing within himself without putting more stress on his ankle.  The mulligans gave him the ability to redo a few poor swings or bad course management decisions. When dealing with students making a comeback of any sort, we need to help manage their expectations.  This will help their golf games in the short run, plus show your students you are there for their long-term success.