3 Mar 2014

BE A PIG, DON’T BE HOG

By Pat Montana, Ph.D Golf managers should educate their staff on the need to be more sensitive to the needs and expectations of potential members and customers. I was invited recently to play golf at the course where I live but am not a member.  My new neighbor, who was anxious to familiarize himself with the course, asked me to join him and a friend who were invited by a member to complete a foursome.  The member advised us that he would be joining us later in the round, and we were totally put off when the head golf professional charged us double the guest fee because the member was not present at our starting time.  The head golf professional was nonresponsive to our frustration in questioning the charge.  He simply refused to listen and charged us an unaccompanied guest fee. Being more sensitive to customer expectations may well have resulted in my neighbor, his friend, and myself joining the club at a later time.  By being limited by management policy in this case, the head golf professional lost us forever.  The guest fee during high season is pricey, but understandable.  Having to pay double this fee brought to mind the old expression, “Be a pig, don’t be a hog.”  You might get more members.
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VIDEO ANALYSIS
3 Mar 2014

VIDEO ANALYSIS

The correct video camera is an excellent teaching aid and an essential tool for the teaching professional.  It provides the ability to freeze the action, slow the swing down, and give added information when diagnosing faults.  But, caution must be taken with our analysis.  We do not want the student to become confused and lose confidence. Positioning of the camera is essential.  The ideal position is at right angles to certain points.  One important point is the hands.  Therefore, the camera should be at right angles and at the level of the hands.   Other camera angles are possible but often require more specialized equipment. The two most used camera positions are facing the student (Teaching Position 1) and behind the student between the intended target line and body (Teaching Position 3). The camera you invest in should be simple to use and compatible with your software for playback and video replication.  It should have features that are designed specifically for high-speed video resolution such as a golf swing. The next step is to review the video by using a software program to analyze a student’s action.  A good software programs offer some of the following features: • Slow Motion Playback, Reverse Motion Playback. • Drawing Tools, Angle Measurement Tool, Grid Tool. • Side by Side Comparison. • Overlay Two Videos. • Still Shot Export/Printing. • Save Videos with Markings. • Ability to Create Video Lessons. • Lessons are created in a format where the student can play video on any computer or DVD player. • Pricing Point that is Ideal for a Golf Teaching Professional There are many fine programs available at different pricing points.  The best piece of advice is to research and be well-informed before investing in any of these products.  Make sure to understand your system’s compatibilities and what your teaching needs are.  Often, the best systems are simple to use and offer less frills than some of the other systems.
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Mental Game: Make every course your favorite, Like Phil
14 Feb 2014

Mental Game: Make every course your favorite, Like Phil

By: Gregg Steinberg, WGCA contributing writer Do you know why Phil Mickelson does so well at the Masters? Bones McKay, Mickelson’s caddy, has remarked many times how Phil has declared his love and admiration for Augusta National. Phil states that he gets goose bumps every time he drives up Magnolia Lane. With the Masters coming up in a few months, this is a teachable moment for your students. A declaration of love (or great admiration) for a course can help your play. Like Phil does at Augusta National, you are psyching yourself up to play well—regardless of condition or difficulty. Joy of a course can help expel any excessive feelings of anxiety. Ultimately, you are transforming adversity into an enjoyable challenge. Let’s take the flip side. You can talk yourself into playing badly on a course or a hole. How many times have you and your students been psyched out of a hole by telling yourself how much you dislike that particular hole? Perhaps the hole did not fit your shot pattern or fit your eye. In either regard, a dislike for a hole decreases the joy while increasing the stress you will feel, usually leading to a poorer score. I know it is easy to find something wrong with every course you play, or letting a hole psych you out. But I would highly recommend to your students to take Mickelson’s mental game lead. Talk yourself into enjoying every golf course that you play. Find something about the course that you really admire. Perhaps it’s the piece of property and its beauty or its unique par 3’s. You should also recommend to your students to find something they like about every hole. It is easy to do, especially if this becomes a habit. When you make every course and every hole your favorite, you will enjoy the game even more because you played so well. (Dr. Gregg Steinberg is the sports psychologist for the USGTF. He is regular guest every Tuesday on “Talk of the Tour” heard on Sirius/XM PGA Tour Radio. He is a tenured professor of sports psychology and has been the mental game coach for many tour players. Dr. Steinberg is the author of the bestselling golf psychology book, MentalRules for Golf, and you can get your autographed copy at www.DrGreggDteinberg.com.)
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GOLF IN THE OLYMPICS?
14 Feb 2014

GOLF IN THE OLYMPICS?

In the spirit of this month’s Winter Olympics, it is imperative we in the golf industry – and all golf fans worldwide – voice our opinion about the individual format for golf at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as recently decided upon by the International Golf Federation ( IGF).  I know I’m not alone in espousing an anti-individual format and would highly revere witnessing a team competition for a host of reasons. I am not going to mince words. The IGF got this wrong, in my opinion. I’ll prelude my position by also stating I don’t even believe golf should be in the Olympics in the first place.  However, since it is a “fait accompli,” a team competition should take precedent over an individual one. I’ll digress. First, to remove a staple sport such as wrestling, a sport dating back to the 1896 Games in Greece during the first modern Olympics (and 708 BC in the Ancient Games), only to replace it with golf, is not fair…although wrestling was later reinstated.  There are also many typical North American backyard barbecue hobbies which are sports with both a wide audience and intense interest level in other parts of the world when played at a high level…badminton and table tennis come to mind.  Another inclusion in 2016 is rugby, and rightfully so, not because it is incredibly popular worldwide (although somewhat), and not simply because of its rough and athletic nature, but because winning an Olympic medal in this sport and the aforementioned backyard barbecue hobbies is the pinnacle for these athletes. Wrestling naturally falls into the same category. Turning back to golf. Is an Olympic medal the revered prize? Is it something a young Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Annika Sorenstam, Suzanne Petterson, Lydia Ko, or any other prominent professional golfer grew up dreaming about winning? Of course not! Now, some may argue today’s professional golfer never had the dream of Olympic glory, for it was not an available opportunity. Nor should it be. Golf has a storied history of revered championships that golfers thirst to win. An Olympic medal may look nice on the mantle, but a green jacket, Claret Jug, or US Open trophy will always glimmer brighter. Take it a step further. A Masters victory offers a lifetime invitation down Magnolia Lane. I’m sure Greg Norman would agree he was blessed with a fine career, but to say something is missing is an understatement, and it isn’t Olympic gold. Without getting bogged down in the political and financial argument that surely propagated golf into an Olympic sport, it is fair to say an Olympic medal is not the “Shangri-La” for the individual golfer. If golf is to gain a stronghold within the Olympic movement, a team competition is paramount. National pride is at stake, as we witness in sports such as hockey, basketball, curling, soccer, and now even figure skating. The Ryder Cup portrays an emotional intensity level not seen in any other professional golf tournament. The President’s Cup falls short in this regard; however, fragments of intensity are apparent. The same can be said for a variety of other golf team competitions, be it in the professional or amateur ranks. This being said, would golf fans tune in in droves to witness Tiger or Phil win another tournament, say the right things, and then have them go about their business two weeks later at the FedEx playoffs? What about Olympic glory?  Forget about it! There is a $10 million dollar annuity, season-ending championship, and player of the year award at stake. The Olympics were great and all but hey, there are other big fish to fry. Would sport fans tune in to watch their underdog nation have a chance against a stalwart golf nation? You bet. The IGF proposed a format to the IOC (International Olympic Committee) for a “72 hole individual stroke play format for both men and women, reflecting the leading players’ opinion of the fairest and best way to identify an Olympic champion,” according to the IGF website. Wow, is all I can say! Here we have an international sporting organization, governed by the leaders of the stewards of the game in the Royal and Ancient, the USGA, worldwide national golf associations and professional golf tours, and they leave it up to the leading players to choose the format? Whatever happened to true stewardship? Should the millions of golf fans and thousands of professionals employed and driving the industry not have a voice? Here we have an opportunity to grow the game in developed and emerging markets, and the decision is left to the top 120 players in the world? Sure, they may be popular, but do they truly know what is needed within the industry and relished by sporting fans? Do they truly understand the weight of their decision? As the competing athletes, I question their objectivity, and the enormity of the decision should not have been placed in their hands. Golf has a competitive edge over many sports in its uncertainty. Underdogs on paper often win, especially in a team format.  We’ve seen it time and again in the Ryder Cup with Europe. Who’ll ever forget the “Miracle on Ice” during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, when the US hockey team won the gold, upsetting the Russians during the semi-final match at the height of the Cold War? A winning team’s dynamic is often immeasurable and cannot be defined. This uncertainty is what can often propel a sporting event and a sport to a different stratosphere. The fact golf has an opportunity to not only be showcased, but to embrace its competitiveness and uncertain outcome on a world stage, is fortunate. It has been given a second chance in the Olympics. As golf fans, we already know who the top players are and do not need the Olympics for further proof. This cannot be said for other sports; hence, the Olympics are very much required for individual accomplishment and glory for many athletes. National team over individual pride for a golf victory would be held in great stead by the players, future stars, and fans alike. Furthermore, the uncertainty of a team victory heightens the suspense. Imagine an emerging country taking on the USA in a final match for the gold. How much weight would that hold in growing our game both home and abroad? Sorry IGF, I believe you missed the mark.  
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