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1 Jul 2012 Corina Pelloni

The Game Doesn’t Need Better Golfers – It Needs Better Putters

The saying in the headline is attributed to humorist Will Rogers. He could not understand how a person could hit a ball from 150 yards and end up three feet from the hole, but then miss the ensuing putt.

He must not have been a golfer.

Putting has been the bane of golfers for centuries. Has there been any club more invented, re-invented, and discarded than the flat stick? For such a simple tool, there has also been plenty of controversy. In 1904, Walter Travis won the British Amateur using a center-shafted Schenectady putter. Shortly after, the R&A banned the putter from use, although there is no proof that the putter was responsible for his win. More likely, it was the fact that he was the first American to capture the coveted trophy. Sam Snead used a face-on croquet style putter, which was banned from competition in 1967.

Today, the rub is concerning the long putter. People want it removed from the game. The USGA is evaluating its use and just might send it to the trash heap. I say lighten up. I have seen just as many short putts missed with long putters as with standard ones. If my friends are any indication, like most people, the stick will be used until they miss a few putts, and then it’s on to the next model that feels good on the golf-conglomerate-store carpet. One of my buddies has a new putter every other week. Putting is such a mental thing that people would use a palm frond if they thought it would make a difference.

So, I say, let them be. As long as everyone has the ability to use one, it is okay by me. There is no advantage if the putter is readily available to all competitors. Besides, some people are just better putters than others, no matter what is in their hands.

Keeping Juniors in the Game

By Imogen Reed, Contributing Writer, United States Golf Managers Association As a golf club manager, you will be aware of the boom in junior golf memberships, and while some children are wielding clubs at the age of three (Tiger Woods was allegedly only nine months old when his father cut a golf club down to size, allowing him to swing the ball into the net, http://www.gardenofpraise.com/ibdtiger.htm), it is probably only from age five onwards when lessons will be able to add real value (http://www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/Golf/Forums/Forums/Categories/Topic/?&topic-id=11614). Golf provides juniors with a grounding and understanding that it is a social game with solid rules of conduct and proper etiquette. Being part of an established club, mixing with adults, and learning how to respect other people is a fundamental challenge in today’s society, where anti-social behavior and lack of discipline is prevalent. As the club manager, you are directly playing a key part in the child’s development, and there are a few areas which should be considered in providing them with the tools they need to excel in the sport. Attire – Perhaps consider if it’s best for juniors to follow a strict dress code. If they need to be outfitted in a uniform from a leading brand name and socks which must be of a particular color, this can exclude children from less well-off families. For the long-term sustainability of membership and development of the game, consider if you can do a deal with a local supplier to provide outfits for your youth members. Similarly, with membership fees (which usually cost less for juniors), sponsorship or a financial support program will be a welcomed inclusive approach. For parents with increasing living costs and growing demands of children, this initiative could make the game of golf far more accessible to a wider junior audience. Development – It is only through practice that a child will become better at the game. It goes without saying that lessons should be readily available, possibly at a reduced rate for the younger player. Golf clubs are responsible for providing a variety of tournaments, lesson programs, and competitions to their members. A junior committee will provide the young members with a sense of responsibility and inclusion. It will also indicate if and how their requirements are being facilitated by the current activities offered by the club. Possible areas for consideration include local area or interstate club competitions, tournaments, and overseas tours. Affiliations with local schools and colleges will introduce new members to the club and also drive recognition in community involvement. Considering that most juniors will be in school on a Monday to Friday basis, this leaves just evenings and weekends in which to play, so ensuring the course is reserved for certain periods during these times would be useful for the junior section. Four-ball competitions, with each couple comprising a senior and junior golfer, is a good way to provide mentor support to the juniors while also keeping the seniors feeling youthful! Diversity – Continuing along the lines of being an inclusive club, providing individuals with a disability the opportunity to participate in the game of golf will set your club aside from the rest. Club managers should review their facilities to ensure that all individuals can have access to the sport without exception. Golf for Autistic Children in America (www.gfaca.org) supports autistic children to develop their life and social skills in order to achieve a higher level of independence. Golf is a vehicle for facilitating their journey and provides parents with an outlet for their child to show achievement, acquire social skills, and feel an integral part of society. Technology – The juniors will probably be more technically savvy than most, and therefore it is imperative that your club’s IT offering is up-to-date and ahead of the game. Include a junior section on the website, be up-to-date with social media, create a club blog to post latest news about the sport, perhaps develop an online swap-shop, provide discount vouchers from affiliate golfing retailers, and establish live on-line chats with local teaching professionals. With this fast emerging growth segment being the future for the sport, it is considered imperative that junior golf is encouraged, as it will provide a lucrative source of revenue for the golf club for years to come. Therefore, all golf club managers should be making sure that their golf club is truly child-friendly.

The Importance Of Interaction By The Professional Instructor

Of the many components that make up good golf instruction, the most overlooked has to be the instructor’s ability to key in on the way people learn. A vast majority of golfers try to learn verbally. In the worst-case example, they listen to their friends and relatives spew out “tips” and try to take the spoken word and translate it into a physical movement.

Many years ago I heard a great quote from the Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth, winner of an amazing 74 LPGA tournaments: “Golf, unlike most sports, has a number of clichés, often disguised as ‘tips.’ My advice is, watch out!”

I never hear the word “tip” without thinking of her. Unfortunately, most golfers don’t apply every day common sense to golf. Can you really learn any complicated movement by just listening to someone describe it to you in their own words? Revisiting the ways we learn, verbal learning is the least effective. Golf is way too full of verbal, ineffective tips and clichés, which, more often than not, are simply poor or even detrimental pieces of advice.

Above verbal learning we would place visual learning. Visual learning is much better than verbal, but still not very effective for most. Demonstrating a movement or position would be an example of teaching visually. Studies have shown older adults lose the ability to learn visually. It can be effective when teaching kids and very specific learning types.

Physical (kinesthetic) learning is by far the most effective. Since that fact is so well established, what does that teach us as golf instructors? The lesson here for the teacher is to be interactive. Find ways to help your students feel the improved or new motion. Help them swing the club. It’s that easy.

Why don’t more teachers do it? That is a question I have asked myself thousands of times. I am still without an answer. Perhaps it is the hesitation to invade someone’s space. If this is the stumbling block for the teacher, it is imperative that they get over that hurdle. Students want to feel the correct motion. Trust me, they do! Engage your students professionally from a physical standpoint and you will be amazed at how much faster they improve. They want to feel the correct static position, as well. Physically help them grip the club. Move their shoulders to square. Interact, period.

Observing so many great teachers of the game over the years, it is striking to see how different they interact with the student compared to the average new instructor, or even with coaches in other sports. Professional football and basketball coaches constantly teach kinesthetically. Some use very little verbal instruction, only talking as they physically help their student.

Go to an NFL training camp and watch the offensive and defensive line coaches. Ever notice how crazy some basketball coaches get on the sideline when one of their players sets a pick incorrectly? They are dying to go out on the floor and physically correct the player. I personally witnessed a great example of kinesthetic teaching in 2008, watching Hall of Fame basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski physically show NBA superstars how he wanted them to defend a certain play during a practice, moving each player into position and physically showing them the proper foot and body movement.

These were NBA millionaires, at the most elite level of their sport.

To watch the contrast of the challenged golf teacher standing 10 feet away from their student, trying to verbally describe the grip to a new 60-year-old female golfer, is quite eye-opening. Another situation taught me the value of teaching feel: Teaching golf in a foreign country and having the students not know my language. To make it more challenging, I couldn’t speak their language either.

After 28 years of teaching, if I was only able to give one piece of advice to a new teacher, it would be to “teach feel.” Golf is a game of feel, and if you don’t teach it to your student, no one will.

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