Blog

13 Aug 2009 admin

Strategies On The Lesson Tee

Photo by robotographyBy John Savage USGTF Level IV Member and Course Examiner, Langhorne, Pennsylvania There are a lot of unspoken expectations when a student first comes to you for a lesson. The student sees you as the golf professional, teacher, and expert. How you use your expertise is very important in developing success for your teaching profession. Students expect that people who have developed expertise in particular areas (such as the golf swing) are, by definition, able to think effectively about problems in those areas. Understanding expertise is important because it provides insights into the nature of thinking and problem solving. Research shows that it is not simply a series of general abilities, such as memory, intelligence, or the use of general strategies, that differentiate experts from novices. Instead, experts have acquired extensive knowledge which is influenced by what they notice and how they organize, represent, and interpret information in their environment. This in turn, affects their abilities to remember, reason, and solve problems. Expertise in a particular area does not guarantee that one is good at helping others learn it. Expertise can sometimes hurt teaching because many experts forget what is easy and what is difficult for the students. The idea that golf teaching professionals observe features and patterns that are not recognized by novices is potentially important for developing observational skills. The beginning teacher will normally focus on the outcome of the swing movement, and not on how the action is being performed. The experienced professional will direct his attention towards a systematic approach to solving the movement problem. GOLF INSTRUCTORS: have varying levels of flexibility in their approach to new situations; organize the information in ways that reflect an understanding of the subject matter; are aware that knowledge reflects contexts of applicability; can flexibly retrieve important aspects of their knowledge with little intentional effort; observe movements and patterns not recognized by the non-professional. Some students seem naturally enthusiastic about learning, but many need and expect their instructors to inspire, challenge, and stimulate them. Effective learning during a lesson depends on the teacher’s ability to sustain the interest that brought the student there in the first place. Whatever level of motivation your student brings to the lesson tee will be transformed, for better or worse, by what happens during the lesson. Unfortunately, there is no single magic formula for motivating students. Many factors affect a given student’s motivation to work and learn: interest in the subject matter, perception of its usefulness, general desire to achieve, self-confidence and self esteem, as well as patience and persistence. Here are some things you can do to help students maintain their level of motivation to improve: give frequent, early, positive feedback that supports their belief that they can do well; assign tasks that are neither too easy nor too difficult; help students find personal meaning and value in the information given; create an atmosphere that is open and positive. Ask for and get feedback; involve students in discussion techniques. This fosters retention. Using only lecture techniques inhibits learning to a great degree. It is very important to make an effort to get the student to think during the lesson. For playing effectiveness, help everyone to think for themselves – while learning and when practicing. Get them to think about what they do. The student will always spend more time practicing or playing than they will spend with you on the lesson tee. To promote thought, you must embrace silence. Allocate time for the student during the intervals between hitting and reflection. As the student collects the information given, they primarily use two sensory tools: visual and kinesthetic. They should be able to tell you what it feels like to them. Ask how they interpret the information given. What does the information mean to them? Sometimes, a correction on one side of the body affects a movement on the opposite side. Ask, “What did you feel as you moved through the ball?” The flight of the ball is immediate feedback to the student. Use your knowledge of the ball flight laws as an asset. Help the student analyze your plan for their improvement. Nothing you do should be a big change. Think of it as an upgrade rather than a complete change. Upgrading the total lesson experience means identifying which part of their stroke is underperforming. Fix that part of their swing, and stay with the correction until the student can perform the movement correctly. Before you make a modification, try some self-reflection. How would you, as a player, correct the movement error? What swing mechanics would you use that are similar to the student’s? Through your interpretation, how would you get them to think about what they need to do? The amount of information a person can attend to at any one time is limited, and the information given should be based on the level of competence of the player. Use the art of questioning much more frequently than lecturing when teaching. Reinforce that you care about their progress. Near the end of a lesson, say something like this: “I’m available for a few extra minutes. Do you have time?” If they have not signed up for a series of lessons, as you shake their hand and thank them for the lesson, add, “Next time I see you, provided I have that opportunity, we will help you with…”

13 Aug 2009 admin

Shareable Quotes

Photo by nsaplayer“The World Golf Teachers Federation, especially here in Holland, has become too strong a force to continually be denied its progress of growth by many of the game’s monopolistic entities of the past.” – Edward Verstraten, Dutch Golf Teachers Federation, on the DGTF’s recent court victory over NGF Holland, which only permitted PGA members the right to teach the Dutch public in order to achieve golf’s mandatory “green card.” This card allows golfers in Holland official permission to play at public and private courses. “It fills me with an enormous sense of well-being, plus I discovered a long time ago that I enjoyed being good at something.” – Deiter Lang, president, German Golf Teachers Federation, when asked why he enjoys the golf teaching profession. “One of my keys to success in this business is that I make a point not to over-teach. The problem with over-teaching is that it creates tension, which in turn entirely shuts down the learning process.” – Ricky Campbell, USGTF Level III member, Trinidad, in response to the question as to why his instruction programs in Trinidad were always so well attended. “Aside from the well-intentioned but harmful offering of too much information, the answer would definitely be the use of the word don’t. This is a double negative and should always be replaced by words such as ‘try not to,’ ‘try to avoid doing,’ or, ‘let’s replace this particular action with something that looks like this (demonstration).’” – Bob Wyatt, Jr., USGTF course examiner, when asked in an interview with “Metropolitan Tee Times” in Denver, what he felt was the most common error among lessexperienced teaching professionals. “When at the top of the swing, most people want to pounce upon the ball with uncontrolled fury. The key is the leisurely start down, which provides for a gradual build-up of speed without disturbing the balance or timing of the swing.” – Bobby Jones, when asked what he felt the key was to hitting long straight drives.

13 Aug 2009 admin

Boosting Your Teaching Business

Photo by Steven WilkeYou’ve done it. You’ve passed the USGTF certification course, you get hired at a driving range or golf course as the head teaching professional, and you can’t wait to get started. You hang out your shingle and wait for the students to come… except that they don’t come in the numbers you envisioned. What’s going on here?. There are certain locations where all you have to do is hang out the proverbial shingle and students will come. If you are teaching at such a place, you are fortunate. However, most teachers will have to pursue students to maximize their lesson revenue. The most obvious place to start is with the hometown newspaper. Most of them have a golf column in the sports section. Contact the golf writer and let him or her know that you are now a teaching professional at your facility, and see if the writer will do a story about you. Almost all will, as they often have to search for content for their columns. If you offer the writer a free lesson, you may just get a very detailed and glowing review. Summer junior camps and clinics often produce great revenue. Depending on where you’re at, in terms of region or facility, you can earn a much greater amount doing camps than regular individual lessons. For example, if you offer a three-day junior camp from 9 AM – 12 noon, charge $150 and get 10 kids, you just earned $1,500 for nine hours of your time. Even if you pay an assistant $100 per day to help you, that’s still a pretty good hourly rate you just earned. To promote your junior camps, drop off some brochures at area schools. The administrators will be glad to pass them on to their students. Adult clinics can also deliver added revenue. Twenty dollars for a one-hour clinic is not unreasonable in many areas, and just 10 people produce $200 for that one hour of your time. Unlike junior camps, a clinic ratio of 10 students per teacher is not out of line. Clinics are not fullblown lessons. If there is a charity scramble event in your area, show up with your video equipment and offer a free five-minute swing analysis. The analysis should involve detection of the main error with a comment along the lines of, “You need to fix that.” At that point hand them your card and tell them you are available for lessons. Area companies sometimes put out a monthly or quarterly employee bulletin. Advertise in these. Giving a talk to a civic group can pay dividends, too. Finally, there is nothing wrong with introducing yourself to people on the lesson tee. Some teachers like to offer a quick free tip, but if your tip works, then there is no point in taking a paid lesson from you. Just let them know who you are and hand them a business card, while perhaps asking them some questions about themselves. Don’t sell yourself too hard when using this technique. There are many ways to drum up teaching business, too many to list in the scope of this article. The above suggestions have all been utilized successfully in the real world. Take action beyond just waiting for students to come, and you should find yourself with more business.

13 Aug 2009 admin

Scoring Eagles

Photo by cmikedDriving Results in Golf, Business, and life. The great game of golf teaches us exceptional lessons to improve our performance in the games of business and life. Scoring Eagles! is an entertaining book for business leaders who like to play golf. It is a unique tale that helps business drivers apply lessons from golf to improve their results in business…told on the golf course! It shares strategic insights to improve their golf games, achieve business success, and even improve their personal lives. Max Carbone is the author of Scoring Eagles! He has been a CGTF and USGTF member since 1998, and was the 2000 North American Golf Teachers Federation champion. Max works as a strategic planning expert who helps businesses develop and execute winning game plans. Max is an expert on strategy, leadership and team performance. He has an MBA, is certified to conduct behavioral assessments, hypnosis and ski instruction. Past clients include companies like Adidas, Nike, Coca-Cola, Molson’s, TD Bank, AT&T, Young Presidents Organization, and many more. For USGTF members, Scoring Eagles! can be purchased from Max at the wholesale cost of $10 per book plus shipping. Max is keen to work with USGTF members to deliver winning company strategic planning retreats with a team golf game and instruction. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Max at max@teamworksweb.com or (416) 721-6359.

16 Jul 2009 admin

Keeping Pace with Modern Golf Technology

Photo by Somewhat Frank HERE’S WHAT TODAY’S EQUIPMENT CAN DO FOR YOU By Jeff Jackson USGTF Level III Member, Columbus, Ohio, Powerbilt Golf They say you can’t buy a better game. That certainly is true to some degree. Being golf instructors, we know that instruction and practice are the keys to game improvement. But, even with all the lessons and range time in the world, if a player’s equipment doesn’t include current technology, they’re likely giving away a couple of shots a round. Let’s go through the bag and see how modern technology can help your students play better golf. Today’s drivers are arguably the most technologically- advanced clubs in a player’s set. Virtually all drivers max out at the current USGA size limitation of 460cc’s. This large size allows the club to be more stable, especially on off-center hits. The 460cc size also allows designers to create thin faces, which leads to faster ball speed and longer distance. Nearly all of today’s top drivers max out the COR/CT test as put forth by the USGA, but various face technologies can help a player find spin and launch characteristics that provide optimum launch and distance. You’ve probably noticed that driver shapes have changed dramatically over the past couple of years. The shape changes create specific centers of gravity that influence ball flight. For example, square shapes increase moment of inertia (MOI) and tend to help a player hit the ball straighter. Triangular shapes move the CG rearward, tending to increase initial launch angle, while more traditional shapes allow a better player to draw or fade the ball to fit certain shot requirements. Clubs with adjustable weight configurations are designed with them to influence right-to-left or left-to-right ball flight, depending upon weight placement. Unless you’ve not been paying attention to equipment at all, you know that driver shafts play a key role in the club’s performance. Modern shaft designs make it possible to help a player hit the ball higher or lower without a swing change. High kick-point shafts, also known as lower launch models, are generally best for faster, more aggressive swingers of the club, while high launch (low kickpoint) shafts help slower swingers get the ball airborne more easily. A launch monitor fitting will help a player determine not only which head design and shape he or she hits best, but will provide shaft information that matches flex and launch factors to a player’s swing. When it comes to irons, technology hasn’t changed nearly as quickly as with drivers. That said, for most players, a perimeter-weighted club is a good choice. Most tour pros now play cavity-back models; that should tell you that most of your students should, as well. Look at where most of the weight is on an iron head. If it’s nearer the sole, the CG is lower and the ball flight will be higher. If it’s more on the heel and toe, the club will have a higher MOI and tend to be easier to hit straight. A new technology on the scene when it comes to irons is vibration dampening material. Several irons on the market incorporate a rubber or polymer material in the cavity to dampen vibration and improve feel. Regardless of what iron design you recommend for a player, those irons should be dynamically fitted by a professional to determine the proper lie, length and shaft flex which will lead to lower scores. Wedges have undergone some radical changes of late. Many of the popular wedges in today’s market have milled faces to create more backspin. Some of these wedges have pushed the groove depth and width rules to the maximum, again to create the highest possible spin rates. Various sole grinds are available to allow a player to open the club face without increasing the bounce on the club, making it less likely the player will “skull” a shot. When recommending wedges, look for consistent gaps between the pitching, sand, gap and lob wedges. Doing so will ensure consistent yardage distances between clubs. Clubs stamped with the word “Wedge” or the letter “W” in some form or another range in loft from less than 50 degrees to more than 64 degrees. Double checking the loft of the wedges in your student’s bags will surely help to improve their shorts games. A check of modern putters will find designs that look traditional and some that look as if they came from outer space – in fact, one company produces a putter in the shape of Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise! Putters with weight on the heel and toe, known as “Anser-type” putters, tend to be more stable on off-center hits and are the types of putters found in the bags of the best golfers in the world. Larger, more uniquely shaped putters move the CG of the head to promote a smoother stroke, more resistance to twisting, or just a “different” look. A company under the name “Heavy Putter” markets a custom-fitted putter that weighs almost twice as much as a typical putter; their idea is that heavier weight promotes a more consistent stroke. Just as with any other clubs, it is important to make sure your students’ putters are matched to length, lie, loft and preferred head shape in order to maximize performance. Another aspect of today’s technology that allows game improvement almost immediately is the choice of hybrids for a set. Hybrids bridge the gap between fairway woods and long irons. In fact, there are sets that are completely hybrid-based. Hybrids have specific centers of gravity to make it easier to get the ball in the air for most players. Often, their sole design makes them more effective from the rough, as well. The final piece of today’s game improvement technology is set makeup. By choosing the proper combination of clubs and lofts, each club will then perform a designated function with a consistent distance result – something from which all players will benefit. Modern club technology can reduce a player’s score; there is no doubt about that. Can that technology alone maximize a player’s game improvement? No way. The combination of quality instruction and sound equipment choices guided by the teaching professional will yield the greatest player improvement possible. High MOI triangular drivers, cavityback vibration-dampened custom-fitted irons, deep-grooved milled-face wedges, and futuristically shaped putters are all key factors in game improvement, and with your guidance, they are almost sure to lower your student’s scores!

2 Jul 2009 admin

4 C’s That Can Turn Your Student’s Game Around

Photo by Monster. By John Andrisani USGTF Level III Member and Contributing Writer, Vero Beach, Florida “Ive been playing golf for 50 years, and what never ceases to amaze me is how, from time to time, I’ll meet a player who, though not great by any sense of the imagination in any shotmaking category – from driving to putting – manages to bring home the trophy in both the club’s match play and medal play yearly championships. These days, when I watch this type of golfer in action, I’m reminded most of Padraig Harrington. Not one department of Padraig’s game seems to stand out. For this reason, until his more recent major victories at the British Open and PGA, he was one of those players who never really got mentioned on the Golf Channel prior to a major when so-called experts always try to predict a winner. Having said that, Padraig continues to win on both sides of the Atlantic, and with his 2008 major victories, proved that there is more to winning than hitting the ball powerfully. Gary Player played a similar game to Padraig. Both hit solid, accurate drives, good iron shots, share excellent short games, and putt well a lot of the time, but again, neither player possesses exceptional Tigerlike shotmaking qualities that stand out. So, what is it about Player, Harrington, and that fellow player at your local club that brings him into the winner’s circle time after time? The success of these players has to do with qualities outside the shotmaking realm, namely possessing the four C’s: Confidence, Concentration, Courage, and Common Sense. So, let me review these qualities common to major championship winners and taught to me originally by Seve Ballesteros, who, though anything but an accurate driver of the ball, still won major championships. My suggestion is that you pass the four C’s you are about to learn onto your students, who should be looking for new ways to beat the course and emerge a winner without having to do anything special, shotmaking wise. CONFIDENCE The best dictionary definition of confidence is “full trust.” Applied to golf, that means essentially this: When a player thinks he’s going to hit a good shot, he usually will, provided, of course, that his positive attitude is realistically based on a fundamentally good swing and at least a fairly good shotmaking ability developed through regular and rigorous practice. The harder you prepare for anything, the higher your level of confidence about it, thus, the less pressure you feel and the better you perform. Convince your student to relate this work ethic to practicing golf, as all fine players do, and that student will definitely begin to play the game with a more positive attitude about hitting the shots it takes to be a winner. CONCENTRATION If you determine that your student tends to joke around too much or talk too much in between shots, and you notice that these lapses hinder his or her powers of concentration, encourage them to be less like Lee Trevino and Fuzzy Zoeller and more like Gary Player and Padraig Harrington. In short, give them tips to get them into the game and enable them to stay in the game. For example, encourage the student to get into the game by concentrating hard on picking out a target and imagining a good shot hitting that target before swinging. Encourage them to stay in the game by imagining circular targets in the fairway on tee shots and on the greens on approach shots and to count how many times during a round they can hit the bull’s eye. COURAGE Many golfers, pro and amateur players alike, fail to live up to their full potential because they never learn the secrets of developing a courageous on-course attitude. These are the immature types who throw clubs, continually cuss themselves out, sulk, or even walk off the course after one too many bad bounces or bad holes. Their problem is that they expect perfection, whereas the complete and intelligent – and courageous – golfer respects the game’s unpredictability, takes it in stride, and gets on with the job as best as he possibly can. Even when he’s having an absolutely awful day, this player still gives every shot 100 percent concentration. His final score is his absolute best effort for that day, and biting the bullet like this hardens him for future rounds. Courage, then, is not inherited, but developed through a combination of experience, sheer grit, and determination. Jack Nicklaus was not a great all-around player. In fact, he admits to being just a fair wedge and bunker player. Yet, his courage brought him to the winner’s circle a record 18 times in major championships. COMMON SENSE I’m forever amazed by the foolish chances amateur golfers take during a round of 18 holes. The typical club-level golfer would never dream of driving a car 120 miles per hour down a regular road or gambling a life savings on a flip of a card. However, on the golf course, many amateur golfers seem unable to retain even an ounce of common sense. Playing with common sense involves making the decision to play aggressively or safely, based on a realistic appraisal of one’s capabilities. And in doing that, the chief consideration should be the reward of pulling off the shot relative to the cost of missing it. What this requires above all else is discipline, which just might be the most important word in the entire golfing lexicon.