Blog

1 Jun 2022 admin

Editorial – What Percent of Technology Should Be Incorporated Into Your Lesson?

By: USGTF Technical Committee

Launch monitors seem to be everywhere, from PGA Tour driving ranges to lesson tees. Video has also been a mainstay of instruction for almost four decades, and combined with launch monitors, it seems almost no stone is unturned in diagnosing a student’s problem.

Yet, there are still old-school teachers who do not use any technology at all, instead relying on their eyes and experience to guide their instruction. And that brings us to the question, how much technology should be incorporated into the modern lesson? The obvious answer is as much as necessary in order to see and measure progress. The benefits of a launch monitor such as the GC Quad or TrackMan enable the teacher to tangibly measure any progress. For example, if a student started out with a swing path that is 10° degrees outside-in, progress (or lack thereof) can be accurately measured with a launch monitor. This has a two-fold benefit: The teacher can see if their instruction is working, and the student can glean confidence that they are making progress.

Video systems are far easier to use nowadays, as iPads are frequently used by many teachers, along with video setups such as the V1. Video can literally be taken easily for every swing during a lesson, but this is obviously not necessary. But enough video should be taken so that, like the launch monitor data, progress can be measured, this time visually. There are also pressure mats that measure how much weight a golfer is putting on each foot throughout various points in the swing, and the K-Vest which measures and analyzes a student’s swing movements and positions. Teachers who are not using modern technology risk being left behind by their more tech-savvy colleagues. Going forward into the 21st century, technology on the lesson tee will only become more ubiquitous.

1 Jun 2022 admin

OnCore Golf

OnCore Golf, an industry partner of the USGTF, sponsors Tour professional Erik Compton, who called OnCore’s Vero X1 ball the best he’s ever played. As OnCore’s webiste said, OnCore golf balls are “engineered to outperform them all.”

In addition to the Vero X1, there is the Elixr, Elixr 2022, and the Avant 55. There is an OnCore golf ball for every player. For more information on OnCore, please visit www.OnCoreGolf.com.

For USGTF member pricing, please contact USGTF Membership Services at member_services@usgtf.com.

1 Jun 2022 admin

Student Spotlight – Mitchell Kalka

Mitchell Kalka, 18, has a bright future in golf, but equally impressive is the quality of person he is. According to his coach, USGTF professional Bruce Sims, Kalka “is just an all-around good kid. He’s a hard worker, he listens and is amenable to change.”

Kalka started working with Sims at age 9 at Sims’ junior academy. He has played all four years on the varsity at Liberty High School in Frisco, Texas, and is the top-ranked AJGA player locally. He is signed to play college golf at the #1-ranked NJCAA Division 1 junior college golf team in the nation, Midland College in Midland, Texas. His dream is to graduate from junior college and then play for Texas Tech in two years.

Kalka has also won numerous junior tournaments, and won his high school district tournament shooting 36-30 – 66, so he knows how to go low. Look for the name Mitchell Kalka on college leaderboards soon.

1 Jun 2022 admin

Teaching “PRO” File – Lawrence Sykkmon

Lawrence Sykkmon is a USGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional and Titleist Performance Institute certified with over 20 years of experience, teaching both children and adults of all skill levels. He teaches at St. Marlo Country Club in Duluth, Georgia.

Sykkmon started playing golf at the age of 19, and being a physical trainer at the time, he had some clients who wanted him to help them with their golf games. It wasn’t until he was in his 30s that he started teaching more seriously, and shortly thereafter he earned his USGTF credentials to have more credibility in the industry. He considered the PGA route but did not want to focus on other duties besides golf, so he found the USGTF to be a perfect fit.

He has two YouTube channels; both of which are for golf entertainment (one is in English and the other in Chinese). His teaching philosophy is “Energy First, Impact Later” (EFIL). You can fellow EFIL Golf on Instagram and TikTok at efilgolf or @efilgolf. Sykkmon believes the game of golf is both fun and challenging and everyone can enjoy and excel at the game with proper instruction and practice methods. He also says that if everyone could shoot 80, the time to play a round of golf would be much quicker, and emphasized the teacher’s role in this.

He is also a National Federation of Professional Trainers certified fitness trainer and has over 20 years of fitness experience. His experience in fitness training, combined with golf instruction, form the foundation and fundamentals for EFIL Golf. To learn more, please visit: www.efil.life or www.efilgolf.com.