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6 Aug 2018 admin

Does the Traditional Lesson Still Have Its Place?

Golf lessons have traditionally gone like this: A struggling golfer comes to the teaching professional for help, hoping to find a cure for whatever ails his game. The teacher observes the student hitting some shots, eventually diagnosing the problem and prescribing a cure. The student is then expected to practice what was taught and to improve.

USGTF Hall of Fame member David Vaught wrote an excellent article in the last edition of Golf Teaching Pro titled “Teaching Outside the Box,” where he detailed four ways to update your lesson repertoire in terms of offering new ways to provide instruction. It is imperative that teachers innovate and evolve with the times, and Vaught’s article reminds us of the value of doing so.

Vaught’s description of “Pile of balls, a set amount of time, teacher one-on-one with a golfer hoping to improve, or at least enjoy the game more” reminds us that if all we offer is a traditional lesson, we are certain to be left in the dust behind those teachers who embrace newer and more effective ways to impart instruction. This is not to say that the traditional lesson is obsolete, but should only be one part of our overall lesson offerings.

The traditional lesson still has its place, but many students today are expecting more than just observation and dispensed advice by the golf teaching professional. Hi-tech devices such as TrackMan, FlightScope and GC Quad provide invaluable data for both the teacher and student, as such aspects as angle of attack and exact swing path through impact can be detected to the tenth of a degree. Hi-speed video gives us insight into the moving parts of the swing that are too quick for the naked eye to see, where previously we were only left to make our best educated guess based on experience in determining if the student is executing correctly. So if you’re going to give traditional lessons, at the very least you need to have some sort of video capability.

There are teachers who are limited at their facilities, to be sure, but it’s important to reach out to golf courses in your area. Two of Vaught’s ideas, creating a league and having students observe the teacher playing two or three holes, require a golf course. Don’t be afraid to make arrangements with the course! Most golf course managers will welcome you if you approach them and explain it is a win-win situation and you’re not there to take away business from the course pros. In fact, you may be able to enlist the help of the course professionals and reward them accordingly.

What about teachers who are just starting out, teaching at a range-only facility, and may not have the funds for hi-tech equipment? Fortunately, there are still a large percentage of teaching professionals who give traditional lessons without hi-tech equipment, so the beginning teacher may not be at that much of a disadvantage as you may think. But too many teaching professionals get stuck in the rut of offering only a traditional lesson without video or any other hi-tech products, and never update the way they do things. Teachers who are willing to plow their earnings back into their business and make modest investments in technical equipment (e.g. video, inexpensive launch monitor, training aids) can soon separate themselves from their low-tech colleagues and are likely to reap the financial benefits sooner rather than later.

Another traditional lesson idea is the clinic, where a topic is chosen and the teacher imparts instruction to a group of students. Instead of merely handing out advice and correcting a flaw or two in each participant, teachers can create more interest by borrowing Vaught’s idea of competition, where the winner might receive a lesson or series of lessons. Perhaps a reward could also be discounted golf for all participants at a local course, or even a free round for one of the participants. In this day and age, people are expecting more bang for their buck, and we have to make it worthwhile for them.

Yes, there still is a place for the traditional lesson, simply based on the concept of supply and demand. Most golfers believe that their troubles with their games are technique-related, and want to have their technique problem identified with a way to fix it. From that perspective, the traditional lesson can fit the bill. But if that’s all that is offered, a teacher is limited in his or her ability to not only increase revenue, but help their students, as well.

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3 Aug 2018 admin

Editorial – Spine Angle at Impact – The Forgotten Fundamental to Good Shots

One issue I often see in golfers is the loss of spine angle at impact. This problem is often experienced by high handicappers and tour players alike. The flaw can effect several factors of impact dynamics. One such factor could be the the quality of strike (centeredness of contact) resulting in inconsistent contact. We hear people say that they “picked up their head,” but in reality they changed their spine angle from address to the impact position.

When loss of spine angle at impact occurs with better players, often there is a compensation to save the shot. This could be saving the impact with excess hand action or another compensation such as curving the spine. The good player can get away with this fault for some shots, but the fault will eventually lead to stray shots. The most common result in better players is a swing path that is excessively inside to out. This leads to shots that are often well right or left of the target, pending how the clubface matches up with the path at impact.

You will hear better players and instructors calling this fault as being “stuck” on the backswing. I have seen this fault occur in some famous tour professionals. The result is a shot (by a right-handed player) that goes well right. If the hand action is excessive, there is a hard hook shot left. Remember from some of my past instructional articles my saying: “The clubface sends it; the swing path bends it”?

Which leads to the bigger challenge, how do we fix this flaw? A good place to start is actually the golfer’s physical capabilities. When a golfer has a tight lower back or hamstring, or hip issues, this leads to compensations, frequently resulting in loss of the spine angle at impact. It can also just be a poor habit or a sensation of getting more power by thrusting the torso towards the ball. The better sensation is a feeling of squatting into the lead leg on the downswing. The torso should have a slight shift toward the target and then rotate with a feeling that the lead hip and glute are pulling or rotating away from the ball. This is very similar to a squat movement into the lead glute. As the impact position is approached, the spine angle is maintained with a feeling of the lead hip rotating and pushing back into a “wall.” The lead leg will somewhat straighten naturally at impact as the lead hip begins to rise higher than the trailing hip. In this position, the golfer is maximizing the “ground forces” and creating maximum torque and energy (think Rory McIlroy or Justin Thomas).

Losing the spine angle at impact can be a challenging fault to overcome. As this occurs during the dynamic swinging action, drills to cure this fault can be difficult to describe in words. It is best to demonstrate or feel the proper sensation of proper spine angle at impact. For more drills and information, please visit the USGTF Facebook page or my YouTube Channel, where I demonstrate several exercises to help fix this problem.

By Thomas T Wartelle, WGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional

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31 Jul 2018 admin

Positive Body Language: Five Tips To Attract And Retain New Clients

By Ben Bryant WGCA contributing writer

The first week of school is an important week for all high school coaches. For me, it’s not only the first opportunity to meet the students I’ll teach all year, but it’s also the beginning of the golf season, with new players and parents showing up at the golf course. How first meetings go are vital to laying a foundation for a positive relationship between you (the teacher) and your players. Using positive body language can be a vital component in that foundation.

Columbia University did a recent study where participants were placed in a variety of situations where positive body language techniques were used, but the participants discussed negative and depressing topics. They also created scenarios where participants used negative body language techniques but discussed uplifting topics. Overwhelmingly, students gave favorable impressions of their colleagues based on their positive body language rather than the discussion that took place. The study suggests that people are more often influenced by how they feel about you than by what you’re saying.

Positive body language can have a tremendous impact as a golf coach. Here are some tips to help you develop positive body language:

Always look like you’re listening to your client

The key to active listening of your clients is to engage with what your client is saying. Body language is a major component of listening. Leaning forward, nodding, tilting your head, and keeping your feet pointed in the direction of the person speaking are excellent non-verbal ways to show you’re engaged and paying attention. Don’t look at the ground when your client is talking. Active listening also involves repeating back or paraphrasing what your client has said. This is an excellent way to demonstrate that you are genuinely paying attention.

Shake hands before every lesson

Touch is the most powerful non-verbal clue. Physical touch – even a fraction of a second – can create a powerful human bond. It’s in instinctual capability that all humans are born with. It’s for these reasons that a proper handshake is so important. A firm, friendly handshake that conveys a sense of friendship and warmth helps make a person feel closer to us. It is also makes a person far more likely to remember your name and you theirs.
Cultivate a genuine, friendly smile

Smiling not only influences how we feel in a situation, it signals that we are approachable. Additionally, most people have a keen sense of when a person is faking smile. It’s important to convey a sense of happiness when meeting or greeting someone.

Uncross your arms and legs On the flip side, using defensive postures can immediately make someone feel off-put. Defensive body language can impact how your client responds to you. Crossing your arms and legs sends a subtle message to whomever you are speaking with that you’re upset or not enjoying the interaction. Be mindful of it.
Put away the device

Cellphones are easily becoming one of the biggest problems in human interaction. Certainly as a teacher, it’s a daily struggle to keep my students focused on me and not their devices. They may help keep us in contact with each other, but when face to face, there is no greater barrier to a positive interaction than one person (or both!) checking their cellphones. As the coach, you need to set an example by putting it away and keeping it away.

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30 Jul 2018 admin

How To Get More Distance In The Golf Swing

By Arlen Bento Jr.

If you play golf and love the game, at some point you will notice a loss in distance. Usually, this is due to age, just getting older, losing flexibility and strength.

Over years, many golfers just don’t realize how much distance they have been losing, because over time, they have been making adjustments to their equipment, changing shafts, finding better club technologies and switching golf balls designs. Ultimately, the loss of distance reaches a point where the golfer gets discouraged and starts to seek answers.

For over 20 years I have been helping people with their golf games, and the number one reason people come to see me is that they want more distance. Here is a plan that can help any player that is looking for more distance:

Get your swing analyzed with computer video and fix your flaws. Sometimes, players just have bad technique and are giving away distance. A lot of recreational players that don’t have good golf fundamentals will notice a larger drop in their distance as they get older, because they have learned to use non-fundamental power sources to create speed. Look at older players like Tom Watson, who still generates lots of club speed even at age 68 and is still competitive on the PGA Tour. Watson obviously has a good golf swing, but he swings with tempo, uses his legs and hips as well as his arms to create speed. Most recreational players never learned to use their hips and legs properly in the golf swing, and this flaw becomes very noticeable with age.

TIP: Learn to use your hips and legs properly in your golf swing to create more speed and distance.

Get your club speed, ball speed and launch data analyzed on a launch monitor to make sure your clubs are correct for your speed. One of the best things you can do as a golfer is to get your club speed, ball speed and launch data analyzed at least once a year if you play golf on a regular basis. Ultimately, it all comes down to physics, and if you don’t have the correct equipment, you are at a huge disadvantage as it relates to distance. Based on how fast you swing, the ball speed you create and how you launch the ball, you need equipment that matches your abilities to get more distance.

TIP: Check your club speed, ball speed and launch data at least once a year if you play golf on a regular basis.

Start a golf-specific fitness and stretching program to help your body swing faster. Your body is an incredible thing. You will be surprised how just a little effort in working on your body will have amazing results in your golf swing and the ability to generate more distance. Many people don’t understand that your legs have a critical role in the golf swing, much like jumping. When you jump, you use the big muscles of your legs, your core and parts of your body that need to be strong and flexible. I have a great little drill that I offer to clients that anyone can do. Just sit in a sturdy chair, cross your arms across your chest. Using your core and your legs, just stand up, sit back down and repeat 8-10 times. Try to sit down slowly to keep your legs engaged. This exercise really helps use your legs and core, which will help your golf swing.

TIP: Start a golf fitness and stretching program. If you have medical conditions, please speak with your doctor first before starting any fitness program.

If you are one of the millions of golfers that are struggling with losing distance, make sure to get your swing analyzed, have your equipment checked and start a simple golf fitness program. You will be on your way to more distance in no time.

Arlen Bento Jr. is an award-winning golf coach, “Top 100” world-recognized golf instructor and club fitting expert living in Jensen Beach, Florida. He operates his own indoor golf academy in Stuart and is the co-host of Golf Talk Radio on WSTU 1450 AM. You can listen to his radio show on Wednesday evenings from 6-7 pm, or watch online at www.golftalkflorida.com. Arlen can be reached for instruction at (772) 485 8030, by email at arlenbentojr@gmail.com, or on his website www.arlenbentojrgolflessons.com.

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