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16 Oct 2017 admin

Anthony Netto Stands Up And Plays

USGTF member Anthony Netto lives a more active life than most people, even though he cannot walk, much less run. Netto was on his way to play in a professional golf tournament in his native South Africa in 1994 when his car was hit by a drunk driver, leaving Netto paralyzed from the waist down. And all of this happened just several months after attending a USGTF certification course in the United States.

Netto was a first lieutenant in the South African army and was a veteran of Desert Storm in the early 1990s. After his discharge, he returned to golf and earned his USGTF certification. But the accident put his plans on hold. It is understand-able if Netto felt the normal reactions after such a horrific accident of despair and anger, but if he did, he quickly put them aside and went to work. Attempting to return to the game of golf in a traditional wheelchair, Netto found it too restraining and difficult to play the game in a proper way. He set about inventing a device that would allow him to basically stand while playing, just like able-bodied golfers. Thus, the Paragolfer came about, which rides like a normal wheelchair with the exception that the seat and seatback lift up and puts a person in a standing position.

The Paragolfer was later renamed the Para- mobile because it can be used for more than just golf. Sports like shooting, archery, hunting and fishing are made easier for people from the Para-mobile.

As the Paramobile puts less pressure per square inch on the ground as compared to a normal foot-print, the device lends itself well to golf and doesn’t damage the golf course, including the greens. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Paramobile is welcome at facilities all across the country.

Netto travels the United States these days, promoting the Paramobile and seeking funding for those in need to buy them through his Stand Up And Play Foundation. Manufactured by the German company Ottobock, the Paramobile is available for a purchase price of $22,500.

The Invictus Games, which brings together veterans from 17 countries who compete in adaptive sports, will feature golf for the first time in 2017 in Toronto, Canada. Netto is proud that the Paramobile will be used in order to allow some of the golfers to compete.

Netto has also met former U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the latter while he was still in office. Obama, an avid golfer himself, took an interest in Netto and the Para- mobile.

In regard to Bush, Netto met him several years ago at the 4th annual Warrior Open, where Netto smashed a drive 270 yards down the middle of the fairway. He still drives the ball farther and plays the game better than most able-bodied golfers, a testament to his grit and determination.

Netto is currently based out of Las Vegas, Nevada, and travels to support and promote the Stand Up And Play Foundation. The fundraising road has been a difficult one, but Netto has succeeded in getting a number of Paramobiles into circulation for use by those who are paralyzed.

12 Oct 2017 admin

Compliments Complement Our Teaching

According to allpsych.com, “The term rein-force means to strengthen, and is used in psychology to refer to any stimulus which strengthens or in-creases the probability of a specific response.” Psychologists recognize four types of reinforcement: positive, negative, punishment and extinction.

In general, positive reinforcement has proven to be the most effective means of behavior modification or to get a certain behavior to be performed. This involves giving a reward upon completion of a goal or speaking in a positive and encouraging manner in an attempt to achieve the desired outcome. Negative reinforcement involves an unpleasantness of some sort if the task is not completed, such as parental nagging of a child. Once the child per-forms the task, for example, the negative reinforcement of nagging is eliminated. Punishment is a term that we are all familiar with, and extinction is, according to study.com, “The disappearance of a previously learned behavior when the behavior is not reinforced.”

The USGTF has long recognized the good that comes from positive reinforcement, and since its inception in 1989 has said that encouragement (positive reinforcement) rather than criticism (negative reinforcement) is far more desirable. Hopefully there aren’t any teachers out there engaging in punishing their students! But then again, we do hear sad stories of parents punishing their children for not succeeding in athletics. Perhaps they make the child run, or take away some privileges, but as those of us who are knowledgeable know, punishing a child for athletic failure is a sure way to have an ex-athlete for a child.

In athletics today, there is a great emphasis on “players’ coaches,” which means that the coach is sensitive to the needs and emotions of the members on theteam. Gone are the days of the coach who yelled constantly at his players, berating them for each and every mistake, and being tone-deaf to the squad’s desire to be guided with a gentler hand. While today’s sports coaches can still be demanding in terms of performance and effort, they are expected to develop personal relationships with each player and to have an empathy for those players. One of the great truths to coaching is that a coach needs to know when to give someone a figurative kick in the butt and when to give a pat on the back. Coaches who only know how to kick derrieres probably won’t last long in today’s world. They need to be able to give positive reinforcement as part of their coaching repertoire.

In line with giving positive reinforcement, compliments are an important way of achieving this. When was the last time you felt badly when someone gave you a genuine compliment? You may have felt not worthy or de-serving, but deep down we all enjoy a compliment that some-one gives us. It boosts our self-esteem and gives us confidence that we are on the right track.

As golf coaches and teachers, we see that the majority of our clientele want nothing more than to enjoy the game. Many of our students are already self-conscious about their golf games; they don’t want to be embarrassed on the course. It’s also not rare for some students to not want to see themselves on video, thinking that their swing is one of the worst there is and looks silly to outside observers. A few compliments during a video review session most certainly will help with a student’s attitude and perhaps give them some newly found encouragement and excitement.

Compliments must be sincere. Telling a student that their swing is one step away from being tour caliber – when they are a30-handicapper – is false flattery that we must avoid. Fortunately, most of us know that. But even30-handicappers have elements in their game that are worthy of complimenting.

Compliments can also help to mitigate the negative feelings associated with giving necessary negative information to a student. USGTF member Ben Bryant has written about the “compliment sandwich,” in which the negative information is preceded and followed by a compliment. An example: “Tom, I really like the way you’re swinging in balance, but we need to improve your release through impact because you have a tendency to flip your trail hand underneath. The good news is you’re already off to a good start because you have a good grip.”

Compliments are also beneficial to the giver of the compliment, because most of us enjoy making people feel good. So complement your teaching with compliments – it gets results!

5 Oct 2017 admin

Moving From A To B

By Bert Jones USGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional Loomis, California

Have you ever wondered why some people can move from their current situation to a stated goal and some people can’t? Is it a matter of applied will, or just having enough knowledge?

If we reflect on the last 40 years, we have little to no improvement in the average golf score. In fact, professional averages are relatively stagnant, also! How can this be, even with the advent of new equipment, better agronomy, and the state of instruction using space-age technology for analysis?

Perhaps we can start by looking at how goals are developed. When developing a goal, it should follow the acronym SMART. The SMART acronym stands for specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time-based. Every goal will be based on one of three words: desire, want, and need. Each of these words is different and requires thoughtful consideration. Clarity around need, want and desire will provide you a vision of the goal.

Achieving goal specificity can be an elusive proposition. How many times have you had a student tell you that they “want” to improve their putting? Sounds pretty vague to me! To putt “better” requires analysis of where the student is with their knowledge, skill and ability. I normally put my students through an array of tests such as the Titleist Performance Institute LORD’s test or the Eyeline Skill Test (both of which can be found online) to determine a benchmark. Once the evidenced-based benchmark is achieved, I can then begin to assist the student’s specific goal.

An example of a specific goal could be to reduce the number of three-putts from four per round to two per round over a period of 45 days. The goal is measureable because we have created a starting and ending point over a period of time. It is critical that the goal be agreed upon, as the goal should be intrinsic by nature. The goal should be realistic as it is based upon a benchmark analysis of the player.

Sounds pretty simple, right? If it was, then we would have a nation of high achievers, and we know that is not the case. So why do so many good intentions fall short? Is it bad goal setting or just lack of will?

Perhaps the answer can be found in instruction and motor programming! Most students that I have encountered do not fully understand putting or their equipment. Their skill, knowledge and ability have to be built or reformed. In addition, I have found that many students don’t know how to practice. They think they do, but they don’t.

Explanation, demonstration, observation and correction on identified sub-elements help students understand how to practice. I like to have students use guidance devices to provide feedback when I am not able to stand and observe the player between lessons. A limited amount of drills are prescribed to ensure that students are working on changing their habits.

It is important to understand that habits are changed through ritual. Creating rituals in the pre- and post-routine are the means to integrating new neural pathways in the brain to create better performance. Visit the “Human Performance Institute” online for a deeper understanding of rituals and habit development.

No more three-putts!