Editorial

25 Feb 2015 Corina Pelloni

HANDLING TOURNAMENT PRESSURE

I was speaking to a student today about pressure. He said, “My swing won’t hold up under pressure.” He always assumes bad shots translate to his swing flaws. My statement to him was, “I think your swing is solid. It is not your SWING that won’t handle tournament pressure. It is your MECHANICS that don’t stand up to pressure.” Bad mechanics open up a wound on a solid golf swing. They force you to contrive the motion in hopes of scratching out a good result. Most of the time, it is a position we adopt before we ever swing the club that ruins the shot. A good player is on the range and he is deciding whether or not to play you for money today. If he notices a number of quirky or individualistic aspects to your game, he figures that it might be hard for you to play well all day long or when the pressure is on, and decides to give you a try. On the other hand, if your method is simple and free of clutter, it will give him the feeling that you can hit good shots repeatedly and he will steer clear of you. Sometimes, a green driving range mat can be quite useful. When a good player comes to me to “find” his game, I begin on a green range mat. This mat has lines drawn on it that insure the same, correct ball position, alignment, and stance width. Over the course of time, the consistent mechanics begin to heal the wounded golf swing. When you know your mechanics have been the same (and correct) for thousands of balls in a row, you then know the things you feel are correct and worth grooving. Random experimentation makes it improbable that you will ever settle on those things that stand strong under pressure. When our actions, before we ever swing the club, are affirmative and purposeful, then our swing can start to build feel and instinct again. When our mechanics are sorted out, we need to do nothing more than look at the ball and swing. Our mind can lie peacefully and allow our swing to run its course. It is the best way to swing a club, to strike a golf ball and to play golf.

12 Feb 2015 Corina Pelloni

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

When coming back to the game after an absence, managing expectations is very important.  We have all had setbacks in golf; they could be due to a long winter in the north or an injury.  Once we start playing again, the competitive juices begin to flow and we naturally have expectations of picking right up where we left off. It happens to everyone, from Tiger Woods to our students.  It is very hard to manage expectations.  As golf teaching professionals, we need to help our students by developing a proper game plan for their return.  Without a game plan, they will be set up for heartache by not immediately performing to their prior ability. One of my current students, whom I have been working with for a few years, has been playing the best golf of his life over the past year.  His handicap had gone from an 8 to a 3.  Four months ago, he had to have reconstructive surgery on his left ankle.   This was a major surgery that had a great impact on his golf game.  He was not allowed to play for three months.  To make matters worse, the repaired ankle supports his entire weight at the finish of his golf swing.  The closer it came to his return to the course, you could tell how the excitement of getting back had begun to consume his thoughts.  All he would talk about was how great he was going to play, how much practice time he was going to devote to the game, and how he couldn’t wait to start playing in tournaments.  When we sat down to visit prior to his first round, I asked him to follow some guidelines. I recommended that he play the front tees on par 5s and long par 4s, playing one tee back from the front tee on everything else.  I also had him play the ball up everywhere and gave him two mulligans per hole.  At first he was not happy with my request, he was ready to start shooting low scores and beating his buddies. By doing this, golf was free of pressure.  He hit some poor shots without the penalty of having a bad hole.  It was fun.  The shorter course allowed him to swing within himself without putting more stress on his ankle.  The mulligans gave him the ability to redo a few poor swings or bad course management decisions. When dealing with students making a comeback of any sort, we need to help manage their expectations.  This will help their golf games in the short run, plus show your students you are there for their long-term success.

2 Feb 2015 Corina Pelloni

THE GOLF INSTRUCTOR

Just recently, say, two weeks ago, I felt very proud of one of my students.  She was playing in a two-day ladies’ tournament, and after the first day’s play, she came to me and said, “Coach, I need to say something to you concerning today’s play.  While marking my ball on the green, I accidentally pushed the ball forward.  No one saw what transpired, but I replaced my ball and called my marker to inform her of what had happened.  I then called a penalty shot on myself.” Golf shows who we are, what we are made of, what values our parents have instilled in us, and what our coach or teacher is teaching us. I hugged her and said, “Well done!”  She shot 78 with the penalty on that day.  On day two, she played very well and shot 75, thereby tying for first place.  There was a playoff, and in the playoff she three-putted the first hole and lost, but yet, there was a smile on the young lady’s face.  I again hugged her and said, “Well Done!  Did you learn anything from all of this?”  She replied, “Yes Coach.  I feel good about myself.” All of us as golf instructors have a special role to play in the lives of our students.  Whatever we teach them can have an effect on their golf game and on the rest of their lives in general.

13 Jan 2015 Corina Pelloni

REAL GOLF

I recently met a man in his late 50s who wanted to learn to play golf. I asked him some basic questions: Had he played before or taken lessons, why did he want to pick up the game and what were his expectations? He told me he played when he was first out of college, but had a horrible time. I asked him to elaborate on this comment. One of his father’s friends had offered to give him a set of clubs to play with as long as he followed all of the rules and counted every shot. So this man read up a bit on the rules, went out for a few rounds, played the ball down everywhere, holed every putt and counted every shot. Guess what? He hated the game and didn’t think about playing until some 30 years later. Why? Because it wasn’t fun! As golf teaching professionals, I feel we have two important duties to our students: We should help improve their game with proper mechanical training and develop their mental game with course management theory. But the most important factor that oftentimes is missed is that we need to make sure the student is having fun. We can teach people about the swing plane and how to hit a proper bunker shot, but unless they are enjoying themselves, they are not going to keep playing the game. I apologized to this man that he was told to play that way. I told him that our course of action would be to throw out the rules, play the ball up everywhere and not keep score until he wants to. My goal was for him to want to come back to the golf course, plain and simple. To grow people’s love for the game, we must emphasize the fun of the sport, especially in the beginning. It’s not all about following the rules and keeping score, but instead learning to love the feeling of a solid-struck golf shot, making a ten-foot putt, or solely enjoying being outside in some of nature’s most beautiful settings. Golf is a game, and it should be enjoyed.

9 Jan 2015 Corina Pelloni

WE PROFESSIONALS NEED TO TAKE BACK THE NARRATIVE

I was watching an interesting podcast the other night. It was about the state of golf and what needs to be done to keep the game vibrant. The fellow on the screen said the problem we face is that we have allowed the media to dictate the narrative. All we hear from them is how golf is dying; golf courses are closing; fewer young people are playing; it takes too much time and it is too hard.  With that type of message constantly hitting the airways, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is true that several courses have closed in recent years, but it is also true that projections of new golfers from the National Golf Foundation were unrealistic, resulting in an oversupply of courses being built. The market today is just correcting to actual demand as all businesses do. That does not mean the game is heading for a nosedive. Avid golfers will always be avid golfers.  It is our job as pros to keep the core golfers coming out regularly and introducing the game to new players with positive messages that counter the media doom and gloom. We need to emphasize the positives of golf. For example, studies have shown that golfers live an average of five years longer than most people. The challenges of the game stimulate the brain and help to prevent or slow age-related neurological disorders. It is a great way to network with family, friends and business associates. Golf is a fantastic game for kids as it gets them outside and away from video toys and too much television.   This is the narrative we need to be spreading and posting in our clubhouses and newsletters. If we continue to let the mass media speak for us, then we only have ourselves to blame.

30 Dec 2014 Corina Pelloni

INDOOR GOLF

As some of you are making your tee times in December and playing in short-sleeve golf shirts, enjoy it!  Some of us are not that lucky, due to poor winter weather conditions where we live.  A few weeks ago, I was invited to play indoor golf with some friends.  At first I thought it would be a waste of time – and money.  To my surprise, it was a lot of fun.  The technology that the company invested in was very accurate.  To hit drivers, long irons and wedges while there is snow on the ground was pretty cool.  I will say that one of the members in our group commented that it was “just not real golf,” and it was a waste of money. To me, if you are able to make some good swings without wearing layer upon layer of winter clothes and remain in a groove from fall to spring golf, there is nothing wrong.  Are you playing in wind or playing out of bad lies?  Of course not.  However, when you look at your options, I think indoor golf is a great solution. After visiting with the owner, he mentioned that he hoped business would pick up.  I pitched an idea about bringing students to his facilities for lessons during his slow times and give him a cut of the action.  He hadn’t thought about hosting a teaching professional to give lessons and loved the idea.  It’s been a nice bump to both our wallets and keeps me swinging the clubs a little. Next time you’re driving by an indoor golf facility, stop in and chat with the owner.  It might just be a great new business opportunity for you to make it through the cold, winter time blues.

16 Dec 2014 Corina Pelloni

DOES THE FUTURE OF GOLF LIE IN THE PAST?

It has been more than 15 years since I grabbed a handful of clubs with hickory shafts from my collection and played nine holes on an older links in Louisville, Kentucky. Did I play well? Considering that I made a 9 on the first hole, it would indicate that this form of golf was not something that was going to wet my whistle, as the saying goes. Then something happened. I had an attitude adjustment and just decided to enjoy the day and the golf course. On the next tee, I hit a drive that can only be described as “wow.” I looked at the club and then down the fairway and actually said “wow.” The next eight holes were some of the most enjoyable golf I had played in a long while. I was shaping shots, playing angles and reliving the type of game I played as a young lad. Made a couple of birdies and shot 40. I still have the card. Today, all I play with are hickory-shafted clubs and I try to play on older historic courses as much as possible. It is a growing area of golf, with more and more societies forming around the nation and world. You would think, in view of the decline in the number of golfers over the past few years, a section with increasing members would be something the golfing industry would jump on. The recent World Hickory Open had more than 120 golfers and was won by Sandy Lyle. Unfortunately, there seems to be little interest. Let’s face it. The manufacturers control the game now. So, who would lose the most if large numbers of golfers started playing with 100-year-old clubs and found out that they can play just as well without that large price tag? They say follow the money, and that is what golf is all about these days. It was a manufacturer that said 15-inch holes would bring more people into the game. Their model is to jazz it up, add pizazz. The outcome remains to be seen. I prefer history and tradition.

14 Nov 2014 Corina Pelloni

COMPETITIVE GOLF

Someone once said there are the two games of golf: golf with friends and tournament golf. It goes without being said that each game is completely different than the other. Either you play golf, or you play competitive golf. As golf teaching professionals, it is important for us to teach both. A majority of our work will be with the average golfer, helping them learn the game. Maybe one student wants to break 100 for first time, while another doesn’t want to be embarrassed at their annual work scramble. For those who desire to play non-competitively, we have all the answers. We can work fundamentals and teach them to develop a better short game. After awhile and when they become more confident in their game and their performance, some students begin to consider playing in tournaments, dreaming of winning their club championship. As their instructor, this is where we need to begin teaching them about the competitive aspect of the game. Most of us have played tournaments at some level: high school, college, mini-tours, or even taking our PAT. We know competitive golf. We know what it’s like to battle nerves on the first tee. We know how doubt can creep into our thoughts. We know what it feels like to have our hands shaking on a three-foot putt. However, for the most part, we also know how to control those situations. These are the life lessons of playing competitive golf that we are responsible to teach our students. They need to know we can relate because we have experienced those feelings – and still do. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of playing in the US Golf Teachers Cup in Las Vegas. Even though I have played in many tournaments, it amazes me how nervous I still get before I hit my first tee shot. Coming back from that tournament, I was able to communicate with my students about my successes and failures, things I learned, and things I need to improve on. After sharing my stories, I was amazed at how they opened up about their experiences. Before, they were afraid to admit how they were feeling; now they were relieved to hear that even their instructor battles nervousness on the course. They didn’t just learn about how I got out of different shot scenarios – they learned about the trials and tribulations of competitive golf. We are all busy, and sometimes it’s difficult to make the time for tournament play. My challenge is for each of you to sign up for one in the next few months. You will be amazed what you will learn about yourself and how much you can teach your students from your experiences.

28 Oct 2014 Corina Pelloni

USGTF Official Statement On PGA Of America And Ted Bishop

On Thursday, Ocotber 23, Ted Bishop, then president of the PGA of America, used social media to call professional golfer Ian Poulter a “lil girl” and compared him to a “little girl squealing at recess.”  Bishop’s remarks were in response to Poulter’s criticism in his new book of six-time major winner Nick Faldo, who had become a good friend of Bishop’s. On Friday, October 24, the PGA of America’s board of directors voted to dismiss Bishop from his position as president due to these remarks.  Although his tenure as PGA president will be recognized, he will not be accorded the position of an honorary past president as is customary. Since the USGTF was founded in 1989, we have had a record of inclusion and opportunity for all, including women.  The USGTF does not approve or condone in any way Bishop’s remarks. Having said that, the PGA of America’s punishment does not fit the crime.  Bishop has had a long history of promoting women’s and girls’ golf, in addition to promoting the game for all.  The actions of Bishop in this arena have been nothing short of exemplary, including the formation of the inaugural Women’s PGA Championship and calling on the R&A to admit women members. Interestingly, the PGA of America has itself had a long history of discrimination, including African-Americans, women, and today older people.  The current structure of the PGA of America’s apprentice program makes it virtually impossible for an older person to become a PGA of America member.  In contrast, the USGTF has always welcomed people of all ages and backgrounds. The USGTF is also on record as saying the PGA Tour should sharply reduce its entry fee for qualifying for the PGA Tour, in order for more qualified minorities to be able to afford the process.  Unlike the USGTF, the PGA of America has remained silent on this matter, and therefore is complicit in the lack of minorities on the PGA Tour. Bishop has apologized for his remarks, which we are convinced do not reflect his personal beliefs regarding female golfers, given his long track record in this regard.  When you take into account his entire body of work, it is obvious to us that the PGA of America’s action towards Bishop was unwarranted and has unnecessarily tarnished him and his legacy.  We believe a public reprimand and allowing Bishop to gracefully apologize, which the PGA of America did not permit him to do, was the correct course of action.