LEARNING A SKILL, PART 1
A successful teacher can transmit his information to the student in the most effective manner possible. To help achieve this goal, it is important to understand how the student receives the information the teachers is sending him. Rather than delve into theories of learning a skill, use simple techniques to reach a student without the scientific clutter, although the goals are the same.
Sports performance is basically how one’s psychomotor skills react to achieve a goal. The term “muscle memory” is misleading. Information is stored in the body’s computer – the brain. The brain is what stores memories.
Many sports have similar actions and movements. All sports that require body rotation rely on the same core muscles as the source of stability and power. Therefore, when a student has already performed other sports, often it is easy to transmit the same images to the golf swing.
Too often a teacher pushes a student with excessive images and thoughts that lead to “overload.” Try this experiment. Hand a beginning golfer a golf club and tell him to hit the ball. That’s all. Most of the time, they will make contact.
LEARNING A SKILL, PART 2
The golf swing is basically a natural movement. When a child picks up a stick and swings at a pine cone, nobody explains the techniques of “hitting a pine cone.” Therefore, in your teaching, try to start as basic as possible. Let the movement begin naturally and let it ingrain with repetition. In many cases, less is more.
The same can be said with advanced golfers. Often, good golfer feels as if a swing change is a huge undertaking, when in reality, it might be as simple as a few centimeters. Even advanced golfers should work on simple drills and exercises to “age” a swing change.
For example, I have a client who is a scratch golfer. Since he was a child, he had a huge loop in his swing. He came to me one day and said, “The loop in my swing is gone! I have worked it out! Watch me hit some balls, Pro.”
As I watched a few shots, every ball was straight down the middle, but the loop was still there. In his mind it was gone and his performance was elevated. For the next year, we didn’t let him see his video and I gradually worked the loop out little by little. He was hardly aware of it because I kept the drills simple, never more than one exercise at a time.
Important points to remember when teaching a skill:
• Let natural ability guide your students.
• Limit the amount of information, especially with beginner golfers.
Old ingrained habits can be changed. It is simply a matter of:
• Understanding the fault.
• Finding a simple, effective exercise or thought to correct the fault.
• Repeating and aging the correct movement.
The brain is a powerful instrument. If we can find a simple way to correct a fault, we can have immediate results. But, often when a golfer finds a way to correct a fault, he thinks that after a few shots that all is cured.
In reality, to produce a correct repeating motion one has to:
• Age the correct motion until it is ingrained,
and / or
• Have a clear mental focus with a simple thought to produce the correct movement.
LEARNING A SKILL, PART 1
A successful teacher can transmit his information to the student in the most effective manner possible. To help achieve this goal, it is important to understand how the student receives the information the teachers is sending him. Rather than delve into theories of learning a skill, use simple techniques to reach a student without the scientific clutter, although the goals are the same.
Sports performance is basically how one’s psychomotor skills react to achieve a goal. The term “muscle memory” is misleading. Information is stored in the body’s computer – the brain. The brain is what stores memories.
Many sports have similar actions and movements. All sports that require body rotation rely on the same core muscles as the source of stability and power. Therefore, when a student has already performed other sports, often it is easy to transmit the same images to the golf swing.
Too often a teacher pushes a student with excessive images and thoughts that lead to “overload.” Try this experiment. Hand a beginning golfer a golf club and tell him to hit the ball. That’s all. Most of the time, they will make contact.
LEARNING A SKILL, PART 2
The golf swing is basically a natural movement. When a child picks up a stick and swings at a pine cone, nobody explains the techniques of “hitting a pine cone.” Therefore, in your teaching, try to start as basic as possible. Let the movement begin naturally and let it ingrain with repetition. In many cases, less is more.
The same can be said with advanced golfers. Often, good golfer feels as if a swing change is a huge undertaking, when in reality, it might be as simple as a few centimeters. Even advanced golfers should work on simple drills and exercises to “age” a swing change.
For example, I have a client who is a scratch golfer. Since he was a child, he had a huge loop in his swing. He came to me one day and said, “The loop in my swing is gone! I have worked it out! Watch me hit some balls, Pro.”
As I watched a few shots, every ball was straight down the middle, but the loop was still there. In his mind it was gone and his performance was elevated. For the next year, we didn’t let him see his video and I gradually worked the loop out little by little. He was hardly aware of it because I kept the drills simple, never more than one exercise at a time.
Important points to remember when teaching a skill:
• Let natural ability guide your students.
• Limit the amount of information, especially with beginner golfers.
Old ingrained habits can be changed. It is simply a matter of:
• Understanding the fault.
• Finding a simple, effective exercise or thought to correct the fault.
• Repeating and aging the correct movement.
The brain is a powerful instrument. If we can find a simple way to correct a fault, we can have immediate results. But, often when a golfer finds a way to correct a fault, he thinks that after a few shots that all is cured.
In reality, to produce a correct repeating motion one has to:
• Age the correct motion until it is ingrained,
and / or
• Have a clear mental focus with a simple thought to produce the correct movement.
There was a lot of brown showing in the recent U.S. Opens hosted at Pinehurst #2, along with several weeds around the edges of the course. On television, it looked a little ragged compared to most American golf courses that host tournaments on a weekly basis. In reality, most municipal courses in the country look more like Pinehurst than Augusta, and experience unfair criticism as a result. It takes a lot of water to keep grass green on the fairways, and water is becoming more and more a commodity we should not waste. Pinehurst now uses 70 percent less water per year, and from what I could see, the course played very well and was enjoyed by all the participants.
The golf courses I grew up on did not get irrigation systems until the late ‘60s, and it was common for the fairways to turn brown during hot, dry summers. No one complained as long as the greens were good. Oftentimes, we looked forward to the browning, because 230-yard drives were rolling out to 260 or more. In 1968, the primary course I grew up on got a new watering system. After all, back then everything was cheap. Hershey bars were a nickel. Water was free, or at least we thought so. Within a few years, if so much as a brown spot showed up on the course, the members were screaming. The term “dirt track” became the tag on any course that did not drown their fairways with liquid refreshment.
We got spoiled and failed to think of the future. Even now, very few want to bite the bullet and step back a bit. Maybe it will take something like a brown U.S. Open to open our eyes.
Recently, I was playing golf with a few members of the golf club where I am at. Both gentlemen are around 45-50 years of age and have about 10 handicaps. On a long par-3, I noticed one of them pulled out a 3-iron. He made a decent swing at it, but caught it a little thin and missed the green about 25 yards short and right of the green.
When I inquired as to why was he carrying a long iron versus a hybrid, his answer shocked me. He said that better players played long irons, including 2- and 3-irons. I started laughing at his statement, which started a nice little debate about long irons versus hybrids. Both players were shocked that the longest iron in my bag is a 4-iron.
My point to them was that they needed to think about golf as a game of misses. Very few golf shots are struck perfectly. If my miss is a “better” miss than your miss, then I will beat you. If you mishit a long iron, it does not fly as far or as straight as it would with a mishit hybrid. By simply changing the clubs in their bag from long irons to hybrids, it would help lower their scores.
My next point was to educate them on hybrids, and what they can do for your game. There are lots of shots where hybrids come in handy: deep rough, long par-3s, second shots on par-5s and little chips around the greens. After our conversation, they began to
understand this philosophy. Later that week, one of them got fitted for the new Callaway hybrids to replace his 2- and 3-irons.
Make sure you talk to your students about hybrids if they are still carrying long irons. It will improve their game, lower their scores, and make the game more enjoyable.
I was watching NBC Nightly News over the weekend and one of their segments caught my eye. Some fellows on a golf course were kicking a soccer ball down the fairway and then at a hole the size of a 55-gallon drum in circumference. Apparently, this new sport called “foot golf” is all the rage. I am not necessarily one to cast aspersions on people who come up with new ways to entertain themselves, but I won’t be joining the ranks of foot golfers across the globe…just as I have never played a round of disc golf either.
Why? Well, I became an avid golfer because of the challenge. How hard can it be to kick a big ball down a wide open fairway? Want to make it interesting, forego the soccer ball, and use something more like a tennis ball. I can’t wait to see how they handle an uphill fairway when gravity returns the old soccer ball back to their feet time after time.
All kidding aside, if people find this to be fun, more power to them. Will this propel interest in the actual game of golf? I doubt it. The PGA thinks it might, but I am skeptical. Humans in this day and age tend not to gravitate from something easy to something much more complicated, difficult, and expensive. The fact that foot golf was even created probably means that someone was looking for an alternative to the challenge of golf. Maybe I am wrong and this foot thing will ultimately help
the game of golf. It might also keep people from ever trying real golf in the first place. I hope not. Only time will tell.
By Thomas T Wartelle
A simple diagnosis of a swing fault leads to a simple remedy. This leads to positive results and success.
Remember that most students are happy to hit the ball straight and 150 yards. If a student wants to continue his progress, make a plan and work on only one or two swing faults a lesson. With advanced golfers, find out what their goals are and develop a strategy to make improvements to their game.
In teaching the game of golf, it is important not to overload the student with too many swing thoughts. When many swing faults are diagnosed, too much effort is made in correction. The student often becomes frustrated and loses confidence in his game. At this point golf, becomes less enjoyable and the teaching professional has failed.
A happy student will take another lesson! Therefore, to be successful as a teacher, our goal is to guide the student and provide a positive learning environment.
The Teaching Professional Chart:
Teacher 1: No technical skills; no empathy (failed results).
Teacher 2: Technical Skills; No Empathy (poor results).
Teacher 3: Low technical skills; Empathy (moderate results).
Teacher 4: High Technical Skills; High Empathy (maximum results).
Which teacher will be the most successful? As a teaching professional, how do you rate on the technical skill scale and the empathy scale? By making an honest examination of yourself, you can take your teaching to the next level.
A few weeks ago, I was playing a round of golf with some buddies. Their handicap range was from 15-25. About halfway through the round, I was shocked that none of them could pitch the ball with any height around the greens. Each one played their pitch shots with the leading edge of the club versus using the bounce.
About halfway through our back nine, I asked each of them about bounce, of which they didn’t know what I was talking about. We had the course to ourselves, so I had each of them get a few extra balls out and we set up about 30 yards from the green. I explained what the bounce is and what it is there for. I had each player take some practice swings with their leading hand only, making sure to really hit the bounce on the ground. When executed properly, there is a nice “thud” sound. They learned that by using the bounce, they could use the entire loft on the wedge.
After a few swings, they started hitting shots. However, like most people, they would not swing enough through the shot. A few were hit fat, and then all of sudden, one played a high-lofted shot that hit the green and stopped fairly quickly with a little spin. The shock on their face as each of them hit a sweet shot was priceless. They couldn’t believe how aggressive they could swing with the ball going high and coming down soft.
For the average golfers who don’t play a lot, they might not understand the importance of bounce on their wedges. As teachers, it is something we can show them to help their games, which will in turn, lower their scores.
Often, as golf teachers, we become so immersed in technical aspects of the golf swing that we tend to forget the basic fundamentals that should be followed as a golf teaching professional. The following are six basic fundamentals forming the foundation of the successful golf teaching professional:
Professional Appearance
One never gets a second chance to make a first impression. Appearance includes the obvious such as clothing and hairstyle. But, it goes much further than the obvious. A teacher’s personal action, manner, and style greatly influence the client.
Besides the obvious, some common negative appearances are: The “know it all” pro, the egotistical tour pro, the cell phone slave, cigarette Marlboro man, and the disorganized pro.
The first and final impressions of a lesson often influence the client’s choice of returning for repeat sessions.
Explanation
Teach simplicity while never assuming your students understand certain terms or phrases.
Demonstration
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Detection and Correction
A simple detection of an error should lead to a simple correction. Never detect too many errors in one lesson.
Encouragement vs. Criticism
Use positive reinforcement over negative criticism.
Did students enjoy themselves?
Insure that your students have fun.
The successful teaching professional understands the importance of communication, empathy and technical knowledge. This will lead to repeat customers.
By Mike Stevens
I forget what tournament I was watching. It might have been the Honda Classic or Doral, but out of nowhere, Peter Jacobsen made a comment that today’s players are so much better than players of his era or before. I think the term “head and shoulders above” was in there.
I was flabbergasted. Tell that to Ray Floyd, who won the Masters shooting 17 under par in 1976. How about Al Geiberger, who shot the first 59 in tournament play at the 1977 Memphis Classic played at 7,249 yards? These fellows were playing with equipment vastly inferior to today’s implements. They were also playing under conditions rarely found on any tournament course these days. To even hint that modern players are so much better today is ludicrous.
I say that if you gave Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, or Byron Nelson the equipment they use today, they would set records galore. How can I be so sure? Let’s look at some facts. Bernard Langer shoots even par at this year’s Masters. Sandy Lyle made the cut. How is it possible that guys well into their fifties can compete in a major? Any chance they would be there using the wooden-headed clubs they played with in their victories? How well do you think today’s players would score if they had to use the tools of Jones and Hagen? I can give you a hint. I have had three former tour players participate in the United States Professional Hickory Golf Championship and one active player. Their identities will remain anonymous to protect the innocent, but their scores were 77, 79, 81, and 83. I doubt Sam Snead would shoot scores like that with an R-whatever in his bag.
Pre-shot routines are important, but in professional golf they are mandatory. You can use the pre-shot routine to help with nerves, calm you down after a bad shot, or keep a good round going. Many top players and amateurs alike have a pre-shot putting routine. They look at the putt from a few different angles, take a few practice strokes, and then stare at the hole and pull the trigger.
After working with Dave Stockton, Rory McIlroy started a new routine with no practice strokes. Say what?! How could one of the top players in the world not take practice strokes? In Stockton’s camp, they believe that if you are a good-enough athlete, then you should be able to toss a ball to someone 20 feet away without a practice motion.
To his point, in most sports you don’t have a chance to take a practice or rehearsal motion. A football quarterback doesn’t stop the play to take a practice throw, nor does a major league pitcher take a few practice windups prior to the pitch. These athletes look and react, plain and simple. By embracing this philosophy, you take the “thinking” out of the action and rely on your natural athleticism.
Rory has now made his pre-shot putting routine simpler, just look and react. Could your students make their routine simpler? If they are struggling with too many thoughts, or too long of a process, possibly have them try Rory’s routine: look and react.
