Editorial

4 Oct 2013 Corina Pelloni

STAYING IN CONTROL OF YOUR GOLF LESSONS!

Have you ever felt yourself losing control of a golf lesson? I see it happen quite often, and in all honesty, it has happened to me more than once. Maybe you think you have never lost control of a golf lesson in the past. I’m not talking about the entire lesson being in disarray with you and your student hollering at each other. Hopefully, if you do lose control, it will be much more subtle than that. What can we use as criteria to determine losing control of a golf lesson? How about a breakdown in communication, to the point of your student saying that he/she doesn’t understand what you are saying to them? What about you and your student disagreeing on the objective of that lesson? What if your student was to get frustrated to the point of raising their voice towards you and telling you that you don’t know what you’re doing? I remember losing control of a lesson once, and from all appearances, my student had no idea that I felt that way. Let me tell you what happened! With the help of video, I had shown my student that his trailing leg was bowing outwards during the backswing. I explained that we needed to keep the knee on the inside of the foot at the top. I had the student do some drills, make some practice swings, and then hit some golf balls. After hitting a few balls, the student was getting frustrated because he was hitting the ball so badly. Frustration was rising! Finally, he hit a ball very nicely, and I could see that he was pleased. His pleasure with hitting the ball that way broke the tension that was present. I liked it that he was so pleased, but I said something to him that I really didn’t believe. I said, “Now that was better!” It wasn’t, though. His knee bowed out as bad as it ever had. You see, I lost control of the lesson right there. In one sense, it was an honest mistake, because I really wanted to give the student some praise, and my intentions were to help. However, I allowed my student’s frustration to cause me to lose focus and say something that I knew wasn’t true. I knew better than that, though, and in the years that have passed since, I’ve been careful not to make that kind of mistake again. So, let me give you my opinion about this kind of situation. A few minutes into a lesson, after an evaluation has been made and a certain amount of give-and-take between the student and teacher has taken place, the teacher should make it very clear to the student what they will be working on. The teacher should always remember that the student is sensing a different feel each time they make a repetition of a certain motion or position. If the teacher tells the student that he did well, even though he did not make the correct motion but did hit the ball solidly, the student’s confusion will only be magnified. Remember this:  Although you don’t always need to say everything that is on your mind to a student, you should never say something that you know is untrue, even if you’re doing it to relieve a tense moment. If you are going to stay in control of a lesson, you need clear communication, an objective, and the self-confidence to stay focused on that objective, even when you feel that the student is becoming frustrated. Your students are coming to you because they want you to lead them…so lead them! Many of them can sense when your confidence is wavering. Hold their nose to the grindstone, or to use another term, keep their feet to the fire. Train them that if they will work on the new position and not worry how they hit the ball, they will make more efficient progress. Trust your instincts and teach with confidence. Let me balance that out now! At the end of the day, the quickest path to trusting your instincts and teaching with confidence is by constantly assessing your decisions and actions and having the guts to admit when you were wrong. Good golfing!

4 Oct 2013 Corina Pelloni

REFINING YOUR GOLF TEACHING SKILL

Three simple elements that will make you a better golf instructor: Positive Communication  Make sure you introduce the skill in a clear and concise way.  Use language that the golfer can understand.  Try to be as brief as possible and create a positive learning environment. • Get the golfer’s attention. • Make sure that the golfer can see and hear everything about the skill that they need to. • Give a reason for learning the skill. Demonstrations Every picture is worth a thousand words.  Shapes you see affect shapes you make.  Show more and talk less.  Ask players to mentally rehearse the movement after they have seen the demonstration.  For your own credibility, it is important that you use demonstration.  If you cannot perform the skill, use the best available model, or even use a video. The Golf Swing is not Static When someone hits a golf ball, the swing is a continuous motion.  Too often the motion is broken down into separate parts, resulting in a loss of the continuity. The golf swing is best taught by correcting a flaw with a key thought or feeling.  Find a simple solution that allows the student to continue the motion of a full swing.  Encourage drills or training aids that promote the complete swinging motion.  These thoughts or feelings are less likely to break down when put under pressure.

9 Sep 2013 Corina Pelloni

KEEPING UP WITH TECHNOLOGY

For anyone in the golf business, especially an instructor, it is imperative to keep up with the latest golf technology. Sometimes it concerns golf clubs, but more often than not, it is the technology related to improving the golfer’s game that is constantly improving. To illustrate my point, if we wrote a book on technology related to teaching the game just five years ago, the book would already be very obsolete. Some of the best products to hit the market heavily this year are the instant golf swing feedback devices. Most of these devices hook onto your golf club. There are even products that are placed in your golf glove. Products like this fall into the same category as video or training aids – they need a professional to interpret the data correctly for the student. That is why I think any serious instructor should invest in one of these devices. In some ways, technology can hurt the teaching business, but in many ways it can help. A student can now instantly see their path or speed, etc. But, they need the instructor to teach them how to improve it. The other benefit is the ability to have verification of what is actually happening in the swing. This is very similar to swing video analysis, except, instead of pictures, you are getting raw data and numbers. So, how do these devices work? The first of these devices came out from Germany and Japan several years ago. The engineering principal is based on measuring what the club is doing as it moves. Originally, string gauges built into the device and then placed on the club would send signals to a computer through Bluetooth technology. The technology behind it and the size has evolved, and the price has come down dramatically. How fast was the club moving? What direction? How much rotation? That is the basis of the feedback the device records. With the advent of smartphones and increased competition, there are more devices to choose from, and they are Apple- or Android-based, or both. No need for the bulky desktop or laptop computer. The specific feedback can vary, but typically it will instantly and accurately record clubhead speed, plane, path, shaft angles, and face position during the entire swing. The feedback shows up directly on your phone or tablet. If you use your imagination as an instructor, you could use this during the lesson to verify changes or improvements. There are so many ways to use this information to improve the swing that it would take several articles like this to cover it all. You could use it easily for someone looking for the keys in their swing to increase their clubhead speed, for example. Another easy example would be swing plane. One of the great things about these devices are the many 3D views you can see of the swing. You could instantly see if a new swing thought produced a different plane or path. A little experimentation by the professional is the best way to learn. Before buying, read the reviews, make sure you can return it if necessary, and pay close attention to how well it stays attached to the club. As I have preached to instructors for years, be open-minded when it comes to things that might help your students. Technology can be scary, but you have to jump in there and experiment. If you are instructor older than 50, it is imperative to keep up. Trust me, the young teachers will be using technology to help their students!

9 Sep 2013 Corina Pelloni

CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENTS

We have all been asked by a friend or colleague to play in a charity scramble, one of those six-hour tournaments where you swing out of your shoes to kill every drive.  Many golf professionals hate playing scrambles, especially ones that take up the entire day.  If you have to spend an extensive amount of time playing in a tournament such as this, consider it a great opportunity to build your business, and at the same time, benefit the tournament without playing a six-hour round. When I hear about charity tournaments, I call the tournament director or organizer, explain who I am, and that I would like to donate my time and skills to the tournament by giving free five-minute video lessons to the players.  100% of the time, the tournament organizer is ecstatic that you are offering this service. On the day of the tournament, I show up about 1 ½ hours prior to the start of the round.  I always go into the pro shop to say hi to the host golf professionals and let them know what I will be doing that day.  They are normally busy and don’t care that you are there, but I feel it is a great way to show your professionalism.  I find the tournament organizer and introduce myself. Once at the driving range, I fire up my iPad that is downloaded with swing-evaluation software.  I personally use V1 Golf; it is a $4.99 app on iTunes.  The participants will walk over and I will ask them to give me a quick 30-second snapshot of their golf game.  I take two videos: One from directly in front of the student, and one from behind looking down the target line. After giving them a one-minute video lesson, I will show them a quick drill to help their problem.  I explain that normally my lessons are 45 minute long and give them a brief synopsis of what I like to do.  After the lesson, I make sure to seal the deal with a handshake, thank them for playing in the tournament, and then hand them a business card. By donating your time, you are able to build a positive reputation in the community and also generate more lessons.  Most of the tournament organizers help with other tournaments and they call to invite me to other tournaments.  You will be surprised at how two hours of donated free time will help your business thrive and flourish.

9 Sep 2013 Corina Pelloni

I LIKE THE IDEA OF GOLF PLAYOFFS, BUT…?

I have been watching the FedEx Cup playoffs the past couple of weeks, but for the life of me, I can’t really understand what is going on. I have to rely on the announcers to let me know who is in what place and who is winning, even though the guy in first place might be in tenth place. Go figure. In every other sport, the playoffs are pretty simple – win and you move on, and the clock, so to speak, starts all over again. Every team or individual in the playoff has a chance to win – even the ones that barely sneak in at the last moment. I’m not sure that is true for the golf playoffs. Let’s see. They play tournaments from January until the Wyndham Championship in August. Based on their finishes, players earn points. At the end of the season, the top 125 in point totals go into the playoffs. This is where I start to lose it. The players keep their point total from the season going into the first playoff round. Nothing resets. Certainly, one can move up based on good play, but if the season points leader plays well, it is unlikely that the person in the last spot can ever win. Heck, the person in first place does not necessarily have to play the first event to move on. That might be more tolerable if everyone started at zero in the next playoff tournament – it would be like receiving a bye for having the best record during the regular season. I believe, in playoffs, everyone should start equal. After all, players are being eliminated at each event. As long as one keeps making the cut, when it gets to the final, with 30 players remaining, the winner of the playoffs should be the guy who shoots the lowest score on that last Sunday. At least I can rely on the TV announcers letting me know who the winner will be. Methinks the theory of relativity is easier to figure out.

13 Aug 2013 Corina Pelloni

PUTTING LESSONS: THE LESSONS THAT ARE OFTEN FORGOTTEN

For the longest time, I didn’t understand why people ask for putting tips, but never ask for a putting lesson.  Many people don’t understand the importance of putting, and if they do, they can’t rationalize spending the money for a putting lesson.  About a year ago, I started offering putting lessons for $20 for 20 minutes. I found out a few things by doing this.  I increased my hourly wage, and I was able to generate a lot of lessons from people who weren’t taking lessons prior.  My hourly lesson rate is $45 per hour, and at three putting lessons per hour, I increased my hourly wage to $60 per hour.  Obviously, more money is never a bad thing, but the extra students gained and having my name associated with that of being a specialized putting coach was an added bonus. After a few months of advertising putting lessons, I started having students take a putting lesson, even though they might already have a swing coach.  It helped differentiate myself from other teachers, and now people consider me a “putting guru.” When it comes to any business, you need to have something to distinguish yourself from your competition.  It could be price, location, style, or even something basic like offering putting lessons that other teaching professionals don’t advertise. Happy teaching!

12 Aug 2013 Corina Pelloni

WHO DETERMINES THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY?

We all want it: The right to be free from someone telling us what we can and can’t do. As long as it is within the law and does no harm to someone else, it should be no one’s business what we do in our daily lives. The Open Championship was held at Muirfield this year, a private men-only golf club. A lot of people in the press and public office decried the fact that the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, which runs the championship, held the tournament here.  How can you put on such a public event at a location that discriminates against women, was the cry! I think sometimes people read into the meaning of words a bit too much. To discriminate means simply to differentiate between things. One can, however, put intent behind a word and elevate the meaning, but there has to be an expressed intent. I see no evidence that male-only clubs were formed with the express intent to hurt women or vice versa. There are female-only golf clubs in existence. The Ladies Club in Toronto a prime example. Sometimes, people like to be together with others of similar background, beliefs, and, dare I say it – gender. So what? Stop making a federal case out of it. It’s the Girl Scouts, the National Organization of Women, the Ladies Professional Golf Association, or any number of associations geared for specific forms of activity or recreation. As a society, we should only be concerned when such groups raise the dialogue to intentionally exclude or harm others. I don’t see any evidence that the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, who are based at Muirfield, are going around trying to keep women from playing golf. If they want to have a men-only golf club, they should be free to do so. That is what freedom is all about, as long as there is no intent to harm anyone else. Time to lighten up a bit. I take the stance of Groucho Marx, who said, “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.”

12 Aug 2013 Corina Pelloni

TEACH CORRECT WARM-UP TECHNIQUES

Fitness research has shown that proper warm-up technique does not start with stretching.  This goes against traditional thinking.  Stretching is the same as activating or using a muscle.  Just as in lifting a dumbbell, when stretching a muscle group the muscles must expand and then contracts to complete the task.  Imagine walking into the gym and curling a 60 lb. dumbbell without warming-up. The correct technique is to warm up slowly before stretching.  This could include a slow jog, but more realistically for the golfer, simply striking a few short shots with an easy swing.  The best way is to make short 20-30 yard pitch shorts then slowly working into ¾ pitch shots.  After a few minutes, begin stretching out the muscles focusing on the major muscle groups for golf.  Some important golf muscles groups: back, shoulders, forearms and wrist, leg and hamstrings. Remember to never “bounce” when stretching, but to hold the position for a few seconds and return to the relaxed position. As golf is an athletic game, learning correct warm-up techniques will help your clients have a more enjoyable golfing experience.  It also decreases the risk of injury, therefore promoting continued lessons requested from the client.

11 Jul 2013 Corina Pelloni

“GOLF IS A GAME OF HERITAGE AND TRADITION”…REALLY?

I love baseball. Here is a game rich with tradition and time-honored practices. Over the years, I’ve seen my share of well-executed double plays or a bullet thrown from deep short to beat a runner by a single step. Year after year, and yet I never tire of it. Golf claims to have such a legacy, but today’s game is nothing like the game that first took hold in this country or the game I played growing up in the 1950s and ’60s. In fact, if golf does have a tradition, it is one of constant change. The driving force behind all of it is one thing – distance. Everyone is obsessed with it. Just about every new lesson starts with, “How do I get more distance?” It has spawned an industry that spends most of its working days building stuff for the sole purpose of getting the ball to fly farther. That has created another industry of mankind dedicated to holding the line to keep the game from getting too easy. A lot of people claim that golf has to do such things to grow, that today’s golfer is different than his or her parents or grandparents. I have mixed feelings. Certainly, regular innovation in equipment and balls is good for business. Golf employs a lot of people. So, who is to say that what has constantly gone on with golf evolving is a bad thing? On the other hand, I like playing older courses that have not been modernized. People should be able to play the game in the manner that pleases them most. Baseball can adhere to tradition – the average Joe is an observer of this, game not a participant. Anyone can play golf and play for the rest of their lives. Whatever makes them happy or makes the game easier is generally what the public will gravitate to. In that sense, it is not really a game of tradition. Maybe there is nothing wrong with that.

11 Jul 2013 Corina Pelloni

HAVE YOU TAKEN A LESSON LATELY?

As teaching professionals, we must continue to learn.  We have to better our skills and possess the desire to learn more.  There are many ways to learn:  Read books written by the top teachers, visit with other teaching professionals (at events like the USGTF’s US Cup), and take lessons. By taking lessons from accredited teachers, it will help you learn to communicate with your students better.  We have all had lessons when the student didn’t understand what we were trying to convey.  This didn’t mean we didn’t know what we were talking about, but it meant we weren’t communicating properly with this particular student.  Listening to other teachers describe a problem or how to perform a certain drill helps you learn other ways to speak with your students. This spring, we had a teaching professional move into a local country club.  His bio was very impressive.  I called and scheduled a lesson with him.  At the time of our lesson, he told me he was shocked that I called him for advice.  We talked awhile about the passion for learning, which provided a great opportunity to discuss ideas about teaching styles, techniques, swings, theories . . . the list goes on.  Our 30-minute lesson turned into two hours of great conversation and also turned in a good friendship. Don’t be afraid to learn from any available avenues.  When taking a lesson from another teaching professional, ask questions, stir up conversation, and listen.  By growing this listening and clear-communication skill set, your students will see a difference and your business will grow.