1 Jun 2018

Hooray For Recognizing That Women Might Like Golf

By Mike Stevens, USGTF contributing writer

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club just unveiled a new Women in Golf Charter as a drive to encourage more women and girls to play the game and work in the industry. Only a couple of centuries too late, but at least they have acknowledged that their behavior toward the fair sex has been woeful over the years. The new executive director of the R&A, Martin Slumbers, has thrown his full support behind the effort, which is nice to see from an organization that didn’t even allow women into their clubhouse. Men have a right to have their own club as do women, I get it. But there have been too many times when men have purposely discouraged females from taking up the game.

If growth is an objective – and it is, according to everyone associated with the sport – then getting more women and girls to play would seem a no-brainer. Nice to see Augusta National adding a women’s amateur tournament next year and their fantastic support of the Drive, Chip and Putt event. We need as many major golf associations and leaders to push such efforts. Every initiative needs champions to push to a next level. Looks like the effort is taking place. Let’s hope it bears fruit.
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10 May 2018

The Proof Is In – You Can’t Buy A Game

By Mike Stevens, USGTF contributing writer

Just ran across a study by a group named ARCCOS, a golf-tracking statistics organization that found over the last three years the average golfer has actually lost distance. Can it be? With all the technology involved in golf these days, from launch monitors to TrackMan to speed slots, the average golfer has lost about three yards. Maybe it is time to refer to that Shakespeare line, “A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Or, as Barnum may or may not have said, there’s one born every minute. Now, I don’t know how many drivers have been introduced over the past three years, but I’d guess in the hundreds. Every club was touted as the longest ever assembled. Yet, for all that $500 or more invested, the net result – three yards less.

Time to be honest. Golf requires effort. I didn’t become good because of my wallet. I spent hours on the range applying sound fundamental techniques. I rehearsed specific motions over and over until they became second nature. Only after that did I settle on a set of clubs that gave me good results. Did I try a new driver now and then? Of course; it’s human nature to fall for the hype sometimes. But the real secret to improving one’s game is to develop a swing that encompasses a good path and getting the clubhead squarely on the ball, then doing it time after time. If it was simply about equipment, then everyone would be good.
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23 Apr 2018

Regional Events

By Cole Golden, WGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional

Earlier in April, the Masters golf tournament was contested. For many people in the United States, it symbolizes the official start of the golf season. In the colder parts of the nation – especially those of us in the Midwest or further north – the season is beginning to kick off. With the excitement of a new golf season building, it is time to start planning your calendar for events.

First and foremost, you should plan an October trip to the United States Golf Teachers Cup, which will combine with the Canadian Golf Teachers Cup in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Other golfers might also plan on trying to qualify for the U.S. Open, Senior U.S. Open, Monday qualifiers for Web.com events or other tournaments. One opportunity often overlooked is playing in the USGTF regional events.

Regional events are great for a number of reasons. It’s an opportunity to work on your tournament game. Meeting fellow USGTF members who are somewhat local to your area is a great networking avenue. One of my favorite things about these events is the “teaching talk.” There is a lot of knowledge sharing amongst members, and it’s a great way to learn through experiences both on the course and during the social events.

If you haven’t played in a regional event, challenge yourself to play in one this year. Take advantage of the networking opportunities and meet new people. It is also a great motivator to work on your game. For more information about regional events, go to www.usgtfmembers.com or call the home office at 1-888-346-3290. I hope to see you at a regional event soon!
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14 Apr 2018

Passing The Torch

By Thomas T Wartelle, WGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional

I never saw my Pop play a round of golf. I saw him hit a golf ball only once in my life. He hit a left-handed persimmon wood about 250 yards with a draw. Although he followed me while I played, or caddied for me many times, I never saw him hit another golf ball again. Pop still smiles when I tell him about my golf and loves to hear about my son’s (his grandson’s) golfing achievements.

When Pop was with me on the golf course, he was always supportive. He knew the difficulties of the game of golf. I think he saw golf as a parallel to life. When I wanted to turn pro, he immediately said, go do it. Never once did he question my decision to choose golf. He saw many of my ups and downs. He always encouraged me to continue. When I told him I was going to Europe to play professionally, he said to go chase the dream. I never saw Pop outwardly worry about anything. As a man of great faith, he always believed in try to do your best and things will work themselves out.

Pop had two sports figures that he always admired: Ted Williams and Arnold Palmer. Arnold Palmer was the same age, height, and weight as Pop. Pop liked Arnold’s strength and grit. Mr. Palmer always conducted himself with grace and class. He was a fierce competitor, but he treated people with respect and dignity that they deserved. He transformed and inspired generations of people.

Pop admired Ted Williams’ work ethic and skill. The “Splendid Splinter” went on to lifetime batting average of .344. He was the last Major League player to bat over .400 in a season. Like many men of his generation, Ted Williams was a veteran. He willingly served his country, twice sacrificing prime years of his baseball career.

Pop, Ted, and Arnold were similar men. They dealt with life’s ups and downs. Each paving their way to be true heroes in their own right. They were a generation of men that should not be forgotten.

One of my fondest memories with Pop was a U.S. Open qualifier a few years back. I was playing well. The final hole was a real tight par four that I had previously struggled with the tee shot. I glanced over to him, and he had a look of serenity on his face. I hit a perfect tee shot followed by a wedge to 15 feet. After the birdie putt dropped, Pop said, “I always knew you were going to make it.” I shot 67 that round. I felt like I really made him proud. Unfortunately, I missed out of going to the Big Show by one shot. On the ride home, I bought Pop a Budweiser. Sitting there, he looked at me said, “I know you will get them next time.” Later in life, I realized that I made him proud just by simply having the courage and grit to chase my dreams.

Thanks to the “Greatest Generation,” I will always be a fan of Ted’s Tribe, Arnie’s Army, and Pop’s Platoon. They taught us to fight and persevere. But it didn’t end there. They taught us to love, respect, and use your wits to continually move forward to the future.

Pop, I promise to teach my son to work hard and birdie the next hole!
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29 Mar 2018

Understanding The Motive

By David Vaught, USGTF Master Professional

Occasionally we are all confronted with a deep-meaning question from someone that requires quite a bit of reflection. It could be a colleague, peer, student, or family member. As I have progressed through the years in my golf career, I get asked the following question more and more often: “How did you get where you are today in the golf business?”

A few years ago, when confronted with this question by a young aspiring golf professional, I was caught completely off guard, but the answer popped into my head unexpectedly. Before I reveal that epiphany, I must say after that day I began to notice a similar motive for almost every successful golf instructor I have come across the last half of my career.

Thinking back to the very early years of my golf career, I could come up with some very easy answers. For example, I was starving when I got my first golf job. Therefore, eating was a good motivator. I needed a car that didn’t break down every week. I wanted to impress a potential girlfriend, and being homeless doesn’t lend itself to good first impressions. Besides what young guy doesn’t have someone of interest they want to impress?

Don’t be misled. Not all instructors are motivated the same. I have met several instructors that have had different motivations. Some thought it was an easy alternative to selling insurance or working in sales, etc., etc. Others were motivated by the money; $80 an hour sounds like a good gig. Others were looking for the next young superstar they could groom into a tour player and then parlay that into big-ticket success.

Does the enjoyment of doing what you love trump the enjoyment you can receive out of the money you make? I am not wise enough to answer that one, but many will say doing what you love day in and day out is very important to truly being happy in life. Now let’s bring this back to golf and my answer. I responded to the question like this: “All I can remember trying to do was help someone receive greater joy and have more fun playing this game. If I could to add joy to their life, I was happy, and the rest took care of itself”.

Honestly, that was always my motivation. I somehow figured out that by having that one simple objective, everything else fell into place. I do not claim to be consciously aware of that all the time, but looking back, that is exactly what was in my mind somewhere. It guided me.

I made some money. I won awards. I received accolades from my peers. I received admiration from those that cared about me. All from that single motivation: bringing people joy by helping them play better golf. For me, that was through lessons and equipment. I look back now on what I have accomplished, modest by some standards and significant by others, and I have a very hard time believing I did all of that! I do realize it somehow just came from that single heartfelt desire. I do also remember often feeling desperate as to how I was going to help them play better. It could have been lying in bed dreaming up a new drill to fix their swing or not giving up until I found the right shaft they needed to improve their ball flight. Whatever it took.

Again, I would say that the clear majority of successful golf professionals share that motivation. I know it works. That could mean going the extra mile, giving more effort, spending more time, or being more patient.

It is not exactly earth shattering or even that profound. It is simple. I guess much like the mantra Harvey Penick lived and taught by. That piece of advice is the best advice I can offer someone that is entertaining a career in golf, especially teaching or equipment. Love to see them get better, love to see them improve, love to see them have a great day enjoying this game. If you are trying to help them do that, it will all come to you. You may not make millions, but your heart will be full, people will notice and you will have the gratification that money does not always buy.
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27 Feb 2018

Teachers Need To Avoid The Perfection Syndrome

By Mark Harman USGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional

In our scientific age where we can measure to the tenth of a degree a golfer’s swing path and clubface angle, it can be addicting to try to reach perfection or near-perfection in results or technique. When you hear gurus on TV break down a top professional’s swing, they often point to most minute details to explain why said golfer is either succeeding or failing.

This attention to detail, while on the surface plausible, can actually be detrimental to a golfer, regardless of skill level. One of the truisms of a golf swing is that it is more important to have a repeating swing than a perfect swing. And some of the repeating swings that our students make can often be quite bewildering, but they indeed repeat.

Perhaps the most unconventional swing I’ve ever seen from a low-handicapper went like this: The golfer shoved the club dramatically away from him, perpendicular to the target line. He then somehow got to the top of his backswing, and coming down after impact, he chicken-winged the club so badly that the butt end of the grip hit him in the stomach. When I first saw this, I thought he was making a joke swing, but he was not.

It takes some skill and experience to recognize when a move is repeatable and when it’s not. When there is a question, always refer back to the five ball flight laws of clubhead path, clubface angle, angle of attack, squareness of the strike and clubhead speed. If a quirky move doesn’t affect the consistency of one of these factors, then it’s a repeatable move. As the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
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12 Feb 2018

Navigating The Golf Ball Product Maze

By Mike Stevens,USGTF contributing Writer

One thing the world will never run out of is golf balls. Wandering the aisles of the PGA show, I found no less than a dozen ball manufacturers. I guess it’s nice to make a product that often gets lost with one swing of the crooked stick. I’m all for competition, but what I find most interesting is how each company makes several kinds of orbs in their repertoire. There are soft balls, spin balls, high flight, low flight, weight-balanced or multi-layered. It is enough to make your head explode. Most golfers I know couldn’t care less. What matters most to the average player is price, because they aren’t good enough to feel a difference from one ball to the next. Unless it’s a Christmas gift, they’re not going to shell out $60 for a dozen tour-something that won’t make a bit of difference in their game.

I have been playing for 58 years at a pretty high level, and to be honest, it is getting to the point where I have difficulty noting a difference from one brand to another. One of my students gave me a ball he purchased from an internet distributor; it felt just like that #1 ball in golf to me at a third of the cost. Heck, I’m not proud, I bought a dozen for myself. What a country! So many choices. Makes you wonder why anyone would scrounge around the water-ball bin when you can pick up a new dozen for the same price.

Capitalism, isn’t it grand? No matter what, there is something for everyone. No matter how many golf balls must drown, there’s another coming down the never-ending assembly line.
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8 Feb 2018

Member Benefits

By Cole Golden, WGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional

There are many benefits of belonging to the USGTF and WGTF.  Just a few of the top benefits that come to my mind are the Golf Teaching Pro magazine, regional tournaments, the U.S. and World Golf Teachers Cups, and personal discounts from club manufacturers.  However, my favorite is our member’s forum.

USGTFMembers.com is a wonderful forum for our members to post about many different topics.  Whether you are needing an instructor, asking for ideas about a problem with a student, or getting excited about an upcoming USGTF event, the forum has it all.

Having met members from all over the world through our different venues, it is also a great way to keep in touch with members who are far away.  This means of reconnecting assists with communication about upcoming events, and builds camaraderie from the beginning.  Receiving feedback, in addition to learning about different perspectives, global golf topics and issues, really illustrates the universality of the organization.

All this wonderful forum needs is YOU!  The more you take advantage of this tool, the better it will be.  It’s an opportunity to get involved within the USGTF.  If you want to ask Mark Harman or myself a question about one of our tournaments, you can.  If you would like to ask the group about a drill to help a student, you can.  If you would like to look to hire some instructors for a camp, you can.  The benefits are endless!  Log on today and start enjoying one of the best perks of our membership.
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6 Feb 2018

Slow Play

By Cole Golden, WGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional

By now, everyone has seen or heard what happened at the Farmers Insurance Open in January at Torrey Pines on the 18th hole with J.B. Holmes. For those would like a recap, Holmes was down two shots to the clubhouse leader and needed an eagle to tie. His two playing partners also had a chance to win, one with a birdie and the other with an eagle. J.B. took over four minutes to finally play his lay-up shot (we can discuss this in a later article).

J.B. is renowned as a slow player, even though he has worked on speeding up over the course of the past few years. Throughout the day, he would take 5-10 practice swings before each shot. The overall round took almost six hours to play; no speed records were being broken, to say the least. During the conversation with his caddie, the wind was swirling, making the decision a tad harder. You can give him a small break due to the wind and the situation, but not four minutes.

There are numerous reasons to have a shot clock or wanting play to compete in a timely manner. To put it into perspective, let’s look at other sports and how they measure time. Basketball has a shot clock, football has a play clock, and even in poker, the clock can be called on a deliberate player. When a basketball player is going to shoot free throws, they are given 10 seconds to complete the shot. If the game is on the line with no time on the clock, 10 seconds is all the player will receive to perform the shot.

In golf, slowing the game impacts several parties. Your playing partners are impacted the most. It is not fair to have to wait an ungodly amount of time while waiting on someone to play their shot. Golf is such a mental game, and if a player is in a rhythm, standing around can really change the course of the game. The tournament needs to adhere to a schedule due to TV, fans and the possibility of a playoff.

I understand that playing for millions of dollars would cause most of us to freeze, but these players on the PGA Tour are professionals. This is what they do week in and week out. They are also role models for the average golfer. At some point, the officials must step in for the betterment of the game and start to penalize slow play. Slow play could be added to the list (including stuffy and over-regulated) that gives the sport of golf a bad reputation. As golf teaching professionals, let’s ensure we are addressing a healthy pace of play, especially with our younger players.
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Get Your Students Into The Zone
5 Feb 2018

Get Your Students Into The Zone

By Dr. Gregg Steinberg USGTF Sports Psychologist, Nashville, Tennessee

Everyone wants to be in the zone. The zone is this magical, mystical place in which you feel so confident, your focus is so sharp and your emotions are completely calm. The zone is being at your best in whatever you are accomplishing. It would be wonderful if we can help our students to get into the zone as much as possible on the golf course.

Here are two easy steps to helping students to get into the zone more often:

1) Become aware of their zone experience. Your students need to be aware of which emotions occur during the zone experience.

2) Emotionally prepare for the zone state. Your students will need to develop a personalized routine that will help them get into the zone more often.

The zone experience is unique to everyone. Some individuals may be highly anxious when they are in the zone, while others can be very calm. Some individuals will be thinking a lot when they get into the zone, while other individuals have a clear mind.

There is not one set pattern of emotions. Thus, our students need to be aware of their individualized zone template. This process is known as self-monitoring and is essential to developing a clear understanding of their zone experience.

To help your students become aware of their zone template, the instructor needs to have the student address two different situations. First, ask your students to recall a time when they performed at their best. Then, the teacher should ask the following questions related to five levels of this particular “best” performance state:

1) Was your nervousness level high, medium, or low?

2) Was your confidence level high, medium, or low?

3.) Was your energy level high, medium, or low?

4) Was your enjoyment level high, medium, or low?

5) Were you thinking or just reacting?

To develop a better understanding of the zone state for your students, the teacher should ask a question about the contrasting situation. Students should recall a time when they performed at their worst. Again, this can be in the sport of interest or in a different performance situation. The teacher should also address the same five levels of this “worst” performance state, asking the same five questions listed above.

This set of questions concerning contrasting performance situations – best vs. worst – will give teachers all the information they will need to understand their students at a deeper level. For instance, some students may perform at their best when they have low energy and at their worst with high energy, while a different student may be at their best with high energy and at their worst when their energy is low. Or, one student may be best when they are reacting and perform at their lowest when they think too much, while a different student follows the opposite pattern. Gaining knowledge about best vs. worst performance is essential before moving to the next step.

Emotionally preparing for their zone state. The next step of this process is to replicate the emotions of the zone state for the student. There are three ways to help your student accomplish this:

1) Create an emotional buzzword that represents that zone state.

2) Create a behavior trigger associated with that zone state.

3) Use a visual image that represents that zone state.

Emotional buzzwords help to elicit the same emotions that the student felt during their zone state. As an example, I had a high school golfer, Ron, describe his zone state to me. When he described it to me, he said he felt extremely aggressive and confident, like nothing could shake him. When he performed at his worst, he felt he lost confidence and he was very passive, with low energy. I suggested the cue word “bulldog,” and he loved it. Ron said that is exactly how he felt at his best, like an aggressive bulldog on the mound.

I then asked Ron to describe how a bulldog would feel. He said that a bulldog would always keep his head high. So for Ron, we created the behavior trigger of “chin up.”

I then asked Ron of a visual image that reminded him of when he was confident and aggressive. He said he had a picture of himself smashing one of his longest drives. I told him to put his picture on his phone (he had one of those fancy iPhones), and to look at this picture as much as possible. But more importantly, when he looks at this picture, Ron is to recall feelings of confidence.

The last step is to create a personalized routine. That is, Ron is to put all three processes (buzzword, behavioral trigger and image) into his pre-shot routine. Specifically, at the start of Ron’s routine, he is to say “bulldog.” As he says this, he is to get his chin up, and then he is to recall that image of him smashing that long drive. All three will help him instantly get into the correctional emotional state for his upcoming shot.

To help your students play at their best, help them become aware of their best (zone) state and then help your students create a personalized routine that will lead to their most effective emotions. This is a simple but incredibly powerful method that will lead to your students playing their best golf.

About the author: USGTF member Dr. Gregg Steinberg has been recognized by Golf Digest as one of golf’s great sports psychologists. He has been a frequent guest on Golf Channel to speak about sport psychology. He is the sports psychologist for the USGTF. Go to www.MasteringGolfPsychology.com to become a certified mental game expert by the International Golf Psychology Association, sponsored by the USGTF.
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