EDITORIAL – The Pyramid of Pressure
The legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden had what he called a “Pyramid of Success.” At the very top of the pyramid was “competitive greatness.” Can there be such a pyramid in golf? Certainly, but let’s attack it in a slightly different direction, as some of the building blocks in Wooden’s pyramid involve aspects of team play that aren’t relevant to golf. So let’s call it the “Pyramid of Pressure,” and here are its elements, from lowest to highest pressure: 1) Practice shot, 2) casual round, 3) competition, 4) contend, 5) win.
A practice shot on the range has virtually no pressure at all, but this is an ideal time to also practice being under pressure. Set a goal for yourself or your student (such as hitting five drives between two landmarks out on the range), and if you succeed, reward yourself with a refreshment. If you fail, you can either try again or “punish” yourself by, for example, handing a stranger a $5 bill.
A casual round might have a little pressure from the elements of the course, but again, this is an excellent time to practice being under pressure. A target number of fairways and greens hit can provide some pressure, for example.
The jump to competition is perhaps the biggest leap in the pyramid. The key here is proper preparation, both physically and mentally, and this preparation should have been executed during the practice shot and casual round phases.
Contending for the win is another big jump, and here, the player really needs to faithfully stick to the pre-shot routine and stay in the present. Thinking back to past shots or forward to possible outcomes is a sure way to derail the train.
Finally, at the top of the pyramid we have winning. This is the culmination of all the elements that came before. But the player needs to be careful to not try too hard to win. Maintaining oneself in the present and, as the old cliche goes, “playing one shot at a time” give the best chance to hold the trophy at the end of the competition.
By Mark Harman, USGTF Director of Education
In nearly 35 of teaching, I have had five students who were gifted enough to play golf professionally, and really two who could be successful at the highest level. One of them is Dylan Meyer. I knew in five minutes that he was going to be special. At the age of nine, he had the ability and instincts that surpassed most players.
USGTF Master Teaching Professional Arlen Bento Jr. is an award-winning golf coach and golf professional, and has been a member of the USGTF and the WGTF for over 20 years. He has long been a WGTF Top 100 Teacher.
He resides in Jensen Beach, Florida, and operates his own indoor golf learning center in nearby Stuart, and his “Shoot Par Now” golf academy in Port St. Lucie, Florida, at the Saints Golf Course. He is the former head golf professional at the PGA Country Club at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, and the former director of golf at Eagle Marsh Golf Club in Jensen Beach. Bento also owns interests in multiple businesses, and operates his own digital marketing company that helps other business owners succeed online. He has been married to his wife Julie for 25 years and has two sons, ages 24 and 22, two stepdaughters and four grandchildren.
Bento provides nearly 2,000 private lessons each year and has a very busy academy program with clinics, classes and golf schools at the Saints Golf Course. He is known in his area as a junior golf leader and coach. Bento credits his golf success to hard work, a quest for knowledge, perseverance, and the ability to learn how to use digital marketing to promote his businesses.
He can be reached via his websites:
Matt Jones burst onto the PGA Tour with much fanfare in 2008 after a great season in 2007 on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour. However, success at the top level came slowly for the Australian, and he had to go back to the fall qualifying tournament (Q-school) after his first season. He was able to keep his card and gradually improved, having a number of top-10 finishes in 2013. In 2014, he finally won his first tournament in Houston, defeating Matt Kuchar in a playoff.
Since that time, he’s been a steady if unspectacular player. He did win the Australian Open twice, in 2015 and 2019, showing the promise he has always held. Finally, this past March he won the Honda Classic for his second PGA Tour victory. Jones took control of the tournament with statistically one of the best ballstriking performances in the past 20 years. It remains to be seen if Jones will build upon this success. Now that he is 40 years old, the maturity and experience he’s gained should bode well for the next few years.
By: Anthony Benny
Greetings from Trinidad and Tobago to all my family and friends of the USGTF and WGTF. Today, I write about the game we all love and play. In Trinidad and Tobago, there was a time when I would ask where are all the golfers. The course was empty with very few players, but then COVID-19 happened. Now, I ask where are they all going, as there is no room on the tee box, the course is almost filled, and there is an increase of about 100% more players. That is good for the golf clubs’ membership and it’s also good for the teachers.
At present, I am teaching at two golf clubs, St. Andrews Golf Club and Point-A-Pierre Golf Club. Both programs are growing in numbers, the cost is reachable, and our more experienced junior players are improving rapidly, with the low handicap at about +2 in 2021.
Chris Richards Jr., our best junior male player, has won the last four events he played in competing against all comers. His last victory was the T&T Open Amateur, Championship Division, played at St. Andrews Golf Club this past March 18-21.
The future of golf certainly looks bright here in Trinidad and Tobago!
Echoing the dramatic growth of the USGTF in its early years, 10 candidates attended the certification course held in Las Vegas, Nevada, this past month. Under the leadership of president and CEO Brandon Lee, the USGTF is poised to begin a new era of growth, and that was reflected in the recent course.
“The present to our golf instructors is to experience in the joy of our student’s success,” said Bill Rice, who served as the lead examiner. “Let’s all share in the joy!” Rice’s abilities were on full display, as candidate Elliot Tabron noted.
“I had a wonderful experience,” said Taberon. “I learned more in five days than I’ve learned in six years teaching. Bill Rice is a gentleman and a scholar, as well as a fantastic instructor. All around, I give this experience six stars on a five-star rating scale.”
Rice will be hosting a Master Golf Teaching Professional® certification course June 14-16. There are new requirements to earn this certification. For more more information and to register, please click on
After a year’s hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Golf Teachers Cup returns in full force for its 25th edition on Monday and Tuesday, October 18-19, at the Revere Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. As in 2019, the tournament will feature a concurrent pro-am (akin to the AT&T National Pro-Am held every year on the PGA Tour at Pebble Beach), with USGTF members vying for individual honors along with participating in the pro-am during tournament play. An amateur partner is not required to enter the tournament.
The entry fee is $495 per player, both professionals and amateurs, and includes two rounds of tournament play, range balls before and after each round, closing banquet and awards ceremony, tournament prizes, and other amenities. Registration will be open soon, and information will be released shortly.