INSTRUCTION: FUNDAMENTALS ARE ALWAYS IN STYLE FOR GOLF

By USGTF Master Teaching Professional Arlen Bento, Jr. Happy New Year! As we look back on 2012 and forward to 2013, I wanted to remind all golf teaching professionals and coaches that fundamentals in golf should always be reviewed and emphasized in our golf lesson programs.  Remember, good fundamentals never go out of style. If you have students or players that you work with on a regular basis, take the new year as an opportunity to go over the basics. Here are my top fundamentals to cover with all of your students: 1) Grip – Review the grip. Make sure the fingers are in the correct positions and that the player has not started to develop improper finger or palm positions. 2) Stance / Posture – Review the stance and posture of your players. Many player get sloppy or lazy and start to have too much weight on the heels, or they lose a previously-good spine angle. 3) Ball Position – Ask your players about ball position. Check to see what process they are using to make sure that they are playing from the correct spot in relation to their setup. 4) Alignment – Have your players check their alignment. I always find that players are off, with many aiming 10-15 yards from the projected target. When Jack Nicklaus was a young player, he would go to see his longtime coach, re-introduce himself, and ask him to “teach me how to play.” In this way, he would always review his fundamentals with his coach, which always helped his golf game. Arlen Bento, Jr. is a USGTF Master Teaching Professional, golf coach, and golf business owner living in Jensen Beach, Florida.  Arlen can be reached via his website at www.abjgolfsales.com or via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/arlenbentojr