Editorials

Here we go again! During the year’s British Open telecast, Johnny Miller, working his first ever Open, spouted out commentary which once again leaves some…

Many discussions have been held regarding Dustin Johnson’s ball moving during the final round of the U.S. Open and the resulting ruling.  For those who…

To say I am disappointed in the USGA would be an understatement. The Dustin Johnson decision is just the culmination of several abuses of power…

Last week I was watching the NCAA Men’s Championship on TV.  The tournament format is match play:  first team to three wins is the champion. …

Golf is not a game alone, but a means of developing people, pleasant people with good attitude and strong character.  Coaches and partners are committed…

Technology abounds. Every golfer wants it and many teachers love using it. Be it video, 3-D motion capture, launch monitors, foot-pressure pads, rangefinders, or the…

I used to know the golf tour stops. There was Riviera, the Crosby and Hope, Doral, Harbour Town and Greater Greensboro. Now there is the…

While I was recently watching The Players, one of the analysts on Golf Channel was speaking about Jordan Spieth and showed him videoing his putting…

In the past few years, nagging lower back issues have hampered my golf swing and everyday lifestyle. I have hit over 5 million golf balls…

Spring is the most exciting time of year for golfers. That is obvious to anyone that plays the game. For teachers of the game, summer…

Just saw an ad recently that finished with this: “Go directly to the place that will improve your game with all the equipment and apparel…

Today’s equipment, or the advances in technology over the last 10 years or so, have (apparently) helped today’s average golfer, but hindered the career of…

Chris Richards of Trinidad and Tobago was only 12 years old when he was first introduced to the world of golf, and he believes that…

Handicapping, as in horse racing, allows players of differing abilities to compete on an equitable basis with each other.  Each player is assigned a handicap…

Anyone who watched the Match Play Championship this past March in Austin, Texas, witnessed Jason Day playing some great golf.  I noticed something about him…

Seems like talk of changing golf always comes up this time of year. Most likely because the Masters is just around the corner, which signifies…

Those who watched the World Golf Championship at Doral this year saw something very interesting.  Adam Scott tried to drive the short par-4 16th hole. …

Recently, I played a round of golf with three friends of mine.  The game was put together last-minute. and everyone was rushing to get to…

Having studied very successful golf instructors for many years, I have discovered one important trait that they all have in common that you do not…

Everyone has heard phrase about how the world is changing and you have to adapt to the change.  For some of us, this might be natural,…

Our golf course just added a foot golf layout. For those unfamiliar with this new sport, an individual uses a soccer ball and kicks it…

We have all heard phrases about working hard to be successful or willing to never quit.  There are phrases on t-shirts, posters, and even coffee…

I’ll begin by acknowledging that this article may seem designed for the better player and I do hope my better players take heed, but I…

I was recently in an office waiting for my appointment when a salesman walked through the door.  He worked for the local phone book company. …

As Yogi Berra once said, baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical. Golf, therefore, golf must be at least half that, correct?…

As a golf coach, I am always looking for new ways to improve my coaching and my instruction program for my players and students. Over the…

We have all heard someone on TV or in person say a four-letter word after a bad shot.  Sometimes we might shake our heads, and…

Pre-shot routine is generally seen as the series of events leading up to the playing of a golf shot. These repetitive movements. as the term…

For those of us over 40, YouTube means funny cat videos and crazy athletic stunts. For some instructors, You Tube is a way to market…

I love the Ryder Cup. Lots of tradition dating all the way back to 1927 at Worcester Country Club. Unfortunately, it’s a course that would…

If you watch golf on TV every weekend, you will see beautiful golf courses in perfect condition.  The players rave about how good the greens…

The average golfer may not have the physical skills of a pro, but they sure could use the tools of a pro, and I’m not…

As my players start to enter tournaments, I try to get them ready for the mental ups and downs I know will surely happen. No…

For the 40 years that I have played golf, I have been hearing about the so-called “Secret to the Game.” I suppose golfers consider this…

Golf is a great game that would even be greater, in my opinion, except for three things that cause me angst: Number 3 – the…

“No one is bigger than the game.”  This is a famous quote from sport that is highly recognized amongst many who have devoted their lives…

A few weeks ago, my oldest daughter was getting ready for her golf play day at our club.  She was in the garage over by…

While reading a recent copy of Golf Georgia, I saw where a golf course was changing its greens from bentgrass to Champion Bermuda.  If you’re…

I don’t dislike Donald Trump. I don’t necessarily like him, either.  I have the same feeling for him as I have for the Yankees, Patriots,…

I was fortunate to go to one round of the Masters and two rounds of the Heritage Classic, in Hilton Head, this Spring. As always,…

I was recently caddying in our local State Amateur qualifier for one of my young golf students.  After 10 holes, the skies opened up and…

During the recent US Open, I can’t recall the exact hole, but a graphic came on the screen, showing that the carry distance to clear…

Today’s technology has made playing a round of golf easier for the modern player. It has also pretty much eliminated the use of caddies. The…

1. Myth: Head still / Head down The head moves slightly with the pivot of the swing but not up or down. It should never…

Recently, one of the college students whom I work with came home from school. He had a wonderful fall season, but didn’t do so well…

Most people have heard the story about the “anonymous” survey that Sports Illustrated covered with some PGA Tour players. For those of you who haven’t,…

Time away from the game is so good for the brain, from the working out aspect. The best thing for your golf is that the…

As a golf coach and teacher, I will tell you that the best players, wherever you go, spend at least 2/3 of their practice time…

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Southwest Regional Championship at Ridgeview Ranch in Plano, Texas, hosted by Bruce Sims.  This was…

Teaching golf has been done the same way for decades:  The pro offers 30- or 60-minutes lessons, along with a series of six lessons for…

Bubba Watson has won two of the three previous Masters; Tiger Woods has not won the same tournament in 10 years. Bubba has never been…

Watching a recent Golf Channel discussion group on the state of the game, the subject, as often does, came around to how to grow the…

The current global economic conditions we live in and the state of the golf economy require the aspiring golf teaching professional to adapt and use…

Student Assessment Check List √ Previous golf experience √ Medical issues √ Body shape √ Motor coordination √ Flexibility √ Goal and objective Conducting a…

“Is the glass half full or half empty?”  This is a great question for golfers.  We know people who either complain about their golf game…

I was speaking to a student today about pressure. He said, “My swing won’t hold up under pressure.” He always assumes bad shots translate to…

When coming back to the game after an absence, managing expectations is very important.  We have all had setbacks in golf; they could be due…

Just recently, say, two weeks ago, I felt very proud of one of my students.  She was playing in a two-day ladies’ tournament, and after…

I recently met a man in his late 50s who wanted to learn to play golf. I asked him some basic questions: Had he played…

I was watching an interesting podcast the other night. It was about the state of golf and what needs to be done to keep the…

As some of you are making your tee times in December and playing in short-sleeve golf shirts, enjoy it!  Some of us are not that…

It has been more than 15 years since I grabbed a handful of clubs with hickory shafts from my collection and played nine holes on…

Someone once said there are the two games of golf: golf with friends and tournament golf. It goes without being said that each game is…

On Thursday, Ocotber 23, Ted Bishop, then president of the PGA of America, used social media to call professional golfer Ian Poulter a “lil girl”…

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of playing in a charity scramble with some local business owners. All three members of our team…

Headlines about golf have made CNN’s, CNBC’s, Fox News’, and many other TV news’ broadcasts lately. Normally, that would be great. A new Tiger Woods…

Sean Foley and Tiger Woods have gone separate ways. Tour pros hire instructors. Tour pros change instructors. Instructors sometimes coerce pros to hire them with…

In the continuation of the series “Helpful Tips for Students,” we move on to preparing for the tee shot. The Tee Box Choose the Correct…

In the continuation of the series “Helpful Tips for Students,” we move on to preparing for the tee shot. The Tee Box Choose the Correct…

By: Ken Kramp, Warren, Ohio USGTF Level III member As a golf course manager you are always expected to look for ways to increase your…

By James W. “Jay” Wood USGTF Level III Member, Newark, Ohio The game we call golf is, as we know, challenging and very humbling.  But,…

Written By: Lee Koukes USGTF Member, Chatsworth, CA About two years ago, I became acquainted with a little girl and her grandfather. They had been…

By: Pat Church, USGTF Level IV Member Eugene, Oregon During my experiences with the Special Olympics golf team the biggest lesson learned has been PATIENCE!!!…

Recently, I was contacted by a woman who wanted to take a series of lessons with two of her friends. She stated she felt more…

Recently, I was contacted by a woman who wanted to take a series of lessons with two of her friends. She stated she felt more…

The FedEx Cup has an identity crisis, in my opinion. Here we are, eight years into it, and I still haven’t figured out what it’s…

As I was watching the Open from Royal Liverpool, a graphic came on the screen showing all the Championship winners at that venue going back…

Anyone watching this year’s Masters tournament heard the commentators talk about Jordan Spieth’s unusual putting routine of looking at the hole while putting shorter putts…

Bad shots are part of the game of golf; we all hit them.  After hitting a bad shot, there are different options on what happens…

One of the things that fascinates me the most about the golf business, and there is a lot, is that even golf teachers and golf…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

Seems like every time I read something about professional golf these days, the subject of slow play comes up. I was watching the Valspar Championship…

Here’s an unbelievable fact concerning women and golf: Hundreds of Division I and Division II women’s golf scholarships go unused every year. With the continual…

There is much truth to the saying, “If it’s not, broke don’t fix it.” Every year, I go to the PGA Show, and there is…

We have all been there, giving some great insight to a student’s swing fault, knowing they will not practice enough for the changes to become…

The correct video camera is an excellent teaching aid and an essential tool for the teaching professional.  It provides the ability to freeze the action,…

In the spirit of this month’s Winter Olympics, it is imperative we in the golf industry – and all golf fans worldwide – voice our…

As golf teaching professionals, most of us are independent contractors. Some of us might work for a golf club, driving range, or golf school.  Like…

The business consultant Peter Drucker said that what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to get their work done. If I…

Teaching golf is a service industry.  It falls in the same category as restaurants, tourism, and entertainment.  The client does not have to take a…

As golf teaching professionals, we constantly look for ways to help our students get better.  We read books, attend continuing education classes, watch videos, and…

They are everywhere these days and they come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. GPS yardage devices are common among the crowd I play…

This time of year, many of us will reflect back over the past 12 months, thinking about the good things that happened, as well as…

Legendary teacher Bob Toski never got on board.  Nor did the late USGTF teaching professional Julius Richardson, a member of Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers list.…

The following are solid principles to follow that will help to develop your teaching skills: Only perfect practice makes perfect Golf is a skill; therefore,…

Do you want to reach that next level as a golfer?  Tour players have consistent practice routines that they follow to prepare themselves for “playing…

Do you want to reach that next level as a golfer?  Tour players have consistent practice routine that they follow to prepare themselves for “playing…

Many of our students don’t practice enough, but then again, that can apply to many of us as well.  An average golfer may rush from…

I have the pleasure of working with some great high school student-athletes who want to play at the college level.  Tournament golf is very different…

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…

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. …

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

With some students, words, demonstrations, and even drills aren’t enough. In these cases, the use of training aids can provide the teaching professional with an…

I was on my way to the lesson tee a few weeks ago, and one of the other teaching professionals was giving a lesson to…

Many people in golf believe that the distance people are hitting the golf ball these days is detrimental to the game. Yet, the governing bodies…

This year’s Masters tournament provided a lot of great lessons we can learn from and teach our students.  The one that stands out the most…

One of the biggest faults I see in intermediate and advanced golfers in their short games is they create too much lag in their pitching…

In many places around the country, the golf season is just getting underway. Clubs are coming out of their hibernating places such as garages or…

Ball position and stance width are two key fundamentals that can have a great effect on a golfer’s impact position.  The following data is an…

There is a weekly money game at one of the local country clubs in Kansas near my home.  There are a lot of great players…

As the spring season makes its way into many parts of the northern US and Canada, players that have been dreaming of playing golf on…

As the spring season makes its way into many parts of the northern US and the Masters starts to loom on everyone’s must-watch golf radar, I wanted…

As golf teaching professionals, it is important to have highly developed technical knowledge and teaching skills.  However, we must be able to sell that skill…

Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and even Tiger Woods have all advocated creating a golf ball that flies shorter instead of making courses longer or completely…

As we look towards the Masters and the opening of the golf season in the northern part of the country, I think now would be…

As we get ready for the spring season, I think now is the time to start working on your swing and getting your lesson plans…

I was watching one of the recent tour events on TV and couldn’t help but notice all the golf commercials touting how great a particular…

Okay I guess it’s time to chime in:  To ban or not to ban? The R&A and USGA‘s question/comment period regarding their proposed ban on…

Understanding golf course management and playing to our strengths is something that comes second-nature to most of us, simply because of the time we have…

With the debut of the 2013 golf clubs, the golf equipment industry has fully embraced the adjustable golf club. Altering the original state of a…

The golf teaching professional should teach and set an example of the proper etiquette on the golf course.   In the USGA and Royal & Ancient…

Aaron Baddeley came out blistering hot in the first round of the 2013 Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation to shoot a 64…

How many times have you heard, “I play 14 holes really well, but there’s always four holes that kill my score”?  Or, “If I could only…

I have a bone to pick. It’s with us, the golf professionals. There was a time when we were the stewards of the game.  The…

This is one of the most basic and yet advanced positions in the golf swing.  Basic, because it is something that should be taught to…

I wanted to share with you a great way to get your game sharp in a hurry.  This is one of the games that we…

There’s an old saying in golf: “Different horses for different courses.” Some players just think and play better on certain courses.  This mental game principle…

All players have a comfort zone when playing the game.  However, when you stray from the zone, say when you’re on pace to break 100…

An issue that comes up constantly when the talking heads discuss the state of the game is slow play. I can understand when two professionals…

After 40 years of playing and watching golf, I am not fazed by much of what I see. But, the recent Ryder Cup was amazing.…

We have come to the point that has been building for almost two years regarding whether belly or long putters will remain legal, or to…

I remember at the start of this year that many sportswriters were saying that we need Tiger Woods back on his game, because golf has…

To finish the series “Helpful Tips for Students,” we conclude with trouble shots. Trouble Shots Stand tall when the ball is above your feet: Stand…

In Middle Tennessee, we are now in the season of transition. The leaves are bright orange and yellow. and all will soon leave their branches…

Appearance fees…Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy just got a big bunch of change for playing in a tournament overseas. Tiger and Phil, it is said,…

In continuation of the series “Helpful Tips for Students”, we move on to” around the green & putting”. Around the Greens Distance Control on Pitch…

If you go to the Internet and search for “USGTF” and “PGA,” you inevitably will come across some discussion boards and blogs debating the pros and cons…

There are two very general concepts when it comes to how to control the golf swing: (1) Control is achieved via the large muscles of the…

I believe that it is important that we always hunger to learn. Think of the many changes throughout our careers. I’ll begin with EQUIPMENT. Over the years, golf…

After a 112-year absence, golf returns to the Olympics in Rio in 2016. The push for golf to be returned as an Olympic sport has…

Another Ryder Cup has come and gone. It is difficult to quantify the reasons for the devastating defeat the American squad endured. There is no…

Prior to 1979, the Ryder Cup was not a competitive event and the public had little interest in it, save for some die-hard golf fans…

Every year a golf organization comes up with some type of initiative whose intent is to grow the game of golf. This year it is…

Several years ago, the PGA Tour instituted the FedEx Cup to give an exclamation point to the end of the season.  The Cup was based…

Brandt Snedecker won the 2012 Tour Championship as well as the FedEx Cup for a whopping $11.4 million. When we see his victory from a…

The USGA continues to say that equipment and ball improvements have had little effect on how the game is played. Are you kidding me? If…

When I was 21, just after I began my studies in education, I had a brief conversation with a close friend that altered my life.…

As golf teaching professionals we have it pretty good. Our students put us on a pedestal just because we can hit a little ball straight.…

A vital lesson for anyone who aspires to play golf at a high level is understanding the “Peaks and Valleys.” It’s human nature to grasp…

The saga of Kyle Stanley on the PGA Tour this year provides us with a teachable moment. First, let’s recap. Stanley had a three-shot lead…

The first professional golf lesson I ever gave was with “Mr. Golf Channel Know It All.” He decided to contest every statement I made. Because…

On a National Broadcast of the World Match Play Championship, PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem, said more people are playing golf, just less of it.…

There’s an old saying, “It’s not what happens to you but how you react.” Kyle Stanley reacted in a spectacular way to failure. On the…

The Demise of the Custom Clubmaker One of the great life lessons may be that everything changes. Golf is no different than life. The days…

Just got through watching Kyle Stanley triple bogey #18 at the 2012 Farmers Insurance Open, and it reminded me of Greg Norman during an extended…

Rory McIlroy was penalized two strokes for wiping away sand from just off the green that was in his line of play at a tournament…

In the last issue, Mark Harman insightfully illustrated in his article “The long and Short of it” that the incredibly popularly belly putter did not…

In a few weeks the golf industry will hold its annual gathering of merchants displaying their goods and services. Every possible item from tees to…

I have a good friend named Perry Somers, an Australian who resides in Germany. Like me he has embraced playing golf with hickory shafted clubs.…

The Deception When Stack & Tilt first appeared as a cover story on Golf Digest in June 2007, it made claims of it being the…

As Teaching Professionals we should be able to help our students improve their games with proper equipment. As many of you know there are many…

Keegan Bradley won a major with it. Bill Haas won the FedEx Cup with it. Webb Simpson had a career year with it. Of course,…

Stack & Tilt aficionados regard the technique as the “holy grail” to golf enlightenment. They are devout followers of Plummer and Bennett, Mac O’Grady and…

When discussing uniformity in golf instruction we cannot ignore the now famous if not infamous “Stack & Tilt” swing techniques introduced to the golf world…

I recently played one of those relatively new championship courses in town and all four par 3 holes ranged in distance from 220 yards to…

I recently played one of those relatively new championship courses in town and all four par 3 holes ranged in distance from 220 yards to…

Several people in golf are calling for golf to become a 12 hole option to adapt to changing lifestyles. Jack Nicklaus is one. He recently…

Last month I applauded the “Play it forward” initiative backed by the USGA and other golf industry organizations. Then I run across an article that…

The new mantra this summer is “Play it forward.” By doing this golfers can speed up play and have more fun according to USGA and…

Back in the 1980s when I still lived in Northern Indiana, I can remember that the South Bend Metro Golf Championship made a big announcement…

Anytime someone asks, “What is the best way to grow the game of golf,” the answer is almost always on junior programs. I respectfully disagree,…

Jack Nicklaus once said, “A strong grip, a weak swing”. There is no doubt Jack’s grip was considered to be neutral leaning toward weak. To…

One of my great frustrations as a long-time teaching professional is the proliferation of wrong information that is taken as gospel in the golf world.…

It’s a fast-paced world out there. Information and communication are at our fingertips. We can board a plane and be on the other side of…

I was fortunate to attend the Players Championship for the final round. When I entered the grounds, I walked into the bowl of the famous…

When you have students that don’t seem to want to practice or they are not quite getting what you are teaching them I have found…

These are the words of Robert Frost, the great American poet. I can think of nothing better to describe the men and woman who toil…

For the 15th time, I was fortunate enough to be able to play in our national championship event, the United States Golf Teachers Cup. From…

In the past month, we’ve seen Paul Goydos and Stuart Appleby each shoot 59. In addition, you had a couple of 60s and assorted low-60s…

One of the unfortunate aspects of the golf business is that you will probably play less golf than you think you will. For many teachers,…

When Harry Vardon left the scene, undoubtedly there were those who said that golf would never be the same, that no one could replace him.…