Skiing lessons for golf teachers
Aug06

Skiing lessons for golf teachers

Coaching in different sports is very similar to golf in more respects than you might imagine. People who play individual sports such as tennis and bowling face the same challenges golfers do: namely, to get rid of bad habits and develop consistency. In 1935, a book titled The Complete Book of Skiing was written by F. Hallberg and H. Muckenbrunn. In perusing the book, one finds truths applied to ski teachers back then that apply to the...

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JOE NORWOOD The Semi-Mysterious Golf Instructor
Aug06

JOE NORWOOD The Semi-Mysterious Golf Instructor

Joe Norwood became a golf professional in 1910. He was in the era of Harry Vardon, Francis Ouimet, Walter Travis Jr., and other greats. He gained his fame by teaching Horton Smith, Charlie Sifford, Marilynn Smith, Mac O’Grady, and many present and future pros. To the men and women pro golfers of that era, he was very well known. Strange as it may seem though, he was not that famous to the general public. Back then, golf teachers...

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My US Open qualifying experience
Aug06

My US Open qualifying experience

For some reason, I seem to play some of my best golf of the season during the United States Golf Teachers Cup. In the last issue of Golf Teaching Pro, you read about my good fortune in winning that championship five times. In this article, you’ll read about a competitive failure. Unless you’re Tiger Woods, or lately Phil Mickelson, you spend a lot more time losing than winning as a competitor – if losing is considered not finishing...

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Great Teaching Analogies
Aug06

Great Teaching Analogies

Using analogies to help teach golf students is commonplace, and it has been for years. Students can learn plenty when you pass along improvement techniques through everyday and non-technical means. Do you use them? If not, you should. Here’s a brief look at some of the most popular analogies of all time. Percy Boomer – Turn in a Barrel  One of the earliest golf teaching “gurus” gave the golf world one of its most lasting analogies....

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NASA-Style Technology MEETS The Game of Golf
Aug06

NASA-Style Technology MEETS The Game of Golf

If it’s not you, it’s someone you know: the guy who drives with a 3-wood because he can hit it farther than his driver. Why is that, you ask? The same lift and drag properties than keep airplanes and Frisbees in the air are what keep golf balls in the air. Too much spin equates to too much lift, and shots will tend to balloon, resulting in a loss of both carry and roll. The three operative ingredients of the equation to Max Out your...

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