The Hidden Rewards of Teaching
At the end of a long day of golf, Zack was caught in a three-way tie for first place. In order to win the class 4A district tournament and advance to the regional level, Zack would need to win a playoff and time was of the essence; it was getting dark and the course didn’t have lights. As Zack’s high school golf coach, there was nothing I could do but follow along 20 yards behind with the rest of my team, hoping Zack could pull it...
New Technology for Golf Club Managers
YOUR GOLF COURSE IN AN APP These are challenging times, and golf clubs are increasingly looking at ways to ensure they stand out from the crowd in what is a competitive market. It wasn’t so long ago that having a professional website became essential for all golf courses, in the same way that you need to ensure your clubhouse menu is refreshed regularly or your resort’s hotel insurance remains appropriate for your needs. Now that over...
Defining A Coach’s Career – Part 2
USGTF honorary member John Means, Jr. is the men’s golf team coach at the University of Idaho. In addition to his collegiate coaching, he has spent many summers teaching and directing at golf camps and academies. He shares some of his observations and experiences here. 1. What were some of the most valuable tips you remember receiving as a junior player? Probably the tip I remember most had to do with the grip. My father taught me to...
Modern vs Old – Teaching Golf Full Circle
Below are pictures of various great players from the past and present, all of whom (except Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead) perform the backswing in a fl atter-type position, aka Jim Hardy’s “One Plane Swing.” There are obvious differences in each swing. However, I believe the goal as an instructor is to point out the common denominators found within the swing motions of all great players. A few photos are accompanied by reference lines...
Importance of Participating in USGTF Events
One of the great member benefits of the USGTF is our growing number of tournaments. The United States Golf Teachers Cup has been held annually since 1996 in all parts of the country, and the Affiliates/Associates Golf Teachers Cup was inaugurated last year. The World Golf Teachers Cup has been held since 1997, and draws participants from around the world. The United States Match Play Championship was started this year. In addition,...
My Perspective: What It Takes To Get Good Golf
In the Winter 2011 edition of Golf Teaching Pro, I authored an article titled “My Quest for Excellence and What You Can Learn from It.” That article contained some general information about what needs to be done to get to the plus-handicap level, such as being good from tee to green, being good around the greens, playing and/or practicing almost every day, and being confident. This article expands upon those items with some more...
By The Rules
Golf Rules Illustrated 2012-2015, published in association with the United States Golf Association, contains every rule in one of the world’s most popular games, including all the new and revised Rules that came into play as of January 2012. Last published in 2008, this new, updated edition is fully redesigned with over 100 illustrations for easy reference and will help you to better understand the game of golf, no matter what your...
President’s Message
Teaching Golf… More to the History The one thing that I’m thankful for is the fact that the mechanics of the golf swing are universal. In other words, no one particular nation has a unique way to hit the ball that may for instance be considered the “American Technique,” the “British Technique,” or that of any other golfing nation. Certainly in the ski teaching industry, which I was involved with for a long time, this was not always...
Teaching Today
Teaching golf is a wonderful way to earn a living or supplement your income, whether or not it is being done full or part time. Teachers pass on to students, whatever their ages, new ideas that help them with their golfi ng abilities. Teaching is a relationship based on inequality. The teacher knows something the student doesn’t, and is accountable to teach it. The teacher also has the responsibility to judge the fundamental nature of...
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