Mental Aspects To Great Putting
There’s a commercial that once had an actor stating, “I am not a doctor, but I play one on TV.” I want to offer a similar disclaimer: “I am not a sports psychologist, but I play one in this article.” One of the great strengths of my game when I was playing my best was putting. Several people remarked I was one of the best putters they ever saw, and no less than my old mini-tour pal Boo Weekley gave me such plaudits. (Funny, though, no...
Lyle Wins World Hickory Open Sponsored by WGTF
Sandy Lyle, winner of the 1985 British Open and 1988 Masters, is this year’s World Hickory champion following a two-day tournament on the Panmure course in Carnoustie, Scotland. The first British winner of the Masters and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Lyle has played hickory golf for three years. He said, “I came into the tournament quite late when I decided as I was in this corner of Scotland for the Dunhill. Staying on...
4th Annual Warrior Open
It’s not every day that a USGTF member gets to hit a ball in front of a former president of the United States, but that’s what happened to USGTF member Anthony Netto this past October. Netto was on hand at the 4th annual Warrior Open, put on by the George W. Bush Institute, as a guest. Netto, who was paralyzed in an automobile accident 20 years ago, was demonstrating the Paragolfer, a mobile “wheelchair” that allows paralyzed people...
Launch Monitors For Today’s Teaching Professional
Most teaching professionals today are giving lessons much the same way that their counterparts from years ago did. They meet with a student, observe their faults, and then give them a program to improve. Many teachers still do not use training aids or video, but they are still teaching effectively for the most part. Teaching golf doesn’t have to be rocket science, but as the 21st century marches on, it seems more and more instructors...
What Looks Obvious May Not Be Obvious
In his book Golf: The Professional Approach, British professional Bernard Cooke recalls the first lesson he gave as a 16-year-old apprentice. Not knowing anything about teaching, he saw what his female student was doing, compared it to the picture of a good golf swing that he had in his mind, and corrected the main difference. He went on to say that, as he recalled, the lesson went well. How many teachers teach like this? Probably...
How Important Is Distance In Golf?
It seems everyone is enamored with distance these days. TV announcers gush over 300- yard drives, and we hear how Phil Mickelson is hitting a 7-iron from 190 yards. Is distance overrated, or is it important in today’s world? The answer is yes…to both questions. Yes, distance is overrated to a degree, but it’s also important in relation to our overall scoring ability. If we go back to 1980 and check the tour statistics for driver...
Going Pro
Introduction I love working with all my golfers, but I particularly like working with ones who were great in college, turned pro immediately after college, and pretty quickly realized that those two worlds are completely different! Make no mistake – they are completely different! Part of your job as a coach is to help players be aware of and understand this. You’ve probably been there, so share your experiences. As a coach, I know...
Women Teaching Golf: Finding Joy In A Specialized Niche
As with any profession, golf instruction is replete with individuals who find their way there in innumerable ways. For some, it’s a goal-oriented pursuit decided definitively at a young age; for others, it represents a later-in-life career choice predicated on a desire to be immersed in the sport they’ve grown to love, with the added gratification of directing their talents toward others. For all golf teachers, the satisfaction lies...
Timeless Words For Golf Coaches
If you follow the world of junior competitive golf, you probably have heard horror stories that have run the gamut. Stories of parents throwing away first-place trophies because their kid didn’t play up to the parents’ expectations, punishing them for each bogey, or yelling at them for poor performance abound. We also hear stories of those who coach adults that are not fl attering, unfortunately. Golf coaches are extremely important...
Honoring Your Opponent
Much has been written in the annals of golf about “respecting your opponent.” Merriam- Webster online defines “respect” as “an act of giving particular attention; high or special regard.” This seems appropriate for golf, as we have been taught to respect our opponents from the time we started playing competitive golf. In contrast, relatively little has been written about “honoring your opponent.” Indeed, a Google search of the term...
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