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By James M. Lane, USGTF Contributing Writer
1970's and Technical Development
Golf did not sustain in the 1970’s
the same level of popularity it had enjoyed in the 1960’s, but significant
changes were looming for the game as golf’s expansion had created
a large enough golf economy to allow for substantial investment
in research and development. The groundwork was laid in the 1970’s
for radical transformation of turf preparation, golf club technology,
and instructional technique. The cavity-backed iron, the metal wood,
the graphite shaft, as well as revolutionary changes in irrigation
technique and turf-laying, date to the 1970’s. All would have substantial
impact on the game as golfers achieved better and better control
over the golf ball (in flight direction, overall distance, and spin
characteristics.)
1980's and Golf Schools
Golf instruction, particularly golf
schools, would not enjoy a real economic boom until the 1980’s but
the influential theory of connection, video analysis of the golf
swing, and the emphasis on big-muscle leadership date to the pioneering
work of David Leadbetter, Jimmy Ballard and others in the late 1970’s
and early 1980’s. Golf instruction also became more specialized,
as teachers by the mid 1980’s began to emphasize their expertise
with "practical instruction" (John Jacobs), "short
game instruction" (Dave Pelz), "women’s instruction"
(Penny Zavichas and Linda Craft), or "mental conditioning"
(Bob Rotella and Chuck Hogan).
USGTF Formed in 1989
The United Stated Golf Teachers Federation
(USGTF) has also had an enormous impact on the golf teaching industry
since it’s inception in 1989. The USGTF establishes a national and
international standard in the training and certification of golf
teaching professionals. They are the largest organization of strictly
golf teaching professionals in the world. In addition, they continue
not only to help promote the game, but also add to it’s growth and
popularity.
The 1990's Golf School Boom
By the 1990’s, and into the new millennium,
golf instruction had boomed to the point that there are now a multitude
of national golf schools offering hundreds of programs across the
country, with a cornucopia of techniques, price points, regimens,
and training goals. The largest of these is America’s Favorite Golf
Schools with more than 40 locations nationwide. Virtually all of
the national golf schools offer books and videotapes for sale. Prominent
golf gurus such as Dave Pelz, Bob Toski, Rick Smith, and Jim Flick
are in demand not only with the touring pros but at skyrocketing
master class rates at the finest resorts. Harvey Penick’s Little
Red Book also became the biggest selling sports book of all time.
In short, golf instruction has expanded into one of the largest
and most vibrant sectors of the substantial golf economy.
We've Come a Long Way with Golf
Looking back over the entire grand
parade of gurus and teachers, if one were to assign a grade to golf
instruction as a whole, six centuries into it, one would pencil
"M" for "much improved." It’s well-worth knowing
that even in this day of gurus and their technical wizardry, fewer
than half of the world’s players can regularly break 100. It’s also
fitting to mention that when James Durham recorded 94 at the Old
Course in 1767, he set a course record that lasted 86 years. Golf
instruction has indeed come a long way, and it’s future has never
looked better.
The End.
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