U.S. Cup Makes Historic Journey North of the Border
“PRO” File – Touring Professional Sang Moon Bae
Reminder on USGTF Identification Policy
Editorial – Honesty and the Golf Teacher
Does Tiger Need A Coach?
Tiger Woods recently announced that, after three years, he is no longer working with his golf instructor Chris Como. Of course, with this type of decision, the public is ready to critique both the pros and cons. Tiger has been playing golf at a high level for a long time. He has had some of the top teachers in the world like Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, Sean Foley and Como. His longest lasting coach/student relationship was with Harmon, for almost seven years.
Between all of the instruction Tiger has had over the course of his lifetime, one would assume his knowledge and understanding of the golf swing in general – not to mention his golf swing – is very high. Tiger should be able to break down his swing, spot out areas to work on or tighten up. And if such is the case, then does he really need a coach telling him what he already knows?
I think this is a good move for Tiger. He can focus on scoring, working on shotmaking, scrambling and his short game. Tiger has always been the best scrambler the world has ever seen. Getting back to focusing on scoring, and not overthinking mechanics, could be just the thing he needs.
The great Ben Hogan always talked about “digging your swing out of the dirt.” You have to hit balls on the driving range to figure out what alterations you need to make. You need to play the shot shape you bring to the course and know your game. Only time will tell if Tiger is making the best move for his game. In my opinion, he is making a smart decision about his game.
Making The Most Of Taking Golf Lessons An Open Letter To Our Students
We hear very often how difficult golf is. There is no doubt that hitting a 1.68-inch ball with a flat surface on the end of a stick seems crazy. Add trees, water, weather, and worst of all, the human brain, and it can seem almost impossible. But there is something about golf that is even more difficult sometimes than the game itself, and that is the experience of taking instruction from another person on how to perform the difficult task of hitting a golf ball. So, how do you get the most out of golf instruction? There are several keys to maximizing the instruction you receive. First of all, let’s assume you are taking the lesson from a qualified, knowledgeable instructor. That is another subject; therefore, sticking with our objective, we will assume the person giving you the lesson is qualified to help you improve.
Let’s begin with the most important key to improving through lessons: start the lesson with an open mind. A common refrain for swinging a golf club, and this can apply to any sport, is the phrase “feel is not real.” What does that mean? Basically, what we think we are doing and our perception of the motion we are performing is far different than what we are actually doing. Therefore, understand your perception of reality is different than what the instructor is seeing. Allow the instructor to explain your issues and develop a plan of attack.
Understand that your current motion will feel “natural,” no matter how detrimental it may be to your success. Human beings are amazingly adaptable. We are built to learn, good or bad. Even the worst swings you see on the driving range feel great to that person performing it.
Communication. Instructors want to understand your goals, how you feel about any previous instruction, what you think about when you swing the club, or what you are trying to do when you practice. Some golfers are embarrassed, to be honest. Your instructor has most likely seen and heard it all, so there is no reason to hold back. If you have been working on a tip that you found on the Internet or something your friend told you, let the instructor know.
Ask questions. If you do not understand something, do not be shy or proud to tell the instructor. If you do not, they will assume you understand. Believe me, we love it when you ask questions. If nothing else, it gives us a chance to show how smart we are!
Video can be a great teaching tool. When an instructor shows you a video of your swing, pay close attention to what they are talking about and focus on their observations. Often, golfers are looking at what catches their eye and not what the instructor is pointing out. The untrained eye will see the symptoms; the trained eye will see the disease, or in other words, the systemic problem you have. Don’t get caught up in things the instructor doesn’t want you to think about. One thing I have learned after 45 years in golf, 33 professionally, is that no one likes the way their swing appears visually. We are all hyper-critical when watching ourselves on video – even tour players.
Do not forget to ask the instructor for a practice plan. Any good instructor is going to give you specifics on how they want you to practice. Just like a fitness routine or diet plan, follow the plan they give you. Do not, I repeat, do not stray off into the never-never land of golf tips. That will only slowdown your progress or even make you worse. At the same time, you wasted your money and time on the lesson by “chasing the secret.” Guess what? There is no secret.
Lastly, be patient. Unlearning and learning a physical motion takes time. Band-aids can produce temporary good shots, but you will be sacrificing long-term improvement. I have seen many examples of students that were ready to give up just before making a leap in their shot making and ball striking. The golf swing is a journey with no destination. Look at your lessons as another small step in the right direction. It just takes time.
Most of all, have fun and try to enjoy the learning process. Embrace and enjoy the practice and the challenge of improving. For many of us, the difficulty of golf is what made us fall in love with the game to begin with. Good luck!
Drills That Work
One of the hardest things for a student to accomplish is to take what you have been working on with them to the golf course. That’s why I think it is so important to give them a couple of drills that they can take with them to the course. Deciding which drill or drills that they can use will obviously depend on what you have been working on together on the practice tee.
Here are a couple of drills that I have found to be very beneficial. To be clear, the player must understand that he must have some swing thoughts, although it would be great to go out there and just swing. I think we all know that’s a pretty impossible exercise.
These two drills can be taken to the course and substituted for your regular practice swing. It will clear the head and help to promote a more beneficial, relaxed swing Have a swinging day!
#1 Swing the club with one hand only, preferably with the right hand for a right-handed player. However, a couple of swings with the left hand only will not hurt. When you swing the club with the right hand only, you will feel the body movement better in regard to moving the lower body in the proper sequence. Start by swinging the club, holding the club at the shaft end closest to the head of the club. This will also help the student get the feeling of the club whipping and creating clubhead speed through the hitting zone after one or two swings. Then, reverse the club and swing one-handed, holding the club at the grip end. This exercise can be performed instead of a practice swing, so there will be no slowing of play.
#2 Follow-through drill. As a practice swing, take the club about one-third of the way back. Take a little pause, then bring the club slowly into the impact zone, watching the club square up at impact, but now it is important to go through to a full-balanced finish position: belt buckle facing the target, left foot planted, right shoulder closest to the target, club behind the back with the arms folded in a classic follow-through position. I have found in my own swing, throughout the years, that if I could finish in a good position, the shot would be pretty good. Balance is everything in a golf swing, or in any other sport.
What Can You Learn from the New Masters Champion, Sergio Garcia
By Dr. Gregg Steinberg
USGTF Member and Sports Psychology Consultant, Nashville, Tennessee
ACCEPTANCE – this was the key mental game ingredient that lifted the new Masters champion, Sergio Garcia, to victory.
In his younger days, Garcia would get upset when the bounces and breaks did not go his way. But as he matured as a person, Garcia stated that he learned to accept what Augusta National gives you and takes from you. This acceptance gave him peace of mind to handle the pressure and win his first major in 74 attempts.
Acceptance is key for any profession. There are always going to be bad weeks with a few bad breaks. But there will also be a turnaround with fortunate twists of fate. Life is full of peaks and valleys. The biggest problem is when we don’t accept an inevitable valley in our life.
When those downward patterns occur, some people lose their resolve. Others panic or begin to doubt themselves and lose faith in their abilities. Some people begin to overthink and believe their way of doing the job is completely wrong. In many cases, this negativity of thought turns into a nasty slump.
Be like Sergio Garcia. Accept the times when you are struggling and learn to go with the flow. Don’t start overanalyzing your strategies and lose confidence in your past successes. Behind every successful person are times of repeated failure and feelings of despair.
More than 150 years ago, Charles Dickens knew this to be the human condition when he wrote the memorable words, “It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times.” Your business life will cycle with many twists and turns. Don’t let a valley throw you off course. There is great wisdom in the principle of acceptance.
Topics such as acceptance to help you succeed can be found in the Emotional Toughness University online course (go to www.EmotionalToughnessUniversity.com). Please go to the site for your free emotional toughness e-book as well as free videos and articles.
(Dr. Steinberg is a professor of human performance at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, and is also the USGTF’s longtime sports psychology consultant. This column is adapted from his Washington Post bestselling business book Full Throttle. Dr. Steinberg speaks to businesses about mental and emotional toughness. Email him at mentalrules24@msn.com or see www.DrGreggSteinberg.com.)
Students Finding Their Way With GPS
Nowadays, it seems almost everyone has a GPS to navigate their way to their destination, and golfers are no exception. Students in and around Phoenix, Arizona (the Valley), have access to their own GPS when it comes to learning golf – Golf Program in Schools.
USGTF Certified Golf Teaching Professional Larry Gantverg of Phoenix is involved in the program, and he says, “This excellent non-profit organization is bringing no-cost golf instruction to public schools as part of the school’s physical education pro-gram. The program takes five days, and in 175 minutes I am able to teach the pre-shot routine including grip, full-shot irons, full-shot drivers, as well as pitching and chipping. This instruction is accomplished using mats and rubber balls in the gym of the school.” Instruction is primarily geared towards students in the ninth grade, but has also been taught to those as young as in the sixth grade.
A similarity to The First Tee program is that GPS imparts character lessons to students involved in the program, named “PATH” – persistence, achievement, trustworthiness and health. It is a long-held belief among many golf teaching professionals that the game is a well-suited vehicle for imparting life lessons, and GPS takes advantage of that belief in using golf to do just that.
Part of the mission of GPS, in addition to introducing kids to golf, involves educating them in regard to golf-related careers, giving them a sport they can play for a lifetime, and informing them about available golf scholarships. According to its website, “GPS addresses so much more than just learning to play golf. By exposing students to the numerous opportunities for success, we intend to instill a positive vision. We want all students to develop their own unique talents and abilities and ‘find their way’ through life by making positive healthy choices.”
Gantverg, a USGTF member since 2014, is an enthusiastic advocate of the program, saying, “This excellent non-profit organization is bringing no-cost golf instruction to public schools as part of the school’s physical education program. I have a very unusual teaching method, using toys and tools which I call totems, representing aspects of the golf swing, thus allowing replication of exactly the same golf instruction by more than one teacher.” Gantverg is also a member of the advisory board of GPS.
GPS, a non-profit organization, is seeking volunteers to continue its mission. USGTF members who reside in the Valley and are interested in volunteering may find more information on the website www.GolfPS.org.