Editorial

23 Mar 2020 admin

Basic Knowledge When It Comes To Clubs

By Mark Harman, USGTF Contributing Writer

I teach at a golf retail store when I’m not executing my duties with the USGTF, and one of my side jobs is doing club fitting.  I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve learned more than I ever really wanted to know about clubs these past three years!  Here’s a little bit of what I’ve learned:

Irons – Generally, there are muscleback irons, good-players irons with slight forgiveness, good-players irons with technology, and game-improvement irons.  Clubs geared towards good players tend to have less offset and smaller heads, while game-improvement irons have more offset and bigger heads.  Good players who hit the ball relatively short for their skill level should seek out irons that have some distance technology.  Examples include Ping i500, Titleist T200, TaylorMade 790, and Callaway Mavrik.  If distance isn’t a problem but some forgiveness is warranted, options would be Ping i200, Titleist T100, and Srixon Z 585.  I would recommend muscleback irons only for good players who don’t need added distance and who strike the ball fairly pure – in other words, a very small audience.

Drivers – There are five general categories for drivers:  1) Drivers designed for accuracy with little workability; 2) Drivers designed for workability at the possible cost of accuracy; 3) Low-spin drivers; 4) Lightweight drivers; 5) Draw-biased drivers. There can be some overlap in these categories, but usually they are clearly defined in one of these categories.

Wedges – It wasn’t long ago that buying a wedge was as simple as picking one out with the loft you wanted.  Now there are bounce angles and sole grinds to consider.  Titleist Vokey wedges, for example, feature six different grinds!

How do we, as teachers, keep up with all these developments?  As someone in the business, it’s not easy for me!  Not to mention all the different shaft and ball options.  I would advise going to the companies’ websites for information.  While the descriptive text is designed for sales, it also provides some good info on each club.  More importantly, just knowing the categories that exist can be helpful in steering our students towards the correct equipment for their game.

21 Feb 2020 admin

Teaching In Today’s Environment

By Mark Harman, USGTF Contributing Writer

Years ago, the only way lessons were given was for a student to show up on the driving range and an instructor would dispense advice after seeing a few balls hit.  This was usually accomplished by fixing, or attempting to fix, the student’s most glaring visual flaw.  Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.

As the video recorder age came about in the 1980s, it allowed teachers to break down the swing frame by frame.  The emphasis became fixing not only the most glaring visual fault, but trying to correct as many as possible during the allotted time.  While instructors knew about the ball flight laws, their knowledge was incorrect, as it was taught that the clubhead path through impact determined the ball’s starting direction.  We know now that this is wrong, that the clubface angle mainly determines the starting direction.  But with incorrect knowledge and methodology in full force, some players improved, but many didn’t.

Today in 2020, any student who wants to go see a teacher who has a launch monitor can usually find one within a reasonable drive of their home.  Teachers who use launch monitors focus less on what the swing looks like and more on what the numbers say.  We’ve seen this manifest itself on the pro tours, where Matthew Wolfe’s homemade swing makes Jim Furyk’s look downright conventional.  But Wolfe’s teacher, George Gankas, was astute enough to know he had a talent on his hands who could repeat his swing  time and time again. And since Wolfe could repeat the numbers, no changes were necessary.

While it’s not mandatory to have a launch monitor to teach, it’s becoming almost crucial.  The days of a teacher going to the range to help someone without any technology are fast coming to a close.  While most every teacher has access to a video system through their smartphone, it also wouldn’t hurt to invest in launch monitor technology.  Any teacher who plans on teaching making a full-time career of it must have it to be competitive.  Part-time teachers who can’t recoup a large investment should at least look into lower-cost options, such as FlightScope’s mevo, which is around $500.

The golf teaching industry has always evolved and will continue to do so.  Teachers who stay current have the best chance of succeeding.

18 Feb 2020 admin

1-2-3 Putter Setup Golf Lesson Teaches Putting Speed Control

By Arlen Bento Jr. USGTF Contributing Writer

One of my best golf putting lessons for new players or players that are struggling with distance control in putting is my 1-2-3 putter setup golf lesson. This concept is very simple yet very powerful for players that have a difficult time controlling speed on putts.

What you want to do is to get your students to set up with a narrow putting stance on short putts, I call this the #1 setup; I only want enough space between the feet to allow 4-6 inches, or the length of one putter head. I like to actually place a putter between my feet to demonstrate the spacing. Once the spacing is in place, I instruct the player to only take the putter back to the toe of the trail foot.

I like to use a forward ball position in my putting instruction. My idea is that I really like to have my students be aware of rolling the golf ball on putts. To achieve a better roll, I like a player to feel like the putter is striking the upper half of the golf ball at impact, so I need a forward ball position.

In the setup, I instruct the player to let the weight of the putter control the strike, no extra hit, or pop in the motion. I like them to feel a pendulum motion, letting the weight of the putter control movement and the strike of the golf ball. I encourage each player to use a symmetrical movement in the exercise: Let the putter move back to the trail foot toe (right toe for right-handed player), and then let the putter head move forward in a pendulum motion past the front toe the same distance. In most cases, we are talking about a putting stroke that moves back away from the ball 6-8 inches and through the ball 6-8 inches in the #1 setup. This consistent motion will create a consistent putt that travels the same distance every time. The goal is to use five balls in practice to no target, I call this “putt to nowhere” and try to get all five balls to travel the same distance, creating a small cluster using this exercise. All the player has to do is to remember what distance they create based on #1 setup and match that distance to their setup when they play.

Short putt, #1 setup. I get a lot of 5- to 7-foot putts in the #1 setup with my students.

Once the player has created the #1 setup and motion, all they have to do is simply widen their stance to 10-12 inches for the #2 setup. I like to explain the idea of being able to space two putter heads in length between my feet. Using the same ball position, let the putter head move back to the toe of the trail foot, and with a pendulum motion, strike the golf ball with a symmetrical follow through. Because of the larger setup, the putter head will move with a longer stroke, creating a longer follow through and a longer putt. Just like in the #1 setup, each player will have to learn how far the putt rolls with the #2 stroke vs. the #1 stroke, depending on green speeds.

In the #2 setup, I get a lot of 15- to 21-foot putts with my students.

Finally, the #3 stance is 15-18 inches apart, spacing three putter heads between the feet; longer putting stroke, longer putt. As I teach this concept, I am instructing the student to feel the putting stroke, not hit the ball.

In the #3 set up, I get a lot of 30- to 40-foot putts with my students.

Over time, each player will develop a confidence in controlling speed, thus improving distance control and improving putting.

Arlen Bento Jr. is an award-winning golf coach and “Top 100” world-recognized golf instructor. He is the former head golf professional of the PGA Country Club in PGA Village and director of golf/general manager of Eagle Marsh Golf Club in Jensen Beach, Florida. He operates his indoor golf center in Stuart, Florida, and outdoor golf academy in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where he specializes in player development, and offers his highly successful “Bento Golf Method” to players that want to learn how to get better. For more information, you can contact him via his websites www.arlenbentojrgolflessons.com or www.bentogolfmethod.com.

11 Oct 2019 admin

Learning Golf Should Mirror Skiing

By Mike Stevens A sane person would never tackle a black slope on their first venture on a snow-packed mountain when skiing, although I have seen several broken appendages proving me otherwise. Remember, I said a sane person. Generally, one starts on the bunny hill to get a feel for the stance and posture and how to turn and stop without crashing. Then, maybe something a little more exciting, but it might be months before attempting a black. Ski slopes are set up to allow a progression, and the industry promotes learning in that manner. Instructors would never take an inexperienced person to an advanced run right off the bat. I wish golf took the same approach. It would be so easy to have a short course within a course and designate a plan for new golfers to progress to so-called championship lengths. I have seen a couple of courses do this, but it is not something pushed at the industry level. Instead of all the new golf initiatives formulated each year to grow the game, we should concentrate on helping the individual progress in smaller steps. Tee it forward was a good idea, but meant for experienced golfers. If I were running a course, I would have 18 tee boxes within the course with a maximum distance 175 yards. Then, I would have new golfers play from there with a target score to achieve before they could move back to a farther length. I believe newbies would enjoy it more and feel a sense of accomplishment once they graduated to a regulation length course.

6 Sep 2019 admin

The New Major Championship Schedule

By Mike Stevens

Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy recently complained that there was not enough time between the major championships to adequately prepare. They were also critical that the season that used to carry into August was now over in July. I guess they forgot about the $15 million that players were chasing in the playoffs that concluded on August 25th. Rory could not understand how football could cause such a dramatic change in scheduling. Quite understandable, since Europeans have no idea how passionate we colonists are about the most popular sport in America. The NFL and NCAA take no back seat once the training camps and practice sessions begin.

Is the time between major championships really an issue? I think that depends on whether you consider the Players a major tournament. Many do, but yes or no, it is one of five huge tournaments each year. The only difference in 2018 versus 2019 was when the Players was conducted. In 2018 it was 31 days after the Masters. In 2019 it was 30 days before the Masters. In reality, the length of time between the “Big 5” this year was more consistent than in 2018, about 29 days. In the previous year, the PGA was held only 17 days after the Open Championship. So, in my opinion, the new schedule is just right. Golfers will adjust; they always do.

26 Aug 2019 admin

Daily Junior Golf Clinics: Discover These New All-The-Rage Tactics To Teach Golf To Kids

By Jordan Fuller, USGTF Contributing Writer

It’s important to the growth and continued success of golf to introduce children to the game in a way that allows them to enjoy it and succeed quickly. Golf can be a very difficult game to learn at any age, but kids are actually uniquely suited to understand and develop good swing habits. So, it’s incredibly important to make sure they’re having fun while learning the building blocks that will translate into a lifetime of fun and success on the golf course.

Here are a few tactics to make sure your junior clinics keep everyone entertained while teaching them important golf lessons!

Putting contests

The classic putting contest is still one of the best ways to foster friendly competition and teach kids the importance of getting the ball close to the hole on their first putts. However, a traditional method of simply pitting children head-to-head is best reserved for the last day of a clinic. Prior to that, the contests should be more individually focused, so kids can set a baseline of performance and improve on it through the week.

I like to use large rings to create a 2-3 foot circle around the hole, and set up “tees” for them to start from. You can also use strings on tees to guide them around the putting green on a specific “course.”

They’ll receive a point for getting the first putt inside the big circle, then three more points for making their second putt. If they actually hole the first putt, they get ten points. If they take three putts, they’ll get a single additional point. This scoring system where they accumulate points is easier to explain than trying to have them make a “par” of two or three on each hole. It also gives them a high number to shoot for the next time, and drives them to try the course again and again to achieve more points.

It’s also important to reward each child for their performance. While you can have a cool prize for the single highest point total, you can also give a reward (maybe a sleeve of balls or a towel) for improving their score, or making the most one-putts.

While “everyone gets a trophy” is often ridiculed, golf is a game that most of us play for fun. Sure, some of the kids may grow up to be tournament winners, but for most of them you’re trying to develop a lifelong love affair with the game. It’s important to reward improvement as much as achievement.

Individual instruction

When demonstrating a basic skill, such as a bump-and-run chip, it’s tempting to simply explain it and demonstrate it a few times before letting the kids loose to try it themselves. But while they’re out there working on it, take a few minutes with each child individually to lightly direct and heavily praise the job they’re doing.

With very young kids, too much technical input will just muddy the issue; it’s best to give them minimal direction (just enough to make sure they’re making half-decent contact) and praise their good instincts. For older kids (8 and up), you can start drilling down on fundamentals (such as how to hit the ball properly) to make sure they’re not developing any bad habits that will take years to undo.

This extra level of individual instruction and praise is what the kids will tell their parents about: “Coach Jones helped me with my chipping grip, and I won this sleeve of balls when I chipped one into the hole!” is much better feedback than “Billy and I got to play a lot of Fortnite.” One-on-one time is key to keeping kids engaged and letting their parents know that you’re really interested in developing their kids’ skills.

Once kids have been to a few clinics and are ready to hit the links, the PGA Junior League has great programs for innovative competitions and tournaments that appeal to particular ages and skill levels. Rather than sticking to traditional 18-hole stroke play formats, PGA Junior League tournaments have different scoring systems and are played on fewer holes. Kids learn about golf, but also teamwork and self-reliance. It’s a great program to move them from beginner clinics to championship golf.