Golf Teaching Pro Magazine

16 Dec 2019 admin

Harman Back On Top In Southeast

Mark Harman made a statement that he is still a force to be reckoned with at GlenLakes Country Club in Weeki Wachee, Florida, this past May. The reigning World Cup champion from Ridgeland, South Carolina, set a Southeast Region Championship scoring record of seven under par to best Ron Cox of Henderson, Tennessee, by five shots. Richard Crowell from Pensacola, Florida, and Rich Lively of Rockledge, Florida, took third and fourth, grabbing the balance from the $1,200 purse. Thanks goes out to GlenLakes head pro Tom McCrary, who has hosted us for several years.

16 Dec 2019 admin

Abraham’s Team Wins League Title, Tournament

USGTF member Walt Abraham, head golf coach of Athenian High School in Danville, California, led his squad to the BCL-East league round-robin regular season title and also the league post-season tournament title. The team finished 9-1 in match play and next heads to the Division 2 championship tournament. The league title marks the seventh time in Abraham’s 11 seasons as head coach that Athenian has taken that honor. Athenian fields a young squad of three freshmen, one sophomore and two juniors, with three players earning all-league honors.

16 Dec 2019 admin

Golden Repeats As Southwest Regional Champion

Cole Golden shot an opening round 69 against a strong field that featured several current and past USGTF champions at a windy Ridgeview Ranch Golf Course, which hosted the USGTF Southwest Region Championship May 4-5 in Plano, Texas. Tough, tricky greens and somewhat wet conditions after several days of wet weather had hit Texas earlier in the week greeted the competitors. Southwest Region director Bruce Sims and Master Lee carded 76 the first day, while Brent Davies and Chris Tyner shot 77. Grant Gulych, Jeff Kennedy, and D.B. Merrill came in with 78.

Golden continued his fine play on day two and was never threatened, as only Davies was able to get within three shots on the back nine before Golden responded with a birdie on the next hole. Golden finished with a 69-74 – 143 for a 1-under-par total. Davies finished in second place after shooting 70, which was the low round of the day, for a 147 total. Lee played solidly all day after shooting a fine round of 74 for a 150 total, coming in third place. Canadian Gulych finished in fourth place 78-77 – 155; Texas’ Tyner finished in fifth place with 77-80 – 157; Ruben Ramirez finished sixth with 83-75 – 158; Merrill finished seventh with 78-82 – 160, and Jeff Kennedy finished eighth at 161. Thanks goes out to all USGTF players who participated, especially Jim Peters, Craig Johansen, Jaejin Kim, Kevin Kim, Jihun Yang, Scott Lundgren and J.D. Winkle.

Sims also hosted a very nice pre-tournament dinner on Friday night, where there were lots of camaraderie and discussion about our great game. USGTF players came from Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Michigan, Ontario Canada, and several parts of Texas to play in this fine event.

12 Dec 2019 admin

Junior Camps and the Evolution of The Instructor

By Graham Lewis, USGTF Teaching Professional Townsend, Georgia

My first introduction to the USGTF was in the fall of 2009.  I  met  a  gentleman  on  the practice  range  at Sapelo Hammock Golf Course  in Shellman Bluff, Georgia, where I worked part time in the pro shop. After a few exchanges on the art of the golf swing, he explained that he was a teaching professional at a country club in Vermont. His name is Alan Jeffery and he received his Master Golf Teaching Professional certification from the USGTF. Alan convinced me to consider learning more about the USGTF.

The certification course at Jones Creek Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia, was led by Mark Harman.  During  the  five  days  of  the  course,  I  be-came confident that my knowledge of the Golfswing was good until Mark asked me, in the verbal final, what would I do with a student with a chicken wing.  My answer will remain unpublished but a passing grade was received.

Once back at Sapelo Hammock, the owners of the club at that time gave me the go ahead to establish a golf academy. Along with one-on-one instruction, my first priority was starting a junior camp program during the summer months.  The first junior camp had six kids ranging in ages from 8 to 13. Instruction was provided by me, the only instructor at the time. During the four half-days of the camp, each junior received instruction in all aspects of the game, with emphasis on the four basic fundamentals: grip, posture, alignment and ball position.

All instruction was confined to the putting green, chipping  green  and  practice  range,  and  clubhouse question-and-answer sessions were held during the only  water  break  of  the  three-hour  session.  The only training aid used was an alignment rod. Each junior was given a three-ring binder which included pictures and explanations on every part of the game. My sources were Golf Magazine, Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf and the USGTF’s first edition of How To Teach Golf.

At the close of camp, each junior proudly demonstrated their knowledge of the basic fundamentals and received a camp picture and a certificate.

Since that first camp, attendance has grown to between 25 and 30 kids for each camp in June and July.  Additional instructors have been added, and the range of ages has expanded to 5 to 16. Juniors are divided into three groups based on age.  One group will be on the putting green, while another is on the chipping green and another on the practice range.  Each  group  changes  location  every45  minutes  after  a  water  break  in  the  clubhouse, where prizes are given during question-and-answer sessions. The highlight of the camp is the last day, when  everyone  plays  a  nine-hole  scramble  with their  parents  and  grandparents  driving  the  carts. A lot has been learned these past eight years on how to run a successful camp.

In summary, the changes to the original camp of 2012 are:

1. To satisfy demand, the range of ages has increased to 5-16.
2. With the increase in camp sizes, we now have three groups of juniors based on age.
3. Each camp now has a higher percentage of girls participating.
4. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to watch.
5. The kids are given two water breaks instead of one.
6. Question-and-answer sessions have been expanded to include more questions from the kids rather than just from the instructors.
7. Playing a scramble with parents and grandparents driving the carts. Early camps had younger kids playing with older kids. We now try to have teams divided by age and ability.
8. Numerous training aids have been added, and target signs have been used at close range on the practice area (similar to the TV show “Big Break,” where they broke the glass).
9. Volunteers for control and safety have been added, especially for the younger kids.
10. I have become more open to new ideas. The three-ring binder has been replaced by the Bob Dimpleton book Golf 101. This cartoon version of learning how to play golf is a great hit with the younger kids. Another example is when I expressed skepticism at a suggestion to include a short-course layout using foam balls and a hula hoop for a hole. At first I considered it to be too “Mickey Mouse,” but then I remembered at 16 years of age I learned to play in my backyard with a wiffle ball and soup can for a hole. My only instruction came from Hogan’s Five Lessons book and a mirror. The short course is a big hit.

These   changes   and   improvements   to   the   academy camps have been made possible by the inclusion of additional instructors from the USGTF, PGA, LPGA and a high school golf coach. The latest and most significant addition to our last two camps has been our own Mark Harman.

Mark and I have become good friends ever since he explained to me what a chicken wing was.

The one thing that has remained constant from the first camp and every one since is that safety, fun, and instruction, in that order, remain the priority.

2 Dec 2019 admin

Transition to Impact

By Thomas T Wartelle, USGTF Teaching Professional Washington, Louisiana

We know the moment of truth is impact. The golf ball does not care about a teacher’s opinion; the ball is only influenced by physics. There are five human performance factors that influence the golf ball at impact. They are as follows: 1) clubface position, 2) club path, 3) centeredness of contact,4) angle of approach, and 5) clubhead speed. All great ball strikers achieve a high level of each of these components.

Therefore, the question arises, “How can we maximize a golfer’s impact position?” Besides basic fundamentals such as the golfer’s “GPA” (grip, posture and alignment), dynamics in the swing can have a great influence on the impact position. For this discussion, let’s break it down from transition at the top of the swing to impact.

We must first establish that mass (COM) is not pressure (COP). For this discussion, pressure (COP) is the reference point. During the backswing, there should be a “loading,” or pressure, applied to the heel of the trail leg. In their backswing, powerful Tour players reach over 80 percent pressure on their trail foot when their transition begins. Transition actually starts before the golfer reaches the finish of the backswing. For most Tour players, this begins when the lead arm is parallel to the ground on the backswing. The body is actually moving in two directions at once. The midsection, or torso, should shift the pressure towards the target. The sensation is the clubhead is lagging behind as the body begins its transition by transferring pressure and uncoiling towards the target. The reality is there is no delay of the release, but simply a forward swing pressure creating a powerful action.

On the downswing, the torso should pressure-shift toward the target and then rotate with a feeling that the lead hip and glute are pulling or rotating away from the ball. This is very similar to a squat movement into the lead glute. At the halfway down (lead arm parallel to the ground) point, the vast majority of Tour players will see a peak in the total force under the lead foot (70 percent or more).

As the impact position is approached, the spine angle is maintained with a feeling of the lead hip rotating and pushing back into a wall. The lead leg will somewhat straighten naturally at impact as the lead hip begins to rise higher than the trailing hip. In this position, the golfer is maximizing the “ground forces” and creating maximum torque and energy. Some Tour players and long drivers even have a jumping motion at impact as they are applying tremendous force into the ground.

The dynamics of the golf swing (transition move and pressure change) influence the five human performance factors at impact. Clubface position at impact and club path at impact can be affected; however, centeredness of contact, angle of approach, and clubhead speed are directly correlated to transition and pressure flow from trail foot to lead foot.

How does this all relate to teaching? An interesting observation can be made in the above photos. Without describing any of the above, we use a simple drill in the gym of throwing a medicine ball against the wall. Notice that all of the positions are achieved by using a simple, athletic motion.

For more teaching info or tips, visit the USGTF website or Thomas T Wartelle / TTW Golf on YouTube or Instagram.

22 Nov 2019 admin

Max Faulkner Returns Claret Jug to the British Isles

By Mike Stevens, USGTF Teaching Professional Tampa, Florida

In 1951 the Open Championship was played outside Great Britain for the first time. The site was Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, which hosts once again this year. I could not find a reason for going there other than it is a beautiful course with magnificent landscape. I guess the R&A just wanted a change of pace.

The odds-on favorite going in was defending champion Bobby Locke of South Africa. Max Faulkner, the eventual winner, on the other hand was a decent player with a few minor tournament victories in England. Born on England’s south coast in 1916, he was introduced to the game by his father Gus, a former assistant to the great James Braid. Max was a multisport talent, but golf seemed to be his favorite pastime. He joined his dad as an assistant pro after his schooling and started getting some notoriety as a potential player until the big one began. From 1939 to 1945, he played exactly two rounds of golf while serving his country in defeating the German war machine.

Once peace returned, Faulkner went back to work on his game, which came back quickly, but what he was most noted for was his dashing attire in bold colors and cheerful disposition. Entering the ’51 Open, he had a good feeling about his chances. He played Portrush in the Irish Open at21, finishing third, and felt it favored his power fade as most of the holes have a right-hand curve. He al so believed a very light putter, one of the many he owned, would come in handy on the fastest greens of all Open venues. His premonition was correct, needing only 51 putts with the magic wand in the first two rounds to top the leaderboard with a score of 141. The final two rounds of the Open in those days were played on the same day, and Max, playing well in the morning round, came to the 16th hole well in the lead, but hit a disastrous drive that landed within two feet of a barbed-wire boundary fence. But Max believed it was his day. Rather than chip out, he took his 4-wood and with his backside against the barbs, he abruptly cut the ball out over the OB fence, curving the ball on to the putting surface. His playing partner, American Frank Stranahan, walked over and commented to him that it was the finest shot he had ever seen. Faulkner would finish the third round six shots clear of the field.

Here is where the story gets even more interesting. After a brief respite, Max headed for the first tee. As he walked, a young boy approached and asked him to sign a ball, but Faulkner was reluctant, not wanting to be distracted. Then the boy said, “You’re going to win,” and at the urging of the boy’s father who mentioned how much it would mean to the boy, Max signed the ball – Max Faulkner, Open Champion 1951. For the first time, he let the thought of blowing a big lead enter his mind, and struggled a bit coming home in 74. There were no scoreboards at the time, so runners were dispatched to and from to let people know what was going on with players still on the course. Word came in that Tony Cerda had turned in 34 and was a threat to catch the leader. A bit later, the word was that three fours on the final holes would tie Faulkner. A final messenger approached Max and related to him, “Cerda’s taken six; it’s your Open.”His dream had proved true – he was the Champion Golfer of the Year. The Claret Jug held by South African Bobby Locke would be returning to Britain.

Max Faulkner would go on to win 16 tournaments in Europe, but never another Open Championship. It was his crowning achievement and all he ever wanted. He also played on five Ryder Cup teams, including the surprise 1957 team in which Britain won for the first time since 1933.

Another interesting chapter in his life came in1973 during the Open at Troon. He was paired with Gene Sarazen when Sarazen recorded a hole-in-one at the famed Postage Stamp. It was Sarazen and Walter Hagen who were models for Faulkner’s snappy attire on the golf course.

Max Faulkner played for six decades, observing golf from the hickory era to the many changes in ball and club technology. A true sportsman, he could have played professionally at tennis, cricket or soccer, but golf was his true love. On the 50thanniversary of his triumph in the Open, he was honored with the Order of the British Empire for his service to golf. He lived out his remaining years in Sussex and passed away in 2005 after contracting pneumonia at the age of 88, a true gentleman of the game who should not be forgotten.

12 Nov 2019 admin

Social Media Marketing for Golf Professionals

By Jim LaBuda USGTF Teaching Professional, West Seneca, New York

As golf professionals and instructors, we rely on golf students coming to us and paying for our instruction services. Whether you are employed by a local golf club or driving range, or you are an independent contractor whose main source of income is from instruction, having a social media presence is important. More and more people today are using social media platforms to search for all types of services they want to hire someone for, including golf instruction.

What Exactly is Social Media?

Social media can be defined as different types of electronic communication that allows people to create online communities to share ideas, information, personal content, videos, etc. Typically, most social media services are accessed via a desktop or laptop computer. However, with the invention of smartphones and tablets, more and more users are finding it easier to access these social media platforms “on the go” instead of sitting behind a desk in a more traditional setting. Also, with millions of people on various social media platforms at any point in time, it can be seen as very attractive for business owners who are trying to promote a product or service.

How is Social Media Used Today?

Social media today is used by individuals and businesses alike to share ideas, photos, videos, experiences, etc. There is almost nothing that can’t be shared via some type of social media site. Most social media sites today will allow you to set up a profile or a social media account for free. This is one reason why social media is so attractive for businesses today, because for the most part it doesn’t cost anything. Sure, there are promotions or paid advertisements that you can run and will be an expense to your business, but we will discuss this more in a little bit. Setting up a social media profile is also something which requires almost no technological experience or ability. Just about anyone can visit one of many social medial websites, click on “create a profile,” and the site will walk you through everything that you need to do in order to set up a profile on that site. If you are setting up a business profile, there are standard questions that will be asked, including your business contact info, location, what type of a business are you, etc. Fill in the info, upload a photo or two and you now have a social media profile on that site.

As golf professionals, social media and technology are something that we should all be very involved with. I remember when I first started teaching golf professionally and visited local driving ranges on a busy evening. Instructors were known to “walk the line,” which meant walking up and down the driving range or the tee line and offering free tips or passing out business cards to anyone who may have seemed like they were struggling that day. This may have been something that worked years ago to gain students, and to be perfectly honest with you it maybe something that works today. It’s not a practice that I have done lately and I don’t know of many instructors who have.

These days, when someone is looking for something or needs to know how to perform a certain task, they are told to “Google it.” When someone determines that they are in need of golf instruction, what are they most likely to do? If they aren’t a member at a local course where an instructor is based, or they don’t know an instructor personally, they are going to grab their smart phone or tablet and they are going to search for “golf instructors in my area” or “golf instructors near me.”This is where the first and most important social media platform comes into play.

Do You Have Your Own Website?

Having a website for your business is very important and it is something different from some of the social media examples I gave above. Usually, there is a cost involved in having a website, either in the website construction or the hosting of the site. You can spend the money and have someone design your website for you professionally, or you can attempt to design it yourself.

The first thing that you will need to do is to purchase a website domain and hosting. I purchased my website domain, http://www.jimlabudagolf.com, and I have to pay annual hosting costs for this. Hosting a website is basically the space, or “land,” where your website will be. If you don’t pay the annual hosting cost, people will not be able to find your website online.

Once you purchase your domain name and pay for your website to be hosted, it’s time to design your website. Designing a website seems like it can be intimidating, but it can become a fairly simple process. Many companies today offer domain names, website hosting and design services. There are many different templates you can choose from, depending on what you want your website to look like and the “theme” that you want your site to have. If you don’t have any experience writing HTML code to build a website from scratch, then I would recommend using one of the companies that offer domain names, hosting and website design. Personally, I use GoDaddy (www.godaddy.com) for my domain and hosting services. I then used one of their templates to design and customize my website with different pictures, various information and different tabs detailing different services that I offer.

Once your website is designed and live on the internet, people can put your site address in their search bar and find you. But if no one knows that you have a website, how can they find out about you and the types of services that you offer? As golf professionals, there are many things we can include on a website. You can have a page that tells potential students more about yourself, lesson rates, where your lessons are usually given, any certifications you may have, etc. I use my website to try and tell potential students why they should come take a golf lesson from me and how I can help their game. You can post videos, testimonials from past students, pictures of you giving a lesson, etc. The opportunities are endless, but one of the main things a website should do is have a place where people can enter an email address and become part of your email list. This is great way for you to build your email and customer list.

Why Do I Need to Use Email Marketing?

Let’s face it. Everyone these days has an email address, and we are all getting bombarded with emails from companies that we have done business with in the past, and even some spam email from companies that we may have never done business with. Sure, you may open some of the emails that you receive and read them, but most of them you may not. So, why should we use email marketing as golf professionals? Because email marketing is a great way to stay in contact with not only your current students, but also with potential future students. It helps your students remember that you want to be the only golf instructor that they ever turn to for assistance and also keeps reminding your potential students that “I am here to help in case you need me.”

A well-crafted email can be one of the most powerful marketing tools that a golf professional can have. Your email can contain a recap from the previous week’s PGA or LPGA Tour event, golf tips, product reviews, lesson and clinic information, or share some news about yourself and your business. During the golf season, I try to send out at least two emails a week to my email list. I try to change up what I provide everyone in my email, but I have sent out golf tips via video I posted on my website and YouTube, golf fitness videos, clinic and lesson information, and even professional swing analyses I have completed.

So, how does sending emails to potential students help me? Let’s say you have a student that is struggling with distance. You give them lessons, see something in their swing that you can change, and by the end of the lesson you have them hitting the golf ball 15 yards farther. You can tell this story to everyone on your email list about how you helped a student pick up 15 additional yards in one lesson! All it takes is for one person on your email list that also wants more distance to say, hey, if it worked for that other person, maybe it will work for me. Now your email marketing has converted someone on your email list, a potential student, to a current student. They visited your website, entered their email address, and you have now converted that student into a sale and a paying customer.

How do we get people to visit our website and sign up for our email list? This is where social media marketing comes in. Your website will be your main online presence, and the various social media platforms will be how you drive people to your website.

What Social Media Platforms Can I Use?

Today there are so many different social media platforms available that it would take me all day to go through them. Most individuals have at least one profile set up on social media, and some probably have multiple accounts. I’ll touch on some of the most popular platforms now and how they can be beneficial to a golf professional.

Facebook

Facebook is probably one of the most popular social media networking sites today. It’s an easy way to communicate with family and friends nearby and across the world. You can post pictures, articles, videos and numerous other things. Businesses can use Facebook to advertise to potential customers by posting anything that may relate to the goods or services that they are trying to promote. As a golf professional, I created a Facebook page called Jim LaBuda Golf to try and advertise my instruction services to potential customers. People will follow my Facebook page, and then they can “share” anything that I post to their friends. This is a great way to basically advertise for free. People can share the golf tips that I post on Facebook with the people that they are Facebook friends with, and hopefully will introduce new potential customers to the services that I have to offer. They visit my website to learn more about me and what I have to offer, and can even sign up to be on my email list. Then, when they are in need of a service that I can offer them in the future, hopefully they will remember me and contact me.

Businesses that have Facebook profiles can also purchase paid advertisements. The business will determine where they want to target their customers (either locally or nationwide), who they want their potential customers to be, and how long of a period of time they want this ad to run. Then, based on the potential customer that the business defined, Facebook will run the ad for that business in the potential customer’s Facebook news feed. They will use the information that the business provided them, along with each individual’s Facebook profile, pages that they currently follow, and potential interests to determine who to show the ad to. Then, the person who sees this ad can determine whether or not they want to click on the ad to find out more information about what is being advertised. I have personally run Facebook ads to promote clinics that I was hosting and didn’t have anyone sign up for the clinics. However, I did have people who saw my ad on Facebook go to my website and sign up for my email list, so in that respect, running the ad was a success.

Twitter

Twitter is an online social media and networking site. People can write short messages called “tweets” and post pictures and short videos. People can use Twitter to follow companies or products that they are interested in and can then see when someone posts a tweet. Twitter is a good social networking site for someone who wants to scan through their feed quickly and not sit and read anything. You can scan through your tweets and only read the ones that you are interested in reading. One of the downfalls to Twitter, however, is that reading a tweet can be confusing. Since you have a limited number of characters in your tweet, you must get creative in how you are trying to get your point across. Sometimes the result of the limited characters tweet can be very clever; other times it can get very confusing.

People who follow you on Twitter can see your tweets and then re-tweet what you post so that the people who follow them can see what they re-tweeted. They can also “like” your tweets which their followers can also see.

I like to use Twitter to post links to the emails I send out to my email list. Most of the time I just tweet something like, “Checkout my latest newsletter,” along with a link to where someone can access this newsletter. Then, I hope that my followers will click on the link, check out what I have to say in my newsletter or email campaign, and then re-tweet it to their followers. Once they do that, there are an endless number of people who can see what you have to offer based on how many people tweet and re-tweet what you have to say.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is basically a social media networking site for professionals. The LinkedIn courtesy is to not post anything personal on the site, but to have more professional or business-related posts. LinkedIn is considered to be the high-tech equivalent of attending your local Chamber of Commerce networking event. It’s a place to discuss business ideas, exchange business cards and talk a little bit about what you do.

I don’t believe LinkedIn is a social media platform where you will find new golf students or promote your instruction services. However, if you are looking for a new professional opportunity, or if you are looking for new employment, then having a presence on LinkedIn will be beneficial. It’s always a good idea to connect with similar professionals in your industry. You never know when you may need to contact someone for a professional service, and you never know when someone may need to contact you.

Instagram

Instagram is another social media platform that offers free photo and video sharing. It is similar to other social media platforms where you follow other accounts of interest, and the posts that they create show up in your Instagram feed. Instagram is similar to Facebook but has a greater emphasis on mobile photo and video sharing. Therefore, Instagram is an extremely popular social media platform with the 18-29 year-old crowd. Instagram is a great way to post pictures and videos, but the videos shouldn’t be more than about 60 seconds long. So, if you post a video on Instagram, can you tell someone how to cure their slice in 60 seconds? You may be able to, but don’t forget the main purpose of using social media. You want to give someone an idea of how you can fix their slice on Instagram, but you really want to send them to your website and sign up for your email list to get the full story. I’ve personally started using Instagram more to post pictures and short videos, because it seems to be used more with a younger generation. Since we are golf professionals trying to grow and promote this game of golf, wouldn’t it make sense that we should have a social media presence with the younger generation? Instagram isn’t going away anytime soon, and in a very short period of time may become more popular than Facebook and Twitter.

YouTube

YouTube is an extremely popular service for sharing videos where users can like, comment, watch, share and upload their own videos. Videos can be uploaded using a desktop or laptop computer, or can be uploaded via a mobile device. YouTube videos today consist of a wide range of topics, anywhere from how to grow tomatoes to how to pour a concrete driveway. Anyone with a mobile phone or video camera can upload videos to YouTube.

Because it is so easy to upload videos to YouTube, there are a good number of people on there who are looking to have the next “viral” video. A viral video is defined as one that becomes popular through internet or social media sharing. But how do you produce a video that can become viral? It’s impossible to answer, because no one knows. YouTube uses an algorithm where it can suggest video to a user based on the number of views it receives in the first 48 hours of being published on YouTube. For example, let’s say you’re looking for a video on YouTube that describes what the correct golf grip should be. Once you search for the correct golf grip in the YouTube search box, you will receive other suggested videos for the correct golf grip.

As a YouTube creator, it is imperative that your video become one of these suggested videos by making sure that you receive as much view time as possible in these first 48 hours. How can you do this? The answer is simple: Post a link to your new YouTube video on as many social media sites as you possibly can. Send it out to your email marketing list, inviting people to watch your new video, post a link on Facebook, tweet a link on Twitter, and post a link on LinkedIn and Instagram. YouTube is the perfect place to post videos and be able to have people all over the world watch them, but you also need to understand YouTube’s algorithm for the videos that it recommends. You can make money on YouTube, but in order to monetize your channel, you need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. Those may seem like intimidating numbers, but you can achieve these totals with the proper focus and commitment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I can’t tell you which social media platforms will work best for you. Some instructors are finding more success by posting shorter videos on Instagram, while other instructors are posting longer, more in-depth instructional videos on YouTube. You will need to experiment with different platforms and different types of posts to see which ones may work for you.

The internet and social media are not something which are going away. There are more and more social media platforms being introduced and gaining traction every day. Sites like Snapchat are becoming popular with a whole new generation of golfers, and as instructors we need to be able to adapt to the social media platforms our students are on.

Will our future students find our services via social media? Possibly, but we want to make sure that when someone in our area is looking for a golf instructor, our profile is front and center with them.

4 Nov 2019 admin

Getting The Most From Our Students

People come to us in hopes of getting better at golf. Some have realistic expectations; some don’t. Although we love what we do, our job is not the easiest. We are under a lot of pressure to make sure our students go away with something solid that they can use and with which to improve.

Part of the difficulty in teaching and coaching is that much of what our success is based on is largely out of our hands. We can teach, coach, show, demonstrate, etc., maybe 50 percent of what a student needs to know, but the other 50 percent is up to them. They have to put in the time and effort, not only physically but mentally, in order to reap the benefits of what we have taught them. Yet, our50 percent factor in their success is critical, because without it, they have little or no chance to fulfill their half of their “contract” with us.

It starts with being able to assess what a student can or cannot do. For example, if they are physically incapable of making a full turn on the backswing, we cannot keep insisting that they learn to do so. This may be common sense, but a lot of teachers and good ones, at that have fallen prey to this well-intentioned but ineffective path.

But, you say, even though they cannot physically do what we are asking at the moment, if they put the time and effort to physically change their bodies, they can do it. This is where we need to get real. How many of our students, most of whom are older, are really going to spend a couple of hours a week specifically on exercises to help themselves to physically be able to move in a more efficient manner? That percentage is probably pretty close to zero. So, we’re going to have to give them something to do that they’re capable of doing at that moment.

It all starts with how the clubhead is moving into the ball. We’ve stated this on the pages of Golf Teaching Pro time and time again, but we can never say it enough. Most people are capable of getting the clubhead to move into the ball with a good path and square clubface angle, even if they can’t move anywhere near like a tour pro.

It starts with the setup. Noted teaching professional Michael Breed has often said it takes no athletic ability to assume a proper setup position, and he’s right. Yes, there may be some physical limitations that prevent some of our students from taking a model posture, but the ball doesn’t know this. And the movement of the club itself isn’t necessarily dependent upon this.

It’s also important to limit the amount of information that is given to a student. One USGTF teaching professional related the story of when he was a young teacher and had a student who was shooting in the mid-90s and wanted merely to break 90 consistently. He enthusiastically showed the student several things he needed to change in order to reach his goal. When the teacher saw the student a few weeks later and asked him how he was coming along, the student replied, “Terrible! I can’t break 100 now!”

It’s cases like this that can give a teacher, and also unfortunately the teaching profession, a bad name. The young teacher then worked with the student for 30 minutes on the spot, simplifying the information that was originally given, and having the student concentrate on only one or two things.

Many new teachers are eager to impart a lot of information, erroneously thinking that they are short changing their students if they don’t. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Getting the most out of our students requires two things on our part: 1) Getting them to do things of which they are capable, and 2) giving the minimum amount of information necessary. It’s a recipe that works well for the best teachers and coaches in the world, and even though we may not be considered a worldwide guru, it works for the rest of us, too.