USGTF Monthly Newsletter

Peter Hudson, president of the WGTF of Great Britain and Ireland was happy to report that they were able to successfully hold their first onsite course since the government “lock down” earlier this year. In April these participants attended a 45 day online intensive training program. The residential course was hosted by the Dudsbury Hotel and Golf Club on the South Coast of England.

Using a “switch of roles” method the course instructors delivered intensive training including teachings on Strategies and Philosophies, Techniques and Teaching and more. Hudson states, “It is wonderful to be back delivering trainings, even if it may be a while before we can do another but in the meantime, we have 5 more coaches who can deliver outstanding lessons because they have rained with the WGTF!”

It seems the University of Georgia has been nothing short of a professional golfer factory for the past decade, and Hudson Swafford is another in a long line of Bulldog golfers to find success on the PGA Tour. He won the recent Puntacana Resort & Club Championship for his second win on Tour.

Many people think the life of a PGA Tour player is all good all the time, and sometimes it is, but then there is the other side of the coin. Swafford, who previously won in 2017, battled a series of injuries, leading to poor finishes and having to take a medical extension. Although now fully recovered, his mindset wasn’t where it should be until he revealed on Sirius/XM radio that his sports psychologist needled him, saying, “You’re going to lose your card, anyway. You might as well go out and quit worrying about it and have fun playing. You just might get into contention.” Swafford did more than get into contention, assuring himself of a job for the next three seasons.

By Mark Harman, USGTF National Course Director

In early 2005, a hook crept into my game and caused me all sorts of problems. Although I was fortunate enough to win the United States Golf Teachers Cup at The Quarry in San Antonio, Texas, in the fall of 2005, I did it with smoke and mirrors. I couldn’t keep my driver in play at all, and halfway through the first round I shelved it for my 3-wood…which wasn’t much better, but at least I could keep it down to a healthy draw.

Finally fed up with being unable to fix the hook on my own, in 2008 I went to see a teaching professional in Fernandina Beach, Florida, named Mike Benjamin. I knew Mike from my days of living in Tallahassee, Florida, and knew he could teach high-level players. He accurately diagnosed the reason for my hook: My left shoulder moved up and out and my right shoulder moved down and behind me to start the downswing, producing a clubhead path that came from too far inside. This is something I could not see on video or figure out on my own. Mike gave me several things to work on.

There were good days and bad days going forward, but I knew I was on the right path. It took me about six months before I could say the hook was cured. Today, while I hit the occasional hook, I don’t fear it and it’s no longer part of my normal swing. Mike’s instruction was valuable to me in another sense, because I now have more tools at my disposal to fix a student’s hook. So I encourage every USGTF member to seek out another qualified instructor and take a lesson, whether you think you need one or not. You’ll most likely learn something new, and may even be able to incorporate it into your teaching methodology. We all have an obligation to continue to learn, and taking a lesson is a great way of doing just that.