Teaching “PRO” File – Dr. Sharon Barley
(Editor’s note: Dr. Sharon Barley earned her USGTF certification in 2015 and has an impressive resume and backstory. In addition to being an accomplished golf instructor, she is a minister with a doctorate in minister theology and arts. She is a golf teaching professional at Manor Golf Course in Reading, Pennsylvania, and works for Setup 4 Impact Golf. She is also a U.S. Kids Golf certified teacher and works with The First Tee. Her experience in the ministry also allows her insight into a golfer’s mind that is unique to the golf teaching profession. Here is her story.)
Over the last ten years, I was on a quest to learn diverse swing mechanics by studying some top professional golfers and coaches. Among so many variables, I found one key area that made the difference between a golfer who continued to improve and those who never improved. That difference is the “impact position.” Golfers who continued to improve their scores were more consistent at impact. Coaching the impact position capitalizes on your natural swing, tailored to your body type, flexibility, balance and physical abilities.
I earned a black belt in Kung Fu at 22, then picked up archery in college. After making four U.S. Olympic Festival teams, I won the gold medal in archery at age 27. I played golf in high school and continued casually while serving in clergy ministry. As an athlete and minister, I set my life goal on inspiring others to be their best self. But after years of playing golf, coaching and training hard, I couldn’t achieve my own best self in golf and continued to be inconsistent and stagnant in my scores. Then I discovered a training methodology, taught by Kirk Junge, uniquely focused on a one-plane swing into the impact position, while using the best in sports psychology and the body/brain connection. As I practiced his drills over months, through our Pennsylvania winters and afterward, I discovered that my accuracy, distance and consistency improved dramatically within just a four-month time period. I knew I wanted to teach his methods.
Now, not only am I the NE/Eastern Regional Instructor for Setup4Impact Golf Schools, but also will be the golf teaching pro for a new business launch combining indoor golf with golf fitness, “InJoy Golf,” in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. My long-time career in clergy has given me tremendous insight into the mental game and spiritual nature of golf (the inner game) that often drives performance and outcomes.
Dr. Sharon Barley, USGTF Certified Teaching Professional, Denver, PA
A company called Golf EQ bills itself as a “first of its kind” company. According to its website, 
By Dillon Fay, USGTF Professional
Kauner Kay is the reigning youth boys (10-13 years old) Amateur Long Drive world champion and a three-time Utah state long drive champion. Teaching the sport of long drive is my emphasis, and Kauner is an absolute grinder! When I started working with him last June, he had a clubhead speed of 115 mph, which is incredibly fast for a kid his age. Since he began working with me, I have got him up to a new high clubhead speed of 143 mph. That is a 28 mph gain in just under a year, and he has a maximum ball speed of 195 mph! Kauner is now 15 years old and hits it farther than every PGA Tour pro, including Bryson DeChambeau.
Simply put, he is the fastest swinging teenager on planet Earth, and he would gladly put that to the test against anyone. He never misses practice and he has his eyes set on redemption this year to win both the junior boys national and world titles. Since he is so far ahead of his competition in the junior division, he is now competing against the men. In the men’s amateur division at the two PLDA (Pro Long Drivers Association) events he has competed in, he has placed 5th and 3rd (missing out on the finals by 5 yards), and had a personal record drive of 377 yards. He got to hit side-by-side and became friends with some of the biggest names in the sport such as Kyle Berkshire (2019 WLD world champion) and Justin James (2017 WLD world champion).
On the tournament-golf side of things, he had the best season of his life last year when he took 3rd in a local PGA junior championship and shot a personal record twice in competition, including a final-day 73 as a freshman at the Utah high school playoffs to help him finish individually in the top 10 in the state.
The winner of the 2019 Harvey Penick Trophy for Excellence in Golf Teaching, Bower “Bo” Harris from Knoxville, Tennessee, certainly has a lot to be proud of. A 10-year teaching veteran, Harris teaches at Williams Creek Golf Course in Knoxville, where he has helped scores of golfers lower their scores, including scholastic golfers who are achieving success. Harris also uses technology such as Foresight Sports’ GC2, Gen i1 putting monitor and Swing Catalyst. In addition to his status as a USGTF Certified Golf Teaching Professional, Harris also holds other certifications that have allowed him to become one of the most sought-after teachers and coaches in the Knoxville area.
He also coached four medal winners in the 2012 Special Olympics, coached high school golf and, in his words, Helps underprivileged youth, veterans, and stroke victims with discovering and cultivating a passion for golf.” Harris is married to his wife Anya and they have a son, George.
