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30 Apr 2021 admin

Editorial – The Value of Competition

By Mark Harman, USGTF Director of Education

Our great game of golf has always engendered the competitive spirit in its practitioners. The Open, formerly known as the British Open, is the longest-running formal competition in golf history, but players and clubs competing against each other existed long before. Today, a lot of money exchanges hands on golf courses all around the world. It has been noted that in peak golf season, it is likely that over $1 million is wagered daily among friends on American courses!

Competing gives us insight into how we ourselves may handle certain situations. In a tough spot, do we panic and hope for the best? Or do we calmly assess the situation and make a logical game plan to execute the next shot? Are we internally calm or are we overcome by anxiety? Does the guy who bombs it by us 50 yards off the tee intimidate us, or do we consider it a cool and fun challenge to overcome that distance deficit?

The USGTF provides several great ways to compete for its members, from the five annual regional events to the United States and World Golf Teachers Cup. Players come literally from all over the world to compete in the latter two events. While the main focus is on the competition itself, a side benefit it making new friends, catching up with old ones, and potentially developing business and networking connections that can benefit our teaching business.

Many golf teachers say they don’t have the time to compete, but it’s really a matter of making it a priority and scheduling well in advance. So come on out to a regional event or the U.S. Cup this year. You’ll be glad you did. And speaking of the U.S. Cup, it’s in Las Vegas this year, October 18-19. By then, America’s capital city of fun and excitement should be ready for full-bore action and activities. We look forward to seeing you there!

Student Spotlight – Steve Haigler

Steve Haigler, a high school teacher in Tampa, came to my six-week golf school about eight years ago. He started with the maximum handicap of 36. After completing the class, he applied all he learned and started to really improve. Today, he plays to a 22 handicap and regularly shoots in the mid to low 90s. Steve later followed in his instructor’s path and started playing with hickory golf clubs as a member of the Florida Hickory Golfers. That makes the improvement in his handicap even more significant because of the difficulty playing with clubs used 100 years ago. Steve has traveled to Scotland to participate in several World Hickory Opens at courses like Carnoustie, Gullane and Panmure, where Ben Hogan practiced for the Open Championship. He also played on the U.S. hickory team in 2018 that competed against teams from Europe and Scotland at the Old Course in Musselburgh, contributing to the U.S. victory in the matches. He has certainly taken to the game and can be seen regularly on the links at the MacDill Air Force Base golf courses.

Reason recommended by teacher: In today’s modern world of golf technology, it is unique to find someone who values the history of golf and the men who played with equipment far less forgiving than that of today. I think Steve would be the first to tell anyone how much he has enjoyed golf, especially hickory golf, and the opportunities it has afforded him for travel and meeting interesting people the world over. In addition, it is always satisfying when a student finds success and enjoyment on the golf course and knowing you had a minor hand in that journey.

Mike Stevens – USGTF Teaching Professional

WGTF News from Japan – Naoki Yoshida

USGTF-Japan member Naoki Yoshida teaches a number of prominent touring professionals, but his foray into teaching and coaching wasn’t a direct route. As a kid, he started playing golf but preferred baseball, tennis and soccer. Golf was pretty much last on the list.

At the age of 18, he attended a golf academy in Australia headed by one of their prominent coaches. Yoshida found that the coach’s disdain for video was counter-productive, at least in his case. “All I could do then was to feel and understand what he said,” said Yoshida. “In the process of mastering a swing, it is not effective to depend only on feeling. When players understand the method and make it an automatic motion, feeling-based learning requires much more time. So, I bought a video camera to check my swing. I devoted myself to testing my physical motion during the swing, as well as the clubface angle and the shaft plane. I practiced every day until midnight to master the ideal positions of the swing.” Yoshida’s goal was to be a touring professional, but found that there was more to it than just having a great swing. “I thought the perfect, high-level swing would contribute to making a great score on the course,” he remarked. “As you know, however, it is a huge mistake. Good scores result from a repeatable and consistent swing, distance control, and short game skills. The perfect swing is not necessary for the goal.”

After uploading some of his swing and golf theories to YouTube, Facebook and other social media, Yoshida was contacted by Hideto Tanihara and Shingo Katayama for coaching. Their success with him led to more touring professionals seeking out his counsel, and today he has a number of Japanese touring pros under his tutelage. His philosophy is as follows: “When teaching golf, there are numerous pieces of the puzzle that we should consider. For example, we are required to check their address, grip, joint range of motion, length of their body parts, behavior patterns, thought patterns, and so on. I set up a plan suitable for each of the students by combining these countless puzzle pieces.”