THE BOOK (2019 CA Teaching & Coaching Summit) by Southern California PGA

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The Book | Issue One, Fall 2019

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THE BOOK Publisher, Editor, Designer Ariana Gilson of the SCPGA Contributing Editor Bill Hulbert, PGA, SCPGA Past President Contributing Editor Nick Walthery, PGA of Virginia Country Club Special Thanks to: Randy Chang, PGA of Journey at Pechanga Teaching Committee Chairman Scott Mallory, PGA of Journey at Pechanga PGA Host Jamie Mulligan, PGA of Virginia Country Club California Teaching & Coaching Summit Originator ...and all of our partners and article contributors Â© 2019 by the Southern California PGA. All rights reserved. Printed by Precision Services Group 15201 Woodlawn Ave., Tustin, Ca 92780

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WWW.TRAVISMATHEW.COM

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Contents

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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Monday, October 21 9:00 – 9:15am Welcome from Randy Chang, PGA 9:15 – 10:30am Rick Smith, PGA “How to Teach the Beginner/Intermediate like a Tour Pro” 10:45am – 12:00pm Dr. Alison Curdt, PGA, LPGA “Athletic Trauma, Golf Trauma: Science of the Brain” 12:00 – 1:00pm Lunch & California Teaching Hall of Fame Inductions SCPGA: Billy McKinney, PGA NCPGA: Ross Kroeker, PGA 1:15 – 2:45pm Josh Gregory, PGA “Effective Practice Habits of Highly Competitive Players” 3:00 – 5:00pm Chris Como, PGA Q & A with Bill McKinney, PGA on “Modern Golf and an Overview of the Swing Expedition” 5:30 – 9:30pm Honma Craft Cocktail Party

Speaker Articles and Biographies

Charlene currently resides in Irvine, California and is a teaching professional at Old Ranch Country Club.

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Experience and certifications include: running Golf Operations for USC, PGA of America Professional, TPI Certified Level 2 Golf Professional, Yoga for Golfers Level 2, and Registered Yoga Teacher RYT200 hours. She was a Golf Professional at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach for eight years and credits much of her teaching style to Jamie Mulligan, who continues to serve as a valuable influence.

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She has always loved studying the body, including how the body and brain work. When we think about movement and the golf swing, the brain is our most important tool. As she developed a passion for yoga she began drawing parallels between yoga and golf: staying present, the importance of breathing, and being able to control your body and mind. Her favorite thing about golf has nothing to do with the swing, but everything to do with the relationships formed through the game: the friendships you make along the way, being able to help someone, and learning something new (which a lot of adults do not get to do very often). Charlene’s favorite golfers to teach are players new to the game, because she has the opportunity to see them fall in love with something that she has been in love with for a long time.

Issue No. 1, Fall 2019

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Charlene starting playing golf at the age of eight. From a young age she loved learning about the golf swing; not just the mechanics, but how to play the game. She played her college golf at UCLA before turning professional. When she stopped playing professionally she turned her focus to teaching the game. She incorporated all the things that she learned along the way, both struggles and high points, to understand her players and better communicate with them when learning our sport.

Master of Ceremonies

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Tuesday, October 22 7:00 – 8:00am Breakfast 8:15 – 9:00am Seth Waugh, PGA of America CEO Q & A with Tom Addis, SCPGA CEO 9:00 – 10:30am Kevin Duffy, PGA “The Future of Golf Fitness: How to Improve Athleticism without Effecting Tension, Sequence and the Flow of Movement” 10:45am – 12:00pm Brad Faxon, PGA “The Art of Putting” 12:00 – 1:00pm Lunch 1:00 – 2:30pm Fred Couples, PGA Q and A with Jamie Mulligan, PGA 3:00 pm Optional Golf - 9 Holes

Section 1 Cognitive Coaching

Section 2 It All Starts with a Plan

Section 3 Put It into Practice

Teaching & Coaching Golf: 100% MENTAL by Randy Chang

Simplicity by Tom Sargent

Simulating On-Course Practice by Dr. Alison Curdt

Fundamentals: It’s all in the definition by Marc Minier

Anatomy of a Driving Lesson by Don Parsons

Teaching Golf; Coaching People by Bob Madsen Look for the One Thing that Fixes Five by Billy McKinney

Swing the Handle by Eddie Merrins

Experience is the Best Teacher by Jim Petralia

Developing a Junior Player by John Mason

A Game for a Lifetime by Josh Alpert Can You Hit A Home Run Bunt? by Gregg McHatton

Golf as a Reflex by Larry Brotherton The Secret to Teaching by Roger Gunn Where to Start by Alan Ochiai

Know Your Student - The Importance of a Quality Pre-Lesson Interview by Bill Hulbert

Building Your Brand, Growing Your Business by Heidi Richardson

Every Student is Different! by Glenn Deck Golf Swing DNA by Tim Mitchell

Coming in for a Landing by John Ortega

On the cover: (Front & Back) Journey at Pechanga and Pechanga Resort Casino Photo courtesy of Pechanga Resort Casino

LETTER FROM THE

PGA OF AMERICA CEO

As PGA of America CEO, Seth Waugh guides the business and overall strategy of one of the world’s largest sports organizations, serving its nearly 29,000 PGA Professionals.

o my friends in the SoCal Section, as I get ready to spend the day with you at the California Teaching & Coaching Summit, I want to take the time to send a quick note of thank you and best wishes for a great remainder of the year. As I’ve said before, whether it’s on the course or in the boardroom, PGA Professionals touch our sport and countless lives every day. Together we can and will have a lasting impact on this beautiful game of ours. Hopefully you’ve heard me say, because I can’t say it enough, that the number one reason for me taking on this role as CEO is to figure out how to help 29,000 PGA Professionals have a better life. That’s really how I think we at HQ ought to be judged over the term I serve. Have we left the room better than we found it for our members and the millions of lives that they touch every day? To that end, if you haven’t already, I hope that you will take the opportunity to check out and engage with several of our new and enhanced Lifelong Learning programs including PGA.Coach, the PGA Specialized Professional Program and the evolved PGA Certified Professional and PGA Master Professional Programs. I strongly believe that these are programs that set PGA Members apart in the competitive coaching landscape and help lay the groundwork for providing the best customer experience to golfers of all ages and skill levels; therefore, driving additional revenue to you and your facilities. For more information you can visit PGA.org or contact our Membership Support team. After a year on the job, I see even more of what is possible than I ever imagined. None of this would be possible without you, the PGA Professional, leading the way. I am so excited for the future and am constantly amazed by what you all do on a daily basis, and how powerful golf is as an engine for good. It’s impossible to not be excited for the future. This opportunity to give back is a true gift to me and I am honored to serve with the 29,000 PGA Professionals and others in the game. Thank you all again for this opportunity to serve you, the Association and the game. I look forward to continuing a great run together.

Photo Courtesy of Golf Digest

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SETH WAUGH Since becoming CEO, the PGA announced a transformational relocation of PGA Headquarters to Frisco, Texas; named Cadillac as the Official Vehicle for the Association and several of its Championships; and rolled out a partnership with Mission Hills Group and PacficPine Sports Group to launch three golf academies in China. Waugh also served a prior three-year term as an Independent Director on the PGA Board of Directors. He previously worked as Senior Advisor and then Managing Director at Silver Lake; and continues as a Senior Advisor. In 2016, he was appointed Non-Executive Chairman of Alex. Brown. Waugh also served in the management of Florida East Coast Industries in 2014. Waugh spent 13 years at Deutsche Bank, including 10 years as CEO of the Americas. He also served as Deutsche Bank Americas Advisory Board Chairman and worked with the PGA TOUR to create the then Deutsche Bank Championship. For several years, he championed the Women on Wall Street Conference, to advance opportunities for women in the financial services sector. A former CEO of Quantitative Financial Strategies, Waugh also spent 11 years at Merrill Lynch, culminating as Global Debt Markets Co-Head. He previously managed Salomon Brothers’ Corporate Bond and International Trading desks. Waugh sits on the Franklin Templeton Advisors Board and the Advisory Board of Workday, Inc. He previously served on the FINRA Board of Governors. Waugh holds a B.A. in Economics and English from Amherst College.

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Hit It Longer

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Pick up 25 yards or more with my new megadrive

RICK SMITH Over the past 25 years, Rick Smith has consistently ranked among Golf Digest’s Top 10 Teachers in America. He is regarded by many PGA Tour players as one of the best instructors in the world. Notable clients of his have included Rory Sabbatini, Chris DiMarco, Rocco Mediate, Jerry Kelly, Billy Mayfair, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Lee Janzen, Vijay Singh, David Duval, Paul Azinger, John Daly, and Jack Nicklaus. His players have won 7 major championships and countless PGA Tour titles while working with him. Rick has received numerous accolades from the PGA of America in his section, as well as on the national level, including: PGA of America National Teacher of the Year, PGA of America National Golf Professional of the Year, and PGA of America National Merchandiser of the Year. Rick is also a published author. He wrote “How to Find Your Perfect Golf Swing.” He is a regular contributor to Golf Digest as a teaching editor, as well as a longtime contributor to Golf Magazine. Rick currently operates the Rick Smith Golf Academies at Oakland University (Rochester, Michigan), Forest Dunes Golf Club (Roscommon, Michigan), Trump National Golf Club (Los Angeles, California), and the Rick Smith Golf Performance Center at Trump National Doral Golf Club (Doral, Florida). Recently, he has also been working as a golf course design consultant alongside his longtime pal Phil Mickelson.

In studying golf ’s longest drivers, I found that everyone from Jack Nicklaus in his heyday to Phil Mickelson on the PGA Tour to Jamie Sadlowski in world longdrive competitions all have their own methods for booming it. But then I got to thinking, what if we took the different moves long-ball hitters make to produce powerful tee shots and combine them into one swing? Presto! Introducing the Megadrive. It’s like that tee shot you hit by accident every once in a while that just goes and goes. Only with the Megadrive, you’ll know why you uncorked it. Assuming you want to pick up 25 or more yards, follow these three steps. __1. SETUP Pre-set a higher launch__ Tee the ball higher than normal. When you rest your driver on the ground, the top half of your ball should be above the top edge of the clubhead. And when you grip the club, your left hand should be rotated clockwise into a stronger position so the crease between your thumb and forefinger points at your right shoulder. Now address the ball so it’s in line with the heel of your front foot, and widen your stance until you feel a noticeable tilt away from the target. These adjustments will help you square the face and sweep the ball off the tee. Think: Stand wider, and tilt the shoulders. __2. BACKSWING Create more torque and leverage__ As you begin to take the club back, keep your arms really extended and start to hinge your wrists. This will give you a wider swing arc to create more clubhead speed on the way down. Then let your left heel come off the ground. This will help you make a bigger turn and generate more torque. Finally, near the top, push that wrist hinge a little more, so the clubshaft

points downward. This extreme wrist set will create a lot of leverage you can transfer into the ball. Think: Swing wide, let the left heel come up, then hinge more. __3. DOWNSWING Pour on the clubhead speed__ As you start down, first replant your left heel. This not only shifts your weight forward, it helps you use ground force to generate more leverage and energy for the hit. Then, let your right shoulder move down toward the ball. This allows you to keep your body mass behind the ball—another power generator—and create a higher launch angle. Sweeping it off the tee keeps the ball in the air longer without as much distance-robbing backspin. Think: Plant the heel, and lower the right shoulder. Keep in mind that your swing path into the ball has to feel like it’s moving to the right of your target. This move shallows the club’s approach and allows you to drop that shoulder without the clubhead crashing into the ground. You really need to practice this swing, and don’t get discouraged if you hit one off the map every now and then. The good ones will be worth the occasional miss. __STILL SHORT? Develop better timing and motion__ Here are two more tips to help: (1) Practice this swing at half speed and focus on completing each part of the Megadrive before starting the next. Swinging slower will help sync things up. (2) Swing through the ball as if it’s not there. The tendency when you try to hit a bigger drive is to squeeze the club, which restricts your swing back and through. Keep your grip pressure light, and make a long and fluid swing. Then you’ll start crushing it. ARTICLE COURTESY OF GOLF DIGEST

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DR. ALISON CURDT Dr. Alison Curdt is a teacher, coach, psychologist, PGA and LPGA Master Professional. She is one of nine women to achieve the highest PGA credential and one of two women to receive the Master Professional credential with both the PGA and LPGA. An accomplished player from an early age, she was a member of the US Junior Cup Team, an All-American as a Florida State Seminole, and has competed in two LPGA Tour Championships and five KPMG Women’s PGA Championships. Alison also earned her doctorate degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Sports Psychology and her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology.

Athletic Trauma, Golf Trauma; Science of the Brain

There is no human on the face of the earth that has not experienced some sort of adverse experience or trauma. Various events or memories in a person’s life where they have felt embarrassment, shame or have not performed in a way they would have liked stays in their memory bank. This is the source of the target. Age does not matter. Experience does not matter. A new golfer who has never swung a golf club may not have a direct golf trauma or golf adverse experience. However, they have had other experiences that can trigger their performance in golf. Whether it has been speaking in front of a group and not performing well or being an athlete in a different sport and not performing the way they would have liked these experiences can transfer over into golf. It happens for everybody.

Her numerous awards and honors include: 2019 SCPGA Golf Professional of the Year, 2015 LPGA National Teacher of the Year, Golf Digest’s Best Young Instructor, LPGA Top 50 Teacher, fourtime Western Women’s Section Teacher of the Year winner, the 2015 LPGA National Teacher of the Year, the 2016 SCPGA Teacher of the Year, 2018 SCPGA Clubfitter of the Year, Member of the SCPGA Teaching Hall of Fame, three time SCPGA Women’s Player of the Year, the 2018 Horton Smith Award winner and contributor to the Golf Channel’s “Swing Fix”.

As a life coach therapist, Dr. Curdt uses a technique called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR was created in 1989, manualized and protocoled in the psychology field over the past 30 years. It is a staple in terms of psychological treatment. EMDR has typically been used in clinical disorders for anxiety, depression and PTSD. In more recent years there have been some derivatives of EMDR that have allowed athletes, performers, musicians, CEOs, anyone to perform and create templates for success.

She is TPI certified and currently works as the Director of Instruction at Wood Ranch Golf Club. She is the owner of Curdt Performance Therapy and the Alison Curdt Golf Academy.

Dr. Curdt will present on the science of golf trauma, how trauma impacts performance and what a golfer can do to overcome it. Players can use a sense of tapping to help relieve anxiety, refocus

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their brain and get them to perform in a way they would like to. Tapping is a self soothing tool that has been adapted from EMDR. Dr. Curdt was personally exposed to the modality over 10 years ago when she was a client of a therapist who used this technique to help overcome her own past golf traumas. Finding how beneficial this technique proved in her own life, it motivated her to go back to school, get her Masters Degree and Doctorate Degree in Psychology. Dr. Curdt looks at past issues in a player’s life and how they are stored in their brain. Golfers experience these traumas when they have had major adverse challenges in competition and how these memories impact future performances. Ways of dealing with these traumas can include remapping them or dealing with them in a healthy way so they no longer continue to get the player stuck. Tapping can be used at home in preparation for an event or in the moment. Tapping is a form of bilateral stimulation that puts in place a positive feeling, positive cognition or positive picture. For example, a player standing over a particularly challenging shot where one becomes triggered from being in a situation where they have not succeeded in the past, tapping can be used as a way to relieve the anxiety that is rising by attaching some sort of positive feeling, positive cognition or positive picture to the situation. This is a powerful tool that any golfer can benefit from the rewards it provides.

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Effective Practice Habits of Highly Competitive Players

JOSH GREGORY Josh Gregory is a performance golf coach. Growing up in Memphis, Josh attended Christian Brothers High School where he won the Tennessee High School State Individual Championship. During his collegiate years at Southern Methodist University, Josh competed in three NCAA Championships while earning his degree in psychology, corporate communication, and public affairs. Josh went on to coach two NCAA Championship teams at Augusta State and was named NCAA Coach of the year twice. As a collegiate coach, he produced 11 All-American selections, 6 Palmer Cup team selections, two Walker Cup selections, and one Ryder Cup selection. After Augusta State, Josh went back to his alma mater SMU where he coached US amateur champion Kelly Kraft. He also coached the 2012 US Palmer Cup Team. Josh has been involved in every aspect of the college programs he has coached, including preparation, instruction, recruiting, and fundraising. He currently coaches Korn Ferry Tour Players Taylor Moore, Davis Riley, Will Zalatoris, and PGA Tour Players Henrik Norlander, Adam Long, Michael Gellerman, Kelly Kraft, Jason Kokrak, Sam Ryder, K.H. Lee, Stephan Jaeger, Max Homa, and Patrick Reed. Josh currently resides in Dallas, Texas and teaches out of Maridoe Golf Club.

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Patrick Reed was the first tour player to reach out to me. It was the end of the 2015-2016 season and he had gone 18 straight events without a top 10 finish. He asked if I would go to Boston with him for the first playoff event that year. I had been Patrick’s college coach but had not worked with him since 2011. Before the start of the tournament we worked together for 4 straight days. Patrick worked hard, followed the plan, went out, played great and finished 4th.

What could I have done better as a college coach?

After his great play I am thinking, this is easy! I quickly learned this was the furthest thing from the truth.

1. 2. 3.

At the next playoff event in Chicago we met up on monday afternoon to practice. I look up and say “Patrick, what do you want to do today bud?” He looks at me and says “Coach, I didn’t ****ing hire you to ask that question. I hired you to show me the way I swing the club” This moment has defined my role as a PGA Tour coach. Here is one of the best players in the world telling me to show him how to practice, show him what to do, and he will take care of the rest. Simple Theory I have a simple theory. When I got out of college coaching I began thinking.

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There are four physical areas of the game: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Full Swing Distance Wedging Short Game (chipping, pitching, bunker) Putting

Areas of Practice Technical Work Random Practice Competitive Practice

Within these areas, almost all of us spend too much time doing technical work and not enough time in the other areas. I do not care how hard you are working. If you are not getting better, it is not the hours you put in. It is how effective you make those hours. I call it working effectively as opposed to working hard. Whether it is a technical feeling, random shot, or competitive game the goal is to put a player in a position where every single ball they hit matters. We want to make practice as hard as it can possibly be and as productive as it can possibly be so when we get on the course it is a little bit easier.

What could I have done better when I was trying to play professionally?

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Modern Golf and an Overview of the Swing Expedition

CHRIS COMO Chris is currently the host of the Chris Como Swing Expedition on the Golf Channel and a PGA Tour Coach. Early in his career Chris earned his Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in biomechanics while studying under Dr. Young-Hoo Kwon. His unique approach to teaching is built around the body and how it works. Chris has worked with a number of PGA, LPGA, and Champions Tour players including Aaron Baddeley, Trevor Immelman, Bryson DeChambeau (with Mike Schy), Jamie Lovemark, and the iconic Tiger Woods. Chris is ranked in the Top 50 Instructors in America by Golf Digest and is the Golf Digest Top Ranked Teacher in the state of Texas. He prides himself on his ability to communicate to players of all ability levels by taking complex ideas and molding them into simple practices. Chris is founder and organizer of the Open Golf Forum which gathers teachers, coaches, and scientists from around the globe to learn from each other and get better together. Chris currently serves as the Director of Instruction at Dallas National Golf Club, is an ambassador for Golf & Body in New York City, and works as an Engineering Consultant for PING.

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Repeatability What goes into repeatability? The million dollar question. A successful teaching career includes learning from as many resources as possible, pulling these resources together and forming an effective problem solving skill set. One of our best teachers are the players we teach. This relationship becomes a loop where you are helping the player while receiving insights from them in return. At the end of the day, once a player is able to produce a useable ball flight, it becomes about repeatability. At this point in time, the world of science is able to measure fairly accurately what the body is doing in space and what the club is doing in space. We have a much more difficult time measuring what sort of muscles are being activated throughout the golf swing. We simply are not able to effectively measure this information at the present time. Furthering our knowledge base of what happens inside the body of a great player throughout their swing should in turn better our overall understanding of repeatability.

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nature, it still provides a ton of valuable insight into what great players are sensing throughout their swings. Where does repeatability come from? Does it come from mindset? Does it come from consistent rhythm? Does it come from creating a motion less sensitive to error? Does it come from a combination of these things? Does it come from something else? When Chris allocates time for research it is consistently in the direction of repeatability. This is where his continued investigation into the golf swing lay. He believes in an integrative approach of measuring different components while also gathering insight from great players who have executed high levels of repeatability over long periods of time. Determined to deepen our understanding of the components that comprise repeatability. Chris currently coaches Jamie Lovemark, Trevor Immelman and Bryson DeChambeau with Mike Schy.

Gathering insights from great players becomes paramount to better understand this topic. What does a player feel inside their body throughout their swing? What specific muscles do they feel being activated? At what point in their swing do they feel these muscles firing? Even though this information is subjective in

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KEVIN DUFFY Kevin is a golf trainer on the PGA and European Tour. His Dad introduced him to the game at the age of seven. His love for the game quickly grew. He played or practiced every single day, including chipping inside his parents’ home when the weather did not cooperate. At the age of fourteen Kevin injured his pelvis, which resulted in further physical problems down the road. He was a good player despite physical setbacks and had his sight on playing professionally. He eventually turned pro. After continual problems with his body, he turned to his other passion, music. A talented musician, Kevin would play gigs six or seven nights a week over the next ten years. During this chapter of his life, he had a lot of free time during the day and began devoting his time to health and fitness. He experimented with yoga, pilates, body building, and physiotherapytype exercises in his quest to get rid of his own aches and pains. He ultimately decided to go back to college and earn a personal training qualification. Because he knew a lot about golf and a lot about physiotherapy, it seemed natural to blend the two together. TPI was just getting going and Kevin became the first person in Europe to attain all three levels of certification. He began volunteering his time for England Golf in pursuit of his ultimate goal, to train professional golfers. A few players on the European Tour began to reach out to him, including Danny Willet. Kevin travelled to the Dunhill and when he came back from the event he had six players who wanted to work with him. Within four months he was travelling around the world thirty weeks of the year. What Kevin enjoys most is the “puzzle” of it. Working things out, getting better, learning, the human body, the golf swing, how to help the player; the list goes on and on. 18

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The Future of Golf Fitness Breathing Breathing is everything, the foundation of it all. Your diaphragm is attached to your rib cage and your pelvis. It works both as a breathing muscle and a posture stabilizer. Everything from diet, lifestyle, and managing stress levels effects breathing. Inside and Outside Think of your body as a block. Thoracic rotation, pelvic rotation, hip rotation. In order to make outside rotation, lots of little things need to happen inside your body. When a golfer makes an outside movement, the golfer has moved inside their body through their diaphragm, internal organs, and ribs. How do you switch muscles off and relax in a way, breathe in a way that allows you to move inside of your body better? What setup and posture is necessary to rotate effectively? When stressed you do not move inside yourself very well. Your diaphragm, internal organs and stomach are not in as pliable a fashion when stressed. When the pieces inside your body are in a relaxed state they are able to work most effectively as a unit and in their proper sequence.

World Class World class golfers are extremely mobile in the thoracic, have strong legs, are fantastic at moving inside of themselves and have the brilliant ability to stabilize the club through their fingers. Once a golfer has a great pattern, the best players are able to manage and maintain their pattern for such a long time by being great at managing their lifestyle, diet, and stress levels.

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Your Bucket Take a moment to picture yourself as a bucket filled with water. This bucket represents your readiness to perform. We all have an ideal state we play our best out of. When your bucket is at this level, we perform our best. All forms of stress - mental, physical, emotional or a combination are holes in our bucket. This stress drains water from our bucket and prevents us from performing at our highest level. All forms of recovery and repair represent new water being poured into our bucket. Recovery happens naturally from normal human regeneration. Our recovery can also be sped up in various ways. This happens when we receive better than normal sleep, eat a cleaner diet, take the right supplements, mind hacking, different types of cardio, compression and specific regeneration massage to name a few. Certain types of gym training can create an even bigger bucket with the ability to hold more water. This training allows your body to encompass more efficient blood capillaries, more white blood cells, a stronger heart, stronger muscles, more endurance, more power, quicker firing code etc, etc, etc. The functional medicine approach along with blood measurements provide a guide to know when the water level in your bucket is not at a sufficient level. This knowledge allows us to take action faster. We can work out if you need fewer holes in your bucket, more water added back into your bucket, the need to create a bigger bucket with the capacity to store more water, or a combination of all three.

*KEVIN CURRENTLY RESIDES IN MANCHESTER, ENGLAND WITH HIS FAMILY AND TRAINS TOMMY FLEETWOOD, LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN, DANNY WILLETT, AARON WISE, LUKE LIST, AND PATRICK CANTLAY. THE BOOK

BRAD FAXON

Growing up in New England, Brad became a promising young player at an early age. He won back-to-back Rhode Island Amateurs, back-to-back New England Amateurs, and the prestigious Sunnehanna Amateur Championship as a youngster. Brad graduated from Furman University where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics. During his time at Furman he received All American honors twice, won the Haskins Award (bestowed upon the most outstanding college golfer in the United States), and played his way onto the victorious 1983 Walker Cup Team. Brad subsequently turned professional in 1983 and has accumulated 21 professional victories across the globe, including 8 wins on the PGA Tour. He has earned his reputation as one of the best putters on the planet. He led the PGA Tour in putting average in 1996, 1999, and 2000. Brad competed on the Ryder Cup Team in 1995 and 1997, and received the Payne Stewart Award for outstanding character and sportsmanship from the PGA Tour. Alongside Billy Andrade, Faxon formed the Andrade-Faxon Charities for Children in 1999 whose annual CVS Health Charity Classic tournament has raised and donated over 22 million dollars to children in need in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. They were awarded the Charlie Bartlett Award, given to professional golfers whose unselfish contributions have benefitted society. Brad also runs his own junior golf foundation. Brad has helped hundreds of PGA and LPGA tour champions on their putting including the 2019 PGA Tour Player of the Year Rory Mcilroy. Since 2010, Brad has worked as an analyst for NBC and is currently serving as an on-air commentator for FOX. True to his roots, Brad and his family reside in his hometown of Barrington, Rhode Island.

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15 Feet to Win the Open I have a 15 foot putt to win the Open. It is the biggest putt of my life. I know it, the people I am playing against know it, everybody here knows it, everybody watching on TV know it and everybody that cares about golf know it.

Routine is the ability to do the same thing time after time after time. This too has been refined. Refined during my junior golf days, refined in high school, refined in college and refined as a professional.

How am I going to do this? In my mind I have already done it. There are a handful of elements that go into rolling a putt.

All putts rolled have the same consequence – 1 stroke. I correlate this to a great basketball player shooting a free throw… It is a couple of bounces, a look at the hoop and let it go.

Element #1 Land.

Element # 4 Rhythm.

What is the putt going to do? Where does the land go? Where does the green go? What does the green feel like? What is the weather doing? What have I been doing the whole tournament? What are my sensations? What are my feels?

What is rhythm to me? Rhythm is the ability to understand what my body is doing. My mind does not differentiate between tempo, rhythm or pace. I simply know this is not something concrete. It is something I have to feel. I liken it to music, the natural way things flow. I feel the rhythm I play my best golf from. This make me comfortable and at ease.

Remember, putts are line and speed. I have practiced my whole life to get line and speed. This one should come out of me perfectly since I have played better than anyone to this point. Element #2 Mechanics and Procedure. I have refined my mechanics and procedure since winning pee wee golf tournaments. I have succeeded at that level, in high school, in college and at the tour level. Yes, if I make this putt it will be the biggest putt I have ever made. But remember, I fixed my stroke a long time ago and monitor it on a daily basis. I have certain drills and certain exercises to keep it in check. I call this the diet for my stroke. It is part of me. Element #3 Routine.

I realize my body is a computer. Consisting of my heart rate, pulse rate and thought process. When I eliminate tension, my mind is clear to act or react naturally. The Present So now I stand here about to make the biggest putt of my life. As I walk into the ball, all I have to do is send it in motion. I have been working my whole life to make this putt and I am going to do just that. I stand over it with no thoughts and let the putter go. I have just made a 15 footer to win the Open. Process dictates the bottom line. I have just made a 15 footer. But does it really matter? I just won the Open!

JAMIE MULLIGAN Jamie Mulligan is the CEO of Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, California. Additionally, he coaches 11 PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour players. He is a leader amongst his peers and in the community employing a unique approach with each of his students. Awards and honors include Golf Magazine Top 100 Teachers in America, Southern California PGA Section Hall of Fame, Southern California PGA Section Professional of the Year and Teacher of the Year. Jamie has been a columnist for many golf publications including Golf Digest and Golf Magazine over the last 25 years. He has been featured on programs for the Golf Channel, is a consultant to the Long Beach State golf program, founder of the Smooth Swing Golf School, founder of the Jamie Mulligan Golf Camp and inventor of a putting device called The Ingrainer. Jamie has found a niche with his stable of players by developing a coaching relationship from junior golf to tour life. He has coached three #1 World Amateurs. His longtime stable of players include PGA and Champions Tour winner John Cook, Paul Goydos, John Mallinger, Peter Tomasulo, Women’s British Open Champion Mo Martin, Luke List, Veronica Felibert, Brett Lederer and Patrick Cantlay who is currently the 7th Ranked Player in the World. He has also acted as consultant and coach to Amy Alcott, Craig Barlow, Bill Haas, Gary Hallberg and Bill Lunde.

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FRED COUPLES

NOTES

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BOOM BOOM Growing up in Seattle, Fred found the game while caddying for his brother’s friend at the age of nine. He would ride his bicycle to Jefferson Park Golf Course with a five dollar bill in his pocket, given to him by his mother. It was just enough to pay for a day’s worth of golf, a hamburger, and a Coca-Cola. He was self-taught in his early years and could not afford a glove as a junior. Ultimately, Fred played his entire career with his bare hands. In the fall of 1977, Fred was an incoming freshman at the University of Houston. With Coach Dave Williams at the helm, Fred established lifelong friendships with teammates Jim Nantz, Paul Marchand, and Blaine McCallister. McCallister went on to win five times on the PGA Tour, Marchand became Fred’s longtime swing coach, and Nantz continues to live out his dream as the preeminent broadcaster in the world of sport. Playing in a pair of tennis shoes, Fred’s first big win came at the 1978 Washington Open where Fred fired a final round 65 at historic Glendale Country Club. The next year he qualified for the 1979 US Open at the Inverness Club, where he made the cut and went on to receive low amateur honors. While at U of H, Fred received AllAmerican honors twice. Before his senior year, Fred inquired about competing in the Queen Mary Open in Long Beach. He was informed all the amateur spots in the field had been taken, and only professional spots were available. In a spur of the moment decision, Fred turned pro and ultimately finished in a tie for 8th with fellow future World Golf Hall of Famer Mark O’Meara. A few weeks later

he competed at PGA Tour Qualifying School, where he secured playing privileges for the upcoming season. In 1991, Fred won the Vardon Trophy for best scoring average on tour (69.59) and was named the PGA Tour Player of the Year. The following year he won the Masters, which he has called his greatest win ever. He led the PGA Tour Money List, was the #1 Ranked Player in the World, repeated as the Vardon Trophy winner (69.38), and was named PGA Tour Player of the Year. At the Masters, Fred has 11 top ten finishes and holds the records for the most consecutive cuts made (23), lowest 18 hole score by a player over the age of 50 (66) lowest 36 hole score by a player over the age of 50 (139) lowest 54 score by a player over the age of 50 (209) and lowest 72 hole score by a player over the age of 50 (279). He is also second all-time in cuts made (30). Fred was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013. He referred to the experience as “the coolest night of my life” during his emotional acceptance speech. Fred has been a member of five Ryder Cup teams, four Presidents Cup teams, and has captained three victorious Presidents Cup teams. His career has been a full one. He has amassed 64 professional victories, including 16 PGA Tour victories. He also has 13 Champions Tour victories including the 2011 Senior Players Championship and 2012 Senior Open Championship. He currently resides in Corona del Mar, California and remains a highly competitive player.

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SECTION 1 Cognitive Coaching

featured Teaching Committee Chairman

TEACHING & COACHING GOLF:

100% MENTAL Words by Randy Chang

Renowned sports phycologist Dr Joe Parent clarified the age long question of, what percentage of golf is physical and mental? His response was 90% mental and 10% MENTAL, stating that your mind controls everything you do physically! So, making your student/player understand and identify where their mind is at while they are swinging a club or playing golf is extremely important to produce physical results.

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Why is it that you can get your student to do whatever you want when the ball is not there making a practice swing on the driving range, then when you put a ball there or get them on the course they struggle performing the same physical task? We have identified that there are 3 different states of mind that effect your ability to communicate to your player what you want them to do physically: 1 st state of mind is Hit the ball mode, where your mind is focused solely on one thing which is hitting the golf ball. This is where almost all of your new and beginner players are mentally at and gets in the way of getting your player to do what you want physically. This is the worst state of mind as it inhibits accelerated learning, but every new student is in this mindset because that’s what they’ve been told, and it makes natural sense. The biggest fallacy in golf is that in order to be able to hit a golf ball, you need to have good hand-eye coordination. You MUST keep your eye on the ball and your head down. We all know that is not true as evident when you see swings such as Annika Sorenstam, David Duval or Dustin Johnson. The object we’re attempting to hit is NOT moving! All that is required is to return the club back to where it first started, and we all have our individual ways of teaching how to accomplish this task. The process of making physical adjustments will always be a challenge if we continue to stress the importance of focusing on the ball. 2 nd state of mind is Target mode, where your mind is totally engrossed with where and how you want your ball to go. The great Harvey Penick stressed this mindset to his players as “take dead aim.” This is a great mindset to be in and we spend the hours on the range doing repetitions to be able to play golf in this ultimate state. This is when you have practiced enough to get feels and develop keys that frees your mind to visualize a desired outcome and your body just responds. But, if your ball is not doing what your mind is

envisioning, then you can’t be in target mode. For most average and beginning players they end up going back to hit the ball mode. Target mode is emphasized when working with your more advanced players. 3 rd state of mind is called Swing mode. In this mindset, there is no ball we’re worrying about striking or a target we’re trying to hit. Teaching a good golf swing is not rocket science like we have made it to be. I’m all for the science and technology and what it has brought to the game to help us understand the truths and what’s really happening instead of opinions and theories. But we need to simplify the communication approach and use technology in whatever form to confirm and validate what a person feels relative to reality. In this mental state of mind, you can only consciously have 2 thoughts. A thought going to your backswing and a thought to your follow through. Basically, it’s what you do when you are making a practice swing without a ball, focusing on a specific physical action. The conflict takesplace when the ball or a physical target surrounded by trouble is added which adds another thought and automatically changes your mindset and NOT allowing you to think yourself through the initial action. This is one sport that you can actually “think” yourself through a specific motion because you’re not reacting to anything! Unlike baseball, hockey or tennis where there is no time to think and just must be prepared to react through physical repetition. Once you can convince your student to let go of hitting the golf ball, not worry about a result and get into swing mode, you can train the body to make the physical changes immediately. For your better player, understanding swing mode gives you a mental fall back when you lose the feels and keys that have worked for you temporarily and target/feel/reaction mode

RANDY CHANG Randy Chang is a PGA member, certified in Teaching/ Coaching and founder of the Randy Chang Golf Schools owning and managing multiple facilities throughout Southern California. With over 36 years of professional golf experience and Quarter century PGA member, he has been recognized with awards in our industry such as; 1995 SCPGA Junior Golf Leader of the Year, 2002 Aloha Section, 2002 Aloha Section PGA Teacher of the Year, 2009 SCPGA Metro Chapter Teacher of the Year, 2010 SCPGA Section Teacher of the Year, 2015 SCPGA Section Youth Development Award, 2017 SCPGA IE Player Development Award, 2017 Induction to SCPGA Teaching Hall of Fame, 2018 SCPGA IE Chapter Youth Development Award, and 2019 SCPGA IE Chapter Teacher of the Year. Randy was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, graduating from the University of Portland with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Management & Philosophy. He played for his college golf team on scholarship for 3 years. After college he turned professional and played on various mini tours in Southern California and Canada. Randy has worked within the golfing industry as a Director of Golf, General Manager, and Teaching Professional/ Custom club fitter. Randy has been a Golf Channel Academy lead instructor for the past 4 years and has been featured live on the Golf Channel Morning Drive program and his numerous tips have been aired nationally on the Golf Channel. He has also been featured on Golf Life on Fox Sports, Revolution Golf and currently serving on the SCPGA Board of Directors chairing the Teaching committee.

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Teaching Golf; Coaching People

Written by Bob Madsen

When I think of teaching, I think of directly telling. I’m communicating information, giving orders, instructing, and advising the learner. I’m filling holes in their golf knowledge. For example: “Low score wins; You must play from behind the markers; Take the rake with you and rake your way out of the bunker; Make sure you are well-fed and hydrated; Compliment others when they hit a good shot; Put the ball back in your stance if you want a low shot; it de-lofts the club; Here’s what you do in a Penalty Area; This is how handicaps work; Call the golf shop to make a tee time.” These are examples of teaching. The person receives instruction directly. When I think of coaching on the other hand, I think of helping others through conversation, guiding, coaxing, sharing, encouraging, and asking questions. In coaching I use inquiry all the time. It could be about their life or their day, about their round, or a particular experience. I believe that the learner often has the answers and doesn’t always need to be told. I ask every chance I get, and tell when needed. For example: “Do you have any physical challenges? How would you grade that contact? What did you notice during the great stretch in the middle of the round? Did you know that the club-head is heavy for a reason? Why do you think that is? Let’s see how many three footers you can make in a row; Tell me about past lessons you’ve had; How much practice time do you have each week? Did your warm up include putting?” Regarding playing: “Before you get out your rangefinder, tell me how far it looks to you; What if we chopped the round up into three six hole segments? Give me three options for this situation: plans A, B, and C.; How many course management errors did you make during that round? How much do you think This putt will break if we die it at the hole?” I always seek to give responsibility to the student. I want them to think for themselves. I want them to determine what works best for them because he or she is the one who needs to know. In conclusion, I hope you have found this distinction between teaching and coaching interesting. There is joy to be had in both. 28

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“

I make a distinction between teaching golf and coaching people. Knowing there can be great joy in both, I would like to share a bit about my belief.

”

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Look for the One Thing that Fixes Five words by Billy McKinney

“You can’t fire a cannon from a canoe.” –Physics There are so many fascinating parts of a golf swing, but a stable foundation should be one of the first components to establish, in my opinion. We’ve all heard “It’s all in the hips”, but actually it’s in everything, especially the feet, knees, thighs, and those firing glutes too! When sprinters meticulously plant their feet into their starting blocks, they are pre-activating the muscles and joints to spring explosively toward that finish line. When we initiate most every physical sporting launch, our body always looks to harmonize both stability and agility under us. One of my trusted mentors, Art Maffei, has helped me to better understand just what the role of the lower body is for athletic movement. While only about 26% of lower body movement actually gets into the club, it is paramount for satisfying positioning requirements for stability and leverage. When we are going from phase to phase of the swing, we also hand off energy from body segment to body segment until it goes from club head to the ball—Thwack! What a satisfying feeling! You’ll notice from these pictures representing my back swing and start down, I’m keeping my belt line tilted down and my tailbone back, which according to TPI research is what most amateurs do considerably differently than the experts. The pelvis that early extends (tucks under and towards the ball) causes a litany of errors, while the back and tilted pelvis creates a counter-balance and space for the hands to trace a proficient, tighter orbit through the Impact Zone. Another way of getting the feeling of this is to take address with a wall behind you. Put your trailside glute against the wall at the top of the back-swing and then push back even harder as you start down. You’ll feel tremendous pressure of that trail leg into the ground. Not only is this leverage a huge secret of power, that posturing protects the facet joints of the lower back. The feet can also be “ratcheted in” for more spring-loading still. The brain is even satisfied that it is in a safe position to free up some latent speed you didn’t know you had. Our friend and “Golf Science Adviser”, Art Maffei, has impressed upon many of us teachers that dynamic stability and safety are of monumental importance in our quest for golfing excellence. Build that foundation on concrete, not sand, and you’ll spring power into your swing.

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Sharing a Magical Connection to the Game

featured words by Billy McKinney // 2019 Inductee, California Teaching Hall of Fame Understanding and Know-How have come a long way with technology. In online golf forums I keep seeing comments about how the greatest players in history never had a launch monitor or even a video camera, but I wonder how many other players fell by the wayside because they were unable to identify the slight aberration occluded to the natural senses of sight and feel. I’ve worked extensively with force plates, 3D motion sensors, and launch monitors to see what they could reveal, and it is almost always eye-opening. Whenever possible, I try to turn the feedback into a game. For example, we might use the Trackman to monitor 10 shots with various goals for height ranges, curves, launch angle, etc, anything to make the process more fun and relative to competition. That said, I use my own tech somewhat sparingly so that we can get past it and into the real artistry of the game, which is usually adapting to the moment at hand, and creating the right frame of mind. I guess we often teach what we wish we could do better. I sort of consider myself a Sherpa. It’s my job to help golfers navigate through the hazard-rich odyssey of the game with good cheer and an ever re-calibrating plan of attack and philosophy. Every level of golf is sort of punishing if someone cares at all about their skills. The hole is tiny, the sweet spot is tinier and twirling around us in an ever changing orbit, thousands of degrees per second; the mind can go into a tailspin of anger, frustration, anxiety, and even depression if the obstacle course keeps tripping us up. I try to provide perspective by using stories of great players who overcame adversity; mostly Ben Hogan’s or Lee Trevino’s stories, but I have a few others when I’ve worn out those. Occasionally one lesson will provide a magic solution, but usually it’s like fitness training or learning a musical instrument, or climbing a mountain one step at a time.

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Coaches treat the whole person. Be great at Your Way, but always be open to learning and changing. I consider myself a Growth Mindset person and love to experiment with a variety of ideas and techniques. With golf swing patterns, I figure it’s my duty to be able to demonstrate a plethora of models so I don’t try to ‘fit a square peg into a round hole’. By this I mean some people do way better with a reverse loop or a huge pause or whatever. I like to be able to demonstrate awesome shots with everything. It’s the same with putting styles. There are usually 2 or 3 putters in my bag including my main gamer, a face-on model designed by two of my best friends, John Ortega and Bobby Schaeffer. It’s fun to be a bit different, but it’s more fun to make so many putts inside 15 feet. Hmm, seems like I’m due to make some, though. Books are under-valued. Giants in our field have organized and edited their lifetime’s research, and put their thoughts into the palms of our hands for us, yet too few of us are reading them anymore. The late great Coach Jim Flick used to admonish us to develop a respectable golf book library and to read them all. Because I’m a bit old school, I sometimes wonder if there’s a giant conspiracy to keep us from reading to keep the population docile and consenting. I try to be a well-rounded reader, but I’m usually back into some old golf book about the great masters, especially Hogan and Jones. I’ve never regretted one book purchase. Mentors are enormously important. Again, like books, it seems as though young people are valuing mentors less since they have the almighty internet. Information is good, but wisdom takes so much time to develop--it exists more on the heart level instead of just the head. I spent some time with Fred Funk out on the Tour and the Champion’s

Tour and got into the habit of asking the legends, “If you could go back in time to change one thing, what would it be?” The answers were mostly about either fitness or a more balanced family life. My regret is not having picked the brain of more momentary mentors. Stoicism is a philosophy of patient acceptance by which I try to live. It’s sort of liberating to feel that the Universe or God or whatever has the steering wheel and that everything is going to be alright. I’m naturally a bit too anxious to be a really good competitive tournament player, but thanks to so many subtle forces I’m having a remarkably fulfilling life and career in golf. I hope my magical connection to the game rubs off on people, especially my little son, Callan. If it doesn’t, that’s ok too. I’ll keep my fire for the game to the bitter end either way. The brain creates maps and shortcuts which help us conserve energy, but also confound our deliberate training necessary to become true masters. I consider myself a brain science enthusiast, especially in learning, memory, and performance. The hands are especially fascinating because they are so versatile and have such a high potential of skills available, if we put in some ‘deliberate’ training, of course. My students all get a scalable set of drills to enhance the control of their hands, even mirror penmanship with their opposite hand. Some do the homework and achieve great things. I try not to impose my own swing preferences (Ben Hogan) on fellow professionals or even my students for that matter, but I will say that I like seeing powerful moves with some sort of loop and uniqueness as opposed to cookie cutter swings. One of my teachers, Ben Doyle, told me all swings that work are good. That said, golfers win tournaments, not golf swings. I hope to direct my own

son to learn authentically like an artist/ scientist and encourage for everyone a healthy exploration of options to find what the best way for them is. Skills aren’t exactly the same as style. Let’s teach skills. I owe a debt of gratitude to so many people: my parents and grandparents for supporting me while I was being called into this game over 40 years ago; Dick Sader who hired me at the Big Tee when I was 14 and gave me a place to hit 1000 balls a day; Marbella and Shady Canyon for giving me awesome venues to practice my craft, Bill Hulbert for giving me chances to present at section events and mentoring me to lead the Teaching Committee for a few years; Gregg McHatton, who has not only inspired my curiosity for the last 35 years, but always gave me a great feeling,

and free swing; the rocket scientist, Art Maffei, who has been like an intellectual compass to me for 10 years and counting; the entire SCPGA Teaching Committee, who gave entertaining and enlightening presentations at our various events; the golf poet, Andy Brumer, who has co-written dozens of insightful books and articles which have helped my own perspectives to evolve; Bobby Clampett, for originally inspiring my quest for mechanical mastery; Michael Lavery, who greatly challenged me to go deep into the neuroscience of learning; my lifelong golf brothers, Brett Massingham, Bobby Schaeffer, Joe O’Neill, Dan Yury, Bob May, Dustin Schilling, John Grund, Jon Levitt, John Ortega, and Eric Evans; Doctor Mike O’Leary for keeping me in front of a camera doing instructional dvd’s; my students, for entrusting me with their games, especially the elite competitors

like Josh Anderson (’19 Cal State Open Champ) and Tain Lee, (Canadian Tour player) who are like nephews to me; Homer Kelley, for putting the misunderstood Golfing Machine together (it’s mostly about pushing, pulling, and rotating in a way that’s best for each person); and especially my wife, Tara, and our son, Callan, who keep me playful and in a permanent state of adoration. And thank you for letting me share this journey with you.

Billy McKinney is a 26 year member of the PGA, Teaching professional at both Marbella and Shady Canyon Golf Clubs, the 2018 SCPGA Teacher of the Year, 2015 SCPGA Horton Smith Award recipient, and has been the chairman of the SCPGA Teaching Committee. Bill’s main objective as a coach is to help people more fully connect with the elegant artistry of the game.

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EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER written by Jim Petralia

Over fifty years ago someone paid me to help them with their golf game. Why, when I had limited knowledge and no experience? My perceived credibility was based on my ability to play fairly well, which is important and useful but not sufficient to justify success as a coach. I needed to acquire knowledge and experience, which takes time and effort. I am not yet finished. To be effective we need to be able to communicate our knowledge and experience. We can do this through pictures, words, movement, demonstration and technology. All students are unique and will respond differently to these methods. What does the student want? The first and most important question you ask, “Did you bring the money?” Seriously, I do ask them what they want, otherwise I may go somewhere they are not interested in going. Long term developmental help versus a quick fix matters. Don’t try to build a foundation for a student who is playing his first round of the year, with his boss, in a scramble. I have done it and it’s not useful. Most people say they want to hit it farther, straighter, and more consistently. Fewer say they want the total package, to be a better player. That takes a greater commitment. Quoting Greg Mc Hatton, “The student’s progress is mostly dependent on their talent and their work”. We are their guides.

Photo Courtesy of Montana Pritchard Photography

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As far as ball striking is concerned, IMPACT is most important. On plane compression with a square face is the ideal. Students need to understand how the club works effectively. The ball does what it is programmed to do, not what we beg it to do. The student needs to control the shaft (plane), the face (direction), and the club-head (lag). Awareness is a big part of learning. Acquiring the correct feel is really important. Most golfers have never compressed a ball consistently. If you create more of that for the student it will motivate them to work harder.

Your students are all different. The new golfers seem like the most difficult, but often they are easier because their expectations aren’t too high and they may improve more quickly. Show them how the club should work. Slow, small rehearsals without the ball can be useful, but when that ball is there things change! Some will do better with full swings because their athleticism kicks in, and it’s more fun than drills. It’s about them, not you. Serious and motivated work ethic types, young or old, deserve more disciplined and precise work, but don’t overload the information. Some want it all, some want and need less. The older player is limited by their lack of flexibility, strength, speed, and reaction time, as well as long-term faulty habits. There is usually one component you might help them with that can make a difference. There are three distinctively different phases of development for students: training, practicing, and playing. TRAINING is the hard part, the “dig it out of the dirt” work. Conditioning should be part of it, because we can’t ask them to produce motions they are physically incapable of doing. The student has to be willing. Drills and component actions (feet, ankles, knees, legs, hips, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, neck and head) with high repetitions can be useful. PRACTICING is utilizing your training. Using different clubs and targets, changing trajectories and shapes, are parts of playing. Your students should at least understand how to accomplish those differences even though their execution may not be precise. PLAYING is the test of the training and practice. They need us on the course, so do your best to make that happen. You will learn more about coaching from the bad players than you ever will from the good ones. The only real judge of your skill is the student standing in front of you. I’ve been very fortunate to work with some very good players when they were relatively young and it’s been fun to watch and share their success. That is great, but when Mrs. Haversham breaks 100 for the first time it’s really important to her also. That is real teaching!

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BREATHE = CALM Take deep breaths when you are nervous, excited, tense, scared or tight to help calm down. Prior to any golf shot, a deep breath and relaxing of the shoulders allows your mind to work more clearly and your body to move more fluidly and freely.

THE GAME

FOR A LIFETIME

1. Have fun, offer fun, incorporate fun into your golf teachings. Yes it

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MENTAL MANTRAS Good Swings Happen Junior Golf Academy

VISUALIZE SUCCESS As an exercise, close your eyes and imagine/visualize a specific golf shot where you are successful. See the flight of the ball, feel the ball coming off the club, watch it land exactly where you intend. The mind works in pictures, make them positive and imagine what you want to happen instead of what you don’t want. Your body will then try to make those pictures happen for real.

written by Josh Alpert

After 20 years teaching players of all ages and skill levels with the past 10 focused on leading year round Junior Golf Academy programs, I am as convinced as ever that the game of golf is not only the greatest game ever played but also perhaps the most important. I wanted to take this opportunity to share a few personal philosophies regarding “teaching the game” to the junior golfer as well as players newer to the game. In my book, these philosophies hold true for all players regardless of experience or skill level, but this is your book and therefore it’s ultimately up to you to determine your philosophy.

FOCUS ON TASK Focus can only be in one place at any given moment in time. When we have our focus and attention where we need it to be, it will allow us to be more successful.

is critical that we as instructors have the ability to improve upon a players’ grip, posture, swing plane, putting stroke and ball flight. Yes it is our job to lead players toward shooting lower scores on the golf course. But keep in mind that if we can do so while also instilling an enjoyment of the overall experience, the lessons we teach will be far more lasting. My grandfather taught me that golf is a game best played while having fun. It is a perspective that I incorporate into the lessons I lead and instill into the players I teach. 2. There is always an opportunity to teach life skills that parallel the teaching of golf skills. The mantras below are concepts that I am sure each

of you has seen before in different versions while reading about the mental game. I use them as a guideline for teaching juniors the mental skills and strategies that serve in the pursuit of shooting lower scores on the golf course, but also lead toward greater success and perspective in the game of life off the course.

CONFIDENCE COUNTS Confidence comes from the things that you say to yourself and the things that you believe about yourself. Think about the best shot you have ever hit with the club you have in your hand and then hit it!

PERSISTENCE PAYS Mistakes aren’t bad things, in fact they can be gifts so long as you are willing to learn from them and keep working toward improvement. Challenge the word “failure” and perhaps substitute the word “attempt”. When we interpret unsuccessful shots as “attempts” instead of failures, then the shot itself isn’t so scary. Try again!

POWER OF POSITIVE Think in terms of what can happen and what will happen vs. what can’t and what won’t. “I got this putt”, “I’m going to stripe this one down the middle” vs. “don’t hit it in the water” or “I always bogey this hole”. Ask yourself “What is My Opportunity Now?” before hitting a shot. Positively stated questions lead to positive answers.

The Recipe: Have fun, do your best, take stock of your successes, learn from your mistakes and keep persisting in pursuit of better play. The most rewarding accomplishments in life are often the ones that don’t come easily. Embrace the challenge and enjoy the journey! THE BOOK

At the peak of my baseball career (12 years old) I was very capable of bunting down the first or the third-base line. Years later I decided I might be able to revolutionize home run hitting. The shortest distance to hit a baseball over the fence is always either down the first-base line or the third-base line, and I had already determined that a reasonably competent player is able to make the ball start down either line. All that is needed is adequate speed. Here are the required mechanics: 1.

Develop enough impact bat speed to generate the necessary initial velocity (Circular motion).

Use the bunting skill set (linear motion) to create the proper direction.

Once the initial direction has been established with the bunting skill set, swing as fast as possible to make sure it clears the fence (circular motion).

Will this work? Unfortunately no, not even with all this initial effort combined with all the exit effort - ultimately it still remains just a bunt.

Can You Hit A Home Run Bunt? Words by Gregg McHatton 38

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I began this discussion with the Home Run Bunt conversation because when I ask a student “Would you like the clubface to be square at contact?” everyone always answers yes. Then I ask one more question, “Would you like to have the clubface square for a quarter inch or even longer after impact?” Again, almost everyone answers yes. Many are thrilled thinking I am about to provide them with this much -needed secret to executing straight golf shots. Any effort provided toward the target or any effort used to direct the clubface to be square at impact is antithetical to being able to deliver optimum speed. It is said if Mr. Hogan wanted to assure that he hit an accurate shot he would swing stronger. Consider how many times we have heard a commentator say- “Look how well this

player swings toward the hole”. As with the Home Run Bunt, once the player takes the club out of the dynamic circular path to direct the club head or the clubface in that straight-line direction toward the hole, the circle has been compromised. As a result, consistency suffers. One can clearly remember the swing that felt so smooth and fluid yet the shot traveled much farther than expected. The unfortunate experience of that swing was “If I can hit it that far swinging that easily, can you imagine how far I could hit it if I was trying”. In reality, that was possibly the most effective speed. One of the reasons it felt so fluid is that no extra effort was needed to direct the clubhead other than to allow it to stay in the circle. Any effort to divert the club-head from the circular path detracts from the speed that would have been available for contact. I heard a very wise man once say“If you can bring yourself to swing more slowly you must also learn to accept the extra distance you achieve”. Remember how David conquered Goliath. David utilized the dynamics of the circle. There is reason to believe that an accomplished “Slinger” using an ancient sling with a heavy stone can reach speeds of 130+ mph. If the slinger were to attempt to generate this kind of speed with a linear force it would not be achievable.

(linear motion) must disrupt the circle and a normal batting stroke encourages the circle (circular motion). Swinging the bat and bunting don’t seem to be able to coexist. You must do one or the other. So it is with a golf swing as well. One concept to encourage a more fluid pattern is attempting to generate the peak speed of the swing well beyond the ball rather than at the instant of impact. Considering that the duration of impact is so brief (4-5 ten thousandths of a second) attempting to find this spot can potentially be very disruptive. Contemplate how the attempt to peak club-head speed at impact will make it significantly less likely to fully and completely finish the swing. At one time in my career I was fortunate enough to speak at a large gathering of PGA instructors. My message then, as it continues to be today, is to follow through and finish as fluidly as possible. The only difference is, today I believe a fluid follow through and finish is far more important than I ever imagined!

It seems much easier for baseball players to swing in a circular pattern since swinging horizontally makes us appreciate that the bunting pattern

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S EC T ION 2 It All Starts with a Plan

SIMPLICITY golf is a simple game.

We whack a little ball from point A towards (hopefully) point B. However, that it is simple does not mean that the playing of the game is not a complex endeavor. Therein lies the difficulty. Through more than 45 years of teaching the game if there is one thing I’ve learned it is that as instructors we need to overcome the complexities of the game and the golf swing and reduce those complexities to their simplest form when we communicate it to our students. I often think back to a long-ago student who happened to be a priest, Father Seamus. Father Seamus comes replete with his beautiful Irish brogue and not a great deal of athletic ability but he’s a wonderful fellow. He had taken a bunch of lessons from a number of professionals in and around his parish and had read many of the latest books on golf instruction. With an overload of information he was struggling with the game. Being quite intellectual, as one might expect, he found himself wound up in many swing theory complexities. During that time we happened to be teaching local PE teachers how to teach the game to their middle schoolers. We provided those teachers with leader guides for teaching the game to the kids. We also provided student manuals for the kids to study on their own and help them follow their teachers through the PE block on golf. Father Seamus listed some of the books he had read. Some offered conflicting theories or so it appeared to him. After some thought I gave him one of the student manuals that we had been handing out. These were written with children in mind and were about as simple and basic as could be. I saw him about a month later and he came running up to me and excitedly proclaimed he had experienced a golf epiphany. He also claimed the student manual was the greatest golf book he had ever read. He had broken 100 for the first time. That was over 30 years ago and I still remember it today. It made a tremendous impact on me, one that has helped me ever since. If we pass along the complex information needed to play a decent game of golf it needs to be simplified.

words by Tom Sargent

As we progress in our knowledge of how to play this game through launch monitors and 3-D motion programs and more, we need to keep our finger on the simplicity button. We need to communicate the knowledge we have gained into simple bits which can be digested by our students without causing a stomach ache. For new players this is certainly an imperative. Experienced players have probably collected a library of swing thoughts that we need to whittle down. Even for the very best players, simplicity is important.

While I have had the good fortune to teach a number of top juniors, amateurs, collegians, PGA Professionals and tour players, there are, and always have been, a significant number of beginners, novices, and mid to high handicap club players on my lesson tee. I’ve found they all have a common denominator, and that is the need for simplicity. The newer golfers are baffled by all the calculations of a launch monitor or the kinematic sequence in 3-D. Those club players, especially the younger generations, like to see all the numbers but they often bog down in the complexities. Or they aren’t capable of doing what is required to achieve the desired result. Some of the top echelon players like the technical stuff but even they frequently don’t understand it. There aren’t many Bryson DeChambeaus out there. I’ve noted that when most players get around a launch monitor they are mostly interested in distance, speed, and spin, and few pay attention to some of the other calculations. So it still comes down to “What does it feel like?”- “What should it look like?” -and “What should the club do?” And that’s where we need to make it simple. I think back to something the late Bill Strausbaugh said. While the award we give out in his name recognizes those PGA members who work to improve the lot of other PGA members, Bill was a top notch instructor. Bill said, and I paraphrase. “If you can’t write it on a postage stamp it’s too complicated.” So if I can steal a line from the country western group Florida Georgia Line, keep it S.I.M.P.L.E.

"WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE THE KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE GAINED INTO SIMPLE BITS WHICH CAN BE DIGESTED BY OUR STUDENTS WITHOUT CAUSING A STOMACH ACHE." THE BOOK

Fundamentals: It’s all in the definition

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By Marc Minier

The goal is to find the right form for them.

What are the fundamentals of the golf swing? Are they still Ben Hogan’s rendering of the five fundamentals: grip, stance width, ball position, posture and alignment? Should we as teachers always use these fundamentals as the starting point of instruction? Or has Trackman provided the new fundamentals of a golf swing? Stressing path relative to clubface on a certain attack angle with proper launch, spin, centerness of contact and at a desired speed? Could we start there? Could we write an instructional book starting with these Trackman principles as the fundamentals of golf?

However, Trackman does not tell you how to align, grip the club or set up to the ball. Welcome to our world as PGA Teaching Professionals! This is the daily ritual you and I face at every golf lesson, balancing the two concepts. We must understand both and the variations that can be mixed and matched to get the desired results for each individual student.

I have been a teacher for 30 years now and have lived, played and taught through this evolution in golf instruction. The science that Trackman presents is undisputed and provides the information needed for correct ball performance and an ideal outcome for the student. We as teachers have recognized and taught these factors before Trackman existed but maybe in a different way or in a different sequence. We know that grip, stance and body alignments will have an influence on ball flight. But are they the true starting fundamentals versus Trackman’s understanding of swing motion?

My continuous learning and inexhaustible excitability as a teacher are manifested in this battle of finding what’s the right mix for that individual golfer at the lesson tee. Trying to find that students’ uniqueness in their style of golf is the desired result. Over the years I have concluded that the student’s optimal style of their golf swing mimics the way they think, walk, talk and live their life. Based on that premise It is my challenge to find THEIR style. During my pre-lesson evaluation, what might I do with a student that has never played golf or is a very new beginner? Should I have them swing first without ever showing setup or even how to grip the club? Yes, I always do.

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Photo by Caitlin Fitch

It sounds strange but I want to see the student’s own interpretation of how to move the ball. I tell them to do what ever they think is right to hit that ball. When watching the students first attempts at swinging the golf club, I’m curious and attentive to see their own thoughts of the grip and set up: what path to swing on, how fast to swing, and how do they manage the clubface. This gives me a base to assess their true nature on how they would attack the situation themselves. I can even get a glimpse into their personality and their learning process from these first few attempts to move that ball. I don’t have them swing very many times but this is where I see their potential. These first attempts at a swing will eventually lead to my assessment of their grip choice, and setup positioning to facilitate the way they were meant to play golf. I have many players with somewhat unorthodox fundamentals. I have some players with feet closed and shoulders open. I have players with a strong grip hitting fades and some with weak grips hitting draws. Some set up with hands low at address and some with

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hands high at address. Some bend over a lot at address, some even have rounded shoulders. The goal is to find the right form for them. That is why over the years I believe the so-called fundamentals must match the players motion not necessarily the other way around. We have seen these multiple variances of the standard fundamentals. But by definition I believe the fundamentals are unique to the student in question. It can be the swing dictating the set-up or the set-up dictating the swing. As teachers we must apply our experience and expertise to help our students find their own fundamentals. Thank you all for bringing the game of golf to so many. We know teaching golf can make us slightly crazy. Keep up the good work and see you on the links!

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Swing the Handle words by Eddie Merrins a.k.a. The Lil’Pro “Swing the Handle” is the corner stone of my teaching and coaching philosophy, developed in a career that began in Mississippi in the 1940’s with junior and amateur golf prepping me for college golf at LSU in the 50’s. Turning pro in 1957 led me to the PGA and jobs at Merion, Thunderbird, Westchester C.C. and Rockaway Hunt Club, then to Bel-Air where I have enjoyed the past 58 years. Upon turning pro my purpose was to be the best player possible. In this pursuit these greatclubs offered me the opportunity to pursue my desire. I was also asked by the members of these clubs to give them lessons. Little did I know that I would come to love teaching golf, a passion that I carry to this day! The satisfaction comes from helping people to help themselves.

Photo courtesy of Golf Digest

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At Merion from 1957–60 I developed the essence of “Swing the Handle” in a rather indirect way. I served under Head Professional Fred Austin. Fred was a disciple of Ernest Jones whom he had worked for at

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the Women’s National Club on Long Island. Ernest Jones’ teaching philosophy was presented in his best selling book, “Swing the Club Head.” Austin felt Jones had “Hung the moon” with his treating of the golf swing. Ironically, I learned on the lesson tee at Merion that you do not swing the club head but rather you swing the other end of the club, and so began the odyssey of “Swing the Handle.” Still the keynote of my teaching philosophy I have tested my theories in competitive golf as a junior, amateur, college and professional player. All of which qualified me to become a college golf coach at UCLA from 1975-89. Teaching and coaching differ but both are in need. Teaching deals with the fundamental rudiments of the game involving rules, etiquette, responsibility and all the character building elements, as well as swinging, shot making, playing and competition. It prepares the player to “play the game’, whereas coaching develops his instincts suited for competition. The good coach gets the most out of his talent best expressed in the field of competition, i.e. Mike Holder, Dave Williams, John Wooden, Vince Lombardi, Lou Holtz, Ara Parseghian, Nick Saban and Bear Bryant. Coaching golf made me a much better teacher and I will always respect the privilege given me at UCLA and Bel-Air. During this 14 year junket into coaching at UCLA we developed 16 All American Players, won some 50 tournaments including 3 PAC 10/12 championships, and the 1988 NCAA Championship. The reason for this success; we were into the art of playing the game better than others. Playing the game entails relating to goals that are reachable on an everyday basis. Once you have the opportunity and the place to develop players, have them take advantage by practicing, conditioning and playing as often as they can. The goals as I view them are four when playing golf. 1. First, the shot at hand is to be played from point A to point B as best we can. 2. Second, we are playing a certain hole at a certain point in time. The object is to relate to par on that hole as best we can. 3. Third, you are relating to par on the course we are playing that day. 4. Fourth, you are going to pursue these three goals on an everyday basis whether the occasion be of one, two, three or four day duration in a tournament situation.

those same four goals will be staring you in the face. Recognize them, pursue them and use this pursuit to measure your progress. UCLA related to par better than others for a ten-year period from ’78 - ’88, thereby we won more tournaments – winning was the just reward. The pursuit of the other goals is also rewarded. If the shot is well executed the reward is a good feeling of satisfaction leading to momentum. Playing a good hole leads to par, birdie, eagle. Nice rewards! Playing a good round relative to par leaves you under par at the end and close to the lead! Do this for the course of the tournament and lo and behold you become the winner because you related to Par better than anyone else. The ultimate winner! Attitude has a great role in successful pursuit of the goals. It can be summed up in four words: Patience – Positivity – Persistence – Perseverance. Find me a man or woman with these characteristics and I think you have found a person capable of success. In summary I would like to leave you with a word picture in the form of a geography lesson to understand the concept of the golf swing. Just ask yourself a few questions: 1. When addressing the club what do you have in your hands? The answer is the handle of the club. 2. What are you going to do with it? You can’t eat with it, paint with it or write with it. All you can do is swing it like it was designed to be swung. 3. Now that we have determined what we swing, how do you swing it? The answer is with the forearms, because you can’t swing it from a starting position to the end of the back swing and then to the finish of the swing any way but with the forearms swinging through the ball as you do so. 4. Now the geography lesson: Imagine the end of your back swing as New York and the end of your forward swing is Los Angeles. The idea is to swing from NY to LA through Chicago, but not ‘to’ Chicago. This is the mistake golfers make. Get through Chicago as soon as you like, as fast as you like and as strong as you like. The concept of the golf swing can be likened to a two-armed tennis stroke. When you see the tennis player go to their backhand they are making a perfect golf swing.

In 1991, Merrins hosted then 15-year-old Tiger Woods and his father, Earl, at Bel-Air. Photo courtesy of Golf Digest

Twenty years from now when you are awakened in the morning,

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Developing a Junior Player Words by John Mason

I have been working with young people for over 30 years now and I believe that what worked back then still works today, “Master the basic fundamentals of golf and then go play as much as you can”. The goal of any player should be to get the ball from point A to point B in as few strokes as possible, regardless of the method they choose. One of the traps we all fall into as instructors is wanting to help our players so much that we “overwhelm” them with information and subsequently rob them of the feel required to hit quality golf shots in a tournament. My basic fundamentals of golf are: 1- a sound and repeating golf swing, 2– the ability to hit all 9 shot shapes and 3– developing all the shots required to get the ball in the hole on and around the green. Once they show me these qualities I set them free. The last thing they need from me is more information. I have them go play the golf course and develop their ability to shoot low scores. As with any young person they need mentoring and guidance from time to time, but they do not need me hovering over them 24-7. With a beginning golfer the first thing I try to establish is the time commitment required to become a skilled tournament player. This is easier said than done, most do OK for about 6 months and then fade away into other interests. The key here is to keep them interested and excited about playing at a higher level. I accomplish this by helping them to improve their athletic ability and constantly challenging them to various games and contests I have devised over the years. I also work with them to develop their basic hand–eye coordination and athletic skills by playing Ping Pong, throwing and catching a ball, playing basketball, soccer, jumping rope, any and all basic sports and games that

2018 PGA Jr. League Champions Team California - Captain John Mason

will improve the young golfer’s skill level. I believe that as their balance and coordination improve so do their golf games. In 2013 I became involved with the PGA Jr League because I was looking for a way to include my lesser skilled players with my more advanced ones. Before Jr. League my better players wanted nothing to do with the less skilled golfers. They felt “better” than them and the lesser skilled golfers were embarrassed. After joining the League they started helping the lesser skilled golfers on their team to accomplish a common goal, that of winning a championship! Since then I have had great success with PGA Jr League, winning the National Championship twice and becoming the top performing league in Southern California for the past 7 years in a row. Our highly skilled players are now having more fun, and our less skilled golfers are being mentored by their peers. What could be better? I highly recommend that if you are interested in developing a junior program at your facility get involved with the PGA Jr League and use it as a catalyst. This program has changed the junior golf landscape in my area and I am confident that it can do the same for you.

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SCPGA.COM

KNOW YOUR STUDENT

It is vitally important to conduct a thorough pre-lesson interview with any new student. The knowledge gained will give you a head start in diagnosing and working effectively with the person and the swing in front of you. It will also help to relax the student and show that you are genuinely interested in their golf journey. Consider the following categories and questions, and add or subtract as you see fit.

1 2 5 6 3 4 7 The Importance of a Quality Pre-Lesson Interview

Physical limitations. Be careful how you ask these questions? Do you have

Playing background. How

any disc or joint problems, or have you

long? How often? Current

had any surgeries that may affect your

index or average score? Do

swing? Back, knee, hip, shoulder, wrist,

you play competitively?

etc? Any arthritis? Do you experience

At what level? Preferred

ball flight? (Especially the

better player) What is your miss? In competition? Any

self-diagnosis? What swing thoughts are constant with you? Etc.

any pain during or after a round? Is

Practice habits. Do you practice? How do you

practice? Short game vs.

long game? What have you been working on recently?

been working on? What brings you here?

I should know about as we work on your swing? Obviously this will provide insight into your approach.

Age? Technical by nature?

taken lessons before?

swing changes have you

dominant eye? Is there anything else

Personal profile. Occupation?

Lesson history. Have you When? If recently, what

your vision corrected? Which is your

Athletic background. What sports

did you play as a kid, competitively or recreationally? What sports do you still play? Did you play right

Golf viewing habits? What are your short-term and long-term goals? Expectations? Time commitment?

handed or left? Bat and throw the

same? Hockey, right or left hand on the top of the stick? You should ask

Equipment evaluation. This can be

multiple questions and be specific.

done while you are conversing or

It’s amazing how many lefties are

prior to starting the lesson. Were

playing righty and vice versa. Or

these custom fit or off the rack?

a baseball player threw righty but

What is your favorite and least

batted lefty. And often people won’t

favorite club? Why? Wear marks

volunteer the info. The more you

and sky marks will tell you a lot.

know the easier it will be to relate

And look at shaft flexes and weights

a golf motion to another athletic

and driver lofts. Your primary goal

motion. I love tennis players and

is to teach but obviously misfit

have a racket with me when I teach.

clubs can impact motion.

Again, what else might you ask? What will you do with the information given? How will you begin the process? Let’s say we have a 58 year old male, he’s an engineer, had back surgery 10 years ago, a 15 handicap and he is a golf junkie who watches tournament golf and YouTube videos constantly. Ready, begin. But wait, one more thing. Give yourself a Pre-lesson interview as well. Am I on time? Enthusiastic and focused on my student? Phone off, no coffee cup in hand, do I look and act like a Professional. Is my teaching area clean and set up properly? Does my new student know where to meet me? Do they know the dress code for a private club? If it’s their responsibility to get range balls, are they informed? Do they know what payment methods are accepted? OK, explain the process, do your interview, and do your best to give a productive and effective lesson. Be proud of what you do to improve someone’s swing and their enjoyment of this great game.

Written by Bill Hulbert

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EVERY STUDENT IS

Courtesy of Pelican Hill

DIFFERENT

Teaching Philosophy

Our job is to promote the game of golf and what it stands for, while personally helping golfers improve and have more fun. I work with the person in front of me and most of my lessons differ based on the individual’s personality, body structure, mental and physical skills, and goals. Golf is not about having a perfect swing; it is a combination of mind and body working together to find the best way to get the ball in the hole in the fewest strokes possible. And it should be taught accordingly.

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Body structure, limitations, strengths and weaknesses, as all relate to golf

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The Righting Instincts of that individual that rules all & overrides golf balance

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The set up routine with proper posture, grip, aim, distance, & balance. Do they have skeletal balance instead of muscular balance?

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There are only two ways to move a club: Push or Pull. Which one is the driver of your students swing? Is your student’s best motion a swinger, hitter, or thrower?

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Does your student know where the club and clubface are in their swing? Do they understand correct pivot sequence and use of the ground? Students must have educated hands (path and face awareness) and educated feet and hips (pivot).

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Of the four forces of swing: rotary, lateral, vertical, and ground forces that create either a centrifugal or centripetal force, what’s your student’s dominant swing force?

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Do they understand the ball fight laws and cause & effect? What is their desired ball flight or the best match for their motion?

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Check their short game mechanics and ball control skill. Try to teach compatible motions that blend full swing with the short game if possible.

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Body, Space, & Club Awareness Skills. How good is your student’s awareness of where their body and club is in time and space? Can their body respond to verbal or visual cues? Do they lose the feel of the club or club-head in their swing?

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Focus on one or two things in a lesson for greater results. Most golfers are guilty of having too many mechanical thoughts, some incorrect, and this will diminish their athletic skills. Find out what’s in their head, clean it up and get them on track. KYSS - Keep Your Swing Simple

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Magic versus Tragic: The magical move that works for one may not benefit others.

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Long term, evaluate all 9 aspects their game: full swing, trouble shots, pitch shots, chip shots, bunker shots, putting, course management, proper equipment, & mental skills.

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Have them hit some short shots and putts and discuss the importance of turning 3 shots into 2 shots. Stress that 65 % of most golfer’s game is played from 75 yards and in.

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Teach them how to practice and how to get the golf ball in the hole in the fewest strokes possible while having fun!

Written by Glenn Deck

Understand that the human body is the most important piece of golf equipment. Your ability to assess one’s body structure, strengths & weakness, movement patterns, mental skills, and learning style will improve the process. Combine this with a clear understanding of the ball flight laws and you can teach your students the skills to gain greater control of their golf ball. If you don’t TEST the student’s Body & Mind, then it’s just a GUESS! Our goal is to understand their body, enhance their mind, & improve their motion with a swing that fits the individual.

Before you start trying to build the perfect swing motion, it’s important to identify and evaluate the following principles as they relate to the student:

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GOLF SWING DNA Written by Tim Mitchell Most of our student’s are not Touring Professionals or elite athletes. They have limited time, resources, and motivation. They generally will not put the necessary time and energy into making the dynamic changes needed to improve their technique. What they will do is search for a swing that within their physical limitations helps them play better. Therefore as instructors we need to find an efficient way to make all of our student’s limitations balance out. We must help them understand the individual and personal ABSOLUTES of their best golf swing, and build accordingly. The absolutes I am referring to are: striking the correct part of the ball with clubface control, maintaining balance, and acknowledging and working within one’s physical limitations. Here’s the first step to understanding how a student’s absolutes should match. First you need to identify how much a student’s body can face the target at impact, while maintaining balance. This range of motion will largely determine where a student’s swing arc will strike the ground consistently. It will also determine how a golfer needs to grip the club to help achieve a square clubface at impact. Each golfer’s range of motion will be very different, based upon the golfer’s age, gender, physical limitations and athletic background. If we think the most basic of skill sets in the game of golf is to hit the golf ball in the air in the direction of a target, this is a topic where we must have multiple tools to help our wide array of golfer’s succeed. The test is to have your student get into golf posture next to an object they will strike, like a post, a golf cart, or even their

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golf bag. Have them make an instinctive motion to strike that object aggressively while stopping at contact and maintaining balance. Film that motion, or simply observe how much their body faces the target at the moment they strike the object. I prefer making these observations viewed down the target line. Based upon how much the golfer’s body faces the target, the following match ups are what you should consider. If your student has most of their back as well as two cheeks visible at impact, they should have their ball position more towards their target foot and use a strong grip. This is because the low point of the swing arc will be determined by how much lateral, vertical and rotational movement a golfer has in their range of motion. Rotational motion has the largest effect in determining that location. Think of some of the greatest faders of the golf ball in the game of golf. Lee Trevino and Brooks Koepka immediately come to mind. Both have their bodies quite open at impact and their ball position is significantly forward. They both use a strong grip and prefer seeing their ball fall right.

fight pulls and hooks. They need help in keeping the clubface open. Think of Jimmy Walker, Corey Pavin and Ian Woosnam. Their ball position is more towards their back foot, they play with a weaker grip, and they prefer playing a draw. Here’s the unique mystery we have to solve with each one of these golfers. Once we’ve identified those basic markers, we now need to have our student’s get some experience and repetitions to fine-tune their own individual swing. If a golf ball is not launching straight enough, make small modifications to the grip. If the ball contact is slightly off, make small modifications to their ball position. Try static changes first, before the dynamic changes need to be addressed or introduced. The more our students can achieve positive changes to their ball contact and motion, without introducing new techniques, the more instinctive their motion will be. Only add pieces of dynamic motion to your more motivated students, or student’s with physical limitations that need help in achieving better control of Absolutes numbers 1 and 2.

If your student has some of their back and one cheek visible at impact, they should play with their ball position more towards the middle of their stance and use a more neutral grip. Think of Justin Rose, Tony Finau, and Kevin Streelman. If your student has little of their back and no cheeks visible at impact, this individual should play with their ball position slightly favoring their back foot and use more of a weak grip. Many golfers that do not have the ability to rotate towards the target frequently

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SECTION 3 Put It in to Practice

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Practice environments are often not reflective of what happens on the golf course. Having an unlimited supply of balls to “re-do” shots without a bad lie or the consequence of a penalty stroke doesn’t resemble the possibilities of a golf course. How does one practice hitting out of a divot? What if you have a shot with a limited backswing due to a low-hanging branch, or your trail foot must balance on a tree root? There are unlimited possibilities of lies and scenarios that a golfer can face when playing on the course.

Simulating On Course Practice Written by Dr. Alison Curdt

A static and pristine hitting surface on the driving range just isn’t representative of what can occur during play. Uneven slopes, obstacles, undulating surfaces, and different grass heights are just a few examples of differences experienced while playing. To improve our student’s tolerance of uncomfortableness when facing adversity, it is wise to practice in environments that challenge their comfort zone. It has been noted in studies of motor learning and practice that creating a stimulating practice environment is more reflective of on-course play and can aid students in gaining experience dealing with adversity and obstacles. It is difficult to transfer learning in a clean and ideal practice environment to the rigors of challenges on the course. When a student only knows how to hit shots on flat surfaces with the same wind direction and to the same flags and targets they will be ill-equipped to adapt to changing wind patterns, uneven lies, and targets right or left of center. One solution is to modify the practice environment to make it more reflective of on-course situations. By practicing with challenges, obstacles, and difficulties, students can adapt easier to uncomfortable situations when they

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occur. Basically, to get better at adapting to adversity, the student needs to practice in adverse conditions. In the photos included, a stimulating and challenging station is set up. This is where the creativity from the student and the instructor can collaborate to customize the environment to what a student might face at their home course, or to prepare for other courses. Utilize an assortment of alignment rods, golf clubs, towels, golf bags, tees, and any other objects handy to create visual distractions, trajectory challenges, and potential footing and balance obstacles.

distractions, physical obstacles and challenges to one’s comfort come into play, the student builds their tolerance of these situations. The more familiar and comfortable the student is with adversity the less likely underperformance will result. The student’s skill set for scrambling and increasing “grit” builds, ultimately allowing for a decrease in big numbers due to challenging conditions. Help your student understand how to practice in more challenging environments, and then collaborate on some fun ways to utilize objects to create that environment.

For example, chipping over a laid down golf bag could be reflective of having to chip over a small shrub, or greenside sprinkler heads. Stepping on bundles of alignment rods can represent an uneven footing, such as in pine needles or tree roots. Loose tees surrounding the golf balls could visually distract the player similarly to loose rocks and pebbles from a natural or dessert condition. Clubs on the ground interfering with the path of the club being used to strike the ball may serve as barriers for easy contact, possibly representing tall grasses or weeds that might catch the club head. When a student can practice out of a challenging environment where visual

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THE SECRET TO TEACHING Words by Roger Gunn

TEACHERS ARE FACED EVERY DAY WITH THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO: a student comes for a lesson, and that student has at least five obvious major flaws, along with another five that are subtle. After ten or twenty bad shots, the student turns and says, “Well, that’s my swing. What do you want me to work on?” Without the proper information, this type of lesson can go from bad to worse in a hurry! It turns out that there is a secret to giving this type of lesson, and it relates to all lessons, from a beginner to a professional. The secret is to diagnose the problem correctly. I don’t mean picking out each of the students 10 flaws. Instead, diagnosis means deciding exactly what the student’s club is doing to the ball. No matter what the swing looks like, there is only one diagnosis: the swing is either too much from the inside, too much from the outside, or neutral. The clubface is either too open, too closed, or neutral. The angle of approach is too steep, too shallow, or neutral. That’s it!

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In fact, I would make the very strong statement that every teacher in our section should make the same diagnosis for every student. We would have a wide range of fixes, but it should be clear to all of us what a student’s impact characteristics are. For example: if a student is hitting big “chop slices and “skies”, then we should all recognize that his or her impact is too steep, with the club face open to the path, period. Now you can search intelligently for the human source of the error. You can because you know what you’re looking for…what’s making this person hit steep with the face open to the path? Always relate what you want that student to change to the diagnosis. Looking for the biggest and most obvious problem visually, or trying to eradicate problems in a step-by-step manner, beginning with grip and stance, are both formulas for disaster if you ignore the diagnosis. Is the student hitting with an open face? Then don’t immediately fix a strong grip. Is the student hitting too much from the inside? Then don’t immediately square up shoulders that are open. Is the student’s angle of approach too shallow? Then don’t immediately flatten a backswing that is too steep. No matter how bad an element of their stance or swing looks don’t fix it until you relate that change to the diagnosis! To make the right diagnosis, you must be like a detective. Your clues are the direction of the ball, the curve of the ball, the sound of impact, the depth and direction of the divot, the trajectory of the ball, etc. You can also use any conspicuous marks on the clubs, as well as your student’s pre-lesson interview, to assist you. Diagnosis is the most important part of any lesson. If you make a proper diagnosis, the student is almost assured of improving, usually right in front of your eyes!

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Anatomy of a Driving Lesson Words by Don Parsons

Every one of your students wants to drive the ball better. If you learn how to help them do so, your book will be full and your clients happy. When working with a player my mind-set revolves around helping them improve enough to perform at their desired level. I keep those goals in mind when it comes to what I prescribe and how deep I go in any category. What this means is that a 36 handicapper who wants to be a 20 doesn’t need to perform to Tour Player standards and a player who wants to play on Tour needs to perform at a level that is higher than a club champion. This article represents the first chapter of my Driving Manual, the step-bystep process we utilize to improve performance of players at any level. The process involves assessing an individual’s performance and providing guidance on how they can best progress. Our criteria involve center face contact, face to path control, club delivery optimization, club fitting, and speed development. Center Face Contact- Why it Matters The new oversized head drivers have made it easy for us to hit the sweet spot on a consistent basis, right? WRONG! Most players we test struggle to find the sweet spot even half the time and often have no awareness that it’s a problem. I estimate that 90% of the players we see would be happy with their progress if the only thing we improved was their ability to hit the ball consistently in the center of the face. Here are three big reasons that center face contact matters: 1.

Player Satisfaction- We all know the elation of a well-struck shot. Help

your players create that more often and you will be the most popular person on staff. Smash Factor- Smash Factor is the ratio of ball speed to club head speed. Hit the ball in the center of the face and your ball speed will be higher leading to more distance. Gear Effect- When the ball is hit off center, gear effect is introduced which can transmit unwanted spin on the ball. This muddies the waters of the face to path relationship and can make it difficult to create a desired ball flight.

The Assessment Process Getting precise data in golf can be expensive, however a quick trip to the drugstore for an $8 can of generic foot powder spray is all it will take to determine strike point with your player’s driver. Our process involves getting baseline performance rankings by having the player hit two sets of five shots with their driver face marked with spray. Spray a light dusting of powder on the face of the driver. Have the player hit 5 shots with no attention paid to contact. Take a photo with your phone to record the first set. Clean the face and repeat. Take a photo of the second set. This forms the baseline ranking for the player. You should take the time to use foot powder on a regular basis to identify patterns and ensure that you continue to make progress developing Center Face Contact. Creating a ranking for performance creates accountability for each shot which adds value to practice and allows us to measure progress and track tendencies. The following images outline the ranking system associated with each set of 5 drives:

Precision versus Accuracy One common thing we see with decent players is very precise contact. These players hit the ball consistently in the same place on the face but it may not be the sweet spot. Often, the consistent off-center strike allows the player to balance a poor face to path relationship by introducing an offsetting gear effect. Such was the case with Rory McIlroy several years ago: he had a path that was 5-6 degrees inside out, a face that was 3-4 degrees closed to path and a slight heel strike to mellow the draw. When he hit it in the center he would tend to over draw the ball and if he hit slightly on the toe he could hit massive hooks. Level 1 Only 3 of the 5 impact locations are touching the large box in the center of the face. This scattered pattern yields wildly varying results including very poorly struck drives.

Precise Contact on the Toe Level 2 All 5 impact locations are touching the large box, the pattern is still scattered, and direction may be an issue, but there is a noticeable difference in the quality of the drives.

Precise Contact on the Heel

Accurate contact means having a very consistent pattern AND striking in a desirable spot on the face. For many amateurs that means slightly high toe contact, which will promote higher launch angles, less spin, and a slight draw bias. Precise and Accurate Contact

Level 3 All 5 of the shots are within the large box and near the center of the face. Players can expect to see greater distance and improved ball flight since most shots are clustering close to the center of the face.

Level 4 All 5 impact locations are touching a much smaller box located slightly high on the face and slightly towards the toe for improved height, distance, and a slight draw bias. This is a very proficient level of performance for any amateur golfer and maximizes distance.

Improving Center Face Contact Believe it or not, the easiest way to improve contact is to make a player aware of where they are striking the ball. Simply reframing their objective is often enough for them to dramatically improve their contact. Challenge the player to utilize foot spray and hit sets of 5 balls to see if through a new focus they can improve their performance. In the case when a player has severe mechanical issues, we will work on improving arm structure, pivot, or release pattern but always with the goal of improving center face strike. Once that is achieved, we will move on with other performance parameters. Conclusion In our experience altering a player’s mechanics often disrupts their comfort level and ability to hit solid shots. We have found that developing an awareness of strike quality has been a great baseline way to improve player performance. Rather than chasing an elusive “secret” of the swing, we have had great success with simply getting players to prioritize good contact. When a player possesses the skill to hit the middle of the face, we move on to optimizing performance by focusing on improving launch conditions through improved angle of attack, face to path relationship, and control of loft. We will then look into club fitting and work on developing more speed. Sometimes one of these areas is so far off that we will need to address them prior to having success with center face contact, but without the ability to strike the ball on a functional part of the face, these other factors are secondary. THE BOOK

GOLF AS A REFLEX Written by Larry Brotherton Two simple drills, the Back-ThroughBack and the Ferris Wheel, ingrain the fundamentals of consistent ball striking into a student’s swing so that the swing becomes a reflexive, athletic action. THE BACK-THROUGH-BACK DRILL The Back-Through-Back drill teaches the body movements necessary to produce consistent swings that compress the golf ball. How to do The Drill Start in the proper address posture with a proper grip and light grip pressure. Students should learn early in their training process that light grip pressure allows the club head to move quickly and freely through the ball. Begin by using quarter swings. If a student cannot consistently strike the ball solidly with quarter swings, the student will experience hours of frustration trying to make consistent contact with full swings. As the student becomes more consistent, have them progress to half swings and ultimately to the full swing Back-Though-Back that produces the elusive “clicking” sound of a compressed golf ball. Take a smooth backswing, release the club head through the ball, and then snap the club head back into a square address position. What the Drill Teaches Students learn to make an athletic pass through the ball (not to the ball). Knowing that the club head must be snapped back into address position, the student learns to: 1.

Keep the eyes in the hitting zone through impact. If the eyes try to follow the ball, the student will not

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be able to get the club head back to address position. Maintain a strong, balanced posture that allows the club head to accelerate through the hitting zone. If the lower body sways or the shoulders fly open, the student will not be able to get the club head back to address position. Release the club head through the ball. If the student drags the club head through the hitting zone, the student will not be able to get the club head back to address position.

THE FERRIS WHEEL DRILL The Ferris Wheel drill teaches the body movements necessary to produce consistent swings that start the golf ball on a true flight line and control the shot shape. How to do The Drill Just as with the Back-Through-Back drill, begin with quarter swings and progress to full swing ferris wheels. Take a smooth backswing and then release the club head through the ball down the flight line and back up so that the club finishes perpendicular to the ground in front of the student’s address position. By keeping the club head moving down the flight line and then up, the ball starts on the true line based upon alignment.

These two drills combined allow the student (i) to transition to a full golf swing with a Greg Norman type pull back (back-throughback) and (ii) control shot shape by where the club finishes relative to perpendicular (ferris wheel). If students perfect these two drills, they will free themselves up to “get out of their heads” and let their natural athletic movements lead to a relaxing round of golf.

follow the ball, the student will not be able to get the club to finish in to proper position. Maintain a strong, balanced posture that allows the club head to accelerate through the hitting zone to a balanced finish. If the lower body sways or the shoulders fly open, the student will not be able to get the club to finish in the proper position. Release the club head through the ball on the true flight line to a balanced finish. If the student drags the club head or pulls it inside the flight line, the student will not be able to get the club to finish in the proper position.

Shot shape is controlled by where the club finishes relative to the perpendicular. If the club head finishes in a balanced, perpendicular position, the shot will fly straight down the flight line. For a righthanded golfer, if the club finishes slightly left of perpendicular, the shot will start on the flight line and draw. If the club finishes slightly right of perpendicular, the shot will start on the flight line and fade.

What the Drill Teaches Students learn how to let the weight of the club head accelerate through the ball to a balanced finish. Knowing that the club must finish in front of the student and perpendicular to the ground, the student learns to: 1.

Keep the eyes in the hitting zone through impact. If the eyes try to

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STARTING A BEGINNER

Putting

Building Your Brand, Growing Your Business

Palm grip, palms parallel to face, double thumbs down the top of the shaft. Club face control is the primary result.

Words by Heidi Richardson

When I think about the success I’ve had growing my golf instruction business it is hard to pinpoint one key decision or plan that has been the primary factor in its growth. But I would say it is a combination of Building My Brand and then learning to effectively manage the growing business.

Chipping, pitching, and short irons Strong 45 degree with BOTH hands, lead hand under heel pad of hand, trail hand mostly in the fingers. Double thumbs supporting the back of the shaft to support a forward leaning shaft. This is certainly an unconventional grip but I have found that placing both wrists behind the shaft facilitates the application of the club to the ball in a forward leaning condition.

WHERE TO START? By Alan Ochiai, PGA

I recommend a standard overlap or ten finger grip as I find the interlock variation tends to get the grip too much into the palms. Low point control is the primary objective. I don’t use tees as I feel it rewards a low point prior to impact and actually slows the process.

Grip Once competency in striking the ball/ground is achieved, the right hand grip can be adjusted into a more conventional position, supporting the shaft with the right index finger. This allows a higher trajectory and shallower angle of attack for full swings and longer clubs.

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I always start beginners on the green and gradually work our way to chipping, pitching and so on. I also encourage beginners to play their ball from off the green and into the hole very early in the process so they can get a feel for the game as early as possible. They can join others on the course as soon as they can get up and down in three from off the green. They just drop their ball comfortably close to the green and play. As they continue to improve they can start each hole farther from the green until they can eventually start from the appropriate tee.

Alan Ochiai is a PGA Master Professional at Oak Creek Golf Club and was named the 1999 SCPGA Teacher of the Year.

It is critical to ensure that the products we offer are professional and provide value. I have always been completely confident in my professional expertise and the golf instruction products and programs I deliver, so that has never been an issue. But I wouldn’t have succeeded without the amazing support and assistance from other successful PGA members as well as the addition of a professional business manager. I focused on building my brand and my market presence. My instruction programs have thrived and grown because of that business guidance, support and expertise. I focused, made plans, and took action in two key areas. The first important feature for promoting my business growth has been “Building My Brand”. I worked on developing my name, “Heidi Richardson PGA Golf School”, as a leading PGA Golf Instructor in the North County San Diego area with programs for all skill levels, ages and needs. I have interviewed and questioned all of my clients. How did you find me? What information caught your attention about my programs? What motivated you to initiate contacting me?

What finalized your decision to purchase my programs for yourself, or your family or as gifts for others? And were you satisfied and pleased with the results? And I have used that information for continued growth of my brand. The second and perhaps most significant action I took was to hire a business, marketing and website manager. This person oversees my website, my marketing efforts, business growth, and my daily scheduling. This assures that my clients are taken care of in a quality manner and I can focus on providing professional PGA golf instruction services. My personal expertise is out on the range and on the course teaching, so it was 100% critical to make that investment and get that professional business manager on my team. The solid ‘product’ my clients purchase is my Brand, which is instruction expertise delivered with passion and fun in a welcoming yet professional environment. They know coming in that they will receive instruction from a highly trained and qualified PGA Professional. I am very confident that all of my clients are excited, satisfied and committed to coming back for more golf and the successful cycle continues. Build your brand, and then reach out for that business marketing and management help and you too will be a successful golf instruction business owner!

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COMING IN

First I’d like to state that backswings matter, but in this piece I’d like to discuss transition and downswing patterns. These patterns involve how the body, hands, arms and CLUB move at the start of the downswing and into impact.

FOR A LANDING

As we have seen with Jim Furyk, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, Gay Brewer, and now Matthew Wolf, there are multiple ways to swing the club to the top. But there are primarily two methods for working the club back down and into the ball.

Words by John Ortega

The first method is to “Shallow” the club, or lay it down. This means to flatten the angle of the shaft before or during the start down. We can see that Matt Wolf obviously does this out of necessity, given that his backswing shaft plane is so vertical. Many others shallow it from a more conventional shaft plane at the top.

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stronger sense of knowing where one’s body parts are in space (proprioception). Returning the arms, hands and club on the downswing into the impact zone close to the plane of their address position is one of greatest challenges a club golfer faces. The vast majority of handicap golfers come into impact “over the top” resulting in a swing path of more than 5 degrees out-to-in on TrackMan. While there are exceptions to the hit from the inside rule (Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bruce Lietzce, etc) I prefer to teach the average golfer to hit from the inside using the lowering method.

The second is the “lowering method”, which is accomplished by lowering the entire assembly of the hands, arms and club without appreciably changing the pitch of the shaft. Imagine a more traditional two-plane swing such as Adam Scott or Tiger Woods, where the shaft “lowers” from the top line onto a line that is below but parallel to it. Both methods lower the club in space, but shallowing lays the club-head farther behind the hands and flattens the pitch of the shaft.

In teaching average golfers I have been more successful using the lowering method. The average golfer generally lacks the flexibility needed to make the movements required in the lay-down method. Separating their lower body from the upper in transition and leading with the required hip rotation are difficult to perform and therefore impractical. Given a cue to rotate their bodies aggressively, they fire their upper body and force the club out and over the top. Second, the extra movement required to externally rotate their arms is hard for them to manage. Shallowing the club requires a

I teach the footwork first. It’s no coincidence that Jack Grout instructed Jack Nicklaus to hit balls for an entire summer only rolling his ankles on the backswing and the downswing. Find the video “Jack Nicklaus Golf My Way /Foot Action” on YouTube. I also use the exercises in Alex Morrison’s book “A New Way to Better Golf ’, which outlines how to roll the trail ankle inwardly starting the downswing. In the early part of the down swing, I emphasize that the arms, hands and club must move more downward than outward. The shoulders need to remain closed while the hands and both arms move down together. Most amateurs, in an effort to create power, fire the upper body, forcing the hands out and steepening the shaft. As a drill I position an alignment stick just above the lead arm and shaft at the top of the backswing or at P-5 (see photo) and have the student work the club down and under the stick, to impact and the finish, hopefully

without hitting me. I call this Limboing. To do this dynamically, the upper body needs to remain closed to the target line during the early to midway point of the downswing. Quoting Mr. Nicklaus: “a key thought for me has been to hold the shoulders until last, trying to keep them in the top of the backswing position as long as possible while the forward swing unwinds from the feet up. I imagine an unbendable steel rod running through my shoulders and I try to feel on every shot that I get the club-head to and through impact before that rod and my shoulders turn past parallel to the target line.” Proper execution of “Lowering” will result in the following: •

At P-5 (lead arm parallel to the ground on the downswing) the lower body is rotating and the knees will be somewhat square to the target line. The arms are ready to synch up with the body rotation.

•

The shaft will be parallel to its starting plane, and it will appear from down the line to be above the trail forearm and bisecting the trail bicep. Body rotation is happening and the knees are back to parallel.

•

At P-6 (delivery position) the shaft will be parallel to or just inside the target line. From that point forward, the direction that the swing will travel will be practically inevitable. It will result in a shallow and desirable attack angle and swing direction, a pure strike, and a smooth safe landing.

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“As far as my overall heath, I feel great. I can tell the difference when I wake up in the morning and that’s a big part of it.” - Lucas Glover

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