updated 1/31/24 Most beginner golfers think the sport has to be easy to learn because it looks easy. You hit the ball and get it into the hole, how hard can it be? The idea of the game is easy but the technique and discipline behind the game can be difficult to grasp. Many focus on the full swing, specifically the tee shot with the driver because they want to see how far the ball will travel. Smart golfers think about the second and third shots. They think about lay ups, bails outs and even stingers. Around the greens you learn how to bump and run or use a flop shot to your advantage. If these terms are sounding foreign to you, then you are missing out on the rich levels of diversity the game of golf offers when you play. Golf will stretch your imagination if you let it. It will allow you opportunities to think about angles and geometry in a way you never thought you would. What might be an obstacle for one player can actually be a help to another because of their ability to adapt to situations. The more you play, the more you will learn about your ability to think creatively and overcome while working towards your next best score on the course. Persevere through physical challengesGrowing up I played several sports including football and I was considered an elite athlete because I put in the effort on and off the field. I dedicated a lot of time to physical training in the gym building strength. It was very rewarding to attain strength goals so I decided to push myself even more by becoming a competitive power-lifter. This pursuit caused a lot of wear and tear on my shoulders that materialized when I decided to become a golf professional. The more I played the more pain I experienced but I was not willing to let the past influence my future. I did as much as I could with home remedies until I met a personal trainer that had experience with my injury. She developed a program of exercises and therapies that allowed me to gain a better range of motion. It has been nearly five years and I am finally starting to play good golf. Recently, I have been plagued with some hip issues that are pretty common for golfers and if I don't warm up well I can experience back pain for days. My trainer has moved on to some bigger endeavors so I have had to take control of my exercise routine. It is a commitment that means doing what it takes so I can play this game that I love. The mind can be your best ally but it can also be your biggest foe. Click on the image below to read my post about leaving it in the past. PERSEVERE THROUGH Mental CHALLENGESPERSEVERE THROUGH CircumstancesBack 2020, when the new management at the county golf courses decided that I was not a good fit for their programs, I did not know what was ahead. I knew I would be teaching somewhere. Initially that was in a park under the cover of trees. Seriously, I found a quiet shady spot with enough room for my net and some short game tools. It was the perfect spot to work with my junior students and they did not mind at all. As a matter of fact, they loved it. It wasn't a fancy golf course, but they were progressing and they continue to do so at the Golf Learning Center at Commons Park in Royal Palm Beach. I am sure that there are golf professionals out there that think less of me because I am not teaching at a golf course. I have also lost a few students since then because they want to learn in those facilities. I am fine with all of it because I love where I am, I love what I do, I love teaching. When you love what you do, you find a way to persevere.
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Your golf ball has made it the green in 2 on a par 4 but somehow you manage to bogey or worse double bogey. Why? Maybe you need to practice or maybe you are just not understanding the physics behind the putting stroke. Check out these two videos developed by the USGA and NBC to discover what you may be missing.
An important core value that I believe juniors need to learn early is responsibility. Responsibility is the state or fact of having a duty for something or someone. In golf, we must first be responsible for ourselves, this includes how we respond to situations. Most amateur golfers are willing to take responsibility for the positive outcomes but are quick to assign blame for the negative outcomes. In my opinion, these people lack integrity. I hope to instill a desire in my students to own every decision they make and every action they take in golf and in life. Golfers need to own their journey and take responsibility for their progress. Here's an example of what that could look like for a junior:
The key is your golfer is driving the activity respectully and courtesously. Let it be their journey!! A caddie is a person that carries a golfer's clubs and provides assistance during match play. In junior tournaments, parents usually play the role of caddie when they are allowed. While this can create great bonding opportunities, it can also create some tense moments on the golf course. Either the golfer blames their caddie, their parent, for the bad decisions they make or worse the caddie is unwilling to allow the golfer an opportunity to make a bad decision. Then, when the golfer progresses to a level of play where caddies are not permitted, the parents are still coaching from the cart path or interfering with play by walking in the fairway. This kind of parental interference in tournament play should never be tolerated. At some point, parents have to be ok with being a spectator. Allow your golfers to apply everything they have learned. It is their game. Let them make their choices and adapt. If you don't how will they become responsible for their own actions?
The objective of golf is to get the golf ball into the hole in the least amount of strokes. Why is the golf ball so unique? Did golf balls always have dimples? What's the big deal about the golf ball anyway? The videos below that were created by the USGA and NBC should answer some of your questions.
sportsmanship: fair and generous behavior or treatment of others, especially in a sports contest. I like teaching golf because it is a great skill to have for your entire life. I also enjoy teaching golf because it is a competitive sport. If you are willing to put in the effort and the discipline to practice what you have been taught you can set yourself to do well in tournaments. Sportsmanship counts when you are playing well and when you are playing poorly. One of my players was seen throwing his clubs in a recent tournament. This is absolutely unacceptable and I had a stern conversation with that player. I was also told that a player withdrew from a tournament after playing only 9 of 18 holes. His father was unsatisfied with his level of play because he was unlikely to take first or second place so he pulled him out. Not only does this decision teach the golfer to give up rather than finish strong , it is unsportsmanlike conduct in my opinion. Three players started the round and three players should finish the round. Another way to show sportsmanship is to stay until members of the age group have finished play. This is not always possible since some groups are very large but if there are only 2 or 3 groups, make the effort to stay and congratulate the winners. Test your knowledge of sportsmanship and get some exercise! When I coached golf summer camps we awarded a sportsmanship award to the golfer who best displayed this core value most consistently over the course of a week. Sadly, it was really tough to find someone who did. Most juniors lack the maturity to look past their bad shot and keep playing while others think it is fun to laugh at another's failures. None of this acceptable behavior and when I see it it gets corrected immediately. To be quite honest, I believe most adults are challenged in this area as well. The game is golf and it is supposed to be fun. You will have days when your talent shows up on the scorecard and then there will be days when it doesn't. No matter the day, golfers of all any ages need to learn to support and encourage each other. A moment that lasted beyond that moment! |
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