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Golf Instruction
Swing Efficiency- A Definition
By Don Parsons, PGA
Swing efficiency is a hot word in the industry these days, but what does it mean? I have learned to utilize the kinematic sequence to define swing efficiency. The kinematic sequence is a measure of the rotational velocities of the club and body segments during the swing. By studying the kinematic sequence we can determine whether a swing has efficient sequencing, efficient timing, and efficient speed generation.
Swing Sequence
Sequencing measures the what of the swing. What is the order of movement during the swing? It is measured during the takeaway, transition, and at the peak speeds. When the movements of a swing happen in the right order the sequence is termed efficient. A player who has an efficient sequence will be able to consistently strike the ball solidly.
Timing
Timing measures the when of the swing. When do critical parts of the swing occur? It is measured during the takeaway sequence, during transition sequence, and at peak speeds relative to impact. When a swing hits critical timing windows the timing is termed efficient. A player who has efficient timing will be able to consistently control ball flight.
Speed
Speed measures the how much of the swing. How much speed is present in the swing? It is measured at the peak speeds of the body segments and club head and is a function of how well each segment accelerates and decelerates during the swing. When a swing accelerates and decelerates properly it the speed is efficient. A player who has efficient acceleration and deceleration patterns will develop the top speeds possible for their athletic ability and will be a long hitter.
The kinematic sequence is a widely accepted scientific model for developing efficient movement in athletes. Developing an understanding of the what, when, and how much of the swing lets us develop a logical order in which we can work with our players to make them more efficient and allow to enjoy the game.
Send your thoughts or articles to bhulbert@pga.com
Engage Me, Another Way to Improve your Golf Lessons
Glenn Deck, PGA from Pelican Hill Golf Club
The Voice of Your Customer
Engage me, Make me feel special,
Make me feel included, Make me feel valued,
Make me feel appreciated
Engage me; Tell me that you’re happy to see me,
Tell me that you’re happy to serve me,
Tell me that you’re happy I choose you,
Instead of your competitors
Engage me, Welcome me, as if I were a guest in your own home,
Tell me about how you are going to help me
Engage me, Thank me for choosing you,
Tell me it was a pleasure to serve me, invite me back,
Tell me that you will look forward to serving me again….
And mean it genuinely
Engage me, And I will return the favor by being an engaged customer
(and your biggest ambassador)
Engage me, Engage every part of me,
Engage my emotions, my laughter, my curiosity, my anticipation
Engage me, I want to be your customer!!
That’s why I’m here, And I will reward you with my patronage,
my referrals, and my loyalty!!
ENGAGE ME when you give a golf lesson!
Remember, what makes golf so hard for a lot of golfers is that the ball is not moving! Most golfers have too many swing thoughts and over think which diminishes their athletic skills. Keep your lesson simple, build confidence, and engage your students. Have the student give you a recap at the end of the lesson to see where you stand with your customer. Engage Me & Build Relationships!
Send your thoughts or articles to bhulbert@pga.com
Goal Setting
by Rick Sessinghaus
Goal setting is a key tool that I use to clarify what the golfer wants, how he or she will get there, and the willingness to follow through. I get a kick out of the most common answers I get when discussing goals. Most of the time a golfer tells me their goal is to, “get better” or “be more consistent”. I understand the reason why people start with these answers, but if we leave the goal like that we will not make any improvement.
Let’s start with some goal setting 101. From my book, Golf: The Ultimate Mind Game I identify three types of goals all golfers need to address for making improvement. Start with outcome goals that are measurable to exactly what you want. An outcome goal could be to lower a handicap from 12.1 to 9.9 by the end of 9 months. This is a specific goal that has a timeline and you will know if you achieved it or not. Next, identify the performance goals that once achieved will bring you closer to achieving your outcome goals. A performance goal could be to increase greens hit in regulation from current 29% to 41%. Performance goals are formed when you evaluate your game and prioritize the key areas of your performance that need to improve. Once all performance goals are identified it is time to write down the third form of goals, process goals. These are actually the most important because they are in your direct control. A process goal is the how part of goal setting. You have identified the what and now you need to know how you are going to achieve your goals. Process goals involve practice, coaching, physical training, and mental game skill development.
Be realistic when organizing your process goals. This is the time commitment you can put into improving your game. At first many golfers get excited about their goals and think they will practice 3 hours a day to improve their game. Unfortunately life gets in the way and they have never practiced for 3 hours and now think they are going to do it routinely. Schedule your process goals into your week like a business meeting. Utilize that time with focused, deliberate practice. I would rather have a golfer practice for 30 minutes three times a week then for 3 hours once a month. An example of a process goal would be to take one golf lesson on improving the quality of contact with my iron shots. After the lesson you would create a process goal that revolves around the drills and exercises your coach gave you to improve your golf swing on iron shots.
Rick Sessinghaus Psy, D, PGA is the author of Golf: The Ultimate Mind Game and specializes in coaching the mental side of golf. He was named 2008 SCPGA Metro Chapter Teacher of the Year and recently named Top 25 Instructor by Golf Tips Magazine. To find out more information please visit www.RickSessinghaus.com.
Send your thoughts or articles to bhulbert@pga.com
How to Train Your Mental Brain
by Rick Sessinghaus
The mental game of golf can be trained the same way the physical side of the game. I also coach the swing mechanics and a lesson consists of identifying what a student is doing well, looking for patterns in the performance, seeing what shot needs to be improved, and identifying the main cause for the mechanical flaw. Once uncovered it is my role as the coach to explain the cause and effect of the shots and begin to replace current poor habits with new correct habits. I then give drills, exercises, and concepts for the student to ingrain through proper training. For most golfers this makes sense. We take a lesson to improve because we learn what specific habit is getting in the way and we know what new habit needs to be learned to make the improvement. Golfers then go to the practice range to create new “muscle memories”.
For coaching the mental game I use the same formula. I use my Take AIM system for training the mental game. I start with the A, assess. Evaluate your game and look for your strengths in the mental game and some areas that are creating below average performance. The key areas to evaluate are: motivation, focus, confidence, emotional control, and practice/preparation. Look at how these mental game fundamentals are affecting your performance. Are there times you hit poor shots because of being distracted? And if so, where does your attention go? Do you commit to every shot on the course with complete trust? If not, are there certain types of shots you have more doubt over than others? The assessment stage is about asking questions and answering them honestly.
The next step is the I, implement. This is the stage where as the coach I help implement the techniques to make changes. This may be learning a new pre-shot routine and using self-talk and visualization to stay focused on what is relevant to the shot. For this step it is important for the golfer to understand what is being changed and how to make the change from old habit to new habit. It is important to realize that committing to making the change is vital. So many golfers are seeking quick fixes and need to realize that changing some habits can take some time. With the implementation stage only work on 2 or 3 skills at a time as working on more can overwhelm you and then no changes are made.
The last step is the M, master. Once you are clear on what you want to change and have been taught the techniques to improve the skill, it is time to master that skill. This is where you move from deliberate practice in a safe environment like a range or at home. Then when you have experienced the new skill you can take it to the course at a time when score doesn’t matter. This first stage of mastery is to repeat the new skill enough times that you don’t have to think about it. This is about making the conscious now unconscious. Once you have repeated the new habit enough time it is time to check it in a golfing environment that in the past has brought on the past poor habit. Rely on your repetitive training to trust the new skill. Mastery is about doing something at the highest level in all situations.
Today is a great day to start to train your mental game for better performance and more enjoyment. Take AIM by assessing current skills, implement new improved skills, and master these skills through deliberate practice. It is exciting to make improvements in your mental game like you do in your physical game. In fact, when the mental game improves the physical game automatically improves.
Rick Sessinghaus Psy, D, PGA is the author of Golf: The Ultimate Mind Game and specializes in coaching the mental side of golf. He was named 2008 SCPGA Metro Chapter Teacher of the Year and recently named Top 25 Instructor by Golf Tips Magazine. To find out more information please visit www.RickSessinghaus.com.
Send your thoughts or articles to bhulbert@pga.com
What is the mental game of golf anyway?
In all of my mental game seminars the first question I ask, “Is the mental game important for golf?” Everyone raises their hands in agreement, yes it is important. Then I ask, “when the last time you trained the mental game” and they all look at me with a blank stare. Here is the disconnect with golfers. They understand the mental game is important; however they do not train it. I then ask what the mental game is and again I get a blank stare. The problem that arises with the mental game is that golfers don’t have a concrete idea of what it is and how to train it.
Let’s define it first. My goal for all of my students is for them to be Mentally Focused- Emotionally Confident- and Physically Relaxed during a golf shot. Think about the opposite: distracted, doubt, and tension. We know that will produce poor shots. The mental game has certain fundamentals like teaching a golf swing that need to me mastered. These fundamentals include: motivation, goal setting, focus, confidence, emotional control, mental toughness, preparation, and evaluation. There are many subsets to each that use the tools and techniques such as visualization, anchoring, reframed self-talk, physiology shifts, belief change, body scans, etc. Working with a mental game coach provides guidance to what skills need to be improved and what technique can be trained to raise the skill set.
There is a definite cause and effect relationship between the mind and the body. Your mind gives directions to the body. If I fear hitting a shot into the water, my body will respond with tension. A tense body will affect tempo and feel of a golf swing. The first goal for a golfer who wants to improve is to honestly assess how the mental game is affecting performance. Think back to the last round of golf. Were there times you lost focus on to something that was irrelevant to the shot, yet hit the shot anyway? Was there a time you hit a shot believing you couldn’t pull the shot off? Or maybe a time you became so frustrated after a poor shot that is caused hit another poor shot immediately after? Start today to understand that golf is both a mental and physical game. You work so hard on the practice range to improve swing mechanics and now is a great time to practice the mental game.
Rick Sessinghaus Psy, D, PGA is the author of Golf: The Ultimate Mind Game and specializes in coaching the mental side of golf. He was named 2008 SCPGA Metro Chapter Teacher of the Year and recently named Top 25 Instructor by Golf Tips Magazine. To find out more information please visit www.RickSessinghaus.com.
Send your thoughts or articles to bhulbert@pga.com
THE PRE-LESSON INTERVIEW
Prior to working with a new student it helps to acquire information and develop a player profile that will make you more effective as an instructor. It is vitally important to know what you are dealing with as each person is unique and requires an approach specifically tailored to their experience, physical ability, and learning style. A lesson is a two-way communication, and this is a good way to get your student to feel comfortable and begin participating in the learning process. Here are some of the things you might ask.
- PLAYING BACKGROUND. How long have you been playing and when did you start?
- INSTRUCTION HISTORY. Have you had prior instruction? When? With whom? What did you work on?
- ATHLETIC EXPERIENCE. What sports did you play growing up, and which do you still play? Baseball, tennis and hockey players will have some natural motions conducive to golf, and you can use the analogies.
- PHYSICAL PROFILE. Right or left handed? Right or left eye dominant? Corrective lenses or bifocals? Any injuries (back, knee, etc.) or arthritis, past or present? Physical limitations need to be considered and perhaps compensated for.
- CURRENT STATE OF YOUR GAME. What’s your handicap or average score? How often do you play and practice? Best and worst parts of your game? Where do your misses generally go? How’s your short game?
- SELF ANALYSIS AND CURRENT SWING THOUGHTS. What do you think is wrong? Are you trying to keep your head down and your left arm straight? Are you firing your hips to hit it longer? Do you have a concept of swing plane, path, etc.? Really pay attention to what the student is saying. The answers will give you valuable insight to a person’s mindset and where you need to go with your verbal and physical instruction.
- PERSONAL PROFILE. What’s your profession? How do you best process information? Are you a feel player or more mechanical? Are you a “student of the game” who reads and watches everything possible about the golf swing? You might need to teach an engineer differently than a salesman, and certainly a woman who has never played any sports will require another approach.
- EQUIPMENT PROFILE. I love to look at a student’s golf bag, as there can be some good information there. Scuff marks on top of the driver, nine and eleven woods, out dated irons, extreme lie angles, no sand wedges, can give insight into what you are working with.
- GOALS. What do you hope to achieve with instruction? How often will you practice between lessons? Some people are looking for a quick fix for a tournament next week. Hopefully most are seeking long-term improvement and will put in the necessary time and effort. Find out what they want and do your best to give it to them. But don’t be afraid to push for the right motivation.
Learn as much as you can from your students, and you will be a more efficient teacher. Develop your own interview process, and let me know what additions you might have.
Send your thoughts or articles to bhulbert@pga.com.
What Type of Instructor Are You?
What type of instructor/coach are you? There is intense debate around instruction and what is the most efficient method; these conversations have been prevalent in the industry for the past 50+ years. Which method or system is best? One Plane/Two Plane, Stack and Tilt, Square to Square, MORAD, TGM, “No Method” or one of the many others I have not mentioned. How is a student supposed to know what to do? How is a teacher supposed to know what is the most effective?
I personally have entered into many conversations with teachers from all over the world about what method works best and predictably, I received a wide range of answers.
Why is prescribing to one method of teaching becoming more attractive to coaches? I think some people, for their own reasons, feel much more comfortable with a strict guideline to follow – a model if you will. There is so much information on teaching and coaching out there that many instructors throughout their careers can get stuck with helping students improve. Methods and systems can be a roadmap for development that can be quantified, measured and presented. I also think that people like to belong to a group of other likeminded players that they can communicate with, commiserate with, compare with, and generally engage with on a very specific pattern on which they are working. Surely there are also those who believe that this choice of method is superior, more inclusive or any other number of reasons.
Over the years I have had countless students present me with magazines, books or quotes from golf channel pundits about different methods, and to be honest early in my teaching career I didn’t have all the answers. To move my career forward I knew I had to answer the questions accurately regardless of how I felt about the information.
I would like to encourage all pros not just teachers to investigate all methods and systems; research them, test them and form your opinions. It is very easy to jump on board the current, popular system, but if you are truly serious about helping people play better golf, spend time studying as I believe all of these methods and systems have positives. As with all systems, only once you fully immerse yourself in the system do the best nuggets get discovered – I have included some links below to help begin the learning process.
- www.planetruthgolf.com
- www.stackandtiltgolfswing.com
- www.thegolfingmachine.com
- www.jimmyballardgolf.com
- www.moradgolfgeorgehunt.com
Have fun researching!
For more information please use the following methods to contact me – amarr@golftec.com, @andrewmarrgolf (Twitter), Andrew Marr Golf Instruction (Facebook)
Andrew Marr, PGA
Director of Instruction – GolfTEC San Diego
www.andrewmarrgolf.com
Send your thoughts or articles to bhulbert@pga.com.
WHY PEOPLE QUIT GOLF?
According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF) 1 million people take up the game and 1 million people quit every year in United States. These are staggering numbers and are not getting any better. I believe the problem stems from the fact that we are not doing a very good job of introducing the game to people. The way we do it now is to welcome new players to the golf course, show them how to purchase range balls for practicing and how to book a tee time. Then we show them what clubs they should be using for the different shots and give them some tips on the basic fundamentals. Then they are basically on their own. They watch the Golf Channel, read magazines and books and receive information from every person they know, or don’t know if they happen to be on the range hitting balls and are female. They play golf for a few years and then decide they probably should take some lessons to get better. The lessons are OK but there are no immediate results. After several different instructors and teaching methods they decide the game is too difficult, not having any fun and quit. All of this could have been avoided if they had just started correctly.
The game of golf takes many years to get acquainted with. If a person is born with the gift of natural talent then it comes fairly quickly. If not, it can be a very daunting task for sure. If a beginning golfer learns how to place their hands on the golf club correctly and how each golf club is designed to function, they will then be able to improve in time. We are doing a major disservice to beginning golfers, especially those not born with natural ability, by delegating our least experienced instructors to teaching the beginning golfer in the first place. I believe that beginning golfers need the proper tools and knowledge so they can make informed decisions on their own, progressing at their own speed. We are giving novice golfers way too much information, which only serves to confuse and disinterest them. As for golf lessons we (golf instructors) are way too technical for the majority of golfers and are turning them off with our over analysis. I believe that to keep it simple we should be focusing on how the golf club works, which is basically swing path and club-face position in the impact zone. There are many different ways to accomplish this and the golf ball does not know the difference. I use a 7 iron with a grip trainer and have my students hit balls off a short tee. The most success I have had is to use the toe up – toe up drill, where the student swings half way back to toe-up and half way through to toe-up. This allows the beginner to get the ball airborne and will put a smile on their face, which should be our most important goal as instructors.
John Mason can be reached at thegolfmason@roadrunner.com.
Send your thoughts or articles to bhulbert@pga.com.
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