THE BOOK (Issue 2, Fall 2021) CA Teaching & Coaching Summit

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The Book | Issue Two, Fall 2021

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THE BOOK Publisher Southern California PGA Contributing Editor Bill Hulbert, PGA, SCPGA Past President SCPGA Editorial Team Bryce Seiver & Tyler Miller, SCPGA Section Staff

Special Thanks to: Randy Chang, PGA of Journey at Pechanga SCPGA Teaching Committee Chairman Jamie Mulligan, PGA of Virginia Country Club California Teaching & Coaching Summit Originator Scott Mallory, PGA of Journey at Pechanga PGA Director of Golf Host ...and all of our partners and article contributors

© 2021 by the Southern California PGA. All rights reserved.

Printed by Precision Services Group 15201 Woodlawn Ave., Tustin, Ca 92780

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TRAVISMATHEW TEAM MEMBER

JON RAHM

WWW.TRAVISMATHEW.COM THE BOOK

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LETTER FROM THE SCPGA PRESIDENT

Robin Shelton PGA Friends,

In the hospitality industry, I’ve always enjoyed trying to speak to the idea of “the best” as compared to “the favorite.”

The “best” represents the highest rated, the highest standard, the comparison for all others to strive.

The “favorite” represents a personal feeling or opinion. It is the preferred choice by emotional connection and individual preferences. We often go to our favorite restaurant for a birthday, have a favorite ice cream flavor, or go to a favorite vacation destination for a celebration.

Sometimes the “best” and the “favorite” converge at the same location - and I believe that represents The California Teaching and Coaching Summit.

Our Teaching Committee has organized a best in class event that is a standard for other teaching events with the best speakers and education opportunities. I know this event is also a favorite of many of our Professionals for the networking, camaraderie, vibe, and relevant information.

Our sponsors also add to making this event memorable TravisMathew continues to be an incredible supporter with their product and contributions.

I hope you enjoy this very special event that brings together the best in standards and education and simultaneously has become the favorite annual event of our PGA Professionals.

All the best, Robin Shelton, CCM, PGA Master Professional President, Southern California PGA General Manager, Newport Beach Country Club

Robin, SCPGA Section President, is an Executive leader with nearly twenty years of experience creating impactful success outcomes for Private Country Clubs.

Using an extremely visible and hands on approach, he has significantly improved all Clubs in membership growth, member retention, food and beverage profitability, and EBITDA. He is passionate about all facets of Membership, leadership, and hospitality and generating results by using a strategic approach involving culture and vision.

Robin has been in the Club business for over twenty years and currently serves at the General Manger at Newport Beach Country Club in Newport Beach, CA. A PGA Master Professional and Certified Club Manager (CCM), he is motivated and driven to lead teams to create positive uplifting outcomes for personal Photoexperiences Courtesy of Golf Digest and human relationships.

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MESSAGE FROM

RYAN ELLIS TravisMathew CEO

TravisMathew is a leading innovator in lifestyle & performance apparel. Using best-in-class fabrications and designs, we are pushing forward a growing market trend toward casualization. For us, comfort comes first. Every TravisMathew product is created with attention to detail, designed to deliver the perfect fit and soft, lightweight feel. By offering hundreds of varied, unique designs across monthly new product releases, we are establishing a new standard for the young professional. We want to elevate your look with details, subtleties, and craftsmanship that will get you noticed...but without flash or pretension.

At TravisMathew we don’t just dream big, we plan big. We are committed to celebrating and achieving diversity in all facets of our business while focusing on developing sustainable practices and challenging ourselves to discover innovations in design, production, and technology.

About TravisMathew Founded in 2007, TravisMathew draws its inspiration from the culture and lifestyle of Southern California’s surf, sand, and sun. As a premier men’s lifestyle brand, TravisMathew has created versatile, everyday apparel that seamlessly transitions from work to play. With a smart blend of performance and innovative design, each product is crafted to achieve a perfect balance between functional comfort and superior style. In other words, we make the clothes you can actually live in.

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An integral part of TravisMathew’s identity has always been rooted in golf. We’re excited to continue to grow our relationship with the PGA and support the Southern California PGA Section just as we have for the past 14 years.

It’s our goal to give back to the game and the people that have given us so much. We believe that through our partnership with the SCPGA we can be directly involved in growing the game, but more importantly, in addressing topics like sustainability, diversity, and inclusion.

As an aspirational brand, TravisMathew prides itself on being approachable. Anyone and everyone can look great—and feel great—in TravisMathew.

Contents Issue No. 2, Fall 2021

Speaker Articles and Biographies

Section 1 The Lineup

Section 2 The Future Starts With YOUth

Section 3 Coaches Coaching Coaches

The Roadmap With My Coach Jamie Mulligan

Principles & Preferences

by John Mason, PGA

Creating A Confident Golfer

by Dr. Alison Curdt, PGA / LPGA

Are You Coaching for Flow?

by Rick Sessinghaus, PGA

My Top Ten Notes to a Young Self

by Billy McKinney, PGA

Sports As A Coaching Tool

by Tasha Bohlig, PGA

Pure It Like Sergio

by Jim McLean, PGA

Basic Basics: Golf Etiquette

by Bob Madsen, PGA

Coaching The Individual in Front of You

by Jordan King Thomas, PGA

Break Free From Suckville

by Dr. Bhrett McCabe

How to Get a New Golfer Ready for the Course

by Roger Gunn, PGA

Random vs. Blocked Practice

by Shawn Cox, PGA

Effective Practice Habits of Highly Competitive Players

by Chris Mayson

Educating the Parents of Junior Golfers

by Steve Adamiak, PGA

Less Loft, More Fun

by Jake Toliver, PGA

Green Machine

by Michael Breed, PGA

What is Player Development

by Karen Tucker, PGA / LPGA

P-6, The Delivery System

by Bill Hulbert, PGA Gridlocks and Golf Instruction

by Tim Mitchell, PGA

Using Technology To S.U.R.F.

by Randy Chang, PGA

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

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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Monday, October 18 8:00 – 8:45am Registration & Breakfast 9:00 – 9:15am Welcome from Char Bendt, PGA 9:15 – 11:00am Jim McLean, PGA & Derek Uyeda , PGA “Analyzing the Greats from Past to Present” 11:15am – 1:00pm Dr. Bhrett McCabe, PH.D “Managing Struggle and Fear in your Players” 1:00 – 2:00pm Lunch & California Teaching Hall of Fame Induction NCPGA: Matt Flenniken, PGA 2:00 – 3:45pm Marcus Potter “Simple, Effective Putting” 4:00 – 5:00pm Chris Mayson “From Good to Great: The Process of Learning at the Elite Level” 5:30 – 8:00pm Dragonfly Golf Cocktail Party

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Tuesday, October 19 7:00 – 8:00am Registration & Breakfast 8:30 – 10:00am Michael Breed, PGA “Teaching with Modern Technology Home or Away” 10:15 - 10:30am Rick Sessinghaus, PGA Special Guest: 2021 SCPGA Teacher of the Year, and Coach of 2021 Open Champion Collin Morikawa 10:45 - 11:30am Melissa “Mo” Martin “How I Hit it Straight and Stay Tough in All I Do” 11:30am – 12:45pm Lunch 1:00 – 2:00pm Keynote Speaker: Brandel Chamblee Q & A with Jamie Mulligan, PGA 2:00 pm Closing Comments Randy Chang, PGA & Jamie Mulligan, PGA

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SECTION 1 The Lineup

JAMIE MULLIGAN, PGA 2017 Inductee, California Teaching Hall of Fame

Southern California Teaching & Coaching Summit Co-Chair When we found the opportunity to write an article for this book which we hope will help everyone become a better teacher, we thought there would be no better way to do so than to write about something which we all love, which is giving a golf lesson. We wanted to do an exercise here where we described the process of coaching, with less focus on the micro, or technical things that are discussed within a golf lesson, and more focus on the macro philosophy of how to get players from point A to point B in the infinite pursuit of perfection. To convey this information, I felt it best to have one of my players give her perspective on what she learned in instruction rather than to have me tell you about the lesson.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with her and watch the progress she has made. The following note is a take from a talented young lady with a lovely golf swing.

- Jamie Mulligan, PGA

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The Roadmap With My Coach Jamie Mulligan

As a former collegiate golfer, I have received instruction from numerous coaches; all with their own ideas, theories, and methods, but I have never stayed with any one coach for more than several months.

Following the lessons with these coaches, I noticed two extremes about the nature of the lesson. Either my swing had been completely overhauled, like the countless hours I had spent on the range had only served to further engrain one of the worst swings known to man, or I would often feel like the coach had sent me away with one trite swing or putting tip that I didn’t personally understand or resonate with.

I would leave these lessons asking myself, “Is my swing really that awful?” or, “Was that just a waste of my time and money?”.

When I went to see Jamie Mulligan, who has coached 24 LPGA and PGA Tour players— including the 7th ranked player in the world and 2021 Memorial champion, Patrick Cantlay—I had a feeling that my experience would be different. I had heard a bit about Jamie which seemed promising. Outside of his credentials, I heard about his genuine demeanor, but also about the originality in his approach to coaching. Jamie’s approach to coaching his

players is quite different from many modern coaches. Namely, the way that he doesn’t simply rely on technology in analyzing a player and his reverence for the old-school way of teaching and learning golf. When I had my first lesson with him, I experienced first-hand Jamie’s incredibly effective, thoughtful, and tailored approach to coaching his players. He has a methodology for the coaching process which he likes to call ‘The Roadmap’, consisting of four basic parts: the Who, What, How, and When.

The Who:

Jamie’s first course of action when meeting a new player is to perform what he calls “the profile” where he analyzes the player to figure out how best to proceed in coaching them. By doing so, he creates a sort of profile of each player which he uses to tailor his coaching strategy uniquely to the individual’s goals, limitations, and preferences.

When I first met with Jamie, he began asking me questions like: “How would you describe your game?”, “How do you play your best golf ?”, “What causes you to play your worst golf ?”, “Do you love the game?”, “How much do you like to practice?”. All these questions were preliminary to any sort of coaching. His line of questions both allowed me

to feel heard but were also tools for Jamie as he gathered data for how best to approach coaching me as an individual.

In response to his first question asking how I would describe my current game, I responded with the word, ‘injury’. Jamie noted this as an alert, or a “ding-ding-ding” as he calls it, marking its impact on how he would later go about working with me. He went on to ask questions of greater specificity about the origins, timeline, location, and sensation of my injury and we discussed the issue at length for the following twenty minutes. The information he collected from these questions is an analysis of who each individual player is, a construction of the player profile.

The What:

Moving on from the ‘who’ phase of The Roadmap, we enter the ‘what’ phase. Quite simply, the ‘what’ is what the coach wants the player to learn. Since each stage of The Roadmap builds on the one prior, Jamie knew from my player profile that my injury was the most important factor of my game to address.

What he taught me was that my injury was undoubtedly a consequence of my swing. This came as a relief to me, since it meant I’d be able to work on

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my game, but what I loved the most about Jamie’s teaching style is the praise he gives. As I mentioned earlier, I have walked away from countless lessons feeling like my swing needed to undergo complete reconstructive surgery; this wasn’t the case with Jamie.

He gave genuine compliments about the athletic nature of my move through the ball as well as the smooth and rhythmic qualities of my putting stroke and truly made me feel like my game was something to be proud of. Even Jamie’s verbiage was carefully chosen and beautifully delivered when he came to express the areas for improvement to keep a positive outlook on my game.

The How: my swing mechanics and move beyond the three-year-long nagging injury.

Jamie explained to me that there are three parts of the golf swing: the legs, upper body, and the arms and hands. The legs serve as the engine and stability of the golf swing, the upper body acts as the pivot and stabilizer in the golf swing, and the arms and hands are the shapers of the golf swing. Jamie explained to me that at impact, because I have an over-rotation in my upper body, not only was I in the wrong position to deliver the strike properly, but I was also hurting myself. Jamie explained that my shoulders were too married with my lower body opening through impact, and as a result, my left 16

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rotator cuff was being stretched around my body. He showed me that I can actually protect my rotator cuff by keeping my shoulders square longer through impact rather than rotating my shoulders open so early.

Jamie also addressed improvements I could make to my putting stroke. Since I’m a relatively tall and thin person, I don’t have a particularly wide or stable base naturally. This means that I have some added movement and ‘play’ in my lower body throughout the stoke which does nothing to aid a consistent stroke with centerface contact.

Jamie’s assessments were spot on and have since changed

After Jamie diagnosed the issue and identified the solution in the ‘what’ phase, he moved onto the ‘how’ phase, in which he explains how the player should go about executing the changes. In my case, he gave me a couple of drills to work on in my swing and putting stroke, respectively.

For my swing, he assigned a quartering drill to me, in which I pull my right foot back to get my body closed to the target line. For this drill, I hit little baby 9 irons off a tee and kept my shoulders shut to the target through impact and practiced hitting some swooping draws. From practicing these quartering shots, I developed a new feel through impact where my shoulders could stay more closed to the target at impact,

which serves to protect my shoulder from further injury.

To address the unnecessary movement in my lower body during my putting stroke, Jamie had me put a club on my feet and told me to hit putts while keeping the club perfectly still.

To do so, I had to intuitively figure out how to make an effective stroke with only the use of my upper body. I had never noticed the role of the lower body ‘play’ in my putting stroke, but this drill made it quite evident to me that I was indeed moving my knees and hips slightly throughout the stroke to help guide the club face through square, instead of doing so with just the aid of a proper set up, grip, and putting mechanics. Jamie made it clear that I had a beautiful putting stroke, and that he only wanted to introduce more stability into it with a quiet and anchored lower body.

The When:

The final phase of Jamie’s ‘Roadmap’ is the ‘when’ phase.

The ‘when’ phase is an ongoing endeavor which is never achieved. The ‘when’ phase is not a box to be ticked off a todo list. The ‘when’ phase is the phase in which Jamie sets the expectation for how he would like to see the player’s game evolve in between the current and upcoming session. Jamie is keenly aware that we are never staying the same as players or people; we are always either getting better or getting worse, and his job is to make sure his players are getting better

every time he sees them. Jamie likens the ‘when’ phase of The Roadmap to the phrase, “chasing the carrot”. There is never an end point in the game of golf. We never reach a state of unchanging perfection or mastery. Instead, we all have to get up each day and figure it out, again and again. Since golf can never be perfected, all that we can do is continue to work towards improvement. In this way, golf, much like life, is about the journey, not the destination.

Jamie’s Roadmap approach to coaching is comprehensive. As much as The Roadmap may seem overly structured and almost formulaic based on the way it was broken down in this article, the way that Jamie goes about each step in the process is natural and everything comes in the proper order and at the proper time. As a player seeking improvement in my game and answers other coaches didn’t seem to have, I came away from this lesson extremely satisfied. I don’t believe that I am unique in my experience; The Roadmap coaching method is incredibly effective. Instead of focusing too heavily on specific positions in the golf swing, The Roadmap takes a more macro perspective on teaching which allows the coach to consider each player’s idiosyncrasies and provide instruction accordingly and appropriately.

I hope that this note has been helpful to you and allows you to advance as a teacher to help your players progress in this game that we all love.

JAMIE MULLIGAN, PGA Jamie 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 4th 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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Photos Courtesy of PGA of America

Are You Coaching for Flow?

Words by Rick Sessinghaus, Psy.D, PGA

I am fortunate to have coached many players with the goal being to help them play golf in an optimal state of flow. What is flow?

Have you ever played a round when you were fully immersed in the moment, enjoying the round, clear on exactly what you wanted to do, believing you had the skills to perform the shot, and you played great golf? That is a flow state. As coaches we can teach key factors that will help our students play in a flow state.

Flow follows focus. Are you paying attention to the present shot, or are you distracted by the future or by past shots? Coach your students to use present based questions like- “how will this lie affect the ball flight?” or “where is the wind coming from right

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now?” in their pre-shot routine.

The opposite of focus is being distracted on irrelevant cues for the present shot. Distractions might include technical swing thoughts, the importance of the shot, and fear and consequences of hitting a poor shot.

Flow also comes from having a clear goal for the shot. Have you ever hit a great trouble shot? I believe we all have pulled off a great recovery shot because we took on the challenge of the shot and had a very clear visualization of what we wanted to accomplish.

Seeing your shot with as much detail as possible helps you focus.

A simple yet powerful question to ask is, “what does a good shot look like here?” Flow is about having

a clear intention for the present shot. Helping our students clarify the shot they want to perform will sharpen their focus and solidify their confidence.

Flow is associated with priming your emotional state for success.

Too many golfers allow the result of the golf shot to dictate their emotions. Flow is linked to enjoying the present moment.

Before your students hit the first tee shot for the day, get them into the optimal emotional state by remembering past great shots and why they love golf. Another very powerful emotion is gratitude, so remind your students that they are fortunate to tee it up that day. When we enjoy the present moment, we are more likely to perform at a higher level.

Embrace the Challenge. Flow comes from taking on challenge, not wishing things were easy. You are going to get better when you address a challenge and, no matter the result, your mindset shifts to

learning. Flow is about constantly being in the present moment with the desire and curiosity to learn more about yourself and the game. Seeing every shot, every round, and each tournament as a challenge instead of a threat will shift the psychology and physiology of the golfer. Let’s encourage our students to embrace the challenge that golf

offers with a learning mindset.

Golf provides us a wonderful opportunity to grow as a person.

Applying the skill of present moment focus, creating clear goals, managing your emotional state, and looking forward to the next challenge will help your students expand their skills on and off the course. Let’s get our students in a flow state!

RICK SESSINGHAUS, PGA Rick Sessinghaus, 2021 SCPGA Teacher of the Year, is the expert on the mindset principles that make or break performance on and off the course. His coaching has helped top junior, collegiate, and professional golfers reach new levels of performance. Rick has also provided seminars and consulting to business teams and leaders improving their bottom line. Rick’s coaching philosophy revolves around his PERFORM performance system.

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Pure it Like Sergio You Can if You Know How to Lag it

Jim McLean, PGA Jim is known for coining the phrase “X-Factor”, observing that the greater the differential between the hips and shoulders at the top of the swing, the more power the golfer can create. McLean is CEO of the Jim McLean Golf School, which operates from eight locations.

Jim has taught US Open Champion and LPGA Champion Cristie Kerr, US Open Champion Gary Woodland, Curtis Strange and Greg Norman, PGA Champion Keegan Bradley, US Junior champion and ANA Champion Lexi Thompson. Cristie and Lexi both attained the #1 rank in junior golf and women’s amateur golf as teenagers.

Other major champions including Gary Player, Bernard Langer, Al Geiberger, US Open champions Liselotte Neumann, Jane Geddes, Lauri Merten, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Webb Simpson, and Hal Sutton plus top tour winners Brad Faxon, Adam Long, Peter Jacobsen, Len Mattiace, Vaughn Taylor, Bill Britton, Bobby Wadkins, Lennie Clements, Mark McCumber, John Mahaffey. Plus over 100 other PGA tour players.

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Words by Jim McLean, PGA Sergio Garcia is known for being an exceptional ballstriker, and the way he gets the clubhead to lag behind the movement of the arms and body in the downswing helps him hit it pure. It can improve your swing, too, so I’m going to show you how to create it.

If you’re not sure what lag is, look at this photo of me in the downswing. My hands are about to pass over the top of the ball while the clubhead has a way to go before contact.

said it feels as if he’s yanking the handle of the club downward like “pulling a chain.” Though that might be what he feels, it’s really not what’s going on.

He’s not holding off the release of the clubhead with his hands. In fact, trying to create lag this way often results in bad misses. It creates tension and forces a last second flip of the hands to try to close the clubface.

Without that flip, it’s shank city.

Simply put, the clubhead lags behind the movements of my body and arms. This helps get the club moving its fastest where it counts, through the impact area. That’s why lag is so valuable to hitting good shots. The problem is, many golfers don’t understand how to make this happen.

Heck, I’ve even heard Sergio misidentify the source of his pronounced lag. Sergio

What Sergio actually is doing to create lag is starting the downswing with his lower body. He has a freeflowing swing and seamlessly goes from backswing to downswing with his legs and hips before his arms, hands and club can do the same. He’s not pulling down, he feels pull.

His arms are doing little more than dropping as his swing begins to change

direction. In fact, his left arm stays connected to his torso in the downswing— that’s a key move.

When your lower body starts the downswing and the arms and hands stay relaxed, you’ll create lag. The unwinding of the lower body toward the target initially propels the swinging of the arms—just like Sergio does.

The club eventually catches up and passes the body, but it happens much closer to impact. And the closer that happens, the more potential there is to compress the ball. That’s why lag is so valuable. Even when you don’t find the sweet spot of the clubface, you’ll still have the potential to hit a decent shot because of the energy you release into the ball.

LEARNING TO LAG One of my mentors, the late Ken Venturi, came up with this great analogy to get golfers to understand how to lag the club.

It’s like the motion your hands make when you’re painting a wall. Whatever direction your hands move, the paintbrush does, too, but in a trailing position. That’s key. To apply this concept when practicing your golf swing, address a ball. As you start your backswing, let your hands and the handle of the club move away from the target before the clubhead does. Feel he clubhead lagging behind your hand action. Then, as you get to the top and start to swing down, again let the hands and handle move before the clubhead changes direction—just like the stroke of a paintbrush. Two more downswing thoughts to create lag properly: (1) Always start down with your lower body; lead foot pressing into the ground and the hips unwinding toward the target. (2) Keep your lead arm connected to your chest.

Feel like the arms are being pulled into impact by your body rotation.

Another way to understand lag is to think of the motion created when painting a wall. When your hand is moving back and forth holding a paintbrush, what are the bristles doing? They’re lagging behind. This motion is similar to what you should feel in your hands if you lag the clubhead correctly. I’ve got a drill that hones this motion. Remember, lag is a key facet of the golf swing. Just try not to get it by pulling the handle down. Let your lower body lead the downswing, which will set the clubhead in a trailing position. Do that, and you’ll start pouring it just like Sergio.

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DR. BHRETT MCCABE

Break Free From Suckville How a Simple Mental Change Will Spark Your Performance Words by Dr. Bhrett McCabe, Ph.D.

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Bhrett combines his championship experience as an athlete with his clinical training as a psychologist to help competitors break free from their patterns of struggle and create winning solutions on their playing fields.

He’s been trusted by the top athletic departments in the country, the most elite professional athletes, as well as parents to help identify the blocks that create performance frustrations and build breakthrough solutions that drive results. What makes his process unique is that it is individual to each competitor.

As a licensed clinical and sports psychologist and founder of The MindSide, Dr. McCabe’s performance consulting organization in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. McCabe holds a Ph.D. degree in Clinical Psychology from Louisiana State University and completed his 12-month psychology internship at the Clinical Psychology Training Consortium associated with the Warren Alpert Brown Medical School in Providence, RI. Upon completion of his training, Dr. McCabe worked in the corporate sector, conducting research, developing medical strategy initiatives, and enhancing thought leader development and collaboration within the pharmaceutical industry.

The ballpark was scattered with lawn chairs and umbrellas, lining the chain link fences separating the parents from the baseball players. The scene repeated itself across the expansive public park, with parents shouting support to each player on the field.

The coaches in the dugouts were intensely focused on their teams, encouraging each player to enjoy the game and give it all that they had. From the youngest competitors to the oldest high school ballplayers, the game’s noise served as a backdrop to the clutter in their heads. If there was only a way to quiet the shouts of encouragement from the wellmeaning parents, the players could probably focus better.

“Raise your arms, Johnny,” one parent screamed.

“Just throw strikes, Billy,” another parent from the opposing team yelled.

“Focus on the pitch!” another parent yelled.

Strike one. Strike two. Strike three.

Johnny struck out and slowly walked back to the dugout. His coach tapped him on the shoulder and offered some simple words of encouragement, but it was not the time for that. His dad met him in the dugout, speaking through the chain link fence, reminding him to do what they had worked on last night in the batting cage in their backyard.

Johnny just looked down at the ground. He was overwhelmed and frustrated. When he worked on his hitting at night with his dad, he was so good. If

he continued to struggle, there would be no chance to play in college. As a senior in high school, he was falling behind other players.

His mind was cluttered with mechanics, expectations, and hope with each at-bat in a real game. All he wanted was to find the freedom he had as a hitter just three years ago. As a rising freshman in high school, he was an All-Star, traveling the country and dominating the opposition.

The pressure was intense, even though it was self-inflicted.

But that type of pressure is probably the hardest to deal with for players at every level of the game. When self-doubt, frustration, and anger build, a perfect storm starts swirling.

There is nothing you can do to avoid the pain that follows.

For a player like Johnny, every opportunity to break free from the struggles and frustration becomes nothing more than a reminder of what once was possible. Words of encouragement and support do nothing but create more frustration.

“I should be better than this!”

it requires you to fight through the build-up of struggles that surround you.

Johnny is every player who has played any sport on the planet.

Johnny is also everyone who has ever wanted something but had to deal with the struggles and frustrations of achievement.

Struggle is an equal opportunity offender and takes no prisoners. It may be harsh, but it is never fatal.

While Johnny, you, and I have all struggled with confidence at times in our lives, the truth is you have endured far greater and will continue to find ways to succeed in the shadows of struggle. It is never the mere presence of difficulty that causes the problems, but instead, your mental framework tries to understand why it is happening and what it means about you. The “Why” and “What” are where the trouble starts.

Your lowest points reveal your greatest strengths. When doubt is the most intense, determination finds a way to keep you moving. When fear builds, faith must take hold.

“Why do they have it easier than me!”

No matter what you are going through competitively, you will emerge greater than who entered the fray. What that takes is a change of perspective.

Those thoughts become the norm. But it does not have to be that way. Any competition has the potential to go against you, facing defeat right up until the final play, out, or hole are completed. There will never be a time in sports where the outcome is easily determined or achievable. It takes risk, and

You own your mindset. No one has the right to own your opinions or destroy your belief and confidence. You must remind yourself why you are worthy of your success and begin to build the positive momentum to succeed. It is time you start fighting for yourself.

“I just want to enjoy the game again!”

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Green Machine 5 Approach Shots Every Golfer Needs to Master

Michael Breed, PGA One of the most dynamic, engaging, and entertaining teachers in the game. He is the host of “Course Record with Michael Breed” on CBS Sports Network, which airs Monday mornings at 11:00 EST. Michael also hosts A New Breed of Golf on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio weekday mornings from 8-10 AM EST, and the digital series A New Breed of Golf, available on Facebook Watch and YouTube.

Michael has led the way in digital golf instruction, and previously hosted the highest rated golf instruction series for Golf Channel, The Golf Fix. Michael is also a member of the PGA of America and contributes to their digital broadcast of the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup. He further serves as the Chief Digital Instructor for Golf Digest, focused on innovating golf instruction and overseeing the “Best Young Teachers” program.

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IN THE FAIRWAY FOCUS ON TEMPO AND SOLID COMPACT

If you don’t hit a lot of fairways, you probably feel oddly anxious when you do find one. First, don’t rush up to your ball and then have to wait. Stroll the last 50 yards or so. Hogan used to prepare for his rounds by driving to the course at half speed. Point is, let your mind and body slow down. Next, a good word to focus on is “complete.” Think about completing the backswing and getting to a full finish. That means turning your body back and through (above), letting the swing take some time. Nerves usually speed things up, with the hands and arms taking over.

Smooth tempo and a full motion will help you hit the ball flush— and follow up that piped drive.

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FROM THE ROUGH PREDICT THE QUALITY OF THE STRIKE

Shots in the rough test judgement as much as skill.

Some lies allow any shot; others require caution. Here’s a system I use to read them: I imagine there’s a sock stretched over your clubhead, and the thickness of the sock

determines how crisply you strike the ball. A buried lie, where you get a lot of grass interference, is like hitting with a thick sock­­—a dead thud.

Maybe you have to just pitch that one out. A medium lie is like a thin sock, so you might be able to play to the green.

For most rough lies, you need a steeper angle of attack. Play the ball back and hinge your wrists sooner in the backswing (below). Also, open the clubface a little to help it slide through the grass. Don’t life the ball out. Elevate the clubhead on the backswing, not on the through-swing.

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FAIRWAY BUNKER SWING MORE WITH YOUR ARMS

The No. 1 key to playing out of fairway bunkers is hitting the ball first. Let’s assume you can easily clear the lip in front of you. Some of the swing keys from the rough work here, too, because you want to make a little steeper downswing.

Positioning the ball slightly back from normal, opening the clubface, and hinging your wrists early are good points, but the shifting sand

4

DOWNHILL LIE TILT YOUR BODY WITH THE SLOPE

Of all the uneven lies you get, downhillers are the toughest.

The reason is, you feel like you really have to help the ball into the air—and that’s a killer.

The first step is to widen your stance and flare your lead foot for balance. Then, grip down on the club to counteract the lowering action of getting into a wide stance. The big key is tilting your hips and shoulders more with the slope (right).

You’ll never get them to match

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underfoot requires a couple more. Add flex in your lead knee—that will keep your weight forward and promote ball-first contact. Also, grip down on the club for control.

Overall, think of the swing as more hands and arms and less body turn (right). Because you’re taking power out of the swing, it’s a good idea to use one more club, as long as the lip isn’t an issue.

the angle of the hill, but that’s the feeling. A little more flex in your lead knee will help level your hips to the slope. What you shouldn’t do is play the ball back in your stance, like a lot of people think. That only makes you hit the ball lower—on a shot that’s already going to fly low.

Instead, position the ball up in your stance and open the clubface to boost trajectory.

FROM TROUBLE PLAN FOR THE NEXT SHOT

Ok, this last one isn’t an approach shot, but I bring it up because many golfers try to turn it into one. When you hit a drive off the grid, have the discipline to just get back in play. Grab a wedge, and make a simple up-and-down swing.

Three factors to consider: (1) You want a level lie in the fairway for your next shot. (2) Give

yourself room for error on the recovery­— don’t hit it into trouble on the other side. (3) If possible, play to a yardage you like. You probably want a full swing with one of your wedges, not something in between.

As with all these shots, be smart and keep the techniques simple.

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Effective Practice Habits of Highly Competitive Players Words by Chris Mayson

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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 four straight days.

Patrick worked hard, followed the plan, went out, played great and finished 4th.

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

thing from the truth.

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.

What could I have done better when I was trying to play professionally? What could I have done better as a college coach?

There are four physical areas of the game: 1. Full Swing 2. Distance Wedging 3. Short Game (chipping, pitching, bunker) 4. Putting Areas of Practice 1. Technical Work 2. Random Practice 3. 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.

CHRIS MAYSON Chris is a Golf Digest-Best Young teacher in America, FCG Top 25 Elite Junior Coach in USA, and Regional Director of the USA Junior National team. He is one of only a few coaches that has had players win on both the PGA tour and LPGA Tour in 2016 and 2017, including IK Kim’s win in the British Open in 2017.

Chris has taught Champions on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and Web. Com Tour, and has proudly coached 18 AJGA Champions. Chris’ passion is in developing elite junior players from the junior ranks, through college and into the professional ranks. He has had over 68 players gain spots on NCAA Division 1 Teams in the last 8 years.

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.

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Using Technology To S.U.R.F. Simplify. Understand. Retain and have Fun!

Words by Randy Chang, PGA 2017 Inductee, California Teaching Hall of Fame

substantially faster and retain the information longer.

Southern California Teaching & Coaching Summit Co-Chair

Players frequently misdiagnose the cause of their swing faults, and coaches may struggle as well. If you don’t accurately identify the problem your remedy will likely make things worse.

Examples: “I topped the ball because I took my eyes off the ball, and I picked my head up;” or, “I smother hooked the ball because I came over the top.” If the response to these common problems is, “keep your head down longer,” and “swing more inside out,” your student will not improve.

One of the biggest challenges we face as instructors is conveying to our students the differences between FEEL and REAL. Identifying and dealing with the uncomfortable and unnatural feelings your student goes through when trying to make changes is critical. Transferring these feels from the range or simulator to the course is another difficult task that takes time and patience. If we are short on time and patience, we need to reevaluate our approach.

I know there are many that still shy away from technology, including me. I have focused much of my career on young juniors and entry level golfers. There was no reason to know clubhead speed, angle of attack, or smash factor when teaching rank beginners or 5-year-olds! Now that I’ve opened my first indoor facility geared toward the serious golfer, technology is key. Utilizing the latest in golf simulators, launch monitors, force plates, high speed video and 3D suit technology, I not only have become a much better teacher, but my students learn and progress

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Using current technology, from affordable video apps such as V1 Interactive frontiers to the pricey GC Quad and Trackman launch monitors, we can simplify and quantify the information. This helps to speed up the learning process dramatically. Pictures and numbers don’t lie, therefore the apprehension, doubt, and uncomfortable feelings your students experience quickly dissolves. Understanding what is real and what your students feel is the barrier that stalls progress and inhibits learning.

Another common challenge we

all face as teachers and coaches is transferring what you get your student to do on the range, to the golf course.

We use 3D technology from Dragonfly Golf, which is a suit that is worn by the student, and you can teach in real time with anyone around the world! The 3D avatar models exactly what you do combined with measurements of just about everything happening when you swing a golf club. You will be able to determine and measure what the differences are when your student is in a comfortable environment (range or practice), to when they are on the golf course and under stressful

situations. Being able to record the pertinent data both visually and numerically will help the student retain the information and help you retain the student.

Technology will help keep learning fun and exciting, creating an environment that produces many WOW moments during a session. Adding different sources of technology to your lesson programs allows you to increase your instructional fees 20-50%!

Your return on investment is quickly recouped within 6 months to a year. So, invest in technology, spend less time teaching, more time coaching, make more income and learn how to SURF.

Randy Chang, PGA Chang has over 35 years of professional golf experience he has been recognized by the PGA and golf industry with instructional awards such as: 2002 Aloha Section PGA Teacher of the Year, 2003-2004 Golf Magazine Top Teacher in the Aloha Section, 2004 Nationally Recognized Teacher by Golf Digest, 2005 Golf Magazine Top Teachers in Southern California, 2009 SCPGA Metro Teacher of the Year, 2010 SCPGA Section Teacher of the Year and 2014 Golf Tips Magazine National Top 30 Instructor.

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Derek was named the Southern California Section Professional Golfers’ Association Teacher of the Year after receiving the award for the Teacher of the Year for the San Diego Chapter of the PGA. He was also aptly named among the top 35 golf instructors in California in Golf Digest’s “Best Teachers in Your State.”

Derek enjoys working with students of all ages and skill levels, including beginners, accomplished amateurs, collegiate players and PGA touring professionals.

He teaches at The Grand Del Mar and has taught many accomplished golfers including 2020 Olympic Golf Medalist Xander Schauffele.

MO MARTIN Melissa “Mo” is an accomplished golfer having won an LPGA major championship, the Women’s British Open in 2014.

Martin played college golf all four years at UCLA, walking-on as a freshman. She graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

DEREK UYEDA, PGA

MARCUS POTTER Marcus is a former Division 1 college golfer who has always had a passion for putting. He has been fortunate to learn and be mentored by people who have learned from the great teachers and players through the games history.

Putting in particular has always been a fascination and something he has put untold hours into learning and trying different methods of the greats.

He has given over 2,300 online lessons and is in his 2nd season coaching players on the PGA Tour

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Keynote Speaker

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE Brandel Chamblee joined Golf Channel in 2004, and currently serves as a studio analyst for Golf Central, as well as an analyst for the network’s Live From programming, airing on-site from the game’s biggest events. Chamblee also is an occasional analyst for Golf Channel’s PGA Tour tournament coverage.

Chamblee has earned a reputation for being one of the most intellectual and well-researched personalities on Golf Channel, and is known for his outspoken opinions on the game’s biggest stars.

A PGA Tour winner, Chamblee enjoyed a 15-year professional playing career that included more than $4 million in earnings. His career highlights include victories at the 1998 Greater Vancouver Open on the PGA Tour and the 1990 Ben Hogan New England Classic on the Web.com Tour. He also shared the firstround lead at the Masters in 1999 and finished within the top-100 on the PGA Tour money list for seven consecutive years.

A three-time All-American at the University of Texas, Chamblee graduated in 1986 with a BS in Communications.

A father of three, Chamblee lives in Scottsdale, Ariz.

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SECTION 2 The Future Starts With YOUth

Principles & Preferences words by John Mason, PGA 2017 Inductee, California Teaching Hall of Fame If you are just starting out in golf instruction, I highly recommend reading Chapter 3 of the PGA Teaching Manual, published in 1990 by the PGA of America, before you do anything else. In it the Teaching Committee, assigned by the PGA of America, developed “Laws, Principles, and Preferences”, and showed how they affect ball flight. This was in 1990 and since then many things have changed.

However, I still believe you will find that most of their findings are relevant today.

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For example, they state “the model” for laws, principles and preferences is not for the student but rather for the teacher. Explaining to a beginner fourteen principles in detail as a teaching method would not be an effective way to communicate how to swing a golf club. That’s sound advice to anyone wishing to succeed in the golf instruction business.

For me personally, golf instruction changed forever in 2002. Not because Tiger Woods was winning everything

but because this was the year Bubba Watson appeared on the scene. Back in the early days they had plenty of quirky golf swings, but Bubba broke just about every rule there was concerning principles and preferences. I started teaching full time in 1992 and all the publications and materials written on the subject were pretty much in agreement that they knew what you should or should not do in a golf swing to be successful. This was also about the time the slowmotion video camera came out,

so I suppose they did the best they could to describe a very complicated subject.

Little did they know then that a swing style, which David Feherty described as “an octopus falling out of a tree”, could score very well and win major championships, but it did. Now we have several home-made golf swings playing at the highest level, and we as instructors are charged with the responsibility of explaining the reasons why they are successful. In my mind what happens in a golf swing before impact is 100% preference, or in the case of the homemade swing what just feels the best to each individual player. My preferences in the golf swing are a neutral grip, square alignment to the target, and an athletic smooth movement of the body. I believe that starting someone in this manner has the highest probability for them to enjoy the game more and thus continue to play and develop.

The golf swing is probably the most over analyzed subject in the world, which unfortunately is done quite often by those with limited experience in the art of playing this greatest of all games. For this reason, I chose to focus on the younger players to help them develop in a manner that I hope will nurture their love for the game. For me, the first few golf lessons are the most important ones in any golfer’s life. They set a foundation for the rest of their lives, and if handled correctly will give them the tools necessary to begin their quest of figuring out how to get a little round ball from Point A

to Point B in as few strokes as possible.

As golf instructors we can all agree that how one places their hands on the golf club, how they set up to the ball, and how they align themselves to a target to be the basics.

However, after that we have an array of possibilities. Quoting the PGA Teaching Manual again I would like to offer their definition of a teaching method from Chapter 3 which states “a method is a system or way of doing something according to a defined plan.”

Strict “methodism” breaks

down when there is a need for flexibility and it’s not allowed, and the weakness in the “nomethod method” occurs when there is no foundation of belief and lessons tend to resemble the “tip of the month” club.

In conclusion, there is no right or wrong when it comes to the golf swing, only cause and effect. Practice and play the game as much as you can, learn everything out there about the golf swing, and then create your own method - after all, your student’s improvement is way more important than any celebrity attained.

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My Top Ten Notes to a Young Self

words by Billy McKinney, PGA 2019 Inductee, California Teaching Hall of Fame

1 2 It starts with the heart. We all know that saying, “no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”

3

Learn everything you can about swing technique and even more about how people best learn motor skills.

Be fluent in a variety of techniques instead of a cookiecutter method. I’m reminded of Bruce Lee’s quote: “A good teacher can never be fixed in a routine. Each moment requires a sensitive mind that is constantly changing and constantly adapting. A teacher must never impose this student to fit his favorite pattern. A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence. A teacher is never a giver of truth: he is a guide, a pointer to the truth that each student must find for himself. I am not teaching you anything. I just help you to explore yourself.” Enough said.

4 5 Get way better at promoting your service to your best audience.

YouTube, Instagram, and other social media can make you a star, if your content is good.

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Keep a nice notebook. There are too many benefits to journaling to skip doing it.

Get a pen and book, use your best penmanship, be creative, and be consistent. It is even meditative. You will uncover great depths of your mind.

6 7 8 9 10 Be somewhat fluent in modern technology but speak plainly with your students.

“If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” - Albert Einstein

Speak concisely. With age, I’m continually asking myself if I can use fewer words to make my point. Sometimes I still tell a story, but it seems my best coaching is when I borrow the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu approach: “Stop.

Watch. Now you.”

Keep asking yourself WHY you give golf lessons. Are you sharing your art form with others or just trying to make money? Back to #1, teach from the heart and the money will come.

Be open to working in a different country. Golf can take you many places. It’s exciting to embrace a new culture.

Have your life priorities in place.

Never neglect family for anything.

Stay well-rounded and healthy.

Billy McKinney, PGA Billy 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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Basic Basics: Golf Etiquette

words by Bob Madsen, PGA 2018 Inductee, California Teaching Hall of Fame

We need to do better at coaching the basic basics. By that I mean golf etiquette.

It is not okay for us to help golfers shoot lower scores without teaching golf ’s “table manners.” Standards of Player Conduct are spelled out in Rule 1 for a reason. I feel strongly that golf instructors must do better at emphasizing them.

There is too much slow play and too little attention to course care. This is a cultural problem because people just don’t know that these basics are not optional. Of course, there will always be negligent people who don’t care and can’t be helped, but that’s another story.

Safety is the most important thing you can possibly teach, but I am not worried about safety. I believe we all do a great job of making sure our

“I AM ASKING

YOU TO JOIN ME &

privileges for a while. I quickly learned the importance of the Basics. If a new golfer isn’t taught right from the outset to play fast and care for the course, we have let the game and its culture down.

Grip, alignment, stance, and posture are very rarely the first things I teach. I am asking you to join me and consider starting with the Basic basics first. Together we can recreate a population of golfers that insists on playing briskly, fixing ball marks, and repairing divots without fail.

CONSIDER STARTING

WITH THE BASICS FIRST.” students keep themselves and others safe on the driving range and on the course.

I also am not worried about how we teach the spirit of the game: consideration for others, integrity, and honesty.

We are good at teaching these qualities, especially during playing lessons on the course.

The things I am concerned about are PACE OF PLAY and CARE OF THE COURSE.

I have stopped blaming the golfers, particularly juniors, who are not playing at a brisk pace or fixing ball marks and divots. The negligence is not necessarily their fault. How would they know correct protocol if it hasn’t been taught to them by their parents and/ or teaching pros? If I EVER failed to leave the course in better condition than I found it, my dad would take my clubs away. And the Pro I grew up with would deny me playing

BOB MADSEN, PGA Bob is the 2017 SCPGA Teacher of the Year. Bob has been recognized multiple times in his home Chapter of San Diego. Bob is the Director of Instruction at Singing Hills Resort in San Diego, where he has been since 1991. Bob has been recognized multiple times at the Chapter and Section levels, including the Professional Development Award, Teacher of the Year, and was the 2018 Inductee into the California Teaching Hall of Fame.

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How to Get a New Golfer Ready for the Course!

Words by Roger Gunn, PGA 2017 Inductee, California Teaching Hall of Fame

It’s been my pleasure to teach so many new golfers who are just getting started! Over my 30 years of teaching, I’ve used many methods of getting them up and running. The following is my current “best practice” when it comes to taking a new golfer and getting them ready for both the golf course and for fun with friends and family.

One of the things I like to do is have them swing fully to a ball on the ground. This way there is no “taking a step back” like there might be if they are learning from a tee. I certainly respect using a tee and if that works for you that’s fine. I was convinced of starting new golfers from the ground by 40

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First I show them that the swing is a circle going around them, not a straight line. This is evident in the film.

the great Manuel De la Torre and have done so for many years.

The second element I point out is that the ball is getting struck first, then the ground. This can be incredibly eye-opening for someone who has never played golf before. Once again, my film gives us proof positive about what happens when the ball is hit from the ground. I make sure that they know it’s the loft of the club that’s getting the ball airborne, not the swing itself. In fact, a correct swing should feel like you’re trying to prevent the ball from going airborne! This is critical for the new golfer to understand.

For a new golfer, it should be noted that they most likely won’t have any idea about how a ball is struck from the ground. They might think the ball is somehow picked up off the ground, or that the ground gets hit before the ball.

A wrong premise like this can lead you to fight an uphill battle as they might literally be intentionally trying to do the wrong thing!

That is why I always start with a discussion of impact and how it occurs. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I accomplish this by showing them a closeup film of Tiger Woods hitting an 8 iron from the ground.

Finally, it’s time to discuss the Photo Courtesy of PGA of America action of the club face itself. I point out that the club is closing “like a gate” throughout the motion. This is not rolling the hands! This is the club squaring on an arc around us. I then make the comparison to clapping hands, showing them that this is also in an arc, with the hands opening and closing without rolling. This keeps the idea super simple and easy to remember.

This understanding helps curb the golfer’s desire to get the ball airborne by attempting to hold the face open through impact, a killer for achieving a quality impact.

Once these concepts are understood, I’m now working with a golfer who at least knows what’s supposed to happen. This will certainly make it more enjoyable for both me and my golfer!

I now move into the concept of reverse engineering this motion.

Quite simply, if it’s going to swing on a gentle arc into the ground, closing like a gate, then it better come from a decent place for it to do so! If it comes from over your head, this action is compromised because the club will now hit too sharply into the ground, all things being equal. If the arms are wrapped around the body without going up, then the club will not want to swing back toward the ground. Then I consolidate this information to describe what the arm structure looks like, with the club finding its way somewhere over the trail shoulder in the backswing.

To a person, this description of what’s supposed to happen is received quite well and quickly understood.

Now it’s time to try it out! (Yes, I show them how to grip the club).

I help them get into an athletic stance, then I help them to achieve a quality backswing. Sometimes this is nearly second nature to a new golfer, sometimes it takes a bit of doing, but this is where I start.

Once we’ve walked through the

motion a few times, I then see if the golfer can recreate the top of the backswing and swing through without my help. It’s at this point I’ll really be able to ascertain how difficult this game might be for our new player!

If the motion is incorrect, I will stay with it until it’s reasonably functional and in the ballpark.

Once this milestone has been completed, I’ll then ask them to make the same swing and now “hit the ground!” This may take some doing but stay with it. If they can’t seem to get down to the ground, I’ll tell them “Hit the ground too hard if you have to, but you have to hit the ground.” This usually gets the job done.

I then move into the following dialogue, “Okay, now we’re going to make the location of the bottom of the swing more specific.” At this point, I’ll grab an object for them to swing at, usually a golf tee or a twig. Anything to make the bottom of the swing match where the ball is going to be. Once they can do this…. hit the ground and make the tee disappear, it’s now time to try a swing at a real ball!

What I’ll do is set up our tee again, only now I place a golf ball just before it. The idea I’ll use is to “ignore that the ball is even there.

Just swing like you’ve been doing, attempting to hit the ground where the tee is.” If they can make

their motion and hit the ground in the right place, then voila! Up goes the ball, and we have a golfer.

At this point, you are now using the teaching skills you use daily to refine the club face, path, angle of approach, or anything else that helps create the desired impact.

You’ll certainly discover your own method for getting new golfers started. Thank you for letting me share with you mine! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out anytime.

Roger Gunn, PGA Roger is a Class A Professional from the Golf Development Complex in Southern California. His playing career consists of being named First Team All Pac-10, playing two years on the PGA European Tour and three years on the Nike Tour, and participating twice in the U.S. Open. In addition, his teachings and knowledge of the golf game have earned him the following accolades: SCPGA Clubfitter of the Year, GOLF Magazine Top 100 Alumni, and inductee into the California Teaching Hall of Fame.

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Educating the Parents of Junior Golfers Words by Steve Adamiak, PGA

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Photo Courtesy of PGA of America

We all have stories of the overbearing parent that appears to miss the big picture when their child is pursuing different athletic endeavors.

When it comes to golf, it can be difficult for instructors to witness and accept some parental actions. It goes against our number one goal which is to grow the game! After many years of teaching, I’ve realized it’s equally important to educate the parents while coaching the children.

Whenever I get a new junior student it’s a great opportunity for the parent to experience the lesson as well. Some parents initially want to stay back and give the child space.

But at the beginning I like to get them involved and ask some important questions.

For instance, I want to know if the student has siblings or is an only child. If they have siblings, do the others play golf or is this the first experience in golf for any of the children.

I ask these questions because I want to know if the parent has already experienced having a child in the game. If this is a parent’s first junior golfer, it’s likely mistakes will be made in properly nurturing the child through the various stages of development. When I think of development, I immediately think of creating a fun learning environment that makes the child look forward to the golf lesson and see golf as an enjoyable activity. There are times a parent gets overzealous and tries to create too much structure early on with swing thoughts, drills, and practice schedules. Too much too early

risks turning the child against the game.

the pieces that play a part in total game performance.

Beyond that, I want to know the parenting style that is used when it comes to being involved in the child’s activities. If the parent is very hands on, I want the parent to observe the lesson to hear the instruction being given to the child. It’s common that at the beginning stages a parent doesn’t realize how much instruction is being given and as a result the child becomes frustrated and begins to see golf as an unpleasant experience.

Even if the parent plays golf, too much instruction can be damaging at any stage.

Another common problem is when the parent comments on every shot the child hits. This creates a situation where the child believes the result is all that matters, instead of truly enjoying the process of steady improvement.

Remember, as a golf professional do not feel intimidated to speak your mind about developing a junior golfer, because you are the expert! It’s important that the parent understands that your intentions are to create a golfer for life. You, the golf instructor, have the best opportunity to not only engage the child but to give the parent useful tools to help nurture the child. Instructors and parents are in many cases the driving force behind a child’s development in golf, so it’s critical to know and practice our roles.

There have been many times I’ve coached a parent “off the ledge”, so to speak. It’s usually because of a child’s score, whether it’s in a tournament or a qualifier for the high school team. The parent just doesn’t understand how the child can play well in practice rounds but then shoot scores so much higher in the competitions. I educate the parent to see things that can affect performance such as academic pressure, peer issues, lack of sleep, and nutrition. Parents and children tend to believe scoring is mainly related to swing mechanics and don’t see all

STEVE ADAMIAK, PGA Steve is a PGA Teaching Professional at the Legends Club at Temeku Hills.

He has over 15 years of teaching experience, with 9 years in the Temecula Valley area. He was formerly Director of Instruction at Redhawk Golf Club and has trained with the prestigious Jim McLean Golf School at PGA West. Steve has worked extensively with all types of skill levels and has proven his coaching expertise by developing some of the best juniors in southern California, including many players from the CIF Champion Great Oak Boys Golf Team.

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What Is Player Development?

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According to the “Player Development Handbook” from the Southern California Section PGA: “Player Development is a term that encompasses all aspects of growing the game of golf. Player development activities aim to design programs that attract, develop, and retain golfers, and include both junior and adult programs.” This is a grand umbrella when looking at this from an instructor’s eyes.

[

[

words by Karen Tucker, PGA/LPGA

As a full-time Instructor whose main job is to teach individuals hourly golf lessons, it’s important to engage with your student one-on-one. Get to know them and find their “WHY?”. Why is this student interested in the game of golf and why are they interested in seeing you as an instructor?

The LPGA and PGA uses “SMART,” Goals to help students and the instructor achieve smart, measurable, attainable, retainable and timely goals. It is my understanding and experience that in other sports like Soccer and Volleyball there is a team and community surrounding a player in youth development and even less surrounding support when it comes to an adult hobby.

Supplying a student with the technical skills to build confidence and preparedness for golf seems like the most obvious instructional responsibility. However, at some point you may need to direct your student into a group environment to help them spread their wings to gain confidence in playing on the course with others, as well as attain grander scoring goals.

You may find yourself with the want or need to become the group environment leader at your facility, area or section.

Particularly if it’s unclear where your students should go next.

I had a few students in a large organization that wanted to continue to improve their golf game but also connect more with their organization members. I was faced with leaders responsible for 100’s of members. At the time there were PGA instructional programs I felt confident directing them towards that had been taught by other instructors. This is always a fine choice when you are carving your career choice and refining your specialization.

I was enjoying a great group of people and did not want them to be directed to another Professional just yet. I worked with the leader and created our own group instruction monthly events that made sense to the group, so they could all benefit from seeing one another while learning and refining their golf skills.

The monthly event became too popular so we created the Wine and Clinics almost 20 years ago as a weekly event.

The organization was full of Women Business Owner’s that our facility supported, so each owner wanted their business to thrive. They signed up for their own Corporate Event and/or weekly series. These events provided that unique combination of exclusive group interaction with personal golf skill improvement. We provide competitive game playing skill

challenges, and a raffle for a splash of fun.

Regardless of what gets players started, it is clear to me that more viable paths can help all kinds of players continue their quest of improvement and happiness in the game of golf. For Junior Golfers they can follow this player path pyramid from the Southern California PGA.

KAREN TUCKER, PGA / LPGA Karen is an award winning, PGA Golf Instructor that has been teaching for over 20 years. She was elected as a PGA Member in 1997 and LPGA Member later in 2014. Her most recent accolades include the 2020 PGA Player Development Award for the Southern California Section, that shows exemplary achievements in player development and growing the game.

Her past Awards include 2010 Club Fitter of the Year, Southern California, Metropolitan Chapter and 2009 Club Fitter of the Year for the entire Southern California Section. Also known for individual, semi-private and group instruction, she has been an instrumental part of the Pelican Hill Resort weekly and monthly clinics, private group events and Corporate events.

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“A Little Monster In All of Us” Words by Josh Alpert, PGA

Once there was a Megladon, a golfer she wanted to be Her lifelong goal, a “Hole-in-1” for each and all to see To Scotland she headed - the home of golf - to play the very best and even got an invite from her friend in old Loch Ness Ball teed high, glove fit tight She strengthened her grip to not push to the right Her mind started filling with dark thoughts of blunder a cold wind swirled, rain drops fell, she heard distant thunder She backed off, started over her pre-shot routine Why must this be so much harder than it seems?

Deep Breath, Visualize Success, Focus on Task She softened her shoulders, she felt them relax This next swing will be my best—fluid and soft I shall strike it clean to maximize spin, shot shape and loft Practice swing one (whoosh), then practice swing two A bit of a waggle, smooth balanced swing (phew!)

That little ball flew high as that little ball flew straight Get in the Hole Loch Ness yelled, isn’t this Great?

The ball landed softly, spun a bit to the left Kiss is to Blarney as touch is to deft A roar from Scotland was heard across the land Bartender, Arnold Palmer’s please, and make it one hundred grand Golf is a game meant to be played having fun Less is more The experience matters more than the outcome There is a little kid and a little monster in all of your students Treat them both with kindness, creativity and professionalism In pursuit of a lifelong relationship with the greatest game ever played

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SECTION 3 Coaches Coaching Coaches

Photo Courtesy of KarenShare Photography

Creating a Confident Golfer written by Dr. Alison Curdt, PGA / LPGA 2017 Inductee, California Teaching Hall of Fame Confidence isn’t something that just happens. It is built, cultivated, and created over time. The feeling of confidence and the mental state of confidence is often the one “thing” separating those who succeed and those who don’t reach their goals. How can you create a confident golfer?

DR. ALISON CURDT, PGA / LPGA Alison, SCPGA Section Secretary, and 2019 Southern California PGA Golf Professional of the Year is a PGA Master Professional and a LPGA Master Professional at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Los Angeles, CA. She is a licensed therapist with a doctorate degree in clinical psychology. A nationally recognized golf instructor, Dr. Curdt helps golfers find their best version of themselves, inside and out.

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Confidence is a state of feeling certain, arising from one’s own abilities or qualities.

It’s challenging to be confident in your skills if you don’t have the skill set already established, or if there is a discrepancy between perceived skill set and actual skill set. “How could I be confident in driving the ball 280 yards if I have never done it?”.

Coincidentally, the feeling of confidence can at times amplify the performance of one’s skills. “I’m confident I can drive the ball 260-270 yards, enhancing my chances I might drive it 280 yards”. The feeling that you can do something and the self-conviction that performing a certain action will result in a certain outcome is true confidence.

One of the first steps to building confidence for your players is to build the skill sets needed to perform, whether that is driving, accuracy, putting, chipping, etc. Many repetitions are required to fine tune the motor patterns, so they consistently show up under pressure. Once this happens the feeling of confidence builds, since you can rely on your skills to produce a desired shot.

The next step to building confidence is to add challenge goals to their practice. If practice is filled with 100% success, a false sense of confidence can occur. Having a 70% success rate and a 30% fail rate in practice provides an opportunity to overcome challenges. Adversity forces you to rely on your skills, thus building confidence.

Additionally, creating success in ladder increments will build confidence. For example, start with 3-foot putts, then move back to 5-foot putts, each time adding more distance away from the cup. As this challenge increases and your students make more putts, their selfbelief system will strengthen and build a confidence reservoir.

Next, tap into their sources of confidence which include memories of in-person experiences, self-statements, memories of physiological and emotional states, and imagery experiences. The memories of hitting solid and successful golf shots aid in building confidence.

That confidence is supported with the self-statements and the narratives created around their game. “I am a good golfer, I can overcome adversity, I thrive under pressure”. The combo of the memory plus the self-statements creates a physiological and psychological state of confidence. You “feel” it in your body, and you “feel” it emotionally. Using imagery and visualization where they see themselves succeed, prepare for success, and run through mental movies of awesome golf shots, will feed the confidence tank.

Collectively, you can build a confident golfer by combining these techniques and practices, so they’ll have a full confidence tank when needed. Make sure to continue to fill their tank over time as it can be depleted with perceived failures and poor shots. Confidence is an everevolving fluid feeling and state, so it needs to be maintained and cared for! Here’s to creating confident golfers!!

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Sports As A Coaching Tool

words by Tasha Bohlig, PGA 2020 Inductee, California Teaching Hall of Fame

“Sport becomes a means of education when it becomes everyone’s favorite leisure” - Anonymous What an exciting time to be in the golf business. Our industry has thrived during COVID, providing people of all ages a safe, outdoor activity. And with so many new people coming to golf, as well as an increased activity from existing golfers, we have a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to retain them.

As a Golf Professional we have a direct impact on their experiences and their progress. It is our mission to be creative and find customized ways to bring out the best in every golfer. Throughout this “COVID era”, sports and fitness in general have boomed (just ask Peloton!). I have had great success in using language and movement patterns from other sports to help communicate parts of the game. Even if people are not directly participating in

sports and fitness, they have been watching them on television and various digital platforms, or as a spectator for their children’s activities.

2.

Block and tackle - Football fans know how important the

Because most people have experience with sports and fitness, we can utilize various movement patterns to help communicate changes, make improvements, and develop a greater rapport with each player. Here are some examples:

basics of blocking and tackling are for the success of the team. I will often use this analogy to make a case for why we need to spend time on the grip, set-up routine, or other basics. It is one thing to go for the “big play,” but much of the time golfers need to understand that the key to consistency is in the basics. Examples like this from other sports can really help to prioritize the fundamentals.

if they have a sport/dance background and of course, their golf background. Learning if your student has a history of specific movement patterns makes it much easier for the coach to translate language, transfer skills, and prevent injuries.

in golf posture - One of the biggest mistakes I see in posture is excessive knee bend. People assume that by really bending at the knees they will “stay down” and make better contact. But it actually restricts the hip flexors and makes it harder to rotate,

3.

Basketball (“Play Defense”) 1.

Start asking questions - Find vs Hockey (“Slapshot”): a lesson out a person’s fitness schedule,

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leading to poor contact and body level changes. I will often show them and have them copy a defensive stance in basketball and then ask them to swing. They immediately feel how wrong this is for rotary motion. In this stance, they will only be able to move from side-to-side or upand-down, so this helps them feel the restrictions of this type of stance. Conversely, you can help by drawing comparisons to hitting a slapshot. Hockey players make such great golfers because golf and hockey have similar postural positions. With the ball and the puck on the ground, you can draw parallels that highlight correct pelvic bend and its importance for proper contact.

4.

Dance and Yoga - Anyone with a background in dance and/

or yoga has a great foundation for balance and process. These types of athletes also like routines and understand the important of the breath. Both are incredible skills for playing golf and when training the mental game. As mentioned earlier get a history, and when you hear any yoga or dance 54

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experience, tap into this with all aspects of how you teach. You can blend footwork, balance, and routine drills with mental game, breathing and tempo exercises with this type of athlete.

5.

Tennis and Pickleball - Our courts have never been more

occupied with pickleballers and tennis players, and you can really use these activities to help with “wristy” golfers. Someone with this experience understands that to move the racket or paddle they can’t just use their hands.

We see this mistake in all areas of the game but especially in the short game. When you learn the player has some history with these sports, tap into the terminology and even the equipment. Try putting a paddle in their hand at the chipping area or on the putting green to make an immediate impact in their understanding of the correct motion.

The “COVID era” is giving our game such a tremendous boost and what a gift to get to work with golfers of all different

backgrounds and experiences.

Coaching is all about customizing experiences and using anything from a person’s background or their viewing habits to cement information. Sports and fitness can help bridge some learning gaps, so the next time you are on the lesson tee, try incorporating analogies and drills from other movement patterns to better communicate with your players.

TASHA BOHLIG, PGA Tasha is the Head Golf Professional at El Caballero Country Club in Los Angeles. She is TPI Certified and a certified fitness instructor. She has been a multiple US Kids Top 50 Coach, and has twice been recognized as Golf Digest’s “Best in State” and “Best Young Teacher in America”. Tasha was recognized by the Southern California PGA as the 2019 Teacher of the Year.

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Coaching The Individual in Front of You Words by Jordan King Thomas, PGA

Beginning and inexperienced instructors, including myself when I was starting out, may not understand the best way to coach the individual in front of them. Often the instructor is just as nervous as the student. When this happens, the instructor might start regurgitating lots of information that they think will help, rather than taking time to truly get to know the student’s personality and golf swing.

Getting to know your student is just as important as providing them with proper swing advice.

I always conduct an interview prior to getting started with a new student. In the interview process I want to learn as much as I can about their golf 56

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game, their goals, physical abilities/limitations, and their commitment level. How much time do they have to put into reaching their goals?

Will their busy life allow for a schedule necessary for improvement? Asking about other sports the student might have played can open the door as to how you might coach them better.

If you have a 20 handicapper that is looking to become a single digit player, but they can only practice 1-2 hours per week and play twice a month, it won’t happen as fast as they might think.

Being able to manage the student’s expectations can provide a better opportunity for learning and a better

opportunity for you to coach them. There are many great body-motion drills and things that they can do at home that will accelerate their learning process once they do have the time to practice. I’ve also found that once they start to see improvement, they tend to find more time for practice and playing. Impress upon them that Quality of Practice is more important than Quantity.

Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.

Understanding your student’s physical limitations is another large aspect of how you will coach the individual. If for instance your student is a right-handed golfer with poor external rotation in their right shoulder, you would have to think outside the box on what the top of their backswing might look like. The top of the backswing can have a lot of different looks, none are completely identical. What we are looking to achieve is the best way for you, the instructor, to help them deliver the club to the ball in the most efficient and effective way that is within their ability.

Leaning on other sports they have played will help the student understand the feeling of something that is completely foreign to them. If they have played other ball and stick sports like tennis, lacrosse, hockey and baseball, this will help you get an idea of their athleticism and motor patterns.

Be careful with baseball players. While there are good things to take away from the baseball swing, it is a little bit of the reverse bio-dynamic sequencing from the golf swing because they are leaving a lot of weight on their trail foot. I like to draw their attention to the pitching sequence as opposed to the batting sequence. I have also used the skiing posture to help with the golf posture. A good bend from the hips and the knees, while keeping the weight on the inner edge of the skis, always seems to be a helpful hint.

Ultimately each student is a unique individual that needs to be taught accordingly. I have been told by many of the world’s best instructors that you need to be able to explain the same thing ten different ways, as well as have ten different drills that show the same thing. Not everyone is built the same nor do they have the same athletic ability, so not everyone should be taught the same. Get to know your clients first and tailor a great personalized lesson to their background and needs, and you’ll never go wrong.

JORDAN KING THOMAS, PGA Currently Jordan is a member of the Southern California Teaching Committee. He is extremely excited and proud to bring his talents to the Rick Smith Golf Academy and to Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles.

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Random vs.

Blocked Practice Words by Shawn Cox, PGA

Blocked Practice is when a learner performs a single skill over and over, with repetition being the key.

Variance in training is minimized or nonexistent. The learner then moves to repeat another skill (golf shot) in the same way.

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By contrast, in random practice, motor learners work on multiple skills in combination with each other, randomly working trials and patterns of one and then the next and the next, with each shot different than the previous one.

Because blocked practice leads to better performance during training sessions, athletes and coaches are often led to a false sense of confidence. That confidence is shattered during competitions, when predictability and rote learning are no longer guaranteed. In a study, subjects who were trained using blocked practice were more likely to predict higher levels of future performance than those that were trained using random practice designs. When studied during competition the blocked practice participants didn’t perform at the same level as practice and had to deal with the emotional stress of under performance. The random practice participants were used to dealing with performance more in line with practice, and they had higher results when it counted, in competition.

Richard Schmidt, PhD is renowned for his work in the area of the psychology of motor learning. His book, Motor Learning and Performance: A Situation-based Learning, is loaded with information on applications of random and blocked practice in many other sports and situations. He has presented at the TPI World Golf Fitness Summit and has written for Golf Digest on this subject.

Schmidt is quoted as saying, “In blocked practice, because the task and goal are exactly the same on each attempt, the learner simply

“

... random practice is the best way to prepare for performance on the golf course.

uses the solution generated on early trials in performing the next shot. Hence, blocked practice eliminates the learner’s need to ‘solve’ the problem on every trial and the need to practice the decision-making required during a typical round of golf.”

”

The literature on this topic is deep and consistent. Blocked practice is best for beginners learning new motor patterns and basic skills.

Once a certain level of mastery is involved, however, random practice is the best way to prepare for performance on the golf course.

SHAWN COX, PGA Shawn is the Director of Golf at The Grand Golf Club and oversees all golf operations. Since joining The Grand Golf Club in 2006, Shawn has been instrumental in launching and designing a variety of programs, including The Grand Golf Performance Academy, which encompasses seven acres of practice area and cutting-edge techniques such as SAM PuttLab, Blast, K-Vest 3-D, Full Swing Golf, Trackman technology and online digital video analysis. He currently serves on both the Education and Teaching Committee for the Southern California PGA. A member of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America, Cox completed the PGA’s specialty certification in instruction in 2005. In addition, he is a Titleist Performance Institute Level 3 Certified Fitness, Biomechanics and Junior Instructor.

He is also Trackman, K-Vest and Blast certified.

He was previously Assistant Head Golf Professional at La Jolla Country Club and Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course, where he founded the Junior Golf Club. A native of Seattle, Cox holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington, where he was on the 1991 National and Rose Bowl Championship Football Team and inducted into the “Husky” Hall of Fame. He’s shot in the 60’s both right and left handed.

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Less Loft, More Fun Words by Jake Toliver, PGA

The short game should be an art form. These days, too many golfers just grab a 60-degree wedge, de-loft it to create the desired trajectory for the shot at-hand and try not to chunk it.

I got so tired of this I decided to take a page out of James Sieckmann’s book.

On Friday afternoons I play 9-holes with my Elite Juniors, a confident group of scratch playing High School Athletes.

Every week I create a challenge within the game by either taking away some of their

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equipment (even/odd irons, 5-Clubs only, irons only, etc.) or adding a layer to the game (can’t miss left/right, must miss the green, etc.). This helps make their training harder than competition. I recently stumbled onto my new favorite challenge and felt compelled to share.

On the first tee I took away all their wedges. Every club with a loft higher than a 9-iron, gone.

I didn’t say much, just asked the group, “How is this going to change the game today?” First

off, standing on the 1st Tee of our South Course, everyone looked down the short, 360yard Par 4 and put away their Drivers. “No sense in driving it to 80 yards without a wedge in the bag. Let’s see what club I need to hit off the tee, to get me to a comfortable 9-Iron range.”

Next it was, “Well where’s the pin, because the closer I get to the green, the more putting surface I’ll need to work with.”

Now don’t get me wrong, our game is moving quickly towards “bomb and gauge”, putting a premium on distance off the tee and accurate wedge play. However, I found challenging my students in this format actually brought some creativity into the session and improved ball striking on the shorter scoring shots. A nice change of pace, at the very least.

Have you ever watched a talented young player (accustomed to slamming their 9-iron 147 on repeat) choke down a bit, open their stance, and finesse a soft fade 118 yards to pin-high and make the putt?

Let me tell you, it’s a thing of beauty, no range finder needed.

What was even cooler was the look he gave me walking off the green. “That was different.”

My main intention behind this exercise was to encourage some creativity around the greens.

This was inspired by James Sieckmann, a mentor of mine in the realm of Short Game Coaching. James will tell you a scoring club will perform much better when loft is added, not subtracted. Taking a lower lofted club like a 9-iron, opening it slightly, and limiting the shaft lean to almost none at all, exposes the bounce and allows the club to interact with the turf far better than slamming the handle forward with your lob wedge. Naturally the result will be a lower shot with more roll on the green, but you might be surprised with the user-friendliness and resulting proximity to the hole. Personally, this practice changed my perspective on greenside shots in only 30 minutes.

group hardly noticed a difference in scoring. I saw some great bump n’ run shots, more calculated strategies, and even a sweet up and down from a bunker. If you can hit a good bunker shot with a 9-Iron, imagine how much easier it will be with your wedge.

Of course, it’s not just about the 9-iron. This exercise is meant to change your approach dramatically, for a brief period of time. But I’ll tell you what, it bettered my relationship with my Gap Wedge and Sand Wedge very quickly. Now I’m not saying your 60-degree is useless by any means, but comparatively, adding loft to a 52/54/56 and using the bounce is an eye-opening adjustment.

The next time you’re helping a student struggling with their short game, try swapping their 60 -degree for something with less loft. You might just surprise them, and yourself.

For the 9-Hole round, our

JAKE TOLIVER, PGA Jake Toliver is the Director of Instruction at Los Angeles Country Club. He is a Jim McClean Certified Instructor.

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P-6

The Delivery Position

By Bill Hulbert, PGA

So much emphasis is given these days to impact position and kinematic sequencing that the delivery position is seldom mentioned. Yet it can be a simple “position” to teach and for the average player to visualize and understand, and it will lead to better impact if it is correct coming down.

BILL HULBERT, PGA Bill Hulbert is a Past President of the SCPGA and served on the Board for 25 years. He Chaired the Teaching Committee for 8 years and still serves on the committee. He has also chaired the PGA of America Teaching committee and was our District Director from 2013-15. Bill is a multiple Section award winner, including the Golf Professional of the Year and the Hall of Fame.

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K-vest, the MATT system, and many more scientific methods stipulate that the lower body needs to start the downswing.

Yet when asked how he starts the downswing Louis Oosthuizen, who arguably has one of the best swings on tour, says “with my arms”. Mike Bender, Top 100 Teacher and PGA Teacher of the Year in 2009, states in his book “Build the Swing of a Lifetime” that “the first move down should be an acceleration of the hands straight-towards the ball”.

John Jacobs, who influenced many noted instructors of today wrote years ago in “Practical Golf ’ that in every good golf swing the “distance between the hands and the right shoulder increases on the downswing”.

As we know many amateurs start the downswing with their shoulders, causing the hands and club to move out before moving down. If we try to correct that sequencing with the lower body initiating

the downswing sequence, we might get limited results because we still have not created separation of the arms from the shoulders coming down.

If we define “delivery position” as the point in the downswing when the shaft reaches parallel to the ground, what is the desired position?

Some of that will depend on desired ball flight and your swing philosophies. But let’s say we want a neutral approach to the ball, with sustained lag, and weight into the front leg. The shaft will be parallel to the target line when parallel to the ground, the face will be square to that path (matching the spine tilt), the hands will be ahead of the back foot, the lead elbow will be in front of the trail hip, the “pit” of that elbow will be facing out, the lead wrist will be relatively flat, and the trail knee will be angled in towards the target. By helping a student understand this position and then working with them to get there, we can break the cycle of shoulderdominated downswings.

Assuming we have created a workable backswing, it’s imperative to creative free arm swing and separation of the arms from the shoulders, as the lower body starts to move in transition. Tension

in the arms will impede the process, so soften them up. At the top, physically hold the front shoulder until over time your student will stop trying to muscle you out of the way and eventually begin to move the arms down in front of the body.

Once that occurs, we can begin to focus on the actual desired delivery position.

Some people will feel it in their lead arm, pulling it down if front of the left side (for righties). Some will feel it in their right arm, or right elbow, moving it down and in front of the right hip. And others will be able to feel the hands moving away from the back shoulder towards the ball. It’s important, and a good visual using video, that the hands and the trail elbow are moving down at the same speed. For the over-the-top slicers the hands move out with little or no movement in the elbow when starting the downswing.

Whatever works for the individual, if they can perceive a good delivery position and how to get there the rest is just pivoting the body through and squaring the clubface. An advanced drill is to make a backswing with a short iron, come down to delivery position and hold briefly, and then pivot through. You might find that working with someone on their delivery position creates better weight transfer and better impact. Live, learn, teach!

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Goldilocks and Golf Instruction...

By Tim Mitchell, PGA

I take some pride in my coaching abilities. I believe one of my strengths is the ability to make something difficult and complex appear to be simpler and more achievable for my students.

Having said that, I know that I wish I could turn back time and share the following concept with my younger self, and all my students. I truly believe this concept would speed up their learning curve, give my student’s a deeper sense of understanding and ownership for their own golf games, and save me from the unintentional mistakes I’ve made in leading my students down the wrong rabbit hole.

The concept stems from the most meaningful

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wisdom within the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Which porridge is too hot, which porridge is too cold and which porridge is just right? Hopefully that rings a bell. In golf instruction I encouraged too many of my students to find their perfect, or their “What’s Just Right” first, versus going through the more impactful process of learning the way we all experience every skill set we acquire in life. It’s a major problem within our game and industry, the unrealistic desire of immediate gratification from our students, and the misplaced pride of our coaches, that we can provide the quickest, most direct solution. This ill- advised cultural phenomenon is truly limiting the learning and growth elements needed for our golfers to truly learn and master the game.

So how do we implement the more impactful moments of learning from the Fairy Tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears?

We provide an environment that allows for healthy exploration.

We provide alternative solutions with the implicit direction of testing each alternative with an open mind. At the end of each alternative, the student needs to take mental notes on the following questions. Did the ball contact and flight change? Was it easier to stay in balance throughout the entire motion? Did the consistency of the strike improve?

And finally, was the new skill easier or more difficult to execute versus the previous option. Only through this experimentation

do our students truly receive the life experiences they need to (1) understand how to change and (2) make the decision for what is their “Perfect” solution.

Here’s a simple example. A student can only hit a short, high, weak, 30-yard slice and wants to learn how to hit a draw.

Which element of draw do you introduce to your student to help them learn how to curve the golf ball in that manner? Let’s say we choose only the grip and decide to introduce 15 degrees of a more closed club face, but nothing else.

What if that didn’t produce the draw ball flight? What if it was only a smaller slice? Your student is going to go home frustrated, thinking this game is too hard and they can’t do what you ask. You in turn have failed them, because you did not introduce enough draw characteristics into their delivery of the club.

Too many times in my life I was that coach. I knew I was giving my student what they needed.

I just never realized that I was guessing at what their “Perfect” need was, versus allowing myself to keep giving my student more of that same medicine. Which leads me to the following. My encouragement to you is to consider giving your students the medicine that introduces too much of what your student needs. Perhaps the above student needs to experience 45 degrees of closed club face before they see an overdose of their desired

draw ball flight. Don’t you think this hypothetical student would be ecstatic to be hitting snap hooks for the first time in their life, versus always seeing the dreaded slice? This student now understands 45 degrees of a closed club face is too much medicine and needs to introduce something a little more fade biased. Through more trial and error, this student learns that 30 degrees is the perfect grip to hit a compressed, powerful, five- yard draw. Because this student has had these life experiences, he/she now has a deeper understanding of how the grip affects the club face and how that in turn affects the flight of the golf ball.

This example was one where the change that was introduced was only a set up change, a static change. Imagine the impact this model could have while changing a dynamic movement pattern! I hope it’s an exciting concept worth exploring.

In conclusion, I want to encourage you to consider this alternative method for your coaching. Yes, you are the expert. Yes, you have more knowledge and experience than your students. However, in my opinion, your role as a golf coach is to present a learning environment for your students that gives them the opportunity to grow, versus always relying upon you to provide them with their desired solution.

TIM MITCHELL, PGA Tim has studied and worked with many of the great teacher’s of the game today, including intimately with David Leadbetter where he attained the status of Director of Instruction at multiple facilities throughout North America. He also credits other Top 100 Instructors for their positive influence, including Mike Adams, James Sieckmann and Glenn Deck.

Tim has also taught golf internationally, including spending one year abroad in Italy teaching some of the countries most talented Juniors, including a Junior Ryder Cup Participant and a Two Time Junior National Amateur Champion.

Tim has been fortunate enough to teach and have success with students of all age groups on a national level, with multiple juniors and collegiate players achieving All American Status. Tim has also been fortunate to work with Tour Players.

A firm believer that students should not seek to have a perfect golf swing, Tim encourages students to search for a game that allows them to control the golf ball. If you can control the golf ball, better scores will follow.

Good luck!

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CA Summit Through the Years

2017

Virginia Country Club

Virginia Country Club Long Beach, California Established 1909

The inaugural California Teaching & Coaching Summit hosted on October 2324, 2017 was born out of the SCPGA Fall Teaching Summit. The revitalized CA Summit was hosted by Virginia Country Club in Long Beach and has raised the bar on teaching and instruction for golf professionals.

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The Lineup EDDIE MERRINS, PGA SEAN FOLEY MARK BLACKBURN, PGA JAMIE MULLIGAN, PGA AMY ALCOTT JOHN COOK DR. TIM BROWN JAMES SICKMAN THE BOOK

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2018 The Fairmont Grand

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The Lineup HANK HANEY, PGA PHIL MICKELSON MIKE BENDER, PGA GREG ROSE SCOTT HAMILTON DAVID PHILLIPS, PGA STAN UTLEY, PGA DEREK UYEDA, PGA THE BOOK

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2019

JOURNEY AT PECHANGA

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The Lineup KEVIN DUFFY DR. ALISON CURDT, PGA BRAD FAXON JOSH GREGORY SETH WAUGH CHRIS COMO FRED COUPLES JAMIE MULLIGAN, PGA

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2020 VIRTUAL

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the originally slated CA Summit at Riviera Country Club needed to adapt to the current guidelines and protcols. The 2020 Summit moved virtual and was a resounding success as it informed 300 attendees on the golf industry’s current teaching techniques and practices.

The Lineup MARK BLACKBURN, PGA KEVIN KIRK, PGA JAMIE MULLIGAN, PGA JUSTIN PARSONS DR. BHRETT MCCABE NEALE SMITH, M.S. TASHA BOHLIG, PGA BOB MADSEN, PGA RICK SESSINGHAUS, PGA RANDY CHANG, PGA

MISSED A CA SUMMIT? WE GOT YOU COVERED!

VISIT @SCPGA ON YOUTUBE TO VIEW EVERY SUMMIT, EVERY SPEAKER, EVERY TIP

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California Teaching & Coaching Hall of Fame 2017 Inaugural Induction Bob Harrison Sr., Alan Ochiai, Jamie Mulligan, Tim Miskell, Randy Chang, Eddie Merrins, Dr. Alison Curdt, Carrie Jena, Eric Horve, Brady Riggs, Zach Allen, Glenn Deck, Gregg McHatton, Marc Minier, Kip Puterbaugh, John Mason, Don Parsons, Roger Gunn, Larry Brotherton, Jim Petralia, Derek Hardy

2018 Induction Bob Madsen, Kevin Hanssen

2019 Induction Billy McKinney, Ross Kroeker

2020 Induction Tasha Bohlig 2021 Induction Matt Flenniken THE BOOK

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The ULTIMATE 3D System The ULTIMATE 3D System Teach your students how to learn smarter and train faster on the actual course,how or indoors, the Dragonfly Golf 3D Teach yourgolf students to learnwith smarter and train faster onsystem. the actual golf course, or indoors, with the Dragonfly Golf 3D system.

Why limit your teaching to an indoor studio when your student can be out playingtoon course or on the practice tee? can Why limit your teaching anthe indoor studio when your student be out playing on the course or on the practice tee?

Dragonfly Golf enables you to capture 3D Motion technology on the golfGolf course and analyze real golf3D course swings in 3D against Dragonfly enables you to capture Motion technology on the practice on the range!

Your coach caninbe your side, golf course swings and analyze real golf course swings 3Dby against or thousands milescan away. practice swings on the range! Yourofcoach be by your side, or thousands of miles away.

Customer referral incentive available for accredited PGA Golf Professionals Customer referral incentive available for accredited PGA Golf Professionals

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To learn more, contact: +1 781-354-6659 info@guidedknowledge.com | dragonflygolf.guidedknowledge.com To learn more, contact: +1 781-354-6659

Our unique ‘overlay’ feature allows the coach to compare before coaching with after coaching and demonstrate the power of the Dragonfly Golf technology.

These are unique views with metrics captured on the course.

The left avatar lacks rotation with the torso.

The right avatar shows how working with the Dragonfly Golf technology helped the golfer increase torso rotation.

“This is the coolest product golf has seen in years...and it might revolutionize the industry too.”

– Golf Digest

THE BOOK

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WILD CARD PLAY YOUR PERFECT COMBINATION

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THE BOOK

CLUTCH HITTER

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