golf instruction – Page 2 – The Golf Guru Show

Guru’s Top 50 Teacher Twitter List (2012) Will You Make It This Year?

December 30, 2012

Just a reminder that I will be compiling my 2013 Top 50 Teacher Twitter List so if you didn’t make it last year, tell me why you should this year (in 140 characters or less)

Good Luck!

For those of you who follow me on twitter know that I have issues. My twitter addiction is just the beginning. Ever since I gave my first golf lesson I tried to take my father’s advice. I can still hear him saying to me when I made the decision to be a golf professional,”I don’t care what you do but I think you owe it to yourself to try to be the best at it!” So that’s what I did. So I set my goals very high. I have never been the smartest guy in the world but I have always had this “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for Learning (OCDL).” So I learned very early in my career that if I didn’t know the answer to a question I had 2 choices 1) find a book about it or 2)go ask someone smarter than me that knows the answer. I’ve always approached life this way, it didn’t matter if I was learning to flyfish or running marathons, there is information that is available if you just look for it. The bible says,”If you seek you will find.” When I started teaching golf it was a few years before the internet was invented (makes me feel old) so all there was were books and people. No Youtube.com or Twitter.com or Facebook or blogs. So we had to travel a lot to get the info and to watch other top teachers teach. As I don’t think anything can replace the “Live Lesson” observation and face to face interaction, you can now watch other teachers teach and here them describe their philosophy through video (YouTube) which is great or read about their ideas on their blogs or forums. As I started to grow as a coach and a golf professional I always knew that continuous growth was dependant on individuals and the relationships that you build with others in your field of expertise. As the economy started to decline in 2009, the phone wasn’t ringing as much and my book wasn’t as full as I was used to seeing. I think I was once booked out for 3 months at one time……I found myself getting lazy in following up with my students and needed a new way to connect to my players and make sure that they didn’t forget me. So I found social media. Not to make this a social media tutorial but I started using what I called the 4 corners of SM. Blogging, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter. What I found was that I not only connected with my students through videos, blog articles and content, but I saw that other teaching professionals started to reach out with their information and content which allowed us to share and also build a relationship. I learned that even though it was not face to face, you could still get a very good idea of what kind of person you were communicating with through twitter and Facebook if you paid attention. So in the past few years I have made some great friends through twitter and Facebook and we actually have met in person and they still call me a friend which is the best kind (know all about you and still call you friend, lol). I have been fortunate to do some golf schools and teach with some of them and they are always only a phone call or Skype discussion away. The first 7 on the list is what I call my Mastermind Crew and are all great friends (all met through twitter).

For those of you who feel that twitter is a waste of time, I suggest you reach out to these folks with high tweet counts on the list and ask them how they use it. I can guarantee that most of their tweets are them engaging in conversation, sharing information and trying to learn from other professionals. Hardly a waste of time. All I can tell you is that twitter has changed my career in a positive way because I learned how to make it work. We all like recognition in our field and I always have aspired to be on the few top teacher lists that are out there but I have found that the most important thing and what I measure greatness in my field is twofold. 1) The passion to help other golfers improve and enjoy this great game 2)The passion to help and share with other teaching professionals so they can get better and help their students. I try to do both every day and I hope that it comes through that I don’t do it because of what I can get but because of what I can become through sharing what has been passed down to me.

So here is my list of teachers and coaches that use twitter to help other golfers and coaches like myself get better. Criteria: You had to have a minimum of 1000 tweets to qualify for the list. I am sure I will leave someone out so don’t get mad just tweet more (next year it may be 2000 tweet minimum) and tweet me as to why you should be on the list for next year. I am sure the list will get bigger. All of these individuals have had a big effect on my career and are a must follow if you are not already doing so. I made easy so you can click on their twitter handle and follow them immediately. Not in any particular order but all are great at what they do:

GURU’S 2012 TOP TEACHER TWITTER LIST #of tweets/followers

John Graham @johngrahamgolf 46,002 / 4355
Sara Dickson @sara_pga 22,144 / 2867
Jason Helman @jasonhelmangolf.com 4417 / 3463
Rob McGill @golfprorob 7545 / 1194
Kirk Oguri @kirkoguri 13,995 / 10321
Andrew Marr @andrewmarrgolf 10,336 / 1424
Dennis Sales @dennissalesgolf 6609 / 1499
Andrew Rice @andrewricegolf 2198 / 1523
Mike Fay @mikefaygolf 6898 / 1752
James Ridyard @jamesridyard 9462 / 1667
Vikki Vanderpool @vvanderpool 1665 / 613
Mark Sweeney @aimpointgolf 3921 / 5073
Brad Redding @bradreddinggolf 3991 / 1323
Ed Bowe @bowegolf 2954 / 4719
Mark Durland @durlandgolf 1278 / 235
Andy Griffith @andygriffiths1 2604 / 873
Ryan Chaney @oraclerio 1857 / 55
Rick Grayson @rickgraysongolf 4242 / 550
Ryan Crysler @ryancrysler 13,479 / 1352
Josh Boggs @boggspga 1770 / 987
Hugh Marr @hughmarr 3395 / 2040
Erik Barzeski @iacas 7061 / 745
James Hong @jameshonggolf 1158 / 221
Mitch Walz @walzygolf 5723 / 769
Robert Campbell @rcampbellgolf 1157 / 324
Petri Parviainen @piiter77 5322 / 771
Ian Peek @ianpeekgolf 5431 / 1369
Jamie Donalson @golfdonaldson 6214 / 2867
Keith Stewart @kjpga 1067 / 234
Matt Diederichs @mattdgolf 13,633 / 2666
Blake Graham @blakegrahampga 12058 / 1031
Denise Hastings @hastingsgolf 1541 / 474
Brett Packee @brettpackeegolf 2496 / 456
Joe Mayo @trackmanmaestro 3093 / 2865
Travis Lloyd @tlloydpga 1010 / 359
George Connor @connorgolf 1757 / 660
Denis Pugh @Dpugh54 7561 / 12331
Derek Hooper @derekhoopergolf 1120 / 513
TJ Yeaton @tjyeatongolf 1690 / 547
Chris Gibson @chrisgibsongolf 2551 / 308
Jesse Struebing @jstruebs 4636 / 1456
Kate Tempesta @KTUrbangolf 2250 / 960
Aaron Olson @aaronaosongolf 1023 / 902
Andy Gordon @andygordongolf 3852 / 1221
Martin Park @parkythepro 10,289 / 945
Kevin Flynn @kflypga 4851 / 717
James Martin @James_W_martin 1735 / 301
Meindert Jan Boekel @BKLGolf 5147 / 535
Donal Scott @donalscott 2825 / 735
Michael Balderstone @balderstonegolf 1983 / 319

Up and Coming Twitter Pro Stars

Megan Padua @megangolfpro
Tom Stickney @tomstickneygolf
Chris Foley @chrisfoleygolf
Justin Blazer @blazer_justin
Scott Chisholm @schizgolf
Adam Ohsberg @golfsenseipga
Bill DeVore @BillDeVoregolf
Corey Lundberg @curiouscoaches
Andrew Kiger @drewkigergolf
Brandon Roby @brobygolf
Nancy Harvey @thegolfnancy
Molly Tullar @mollytullarlpga

Must Follows (avid golfers with great content)

Ricky Lee Potts @rickyleepotts
Nick Chertock @golfprogess
Tim Ryan @seamuspicmcgee

Thank you to all that made the list and congratulations. Please share this list on twitter and with the other buttons at the bottom and lets see if we can get these outstanding professionals and people some new followers. Leave your comments below of your thoughts about this post and don’t forget to attend #tweetup3.0. Contact Sara Dickson or Ricky Lee Potts for more details. I hope to see you all at the PGA Show in January.

Guru @golfgurutv

The Top 10 Course Management Mistakes That Golfers Make

December 17, 2012

I recently had a question on twitter. Thank you @mstaley for your question because I think it is an important one. “What are the biggest mistakes that the average golfer makes in their course management?” As I prepare for my mental game seminars this winter, I thought I would come up with a top 10 list and see if we can help your games without changing your swing mechanics or putting stroke. So here we go!

1. Not hitting enough club on approach shots – I think this stems firstly from not knowing how far each club carries to begin with. I encourage you to find someone who has a launch monitor and do a gapping session. Most golfers rely on their absolute best shot distance instead of their average which doesnt leave room for a slight miss hit. Make a card with your distances on it and put it in your bag for reference. Don’t let your ego get in the way of your golf score.

2. Aiming at every flag no matter what – I use the stop light color code system whencoaching students around the course. There are three types of flags. 1)red – a flag that is tucked behind a bunker or a water hazard or that is very close to the edge of one side. yellow – this is an exposed pin that is closer to the front or the back of the green. It will bait you into trying to get it close but you have to make sure to take the correct club. Green – This is a flag that is in the middle of the green or is very accessible for the ball to land and stop. These are “Go Zone” opportunities. There are typically about 6 of these per round so take advantage of these. For the average golfer 15-25 handicap, you will be well served to play to the largest part of the green and take your chances. You will be amazed at how your scores will decrease.

3. Hitting Driver On Every Hole – There is no rule that you have to hit driver on every par 4 or 5. It is important to know your strengths and weaknesses and driving can be a key weakness if you don’t play smart. We all have our holes that we struggle with at our home course. My advice is to change your strategy. Hit a fairway wood or a hybrid off the tee and see if your scores don’t improve. You must have room to miss your tee ball and still keep it in play. If the hole is super tight, play a shot that you know that you can get in play 80% of the time even if you give up a little distance. Dont let your playing partners dictate your game plane. Stick to it!

4. Trying To Play the Hero Shot – One of my “NEVER’S” in course management is never hit two bad shots in a row if you can help it. This usually refers to trouble shots. You have pushed your tee shots into the trees and have to decide on what to do. 1) hit a 80 yard slice with a hybrid through a 6 foot gap just to hit the green or 2) punch out into the fairway in the large gap that you could drive your truck through. Most players choose #1 just because they saw Bubba Waston do it in the Masters. No. take your medicine and eliminate the big number. Wedge it on and try to make par the hard way but take double or worse out of the equation.

5. Putting To the Apex of the Putt – As an Aimpoint Green reading instructor, this is a huge pet peeve. I am not going to go into this as it could become an entire article but I hear this constantly from golfers when asked to read a putt. The apex is the top of the curve on a breaking putt. If you “Aim” at the apex, your ball will begin to break early in the putt and always miss low and will never make it to the “Apex.” The apex is an area that ball will roll through if the ball is started on the correct line. My advice is twofold 1) Take an AimPoint Class and 2)Play 20% more break than you think and you will come out ahead in the long run. We always want the ball breaking toward the hole. If you under read your putts, you must hit the ball too hard or miss on the low side and have no chance.

6. Not taking advantage of the teeing ground – After you have picked your target off the tee, I would suggest you tee off on the side that you don’t want to miss it. For example – You have a par 4 with water down left side. Tee of on the left side of box which will open up your target area

7. Using Too Much Loft Around the Green – There are times when you must play your toss shots up in the air over obstacles. But there are many more times when you have lots of green between your and hole and you still hit it up in the air and come up short. Don’t be one-dimensional. Learn to use your gap wedge to hit toss shots and learn to use less lofted clubs and hybrids to hit the higher percentage shots. Play the lowest shot allowable is my philosophy.

8. Know your strengths and weaknesses – For you higher handicaps, I suggest that you find your favorite club that you can hit into the air just about every time. Fairway woods are difficult to hit off of the ground for most players. It is OK to hit your tee shot, hit 2 seven irons up to the green and finish the hole. Work on your weaknesses on the practice range and have fun shooting lower scores. I once had a twice a year golfer shoot 43 during a playing lesson by hitting his 7 wood off the tee, 7 iron until we reached the green and pitched it on and made many pars and bogeys. There is no blueprint.

9. Letting A Bad Shot Ruin Your Round – It’s easier said than done but we must have an effective post shot routine. We all get upset over bad shots but when they carry over for several holes then we have a problem. I allow my students 10 seconds to be angry and once that club goes back into the bag we focus on the next shot. This takes practice but it will pay off in the long run.

10. Carrying Too Many Negative Thoughts or Swing Thoughts into the Play Box (address position) – We have all heard how important a pre-shot routine is in helping you stay focused on the shot at hand. Here is what I recommend. As you are standing behind the ball and preparing to play, ask yourself 2 questions…1)Where is my target? and 2)How do I want my ball to get there? This will help you block out distractions and help you focus on the whats important. Once you get into the play box, check your target, visualize the shot and “Don’t Forget To Breathe”

I hope you enjoyed this post. Many things in golf are common sense but we often need to be reminded of the basics. Play smart and enjoy shooting lower scores.

Feel free to share with someone who loves golf by using the buttons at the bottom and thanks for reading.

Follow me on Twitter @golfgurutv

Guru

Stop Talking! I’m Trying To Learn

November 19, 2012

One of my favorite things to do in this business is to help young teachers perfect their craft. At the Carmel Golf Academy part of my training regimen is to observe my teachers and to video tape their lessons and watch them back with them. This is not an exercise to put them down or make them feel bad but to give them constructive criticism to help them improve. One of the biggest things that I had to learn as a new teacher was not to try to tell the student everything that I knew, which at the time wasn’t much! This is something that I preach to my staff constantly is knowing what to say, the language you use to say it and making sure you are 100% engaging the student and allowing them give you feedback. Most teachers talk to much in order to boost their ego and show the student that they know stuff which is not productive and definitely not a great way to gain the trust of the student. To gain the trust of the student you must LISTEN to them, carefully describe what you want them to learn and be open to positive or negative feedback in order to tailor the learning to the student. Results have to be a mutual decision or you may believe that they got better but if they don’t believe it then you’ve lost them. Check you EGO at the door coaches. So this article has nothing about the who has the best philosophy, or the certifications that you have acquired or who can read the trackman numbers the fastest…..This is about how do you deliver the most understandable message with the least amount of babble to get the quickest results from the lesson. That to me is what the great teachers do for the students I am sure you will agree from your lesson experience.

I was teaching a beginning women’s clinic the other day and invited one of my teachers to assist me. After the clinic was over, I asked him to evaluate me. He said,”I am always amazed about how little you give them but always make them improve and excited.” He said that before he thought he was cheating the student if he didn’t tell them or work on more stuff. I can see his point but the goal of the lesson is to improve and not to overload them with information. They will ask enough questions to keep you busy and even then you have to keep from self overload.

I googled “Teachers talking too much” and this is what I found: a part of the article –

It gets better–research has shown that students taught by active learning, on average, score a grade and a half higher than those who learn in traditional (boring) ways.

But, most teachers do not do use active learning. Why? I wish I knew.

Perhaps it is as Geoff Petty said so eloquently in his short explanation on active learning(doc file):

We tend to teach the way we were taught ourselves, rather than in the way that works best.
We know too much, and rather enjoy explaining.

Interesting… as this pertains to the classroom teachers but how can we apply this to teaching golf.

So we start with understanding how people learn the fastest. 1)Doing – feel 2)seeing – visual 3)hearing – auditory

So if the this is the priority of how people learn, why do we do #3 the most? hmmm. Because it is easy to tell someone but maybe more difficult to give them the other two which are more important. So here are some ideas on how to “Talk Less and Guide Learning Faster” and students pay attention because your coach needs you to give great feedback as well.

1. Interview well – Ask open-ended questions and be observant. I have a big list of questions that I ask a student in the interview but the big 3 are as follows 1)What is your main goal and what does it look like (specific) What is your big ball flight miss (shot that they can’t survive) and 3) What are you trying to do” (their model) close 4th is physical limitations of course. As they answer your questions (don’t interrupt or try to help them) observe where their eyes go and how they stand. kinesthetic players look down and visual players look up. Auditory players may go all over the place. Are they favoring one side and what are they wearing? (more on that later) This observation continues throughout the lesson as you explain, model or manipulate….notice where they are looking and continue to ask questions. Do they close their eyes or keep them open as you move them?

2) Watch Your Language – Every lesson is a presentation. After I video tape their motion and we are going through the swing, CHOOSE your language carefully and MEET them where they are. By now you should know the students background, who they have had lessons from (which is why you should study all methods), occupation and sports history so this should help you in explaining what exactly what you want them to see. (key) Don’t point out every fault or strange movement in their motion but only the things that you want them to see and that you want to focus on in that lesson. Especially people who this is their first time that they have seen their swing, it can be overwhelming so be careful. Depending on their lesson experience and background you will know the words you can use or can’t use. The average golfer isn’t going to know what the 3rd accumulator, p4 or spin loft means so you are constantly checking for understanding. “Do you understand what this plane line is for?” Use language that they can relate to without the ums, uhs and kind of’s so it is clear and concise. I highly recommend that you listen to your video analysis emails that you send to your students for evaluation to help you improve your presentation. So meet them where they are.

3) Learn To Model and Manipulate Properly – Once I have explained what we are going to work on, I either Model (visual) or Manipulate (kinesthetic). Neither of these exercises require a ton of verbage which is nice. In my opinion, manipulating or moving a student into the correct positions is a lost art. If you are standing behind the trackman or the video and telling the player to move a certain way and getting in there and moving the student around then you are doing them a disservice. I teach this to my staff. Where to stand and proper hand placement. When to exaggerate and when to be perfect. It is hard to explain without video or actually doing it but there is what I call shaft control and body control and they must be done correctly or the student will get poor feedback. Doing this in a mirror helps as well. I also recommend (PNF) which is moving the student in opposite direction of the error and having them to resist. This gives them the feedback that they need to move in a positive direction which ingrains the change much quicker. Moving them allows for the student to give you feedback on how it feels to them and that is invaluable. I don’t care what they say or how they explain it, that is the language that I use in the lesson because that it how they relate to it which is most important. (Less Talking More Listening)….starting to make sense. Modeling is simply demonstrating by hitting a shot or doing it slowly (my recommendation). Can be helpful for the student to see it in action.

I know this is more for the coaches but it is important for students to give great feedback and let your coach know what you want, how you learn the best and when you don’t understand something. A great teacher can use all that information by explaining it a different way so that you can understand it. Because you, the student are the most important part of this equation and if you feel you are getting left out you need to speak up.

Coaches: make it a point to tape yourself giving some lessons this off-season and make it a learning tool because I will be doing the same in order to improve. If we don’t get better, the game doesn’t grow.

Thanks for reading and feel free to share with your friends by using one of the buttons below

To improve your word usage, sign up for twitter and try to explain something in 140 characters or less. ….. Choose your words wisely 🙂

Follow me on twitter @golfgurutv

Guru

Golf Vacation Tips (Guest Post by Beth Myers)

November 8, 2012

As the season starts to wind down and have some time to reflect on the year, I promise that I will be doing some writing and shooting some videos to help play and teach the game a little better. Until then, I am always entertaining articles from guest writers. Here is another one from Beth Myers from East Coast Golf Sales. Thank you Beth for your submission.

Get Your Vacation on Track by Picking the Right Tracks

There are few things better than a golf vacation. First of all, vacations are great to begin with. Add in sunshine and golf courses you have never played and it is hard to go wrong. One challenge can be selecting which courses you are going to play. If you are heading to a

golf hotspot, there are likely dozens of choices to pick from, with a variety of designs and greens fees. In addition, some courses are friendlier to women players than others. Following are a few points to keep in mind when selecting your vacation golf stops.

– Keep it Easy. Even if you are a good player, nobody likes to get beat up on vacation. Choose courses that have relatively low slope ratings, and therefore are easier on your scorecard. Save the challenging tracks for a regular old Saturday – you are on vacation and should get to post a good score to go with your good mood.

– Research Pace of Play. One way not to spend your vacation is waiting for the

bandondunes3 — Bandon Dunes #1 on my list

group in front of you to get off the green. Check web forums and review sites for insight into pace of play issues on courses you are considering. If a particular course seems to have a slow play problem, skip it in favor of quicker options.

– Don’t Break the Bank. Vacations are not cheap, especially in the days of $4.00 per gallon gasoline. You do not need to stretch the budget even farther by playing super-expensive courses. You are going to have fun playing golf regardless of how much the greens fees are, so take it easy on the pocketbook. A good rule of thumb is to play one high end course on the trip, and play the rest of the rounds on less expensive tracks.

– Picture Perfect. You will want to have some photographic memories of your trip, so pick courses that have great natural scenery. A course near a mountain or lake will provide an awe inspiring day of golf, regardless of how well you play. Be sure to remember the digital camera and take a quick moment to get some great shots for the scrapbook once you get back home.

– Play With Others. If you are traveling with less than four golfers, always try to get paired up with another group at the course. In touristy areas, you are very likely to meet people from a wide range of places. This can be a great experience and makes for a fun day on the course chatting with someone from a different place.

Some of my favorite memories are from golf vacations. Golfers love trying new courses anyway – trying new ones far from home is even better. One other tip I have is try to play earlier in the day if possible. Sometimes an afternoon tee time can eat up your entire day and leave no time of other vacation activities. By getting up and playing early, you will probably have a better pace of play and finish your round with plenty of day left to explore.

Beth Myers is a passionate golfer, mother & wife…not in that order J. She writes for East Coast Golf Sales on all things women’s golf – you could say she is a little obsessed. Be sure to follow her on twitter @GolfBeth

What are your top 5 golf destinations? Leave your ideas in the comment section and feel free to share this article. Thank you Beth 🙂

You can follow me on twitter @golfgurutv

Guru

“Inspire Junior Golf” – by Rick Grayson…A Must Read For Any Coach,Junior Golfer or Parent – Review by Jason Sutton

October 30, 2012

“Knowing how to correct a slice is very cool and important, but not nearly as important as being a “hole model” (role model to juniors). The golf coach will be viewed as a hole model even if he or she doesn’t want to be. Any coach that spends time with a young person will be viewed as a hole model. It comes with the job – Rick Grayson

This is an excerpt from Rick Grayson’s new book “Inspire Junior Golf”. I am doing a book club with my staff and this is our book for this one and what an important topic this is. Our goal is to find at least 3 ideas that we can implement into our current program and improve it and we ended up with about 10. I just wanted to give my review on this wonderful book and also highlight some areas that might help us all as coaches, players and parents. I happen to be 2 of the 3 as I am a coach to many juniors and I am a parent to an 11-year-old junior golfer that is playing tournaments so this book spoke to me in many different ways.

As an overview, this book is great from many different aspects no matter where you are with your current program. It tells you how to start a junior golf program, the importance of a junior golf program, where to find the kids and many ways to introduce them to golf. the importance and process of clubfitting is also huge when it comes to juniors and Rick nails it. It also gives you great ideas on how to improve an already successful program by adding games, practice plans and understanding the kids that you are teaching and coaching. I like how it ties something for all levels of juniors….the new junior, introducing girls and boys and the elite junior as well. Mr. Grayson also gives you great insight on college recruiting and the process that we all need to know to give your player the best chance to find a spot on a college team. I would call this book the “Blueprint to Your Junior Golf Goals.”

So I want to highlight 4 chapters that I think are important and what we can learn from them.

Chapter 1 : The Benefit for kids

Grayson says,”Golf is one of the few sports in which you don’t play on an organized team until you are in the ninth grade.” He believes that team sports offer the greatest potential for individual growth of any organized activity in our society.” Here are the six ingredients team sports provide – 1.teachability 2.character 3.integrity 4.perserverance 5.positive attitude 6. self-esteem.

How many of you have used life skills with terms and definitions to encourage the kids while they learn. Golf is life and this is a great place to start with any program.

chapter 15 Thinking outside the box

This chapter is full of great ideas to make your junior golf program more exciting and fun. If you know Rick, you know he is the SNAG GOLF King. SNAG stands for Starting New At Golf and is a great way to introduce kids to golf in a fun way using big plastic clubs, targets and tennis balls. Birdie Ball is another great game to use in your programs (round plastic circle) that you can use indoors and out and the kids love it. Mr. Grayson is also big on blow up targets such as Golfzilla that you can hit real, tennis balls or birdie balls into and have contests. And lastly Rick’s new invention is a board game called “Golf Fore Fun”. It combines golf skills with exercise, rules and etiquette. Rick showed me this prototype over a year ago at a conference and I think it will be a staple to every junior program.

Chapter 17 Class Time For Parents

“Today parents are more involved in their children’s sports programs than ever before. The only thing that is harder than being parents is being parents with a child who plays sports”

This has been something that has interested me as I teach a lot of elite juniors. I encourage the parents to be involved but not to the fact that it hurts or confuses the junior. Parents that try to teach their kids with the wrong information becomes a problem. This should be addressed right up front the role that they need to play. Parents need to be careful of over teaching or teaching something that the coach is not which will create confusion. Rick agrees that you should have the parent observe the lesson so that this confusion doesn’t occur. He also stresses the importance of a parent displaying a positive attitude towards the kids as it can affect the performance if handled in a negative way. This is something that i have to work hard on as a parent as well. Asking the child what they did well instead of what they did wrong and encouraging them instead of always criticizing. Sometimes a parent can change affect the player on the course just by a groan, a noise or a look that the junior will pick up on. Rick says it is difficult but consistency in behavior is the key for the parents. Tone of voice and a smooth pitch level is important. Here is what parents can do: Start the junior young, give the junior the tools to learn, Keep it simple, value the sport;respect the game and the people who play it (my personal favorite),offer small prizes for success…….Great advice for sure!

Lastly, Chapter 21 Being A Great Coach

This was a great chapter for the coaches. These ideas don’t just apply to teaching juniors but to teaching golf in general. I have applied all of these topics at some point in my career and it has helped me for sure. So here is a recap:

1. Set the example “hole model” – playing fair on the course and in life.

2. Talk the Talk – The importance of being a good public speaker. Personally I was the worst public speaker on the planet when I started in this business and this is something that I knew I needed to be proficient at if I wanted to be a top teacher. Rick recommends taking a public speaking course. (I suggest Toastmasters), practice in a mirror and speak at as many functions that you can.

3. Be a good listener – conveying your ideas about the golf swing in a manner that the junior can understand it. The language you use is super important but having the ability to listen to the student is maybe a lost art. Too many teachers talk too much and don’t take the time to learn more about the student. Rick says,”You can gain valuable insight into the problem by listening.”

4. Social Networking – Quote,”If the coach is going to stay on top of business, he needs to be a part of the social networking world. The coach needs to join Facebook,Twitter and LinkdIn and use these services to communicate with juniors and their parents.” I would like to think I had some influence on this one as my friend John Graham and I introduced Rick to twitter awhile back and it is great to see him embracing the social media and marketing as I think this kind of forward thinking is important.

The rest of the chapter discusses the importance of keeping up with technology, education, leadership and hiring (Albert Einstein) people who are smarter than you. This is a fabulous outline of how a young coach or any coach could use to get better and improve their teaching skills.

To summarize, If you spend any time with Rick or just talk to him on the phone you can feel the passion and enthusiasm that he has for working with juniors and growing the game. These are key ingredients that are a must in developing a successful junior golf program and none do it better than Rick. There is so much valuable information in this book and It should be a must read for golf professionals that are interested in growing the game and improving as junior golf coach. In my opinion, this should be the junior golf manual for the PGA of America. Thank you Mr. Grayson for your hard work and for sharing the information. It will definitely help us all to grow this great game.

To contact Rick Grayson, you can find him on twitter @rickgraysongolf or at rickgraysongolf.com

Let me know your thoughts on the book, junior golf or this review and feel free to share by using one of the buttons at the bottom.

You can find me on twitter @golfgurutv

Guru

Golfgurutv.com Heads In A Different Direction…..whos coming with me?

July 18, 2012

First off, thanks for following my blog. You probably have noticed that I haven’t posted in a while but and I am still approaching 70,000 views which means that new people are still discovering my site or that you loyal readers are just taking your time to get through it all. I have worked very hard in the last couple of years to supply you all the most updated information to help you play better golf or become a better coach. As I have embarked on my new job change as the director of instruction at Carmel CC, I have been purely focused on raising the level of instruction for my staff by mentoring and training and concentrating on providing expert instruction to the wonderful membership at Carmel. I have changed my social media focus to strictly the membership by providing them with exciting programs for adults and kids, shooting weekly newsletters and video tips and improving the communication with the members as to keep them supplied with the best golf information and instructional opportunities to help improve their games. It is easy when you have such a supportive staff of PGA instructors (Eerik Kauppinen, Clint Udell and Adam Ohsberg) that have bought into our philosophy and implemented it to the members that they are working with and a membership that has been so appreciative of the efforts to bring the instruction to another level. I have also been plodding along (slowly i might add) writing my first book. So I haven’t been ignoring you on purpose, I have been a little busy. As the videos will be purely for the members to see, I will be doing some writing (maybe a few excerpts from my book) and continuing to share my insights on this great game, throwing in a few posts for the coaches out there to discuss and helping to promote other coaches that have helped me so much (paying it forward as they say). I am not promoting anything with the exception of Aimpointgolf.com which I am so excited to be a part of and am the only certified instructor in the Charlotte area. (check out my AimPoint page). I have missed you guys and appreciate you following my blog.

Here are my picks for the upcoming British Open. Leave your picks in the comment section and don’t hesitate to leave a question or share a post. Here is a video that I shot last year at this time. How time flies.

1. Rickie Fowler

2. Padgraig Harrington

3. Ian Poulter

4. Francesca Molinari

5. Dustin Johnson

Best of Luck With Your Golf,

Guru

Sneak Peak of The Guru Short Game School @Stones River CC – Teaching the Bump and Run

March 26, 2012

Here is a clip of the short game school I taught at Stones River CC with Rob Mcgill. I had a great time and I thank Rob and the members for having me. Here I am teaching the bump and run shot

This Is Why I Blog!

March 1, 2012

I just received the nicest email from a guy that found my blog on the internet. Sometimes we wonder if anyone is getting the information and if it really helps. I am not trying to toot my own horn here but only trying to encourage those of you who are sharing information out there in the blogosphere to continue to share. People are reading and learning whether we know it or not. Most of the time we just get the criticism from the uninformed “negative nellies” (you know who you are) and we don’t hear how we have affected a golfers game or even their lives. I was nearly in tears when I read this for the first time because it affected me so deeply. Thank you “Mr. Wiz” for allowing me to share this with my peeps in the golf world. I think this is going to be a great 2012 for everyone and I hope that you reach your golfing goals. Let me know if I can be of any assistance. It’s what I live to do!

Here is the email that I received that will promptly go into my new testimonial page:

Hi Jason,
It’s Sunday night and it’s my quiet time but I wanted to take this
opportunity and thank you for the help you have given me unknowingly
but your blog site is truly amazing!

I found you quite by accident on the web just looking for someone that
could suggest some help on the proper backswing/takeaway (my takeaway
was way inside). I am a 4 hdcp. at The Tuxedo Club in New York state
and have been as low as a scratch a few years back but that was 2 kids
ago and they are now 19 and 23 so that tells you how long it’s been.

I am a self taught player and student of the game. Finding someone
like you was nothing short of a miracle for me, as you explain things
both verbally and visually ( the broom drill, et al) that clearly
define the feeling and look portions of the swing should look and feel
like.

Last night I didn’t make friends with my wife taking her time away but
I had to watch and read as much of your blog and former videos while
you were at Dana Rader that I could. What a revelation and truly
amazing! You cleared up so many misconceptions I cannot begin to
explain.

Additionally I had the opportunity to read your farewell to your
cohorts at Dana Rader and it was truly heartwarming and nice to hear
someone give thanks for opportunities and leave on great terms and
with only the fondest of memories.

Knowing that most PGA pros don’t get a lot of accolades for their
work, I had to take these few minutes to tell you how proud the PGA
sector should be to have someone like you representing it. You are a
credit to them, your family and all of your co-workers and members at
Carmel CC and they are very lucky to have you!

I wish you only the best in your new endeavor at Carmel and whatever
else you undertake. I also will look forward to any updates and new
videos on gurutv.com. Hopefully our paths will cross at some point in
the near future, as I may make a pilgrimage down to Charlotte to see
and take a few lessons from you. I’m hoping for a rejuvenated year now.

If your ever up in the New Jersey/ New York area (metro) please give
me a call. I’d love to have you up to Tuxedo for a day of golf at one
of the oldest clubs in the country with a storied history.

Wishing you only the best!

Sincerely,

Andy “Wiz” Wyszomirski
Mahwah, NJ”

See you on the lesson tee at Carmel,

Guru

Meet The Mastermind Crew “The Next Generation of Great Teachers”

February 9, 2012

Just in case you missed it. I got the mastermind crew together, (Charlie King called us the next great teachers) for a little roundtable discussion at the PGA Show. There were two members missing, Sara Dickson and Switzerland (JG) but they were not forgotten as they were involved in many sidebar discussions during the week. Stay tuned for the next twitter academy. You have to watch the last episode to find out what is next for the group. There is talks of a major group golf school that could pop up later this year. Who would sign up for that? What a great mix of talent would be assembled and big things are coming for 2012. I hope you enjoy the #Roundtwitter Golf Discussion with Jason Helman, Rob McGill, Andrew Marr, Dennis Sales and Kirk Oguri (listed as seated). Thanks again for our good friend Ricky Lee Potts for moderating and Eric Ballard for filming it. Follow these guys on twitter for more #banter and knowledge than you can stand

Follow me on twitter @golfgurutv and I will see you on the lesson tee @ Carmel CC

Guru

2012 PGA Show Recap (A Twitter Experience)

February 6, 2012

427117_994112433824_1574306960_n — "The Mastermind Crew"

So many of my counterparts have already finished their recap of this years PGA Merchandise show so here is my take on this years haps. In my opinion this years show was the best ever. As I have written in the past, the PGA show is what you make of it. The people you choose to be around, the seminars you attend and the products you are interested in. The PGA of America is starting to get the fact that it is a social media opportunity to connect with the members and the experience is getting better and better. As always, I had a definite plan to get around as many top coaches and to see as much of the show as I can which can be difficult in a very short stretch so I went for it. I can break this post down into 2 parts: 1)The networking and spending time with good friends and 2)the products that I thought were new and innovative and would help your game.

Part 1 (Networking)

I was very excited to hang out with and spend time with my good friends John Graham, Dennis Sales, Jason Helman, Rob McGill, Andrew Marr, Sara Dickson, Kirk Oguri and Ricky Lee Potts which you have heard me call my mastermind crew. We have all become very close and the side bar conversations are so valuable and I always come away with new information on how to teach better. For those of you who could keep up with our twtter feeds would know that we had a Pre Tweet up on Wednesday where we got together for dinner and then John Graham’s and Richie Hunt’s Big tweet up on Thursday which was awesome. I got to meet so many new people who I had talked to on twitter like Steve Mitchell, Nick Starchuck, Megan Pudua, James Hong, Michel Mennard, Travis Lloyd, John Randle, Zach Baron. I even got to stay with Aaron Olson, one of the bright young stars in the business from Arizona. He works with Megan Pudua, Jeff Rittter and Martin Chuck at the Raven. You will be hearning great things from this young man as he was very impressive for sure. There were so many people who I met I am sure I am leaving someone out. As for the tweetup, it did not disappoint as the swing discussion and demonstration was led by good friend and one of my favorite people, John Dochety as he turned Andrew Marr into a pretzel demonstrating the multiple tilts in the golf swing. Doc, you are the best my friend and I always learn so much when we get together. Thank you to John Graham for putting it together and I know it is going to make a difference in our industry for such a group of coaches to come together from all different philosophies and theories to share and enjoy one another’s company. Trust me, the teaching summit had nothing on what went on this evening. I have included a short montage put together by Nick Chertock (who better be in attendance next year) which was awesome. Thank you my friend. One of my big goals while I was there was to take the opportunity to shoot some video of all the mastermind crew. So I put together our team and how had a round table discussion the next morning that lasted about 40 minutes. I think you can get the feeling of how much we care about one another which for me has been life changing. The only bummer was that Sara Dickson and Switzerland (JG) could not be a part of it but there will be a next time. Big thanks for my friend, Ricky Lee Potts for moderating the discussion and my friend Eric “LaFama Blanca” for the excellent camera work. We will step it up with some wireless mics next time (Nick C). I hope you enjoyed it as much I we did filming it. I could go on and on about all the side bar moments that I had discussing Aimpoint and the importance of ankle mobility with John Graham and Dennis Sales or watching one a teaching legend like Jim Hardy give a lesson in the garage with a broom or how Kirk Oguri has better hair than Robert Rock but I don’t have enough time. You will have to hit me up another time. Now to part 2

Equipment and training aids:

Best Booth : Taylor Made City. You could even get a picture with Dustin Johnson, very cool. It took up the entire end of the show.

Training Aids that I liked :

Guru training system www.gurutrainingsystem.com 3D training with no wires or sensors. Very cool. (still looking for my royalties)

Swing byte – http://swingbyte.com/ I bought one of these as it gives you 3d motion of the club from different angles and connects to your ipad or phone so it is portable. It also gives you data from each shot. Looking forward to playing with this for sure.

ES 12 digital golf assistant – great for gap training and tells you how far each shot travels. here is a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF6HSrdlkD8 I bought one of these too. I will be doing wedge schools and on course training with this guy.

Shotstothehole.com – a very good stats tracker that i may use this year.

Trackman 3 – www.trackmangolf.com This would be the final piece to my teaching academy as I would love to get one of these. The new one is more portable and now has a short game feature that will track down to 2 yards. I met with the rep and was very impresseed.

True Links Shoes – A low profile golf shoe that was very comfortable and allowed you to feel the ground. Mark Sweeney calls them AimPoint green reading shoes. JG, Dennis and I bought a pair.

I also want to thank Lorin Anderson from GBN for putting together such great education seminars. I attended Brian Manzella, Charlie King and Jeff Ritter which was a great way to start the show. I could say so much more but I will leave you with this:

It was great to spend time with my crew and meet so many top coaches and great people who have influenced my career such as Chuck Evans, Charlie King and Todd Sones which is what the PGA show is all about. As I said before, it is all what you make of it. If you didn’t get anything out of it, It no fault but your own. See you next year.

Guru