Coaching

 

Whether I am coaching a high handicap player or literally one of the best players in the world, the objectives rarely change. They are:

• To get the player to perform to their potential and beyond
• To perform under pressure, succeed and win tournaments
• Improve in the shortest time possible
• TO SCORE LOWER!

During this period I will also help influence the player’s belief in themselves, honing and moulding them into players that totally believe in themselves, are confident and can play with freedom, trust and commitment.

I have been told that I am very enthusiastic, passionate and patient with every player. Certainly it always gives me immense satisfaction and joy to see players I have taught improve beyond their expectations and how it not only has a positive impact on their golf but their life’s.     

Technically I do not teach a method, `one size fits all’ for me doesn’t make sense as every players swing will be like their own personal fingerprint, which will be dependent on their stature, how their body moves, their flexibility, their strength and their natural rhythm. I work around and adapt to any restrictions and weaknesses the player has whilst separately providing appropriate flexibility and strength and conditioning exercises to `upgrade’ their body if they so choose.   

Whilst a fundamentally sound and technically well-structured swing will aesthetically look good and feel powerful, I am not as interested in it looking pretty as I am in how affective it is! It is not so much what it looks like but what it achieves!  

I work around 5 questions, what does the player need most?  Then set out what upgrades are appropriate, is it more:-

• Power

• Accuracy

• Consistency

• Better ball striking

• A different shape and or trajectory of flight and different spin rate

I always like to take video footage during the coaching session so the player and I are both totally clear of what is good and what could be better. What are the short, medium and long term goals, what we would like to amend, in what order and what percentage of practice time is devoted to each separate move if there is more than one. I always keep a video library of each session on my V1 system and send every recording immediately after the lesson to the player’s phone and email address for reference. I also keep a written file on every player so I am always 100% clear of what has been and covered.

I like to be factual with every department I cover, backed up by video evidence so there is never any guesswork, the player can then gain true confidence by not only seeing continuously better results with the balls flight, but also the movements.

No me there are 4 very distinct parts to the coaching session:-

1. Talking to the player to establish what has been going well and what could be better? What they would like to achieve from the session? What does progress look like to them and do they have any immediate `major’ events coming up?
2. After warming up take some video footage, then look at this together in the coaching lodge and establish a plan. Establish whether the session will be more maintenance or development based.
3. Back to the range to put in place any new amendments, providing feels/training aids/visual and kinaesthetic cues
4. Before the end of the session being 100% clear that the player is happy and totally understands what to work on, why, how and how long for.

I am ever mindful that whatever the goal is, whether it is to lower your handicap, win the club championship, get onto the European Tour or win a Major, you will have to have a `hot’ short game.  42% of your score coming from putting, you will need to chip consistently inside 8ft to lower your handicap and 4ft to win on Tour, pitching is the glue that holds a round together and you need to be competent enough from the sand to be confident. I structure and tailor each players programme to ensure these skills are appropriately upgraded and honed at the correct time in order to score lower.

Every golfer at every level has to have CONFIDENCE and BELIEF in their own ability. During every coaching session a goal of mine is to help each player build and cement that deep seated belief.

(View Golfing Psychology and Testimonials from leading sports Psychologists Karl Morris and Dr Chris Shambrook)