Learning, Freedom, Enjoyment, and Self - Reliance.
Everybody that plays a game wants the same thing.
Tips and quick fixes don't work.
My coaching philosophy is process-based. Discovery and exploration are valued over right and wrong.
No one swing fits everyone, but everybody has one best swing.
Awareness is curative
My focus is on developing awareness and the senses to remain in the present moment. Knowing where we are, our intent, and staying connected to the physical realities is a good starting point. The next step was learning to remain there free of interference and committed to the process of the shot. Improving what the ball does, diagnosing a golf swing, pitch, bunker shot, chip, or putt starts here.
Teaching assumes that something is missing in the student's ability, and the teacher has to provide it. As a coach, I presume the capacity is already there and only needs to be brought out.
Fundamentals of Pre-swing
Neutralizing grip, posture, ball position, and alignment lead to more efficient movements and consistency.
Improving what the ball does and diagnosing a golf swing, pitch, bunker shot, chip, or putt.
Fundamentals, Generics of the Execution of the golf swing.
The biomechanical movements are simplified. The golf swing uses the body and the club to create momentum and accuracy. It's how the lower body, upper body, arms, wrist, hands (with the help of the club) make leverage and apply force through the ball with the sequencing of the parts. This is called the kinematic sequence. No different than throwing or batting a ball. Improving what the ball does, diagnosing a golf swing, pitch, bunker shot, chip, or putt continues here.
There are more accurate, consistent movement patterns that can create greater force and accuracy. These will be explored,, as will the generics of the swing,, which include plane, face, balance, tempo, tension. Timing and rhythm create fluid energy that becomes the glue that bonds the swing together.
All good players possess some combination of these skills and movement patterns. These essential skills are explored, but there is always allowance for different grips, set-ups, and swing patterns.
Fascination, curiosity, intention, attention, focus, and commitment are the mental fundamentals that we explore.
Many of the flaws in a golf swing can be traced to these fundamentals. We will help you discover the set of fundamentals that are best for you.
The swing is not a hit. Images, feel and reactions to the target are explored.
The ability to move is decided by how you believe you should move, your biomechanics, and your ability to move. The golf swing must be seen as a whole and not as parts, as an orbit, a circle, or an arc.
Focus is not placed on contrived mechanically draining body positions.
The left side of the brain is used for conscious thought, dissecting, analyzing, and organization and helps prepare your shot but is a hindrance in the movement and execution.
The fast, visual brain is the right side, which deals with images, movement, and sequencing. The right side must be activated by external cues, images, sound, or feel to swing confidently.
Awareness and external cues are used as the foundation to understand the natural and effective movement patterns.
The body should move naturally, instinctively; the player must must focus the mind and intention, feel the clubhead, its energy delivery, and swing the golf club with clear intent towards the target.
The body's movements and positions will happen intuitively and in response to their intended target, ball flight, or the intended energy. Freedom to move comes from clarity, focus,, and commitment.
Be aware -See - Feel - Focus - Committ - Do- Reflect - Repeat
The club acts as a tool to accomplish the goal and allows the body to move in the way it needs in response to those intentions. You must see and feel the golf swing in one sweeping motion.
When you hit the golf ball or force the swing, you manipulate the clubhead by pushing or flipping with the grip and shaft. This takes your clubface and or shaft off the intended orbit or circle, and you will lose momentum, acceleration, and speed, as well as the quality of impact placed on the ball.
Using science and technology
Players must understand the kinematic sequence. There is a natural order to how the body moves in the downswing. It starts from the ground up, feet to knees, hips, thorax, shoulders, arms, wrisrts, and hands, moving the club and the clubhead.
Performance tools and videos provide evidence-based, unbiased information and feedback to help players understand ball fights, movement, and contact patterns. Technology is also used to analyze equipment and mobility. Training aids that optimize the feel of the kinematic sequence are used to reinforce natural movements,
Purposeful Practice and short game emphasis
When the task is straightforward, the body will move intuitively. When the mind is clear, the body will move freely. Practice develops trust and confidence and eliminates doubt and fear.
No one becomes accomplished without purposeful practice. The journey is more important and rewarding than the destination. Curiosity, exploration, and creativity are fundamental to practicing and playing and practicing with awareness.
Practice builds confidence and trust in transferring your movement and thought patterns to the golf course. To optimize, it is essential to also practice on the course. Practicing in the proper manner at the right time, with the right frame of mind, will maximize learning and performance.
Practice should reflect the importance of each aspect of the game, 70% short game and putting and 30% full swing. As a coach, I use the same ratios in programming.
Feel and touch take time. Learning to paint with your club and the ball is a neverending joyful exploration.
Phil Mickelson has 20 PGA victories and a 50% average of fairways hit in regulation. Why, because of his wicked short game. Explore, challenge,, and enjoy your short game. "Pitching is the prettiest part of the game." Ray Floyd. 4 PGA Majors, 3 Senior Majors, and 22 PGA victories from his book. The Elements of Scoring.
Mindfulness
Golf is a mind-body game. You can't play golf and move naturally with a cluttered, fearful mind.
The body will not lie to the brain. Play with confidence, trust, and positive mental imagery. Mental toughness, mindfulness, awareness, emotional resilience, depending on which you prefer, are integral parts of playing well and my coaching philosophy.
The game involves strategy, and one must learn to use the senses to understand and react appropriately. Coaching you your way around the golf course in a mindful way will lead to better scores. You accept the variabilities in the game and respond with confidence and commitment because you have practiced difficult lies and trouble shots. I believe there is truth in Moe Norman's brilliant summary of the mental game. " You have to play with alert indifference." I would say,, "You have to be committed to playing in a high state of awareness that minimizes interference."
As a Vison 54 coach (following certification), I am fortunate and able to apply the mental game learning process developed by Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson. ( Top 50 Golf Coaches). Thier 4 books are must reads and their last be a player is golf coaching classic.
When on the course you must imagine the golf you want to play. Stay committed to your intention, stay attentive, and focused. If you remain focused and have a clear mind, you will play well. This is not easy, and only the best players can do it.
Wandering minds happen. It's the ability to refocus, remain confident, and trust in the process that will bring success.
Commitment
Finally, are you committed to the process, or are you focused on outcomes? Dedicated to understanding, remaining present, aware, and open-minded during lessons, during practice, during play, engaged; or are you looking for a connect the dots swing, a quick fix. Do you play the game because of your love of the game and the enjoyment it brings?
My commitment as a coach is; "I don't simply coach you on how to swing a golf club. I coach you on how to play the game of golf, to transfer the physical and mental skills to the golf course so that you can become your own best coach. This includes recognizing your tendencies and increasing awareness to get you back on track."
My commitment is to help my students improve their skills and movement patterns faster and more efficiently, to optimize the learning environment, make learning more enjoyable, and self-coach. I teach the whole game, not just technical skills. Human skills, mental skills, preparation, purposeful practice, equipment, scoring, and course strategy are also part of the program or lesson.
As a total-game (comprehensive or holistic) coach, I actively pursue studying the science and art of coaching. Along with an M.Ed., I have followed certifications in mind-body coaching, golf psychology, motor learning, skill acquisition, personal development, biomechanics, and fitness.
Let 's have some fun!
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