For homework this week in Advanced Teaching, we were asked to write down our personal teaching (swing) philosophy. Again, for those of us who are leaning toward pursing a career in golf instruction, this is a really important step. It can be an awkward and uncomfortable task to ask yourself the question, “What do I believe?”
Our Teaching Manual says a philosophy is “a general statement that expresses the main principles for helping a student reach his stated goals. It’s a concept that identifies what the instructor has determined to be the best way for a student to improve… a holistic approach aimed at the student that may involve execution, performance, and enjoyment of the game.”
I was surprised to learn that “although most good instructors have an underlying philosophy about their approach to instruction, not all of them have it written down in a statement they can post or provide to their students. The statement that a professional isn’t afraid to publish lets his students know that the information he distributes, the manner he does so, and the points he feels are most important on the path to improvement have a sound basis and should be able to withstand public scrutiny from any direction.” Translation: you can’t be afraid to stick your neck out when presenting your philosophy for public consumption.
We’re all what you would consider to be novice instructors. Some of us have given several golf lessons. Others are yet to give their first. Either way, we’re all still in “learning and experimentation mode.” We may decide to change our philosophies later this semester, later this year, or maybe not until after we’ve given a few hundred lessons. Only time will tell.
My teaching philosophy is still very much a work in progress, and rightfully so. But even though it’s still in its infancy, I thought I would present here:
My swing philosophy can be summed up in one phrase: keep it simple. We live in a complex world full of distractions. To the detriment of the sport, golf instruction has risen to that level of complexity. Instead of teaching a person how to play golf, I think golf instruction is overly focused on teaching “golf swing.” Nothing could be more harmful. The golf swing is so fast, no one can possibly control every aspect of it. We get bogged down in this angle or that position when in reality, I believe there’s a way to teach the game so anyone can succeed and have fun regardless of the amount of time they have to practice or the athletic ability they possess. -Dan Bubany
I think what I was most impressed with today was the teaching philosophies of several of my classmates. It’s not easy to bare your “teaching soul” to your peers. I give them a lot of credit. Many of them were asked to read their teaching philosophies aloud, and as I think you’ll see, they put a lot of thought into this assignment. I’ve tried to include what I thought were some of the best ones:
I believe everyone has a talented golfer in them. I utilize my knowledge of the golf swing as well as my strong communication skills to bring out the best golfer you can be. I feel that learning the game backwards is the most essential part of all – from green to tee. This way you’re learning proper swing mechanics from the start and constantly building confidence as you progress further into this great sport. -Vince Jenkins
The premise of my teaching philosophy is to keep things simple. In order to do that, I initially like to focus on the three basic areas of the game: set-up, impact, and fitness. I believe that dedicated a good chunk of your time to working on these three areas will not only give you the core fundamentals that you need, but the mental strength and stamina to take your game to the next level.
When observing and analyzing a student, I like to take advantage of today’s technology and use V1 Sports Motion Analysis as well as seeing them on a driving range and periodically, on the course itself. The V1 allows me to be able to give the student immediate visual feedback on what just occurred. Additionally, seeing a ball flight is very important, which is why I like to take my lessons to the driving range. Getting those live results of their swing confirms what he/she is doing right or wrong.
In terms of actual golf swing mechanics, I believe in keeping it simple. A golfer’s set-up and position at impact are the two most important aspects, in my opinion. A proper set-up will always give the student a better chance of reaching a good impact position. No matter how you get there, getting to the proper impact position is the key focus.
I emphasize fitness and nutrition because our body and mind are the engine to everything we do. Golf should be no different from other sport in terms of training your body to function at its highest level possible. As we all know, the game of golf requires a vast amount of mental strength and stamina, which can be attained through a healthy diet and physical endurance. -Brian Walley
PGA Professional Jay Friedman left us with one final thought. “Golf instruction isn’t just teaching, it’s coaching,” he said. After you show the student what you want him to do, you have to give him the encouragement and motivation to do it. Powerful stuff!