A typical lesson with Golfer-29

Since I was mentioned as a Coach who dares to be different (See article here), I thought I would write about a typical lesson/coaching session in my studio. This is an example of a lesson with a person who has played golf many years and still maintains a handicap of 29. "Golfer-29" is approximately 58 yrs old, has worked at the same company for 22 years and plays on Wednesdays with the guys. He gets in some 9-hole rounds with his wife, but doesn't really practice at all. He travels a lot with his job and one can see the affects of beer consumption around his waist. His idea of working out is taking a 25 minute walk 2-3 times per week.

Steven "Welcome to my studio. What can I do for you?"

Golfer-29 "My swing is all messed up. I am slicing the ball."

Steven "What type of shot do you normally play? and How long have you been slicing it?"

Golfer-29 "I usually hit it straight. I have been slicing it this entire season (2 months) and thought I could fix it myself. This is why I am here."

Steven "Do you slice it with ALL of your clubs or just your driver?"

Golfer-29 "I slice it most with my driver. My buddies tell me to finish my swing, so I try and swing MORE LEFT, which only makes the ball slice more."

Steven "Ok, I see. How often do you practice?"

Golfer-29 "I don't have time to practice. When I do have time, I want to play. I might, though, hit a bucket of balls before going out to play."

Steven "Do you have any injuries or limitations that I should know about?"

Golfer-29 "Nope. Perfectly healthy."

SIDE NOTE: When I do a quick TPI screen later, it is revealed that my student can not disassociate his upper and lower body. Very important to know when creating an improvement program.

Steven "Ok, we are going to hit some shots (from a perfect lie and toward the same target on the range) with a variety of clubs: SW, 9i, 7i, 5i, 3-wood, Driver. With each shot, I want you to talk through your routine with me. Where is the ball placed? Where is your balance? Tempo- Is it slow, medium or fast? How you align yourself."

Golfer-29 "What? You want me to what?"

Steven "Tell me what you are doing on every shot."

Golfer-29 "Hmmm? Ok. Let's see........"

As he started hitting shots, it was clear that this golfer NEVER paid attention to what he was doing within his own space (body, ball, alignment). Once we started talking through where he might have his ball position and balance, we progressed on to his tempo. He felt that his tempo was 100% but after examining shots at MAX speed, we realized that he likes to swing the club at about 70% tempo. Within the past few months, he was swinging the club WAY too fast and thus his lack of ability to disassociate his upper from lower body showed up. This made the club swing too steeply down to the ball. TEMPO was the culprit to faulty swing mechanics in this situation. However, I stressed that this person should start thinking about a routine to keep his body, ball, alignment consistent with every shot. Once we got the tempo down to a manageable level, he could start hitting the shots that felt familiar. It was up to him to pay attention to his routine / tempo and thus he could always play close to his potential (and handicap).

This is an example of this player using his mental energy to do what he already knew how to do. I didn't really do anything to change his swing. This session was a matter of "bringing out" shots he already knew how to play, thus making his shots and hopefully the game more predictable.

Thanks for reading!
Steven