Teaching Beginning Golf

1. Teaching Beginning Golf Dr. Scott Colclough Middle Tennessee State University Dr. Mike Hall University of North Alabama Stuart Currie, ABD Middle Tennessee State University

2. Introduction • Teaching Cues • Sources of equipment • Resources & references

3. Safety • Equipment • Clubs should be in satisfactory working order. • Check: club head, shafts, grips. • Proper attire: clothing and footwear. • Weather: 1st sign of thunder and lightning remove players from course. Seek shelter

4. Range Visits • Try and limit numbers • Space: Side and behind • Make sure players are level or slightly behind one another • Everybody hits in the same direction • Retrieve balls only under Coach’s instruction.

5. Golf Terms • Par • Defined: The number of strokes it should take to complete the hole. • How do you come up with par: 2 putts on every green, yardage, and hazards • Average par for 18 holes:72 (36 putts 18x2)

6. Golf Terms • Scoring • Ace: Hole in one • Eagle: 2 strokes under par • Birdie: 1 stroke under par • Par: Score a very good player would expect to make on a hole • Bogey: 1 stroke over par (good for the average golfer) • Double Bogey: 2 strokes over par

7. Putting (½ the game) • Dave Pelz: • 80% of the strokes golfers lose to par are determined by their play within 100 yards of the green.

8. Putting • Grip: Palms on opposing sides, thumbs down shaft,(r-handers)slide right hand down & place left index finger over right pinkie or extend your left finger index finger over the fingers of your right hand. • Stance: Feet shoulder width apart, eyes over ball, blade of club square to putt line • Wrist : Take the wrists out of play • Rhythm & Tempo: Tic-Toc, same speed for all putts, everyone is different find your tempo • Pace: Get it close, think of the hole as being 3-foot in diameter rather than 4.25 inches!

9. Coaching at the RangeWhere do I start?? • Organization • Safety • What is the ball doing? fading/slicing, drawing/hooking, topping/fatting • What is the club doing? Shut/open • What is the body doing? Reverse pivoting, swaying, under/over rotation.

10. How to correct and What to Check?? • Observation: Side and behind • Demonstration: You show • Instruction: Minimal, key points • Check: Grip, stance, posture, alignment, backswing, impact, follow through, finish.

11. How to Grip the club (irons & woods) • Grips • Target Hand -Top View • “V” point to the rear ear • Two knuckles visible (top hand) • No gap between thumb & index finger • Rear Hand – Top View • “V” point to the rear ear • One knuckle visible (bottom hand) • No gap between thumb & index finger

12. How to grip the club(irons & woods) • Grips ( pressure should never be tight) • Vardon grip: right pinkie overlaps the left index finger • Ten-finger/ baseball grip: place all ten fingers on the club • Interlocking: interlock the right pinkie and left index finger

13. Address • POSTURE • Athletic position • Knees slightly bent • Bend from the waist • Arms hang down naturally

14. Address • STANCE • Feet shoulder width apart • Toes pointing slightly out • Weight distributed 40-60 • Weight distributed on the balls of each foot. • 1. Square stance- aiming towards target • 2. Closed stance- aiming right of target • 3. Open stance- aiming left of target

15. Address • ALIGNMENT • Feet should be parallel to the target (square stance). • Align club to ball using intermediate target (T), club face square, align body • Toe line should be parallel to target line

16. Address Drills • Hand shake drill: Three people needed, the person in the middle turns and shakes hands with the two people facing him • Heavy box drill: same as above, pretend you are handing each person a very heavy box

17. Address Drills • Place two golf clubs down on the ground pointing towards the intended target. One golf club should represent the ball to target line and should be pointing directly towards the target. The second club should represent your feet to target line and should run parallel with the first club. Imagine a railway track running towards your intended target. • The golf club should be square to the target and positioned just inside the leading foot.

18. Address - Setup & Pre-swing Routine • Setup & Pre-swing Routine • Select club • Intermediate target (12-18 inches in front and behind ball) • Align club to ball using intermediate target (T), club face square, align body • Toe line should be parallel to target line

19. The golf swing can be broken down into six stages with cues: • * Keys of success have been developed with the right handed golfer in mind. Left handed golfers should follow the instruction but reverse the instruction hints. • (You can substitute “front” and “rear” verses “left” and “right”). • 1. Backswing • 2. Top of Backswing • 3. Transition • 4. Impact • 5. Follow through • 6. Finish

20. Swing Check Points:1. BACKSWING: CUES pass the heavy box, hand shake • Halfway position: • Shoulders turn on a flat plane to 45 degrees • Shoulders rotate as the arms turn to hip height • Left arm is extended but relaxed • Right arm is bent and the right elbow is pointing down to the ground • Target hand is facing away from the body • Toe of the club is pointing up towards the sky • Stay within the posture position

21. Swing Check Points:2. TOP BACKSWING: CUES – club parallel • Shoulders have turned through 90 degrees. Left shoulder has turned under chin • Wrists have broken and arms are extended away from the body • Right elbow is pointing down to the ground • Hips have turned through 45 degrees • Weight has transferred onto the right foot (40-60) • Remain within the posture position • Right knee remains flexed

22. Swing Check Points:3.TRANSITION: CUES –heelpress • Transfer of weight from the back foot occurs with the leading knee separating away from the back knee • Leading shoulder moves away and out • Club drops down and the right elbow moves in front of the right hip • Weight continues to transfer over onto the left side

23. Swing Check Points:4. IMPACT: CUES –pop the towel • Is a mirror image of the address position except the hips have cleared and the weight has transferred onto the left foot • Spine angle should mirror the spine angle at address • Staggered start

24. Swing Check Points:5. FOLLOW THROUGH: CUES – kiss the knees • The momentum of the previous movements will continue to turn the body through the golf ball. • Half way check point: • The follow through should mirror the back swing checkpoint • Toe of the golf club should be pointing in the air • Arms extended away from the body • Right shoulder should be moving under the chin • Weight distributed 60-40 onto the left side

25. Swing Check Points:6. FINISH: CUES –golf trophy • Weight has moved onto the left side • Body has turned through the ball, so that the belly button is parallel to the target line • Toe of the right foot should be pointing into the ground with the heel raised off • Arms are high and relaxed by the left ear

26. Which club should you use? • Average Distance Men Women • Driver 230 200 • 3-wood 210 180 • 5-iron 160 140 • 9-iron 120 100 • PW 110 90

27. Golf Swing Training Aids • Broom • Medicus: club feathering a hinge which is engineered to bend whenever a flaw occurs • Assist: training grip, precision bent shaft, weighted club head • Shotsavers, Inc. – Training Aids & Devices • Catalog – Golf around the World

28. Resources • Videos/DVDs: • Jim McLean – The 8-Step Swing * • Nancy Lopez – Golf Made Easy • Butch Harmon – Conquering Golf • Harvey Penick - Little Red Video • David Pelz - Developing Great Touch • Wally Armstrong – The Clinic: The Full Swing

29. Websites • USGA.com PGA.com • LPGA.com websites2004.com/golf • shotsavers.com/shotsaver/teaching Sports Equipment • Sportime • Gopher

30. Elementary Rubric: Putting

31. SecondaryRubric: Swing

32. AGES GOLF • www.agesgolf.com • Scott Sharron • PO Box 930458 • Verona, WI 53593 • Equipment provided for use and demonstration by Mr. Scott Sharron & Mr. Mike Heller