STAT COLLECTION & TRUTH FOR COACHES

when discussing with a pupil their performance and what has happened since the last session, unless you have plenty of time (and I mean plenty) then the real answer is hard to find.

It seems that driving the ball well is always a pupils indication of improvement " if I can get off the tee well then I score better" or " I hit my irons straight it's just my woods".

Then turn to the short game, and as a pupil rarely looses a ball or really misses a green with a chip then they deem themselves to have an ok short game " I can get by with my technique".

But when you get a pupil to input the data into a program designed to analiyse and track results

like Shot by Shot (www.shotbyshot.com) then they can see what really needs attention in their game relative to their h"cap not what they see or hear watching tour events.

Peter Saunders spent 15 yrs collating information from all levels of golfers and as a result can give a handicap to each part of their game......The results will change your pupils perception of what to work on for sure!.

I have been using the Shot by Shot license now for some months and as a coach you can log in whenever (night before session) and get the low-down on pupils performance before your sessions questioning begins and without wasting valuable time get to the real issues. Also your pupils can see their games development in the forms of graphs/block diagrams, that plot a path of improvement over time, this can show improvement even if the pupil cant see it from gameplay (often a big problem).

So get the pupils to stop trying to improve driver all the time and get them working effectively on what really makes a difference, as a coach regain control of what is pertinent to scoring issues.

Jamie

HRC COLLEGE GOLFERS

Three weeks ago I started training with three college golfers from Huntingdon Regional College(HRC),and I must say I am enjoying every minute of it!.

The golfers are aged 17-19 and are between 3 and 9 handicap. All show fantastic talent and ability,and are hoping over the next year to make a serious impact on their game and pass a level 3 b-tec qualification at the same time.

Three mornings a week are spent with me coaching them at the Cambridge Golf and Conference Centre ( www.cgcc.co.uk ) and an afternoon is spent competeing in a qualifying medal at Brampton Park golf club , the rest of the week is spent in class the gym and studying at HRC for their l3 b-tec.

So far we have worked on some swing but mainly stability drills, but have focused on the pitching and chipping technique the most. In fact around 70% of our focus has been on this, learning games to help practice sessions and understanding impact factors and how to manage them to enhance turning three shots into two! from inside 100 yrds.

We began the process by holding a shortgame skills test on our purpose built shortgame area , and this gave the pupils a shortgame handicap for each section of their pitching,chipping and bunker abillity....

The results were less than impressive and we set about creating a more sound technique and how to create a fun practice session to encourage more of it . Two weeks later we took the tests again and I am pleased/proud to say the the results were excellent, I saw real talent beginning to develop and actions that would not be out of place at any tour event! ,needless to say the improvement was awesome and the shortgame handicaps were reduced considerably .

Since then two of the players have played in club competitions and after only three weeks in have lost half a shot each from their club handicaps, A good start and example of how it takes not just fullswing work to create an elite golfer, but a sharp shortgame,a way of measuring it and a fun way to develop it.

To learn more about the shortgame handicap or shortgame instruction, mail me : jamie@cgcc.co.uk

it may just start saving you numerous shots around the golf course!

THE TALENT CODE

I have just started to read a truly fascinating book about developing talent by author and journalist Daniel Coyle.

The strapline reads " TALENT , YOU'VE EITHER GOT IT OR YOU HAVEN'T..........NOT TRUE ACTUALLY"

In THE TALENT CODE award winning journalist Daniel Coyle draws on cutting edge research to reveal that , far from being some abstract mythical power fixed at birth , ability really can be created and nurtured.

In the process, he considers that talent at work in venues as diverse as a music school in Dallas and a tennis academy near Moscow,to demonstrate how the wiring of our brains can be transformed by the way we approach particular tasks. He explains what is really going on when apparently unremarkable people suddenly make a major leap forward.He reveals why some teaching methods are so much more effective than others. above all, he shows how all of us can achieve our full potential if we set about training our brains the right way.

it starts with a quote: " Then ( David) took his staff in hand,chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his Shepperd's bag and, with his sling in hand ,approached Goliath"

I think this is describing a multi-disciplined approach to achieving David's great feat mentioned in the bible, and is certainly how I see my approach to nurturing talented golfers who come to me.

I am really enjoying my quest to become a better coach and mentor, resources such as these books really open my eyes,and will help to unlock that talent code myself.

until next time Jamie.

Cotswolds tuition weekend

I have just returned from my first coaching break situated in the beautiful and peaceful village of Kirtlington, Oxford.

The trip was a great success and although the weather was very windy, we managed to avoid the really heavy downpours that the weather reports had promised.

the two and a half day coaching break started on thursday night when Andy Taylor ( my co-tutor) and I met our keen pupils in the Kings head hotel ,Woodstock. This would be their home for the following days, and is found a stones throw from the gates of the incredible Blenhim palace. The hotel is a four star hotel boasting a rural feel and a menu filled with fine ala carte dining,and a bustling trade filling the bar at night, providing a perfect place for our pupils to discuss their performance and progression each night before dinner.

Friday morning started with a classroom discussion and introduction to statistic collection and analysis,using a system that is accessed online and available for both coach and pupil to see exactly what areas need to be developed and what weaknesses their games may have.the system is very easy to understand and gives a percentile average to sections of the pupils game according to their target handicap. The coaching started with a short introduction into aiming technique on the putting green and a pre-shot routine encompassing this was taught with time to perfect afterwards.

Then we hit the shortgame area where a skills test was set up to determine the state of each players pitching abilities, once recorded and explained Andy and I set about a short game masterclass in pitching technique and the players practised until they felt ready to attempt the test again...... all results were a great improvement,and the team returned to the clubhouse for lunch.

Once fed and watered its was time to go out on to the undulating and beautiful course at Kirtlington to record their first set of data to get the ball rolling with stat collection.

All players enjoyed the course , even though it blew a gale! and stats were entered into the online stat facility once they returned to the clubhouse.

The next morning pupils were sent back out onto the course and did battle once again with high winds and some rain,some pupils chose to play the smaller golf course which has middle length par 3's and some short yet tricky par 4's.

The last coaching session was held after lunch, and comprised of one-one video analysis and some tuition and goal setting for the future.

All in all it was a thoroughbly enjoyable experience for both coaches and pupils alike!! , and there will be another trip shortly.....watch this space or contact me by email : jamie@cgcc.co.uk