Interesting Article on National Curriculum for Soccer-Could it happen in golf?

[dwurzer]

A national standard for golf instruction and coaching in the US is needed. Will it happen? No way! I think it is extremely important for the US and especially now that golf is an Olympic sport. Who will take the lead and be the NGB for golf? Maybe the scientific and golf experts on this website will start the process.

Is the United States Ready for a Unified Soccer Curriculum? | Soccer Classroom

 

[Billy McKinney]

The US will have trouble unifying because of "Free Market" competition. In other words, it won't be the best program that emerges but the best-funded one...which will leave coaches with better know-how still on the outside looking into a corrupt system while shaking their heads.

 

[Virtuoso]

Why is a national curriculum needed?

 

[wulsy]

That kinda stuff worked in the old Eastern Block countries (DDR, USSR etc) but was dependent on the lack of freedom of the participants for its success. I don't think it really works well in the "free" world.

 

[crkranz]

A one size fits all bureaucratic system of golf instruction doesn't sound good to me.

 

[faux_maestro]

Why is a national curriculum needed?

Because everyone else is doing it.

Some people have had the knee jerk reaction due to the last 6 majors that we need to throw out everything we do here golf training wise. South Africa, Australia, the European countries have national golf organizations responsible for training young players and have for years. Were the national golf organizations responsible for NO European golfers winning majors from 1999 (Paul Lawrie-Carnoustie) to 2007 (Padraig Harrington-Carnoustie)? How many non-American major winners were there in that time?

From 1999 British Open to 2007 British Open:

Masters: Vijay Singh (2000), Mike Weir (2003)

U.S. Open: Retief Goosen (2001, 2004), Michael Campbel (2005), Geoff Ogilvy (2006), Ángel Cabrera (2007)

British Open: Ernie Els (2002)

PGA: Vijay Singh (2004)

So, a grand total of 9 majors out of 31 played were won by non American golfers. Since Padraig won Americans have won 5, non Americans have won 12. So, it has flipped a little but as we know it's all cyclical. Plus Tiger hasn't won a major since 2008.

Anyway, lets just keep doing what we are doing, and get better information out there in the hands of talented players.

 

[dwurzer]

National Program

I didn't say the curriculum would only fit one size but based on science. I think a lot of professionals are scared of scientific measures because it would show how poorly they teach. The results prove it by more golfers leaving the game than coming in plus the number of foreign touring professionals winning on the tours.

I just want the golfer to get the best possible instruction for their money. This is to get the coaches to think of the betterment of the golfing public.

"Most teachers have little academic or applied training in the disciplines critical to building athletic skills: motor learning, coaching, biomechanics, physical fitness, sport psychology, ect." Rick Jensen, Easier Said Than Done


"I've expressed concern for teaching malpractice, recommended coaching over lessons, and explained why I feel that the golf teaching industry is broken." Rick Jensen, Easier Said Than Done

Statements that all golf teaching/coaching professionals should be concerned and please don't kill the messenger.

 

[faux_maestro]

I didn't say the curriculum would only fit one size but based on science. I think a lot of professionals are scared of scientific measures because it would show how poorly they teach. The results prove it by more golfers leaving the game than coming in plus the number of foreign touring professionals winning on the tours.

I just want the golfer to get the best possible instruction for their money. This is to get the coaches to think of the betterment of the golfing public.

"Most teachers have little academic or applied training in the disciplines critical to building athletic skills: motor learning, coaching, biomechanics, physical fitness, sport psychology, ect." Rick Jensen, Easier Said Than Done


"I've expressed concern for teaching malpractice, recommended coaching over lessons, and explained why I feel that the golf teaching industry is broken." Rick Jensen, Easier Said Than Done

Statements that all golf teaching/coaching professionals should be concerned and please don't kill the messenger.

I would agree about the ability of a great many "teachers" of the game. I'm a public school music teacher and my degree had many classes on the techniques of playing the various instruments (which would be analogous to understanding mechanics of the swing and physics of impact/ball flight) AND course work on how people learn, different learning styles etc. Does the PGA have any requirements for this?

 

[Brian Manzella]

Let's have a teach-off and the winner gets a 5-year contract.

 

[Virtuoso]

I didn't say the curriculum would only fit one size but based on science. I think a lot of professionals are scared of scientific measures because it would show how poorly they teach. The results prove it by more golfers leaving the game than coming in plus the number of foreign touring professionals winning on the tours.

I just want the golfer to get the best possible instruction for their money. This is to get the coaches to think of the betterment of the golfing public.

"Most teachers have little academic or applied training in the disciplines critical to building athletic skills: motor learning, coaching, biomechanics, physical fitness, sport psychology, ect." Rick Jensen, Easier Said Than Done


"I've expressed concern for teaching malpractice, recommended coaching over lessons, and explained why I feel that the golf teaching industry is broken." Rick Jensen, Easier Said Than Done

Statements that all golf teaching/coaching professionals should be concerned and please don't kill the messenger.

I don't think teachers are scared of scientific measures; most of them would tell you that their individual method agrees perfectly with science. The real problem is that teachers disagree with each other about what science actually says. What grand puba are you going to hire to straighten that out? Everytime Brian tries to communicate to other teachers how the science actually applies to golf, other teachers respond like he is straffing women and children.

When I hear things like this: "to get the coaches to think of the betterment of the golfing public" but without any thought as to what incentives need to be put in place to drive this behavior, I know we're in trouble. You might as well say you'd like to see a new store on every block that sells squirrels dipped in chocolate but still alive.

 

[JDMAC]

We don't need federally funded national institutes of sport. Trust me when I say that 300m Americans do not all care about golf. If you are talking about a National curriculum, I suppose it could be helpful for the PGA to adopt assuming they pick the right one... That said, what if they do not, then to be a member of the PGA you have to teach crap... Sounds like this crew and what happened with TGM... If TGM were the de facto national curriculum then maybe we never move past it?

Also, the market works quite well... We have always had and will always have great Americans in the game. Let's let the creative destruction work for our benefit and enjoy the ability to seek out the best.

 

[otto6457]

I can speak with some authority on soccer coaching at the National level and all the way down to recreational youth soccer. I am a retired USSF Nationally licensed coach with multiple USSF licenses, multiple NSCCA licenses, KNVB (Dutch) license, and an Irish Badge. I am a past North Texas State Soccer Olympic Development Program Staff Coach, West Texas Director of Coaching Education and Player Development, as well as one of the founders of a highly regarded competitive soccer club in Texas that has produced many State, Regional, and National Pool players. The Club managed to have over 30% of it's players recruited for college soccer programs across the country and several players have played professional soccer internationally.

In short.....I've coached through U.S Soccer from U-5 recreational players, all the way to National Pool players and college players.

Golf has NONE of the problems that plague U.S Soccer at the international level. And a centralized "teaching methodology" would be a waste of energy and funds. It's not only the individual nature of golf that differentiates it from soccer. But the U.S is not behind the world in producing world class golfers. Some of the best teachers and coaches are already here and have been producing talented players since golf arrived on these shores. The golf "culture" is well established and the path to success for young players is quite well defined. It's just a matter of players having the talent and resources necessary to achieve world class golf ability.

Soccer in the U.S suffers from zero involvement from the professional clubs in the development of talented youth players. It is all left to youth clubs where coaching varies from good to absolutely abysmal. Even the ODP programs at the State level are wildly varying in quality from state to state. In short, there is no over riding philosophy of how U.S Soccer wants youth development implemented.

Even in soccer, such an idea of a National Coaching Standard has HUGE problems and is likely not an attainable goal. I could rant for pages about the failings in U.S Soccer....but all but the most ardent soccer fan would be bored to tears. Suffice it to say that a National Curriculum for soccer in the U.S would help but there are far too many entrenched factions to ever make such a dream come true.

But as I said, for golf...I see no need for such a program.

 

[dwurzer]

No Scientific Standard for Golf?

The National Program would be based on science therefore if a method is scientifically based (based on good science) it would be ok. A good example is Stack and Tilt said they would send me their scientific data. So far no data. Even MORAD and One Plane, Two Plane are based on theory with no scientic review. Science is based on peer review.

How about National Junior Development Centers with support from golf scientists. The pro would be the Head Coach and be supported by the centers support professionals (fitness, sport psychology, etc).

Your head is in the sand if you think most of the golf instruction is based on sound scientific theory. Why do we have the Manazella Forum? Yes, I agree with Brian, let's have a coach off!

 

[Virtuoso]

Not a single person on this forum thinks that most of golf instruction is based on sound scientific theory.

Thus, if I am an amateur and looking for golf instruction, I do my due diligence and try to find an instructor who I think is the most knowledgeable and has a proven track record of success with other students.

Then I pay him my hard earned money. If I think his "product" meets or exceeds my expectations, then I keep paying him my money. We both win.

I buy his product because he has competed for my business with other golf instructors and won for the time being. Is he the best? Maybe not. He may be an incompetent moron by other people's standards.

In this free market economy, does the creme always rise to the top? No, not always, but generally it does. Is it a perfect system? No, but there is no close second place given our alternatives for economic organization.

So you have that route, or, heaven forbid, you can have the government do it. In order to have the government do it in a free society you have to get a large majority of the citizens to agree that it is in the national interest.....and are willing to pay for it with their tax dollars. You won't get that for a national golf curriculum.

So, we are back to the free market economy. Now you have to find investors to pay for it. How will you entice them to do that? Will you tell them you are going to give them a return on their investment.....or will you just try to sell it as a donation to a great cause?