Why the current state of golf instruction sucks...come inside

[shootin4par]

golf instruction consists of two main things, one is understanding of the golf swing, and the other is communicating it to others.
so, what percentage of instructors truly understand the cause and effect of things that go on in the golf swing? Not a veryy high percentage there. THen divide that by the percentage of people who can truly communicate it to others and you have maybe 5% of instructors are so so, 1% are good, and .1% are great.

so if you understand the golf swing and can communicate the golf swing to a 5 year old and a 40 year old scientist, you ought to be in pretty good shape.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Jim,

I'd suggest calling yourself "rare" (atypical) rather than "unique" (the only one), since there is probably at least one other high-handicapper out there who got it together and decided to teach.

In any case, keep letting us know how things are going. Of all the posters here, I enjoy reading your posts the most. Your optimism and enthusiasm for your new role clearly show, with no hints of being jaded.

Lou

Ok Lou, i see where you're coming from. I guess the definition of "unique" is "only one." I didn't mean to call myself unique to mean i was the only one who took my path.

I just meant that i was different from the norm, and instead of different i said i was unique. i'll have to check my grammar but i think it's still an acceptable use of the word as more of an adjective than a noun.

I'll check it out but i see where the whole "unique" arguement came from.

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"highly unusual or rare but not the single instance; "spoke with a unique accent"; "had unique ability in raising funds"; "a frankness unique in literature"; "a unique dining experience"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

I knew my grammar wasn't slipping.....i stand by my unique statement

 

[Bigwill]

I can't stand that phrase "Can't beat me?- can't teach me."

I'm with you 100% on that one. While superior ability does lend credence to one's instruction, facts are facts, no matter where they come from. Heck, how many coaches can beat their top players in the professional (or even collegiate) ranks? Some of them were never even at the level of their top players. Knowledge, and the ability to impart that knowledge, are what make an effective good teacher. There's an appropriate saying for this that goes something like, "Those who can, do. Those who can't teach". It may or may not be tongue-in-cheek, but there's definitely truth to it.

 

[Martee]

I came across this in my notes and can't seem to find who said it, but it might add to the thread..

If the student fails to learn, the teacher failed to teach ... this is not a confession.
It simply means learning did not occur. Sports learning cannot be directly measured. It can only be inferred from skills performance.
· A student should quickly become independent of the teacher ... additional instruction should be at the option of the learner based upon a desire to learn additional skills. Added instruction should not be based upon a need to relearn the same thing again.
· Quality golf instruction should:
· Clearly explain what you MUST do right and how to CORRECTLY execute the instructional points of performance (develop a clear mental picture of correct performance).
· Explain why there are certain critical fundamentals that you must get right or you will fail ... these points of instruction are not "electives" and MUST be specifically executed in the manner taught.
· Demonstrate how SOME fundamental requirements can be both a fundamental AND also an individual technique adapted for the needs of different players.
· Establish (pair together) a precise "feel" que with the mental picture of correct performance
· Integrate all instructional points into one cohesive whole
· Establish a knowledge of cause and effect relationships which a learner then uses to analyze and correct his or her own mistakes.
· All learning requires trial and error. It is your teacher's job to systematically reduce (not eliminate) the size and frequency of errors and to insure every shot hit on the practice tee results in learning.