Our Life in Golf

Chapter 7 Teaching the Teachers

7

TEACHING THE TEACHERS

For most of this chapter Mike will be doing most of the talking. He's instructing a group of club professional golfers.

"I enjoy working with talented golfers but, then, I've always liked a challenge so I don't shy away from taking on students who can barely make contact with the ball. Don't be one of those pro's that won't give someone any swing advice unless he gets paid.

"Golfers need all the information they can get. If you get them started at least talking about their game they just might say, 'Well, let's have a golf lesson. Maybe you do know what you're talking bout.'

"Pretty soon you'll be on the right side of that person and well on your way to becoming friends. What a personal adventure you're on. You can't beat it! You make good friends, you gain their confidence they'll listen on the practice tee and buy their equipment from you.

"They don't want to go anywhere else, because they'll tell me, you're my pro. Fit me with a set of clubs and whatever you say is okay.

"Believe me this is what often happens. Once in a while, though, people will buy a set of clubs on their own that don't fit them, they come to you for a golf lesson, and pretty soon you have to say something like, 'You know, I hate to tell you this, but you need a different set of golf clubs.'

"If you know what you're talking about, and make sure that you do know what you're talking about, because that's what we're here for today, right? I'm giving you information to help you become better teachers, better pros, because I think, I know that's very important for our profession.

"Today, an outstanding club professional has to become an outstanding golf instructor. Through all the years I've found that focusing on teaching has helped me develop my career the most—adding personal income, adding golfers to the course, and giving my students more pride in their golfing skills and scores which were improving as a result of the lessons."

My father knew what he was talking about. He took being a club professional as a serious responsibility, as seriously as during the early days when he was challenging the touring pros on the pro circuit.

"I don't just teach by the book. I always like to listen to what somebody has to say, and if I think it's good common sense I use it. I don't like to give a golf lesson with a lot of fancy theories. Instead I keep it as simple as I possibly can make it.

"When you're in this business you work with people who are who are professionals in other fields. They are intelligent individuals until they get on a lesson tee and then they don't seem to be able to understand what you're talking about.

"In such cases most of the time I'll have to explain things very very simply, avoiding big, confusing words, such as centrifugal force does this and won't do that baloney. Instead I just give it to them straight so they understand me.

"Don't frustrate your student by using some fancy language during the lesson. They don't want to embarrass themselves, so they'll stand there and just make believe they understand. And make-believe will not help with the improvements in their game the student is striving for.

"You've got to be able to repeat yourself during the lesson to drive home a point that you know is important. And don't introduce anything new until they've understood the first skill. And above all don't give them more than two or three things to work on during a single lesson."