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EGTF Diploma Course and CPD Seminars – Spain, November 2011

EGTF Diploma Course 6 – 12 November 2011, Spain

Another fantastic week of learning was completed recently over in sunny Spain.  A group of 6 eager students had a great week of informative information that helped mould them into golf teaching professionals.

These weeks help to get more dedicated people out into the golf teaching world who have a passion and desire to help the public and hopefully improve the standards of coaching.

It is fantastic to see the look on students’ faces when they give lessons to the general public after only having learned these teaching skills earlier in the week, and giving very high standards of lessons.  It really does go to prove that you can definitely learn the basic coaching skills needed to teach others in the space of 7 days, as it happens on every EGTF course that we do.

Congratulations to all the group at Oliva Nova Resort for their excellent standards throughout the week.

November 2011 Group, Oliva Nova, Spain

November 2011 Group, Oliva Nova, Spain

 

EGTF Social Golf Day – 13 November 2011

On the Sunday after the Diploma Course we had a Social Golf Day for EGTF members and guests, held at the lovely Oliva Nova Golf Resort.

For anyone who has played at Oliva Nova, you will know that it is a tough track playing very long, so your ball striking skills are always tested to their limits.

It was great to see some old and new EGTF members who turned up and made the day very enjoyable.  A couple of drinks and some food afterwards helped to complete a very pleasant day.

1st Bill Abbott – 75 (on count back)

2nd Martin Park – 75

The Winner - Bill Abbott

 

Warming up before the round

 

On the Range

Putting Practice
On Course pressure play!!!

 

Continual Professional Development (CPD) Seminars

The EGTF CPD days were another excellent learning experience for students involved, taking on board high levels of golfing information to push their golf teaching onto higher standards.

The three days were conducted by EGTF Master Professional Paul Tolley for Vision Training in Golf, EGTF Master Professional Martin Park for Performance Golf using the Vision 54 Model, and myself concentrating on the Biomechanics of the Putter Stroke.

All the days combined excellent theory work in the classroom, followed by fantastic practical work on the range and putting green.  The quality of the information was there for all the students to take in, with the subjects covered being very popular on the tours these days.

If you have never been to any of these extra learning seminars, then try to take some on board for 2012.  It really will help you keep your knowledge up to a fantastic level in the golf teaching world to take you above your competitors.  It’s also a great social, networking week, where you can meet other coaches and talk golf and teaching, so you get the best of all worlds.  Future EGTF Masters Courses and CPD days will be published soon to give people enough time to clear their diaries for the upcoming season.

My thanks go to Paul Tolley and Martin Park for their supreme knowledge and professionalism conducting these seminars during the week.

Vision Training for Golf

Performance Coaching Vision 54

Putting Skills Test

Putting Biomechanics

EGTF Golf Society Week – Thailand 2011

The EGTF Golf Society week held in the beautiful seaside resort of Hua Hin, Thailand was a great success.  It brought together EGTF members and their friends for 8 days of golf.  We were fortunate that despite the problems that the people of Bangkok were suffering with the floods, we never had any rain when playing and temperatures ranged between hot and really hot!

Group 1 Palm Hills

We played a friendly roll up competition each day, with everyone (pro’s and amateurs) playing in the same tournament, where you could play as much or as little as you wanted.

This year we played 3 golf courses, Black Mountain (rated the best new course in Asia), Palm Hills (only Augusta National has quicker or slopier greens!) and Royal Hua Hin (the oldest golf course in Thailand).  All courses were doing some good rates and the cost was around £40 each day for golf, caddie and buggy, which was excellent value.

Black Mountain GC

The days were played in good spirit, with plenty of banter going around as this trip was designed as a fun, social event.  But as we were all very competitive when it comes to golf, people were going to bed early some nights to prepare for the next day’s golf activities (as can be seen by the results table!)

EGTF teaching professional Pete Stopford - Black Mountain

Hua Hin is a beautiful place for a golf trip with some excellent golf courses around, and beautiful town and beach areas for those looking to relax as well.  The weather is always hot and for some that is a bit of a problem, but if you are looking at the grey skies outside and wishing you were somewhere else, then have a think about the EGTF Golf Society trip to Thailand next year.  It really is very good.

Results for the Week

Winner

Points

Gross

Day 1 – Palm Hills – Bill Abbott
36
72
Day 2 – Black Mountain – Bill Abbott 34 74
Day 3 – Royal Hua Hin – Mick Edwards (amateur) 31  
Day 4 – Palm Hills – Bill Abbott 34 74
Day 5 – Black Mountain – Mick Edwards (amateur) 31  
Day 6 – Royal Hua Hin – Bill Abbott 35 73
Day 7 – Black Mountain – Bill Abbott 32 76
Day 8 – Palm Hills – Steve Lynch (amateur) 33  

EGTF Golf Teaching Professional Allan Renz

EGTF Professional Allan Renz recently emailed to say that he has been promoted to Lead Instructor, Director of Golf Schools at Chelsea Piers Golf Academy in New York, USA.  He has also been chosen as one of the top 50 Golf Instructors in America by Golf Range Magazine.    This is an amazing achievement and we would like to congratulate him on the great year he has had.

EGTF Golf Teaching Professional Allan Renz

EGTF Professional Golf Teacher Lawrence Bredenkamp in New Zealand

I was wondering if any of the EGTF members have had the opportunity to try out the Extra 20 Yards which I am promoting through my latest website (that’s what I do – sell other people’s stuff on websites as well as design sites).  If you are interested please have a look at http://www.getextra20yards.com/

 

Coaching Children

Thanks to the EGTF for reinforcing my coaching career.  A few months ago after the Diploma Course, I came on board as the Golf Professional (Coach/Teacher) at Polkemmet Golf Club, West Lothian, Scotland, on top of my attachments to Binny Golf Club as Junior Development Coach; and Harburn Academy, working with children in tandem with the Harburn Golf Club Pro.

I love coaching both adults and children.  I have coached children for 7 years and believe that there is a need for more effort in this area as Golf Clubs/Coaches seem to be less interested in children who are under 9 years of age.  Young talent should always be encouraged.  One exasperated dad approached me for lessons for his son who had been refused by Golf Clubs/Coaches because of his youth.  I took on and coached Owen who was only 5 years old at that time and now at age 6 he is a member at Binny Golf Club and one of my Junior Development Programme participants.  He plays in the Blue medal competitions regularly and won the trophy this year – Blue Junior Champion 2011!  This is a prime example of a very young child with the potential of a future champion.

NEVER TURN DOWN RAW TALENT…..CHILDREN ARE GOLF’S FUTURE; AND WITH GOOD COACHING AND ENCOURAGEMENT, THAT FUTURE CAN BE GREAT.

Macrina Crawford (EGTF Golf Professional at Polkemmet Golf Club, Scotland/Binny Golf Club, Junior Development Coach, Scotland)

EGTF Diploma Course, New Zealand

24 – 30 July 2011

Just back from a good week in Wellington, New Zealand  where I was conducting a diploma course for two enthusiastic guys, Nigel Walsh and Antony Ragg.
The trip coincided with the coldest day in Wellington’s history, so teaching on the range on that Monday, was testing to say the least !!!

Nigel and AJ both showed excellent standards during the week, culminating in superb teaching lessons for their examinations.

Antony Ragg Teaching

AJ already has his own golf business in Wellington and I’m sure his new teaching skills will help to boost sales.  Nigel was offered a job as the teaching professional at Silverstream driving range the day after the course finished as they were very impressed with his standards, which is excellent testimony to the EGTF course and Nigel.

Nigel Walsh Teaching

Always a pleasure to catch up with other EGTF members over there, and my thanks go to Murray McDonald at Manor Park Golf Club, and Bruce Farmer at Silverstream Driving Range for their help during the week.  Also, a pleasure to see local legend Renee Fowler, strutting her stuff and being very busy at Miramar Golf Club.

Another great week teaching, and I will look forward to coming back over in the not too distant future.

Bill Abbott – Director of Education

Putting Stats PGA Tour 2010

DISTANCE OF PUTT PERCENTAGE HOLED
1 FEET 100 %
2 FEET 99 %
3 FEET 95 %
4 FEET 86 %
5 FEET 75 %
6 FEET 65 %
7 FEET 56 %
8 FEET 49 %
9 FEET 43 %
10 FEET 38 %
11 FEET 34 %
12 FEET 30 %
13 FEET 27 %
14 FEET 25 %
15 FEET 22 %
16 FEET 20 %
17 FEET 19 %
18 FEET 17 %
19 FEET 16 %
20 FEET 14 %
21 FEET 13 %
22 FEET 12 %
23 FEET 11 %
24 FEET 11 %
25 FEET 10 %

These are the putting statistics from the PGA Tour last year, and they make interesting reading.  Although it seems from watching the TV coverage that the Pro’s make just about everything, the images you see are misleading.

The stats show that even the best players in the world only make 22% from 15 feet from the hole and only 38% from 10 feet from the hole.

So, that should tell us that we need to spend more time teaching the short game, to get it closer to hole in the first place, and putting to convert the chances we give ourselves.

I know I sound like  a stuck record sometimes, but these areas really are that important.  So if you haven’t got the knowledge in these areas, or want to refresh the skills you already have, then look to upgrade your teaching skills as soon as you can.  The stats don’t lie!!

PGA Tour - Putting

EGTF Pro Am – Darenth Valley GC, Kent

Sunday 10 July 2011

Congratulations to EGTF Professional Leon Clark for winning the EGTF Pro Am at Darenth Valley Golf Club in Shoreham, Kent.

Leon played solid golf in shooting a level par round of 72, defeating the Darenth Valley Professionals of Pete Stopford and Bill Abbott into second and third place respectively.

EGTF Professional Winner - Leon Clark

A good turn out and a lovely sunny day enabled some excellent scoring, with Trevor Atkins taking the Amateur Competition with 38 points.

Amateur Winner - Trevor Atkins

EGTF Professional Joe Smith, Trevor Atkins and Gary Gilbert captured the Team Competition with 79 points.

Team Winners

Thank you to everyone who turned up and made the day so successful, with a special mention to our Sponsors, ProStance, Mizuno, Gel Putters and Orka Golf Clubs who provided such a wonderful array of prizes.

Table of Prizes

EGTF Masters Course 13 – 18 June 2011 Germany

Op de Niep Golf Club, Dusseldorf, Germany

I have just finished our latest Masters course in Dussledorf, Germany and it was great to see members coming back and wanting to learn some new skills and develop their teaching programmes.

These courses are always excellent and I can get to see how people have progressed since taking their original EGTF course.

We had five students keen to learn, and the weather was just about in our favour during the week, which is obviously a bonus.

The seminars, range work and playing tests were all conducted well, with only one member not passing the playing ability test, due to some injuries sustained before the course began.

We covered some important topics, that I feel are necessary as you start to move to the next level as a coach, including:

  • Customer service and marketing
  • Advanced coaching lessons
  • Body balance in the golf swing using Sam balance lab
  • Cause and effect video analysis using Quintic video analysis and Casio high speed cameras
  • Putting biomechanics – using high speed video cameras
  • Advanced short game techniques – using the short game handicap test and Pelz finesse swing system
  • Performance coaching – looking into the psychology of playing to your potential
  • The magic machine – studying body types and what they are capable of (endomorphs, mesomorphs and ectomorphs !!!)
  • Masters playing and skills tests

Thanks to everyone who attended the Masters course, and also to Bob Lamb EGTF teaching professional who works at Op De Niep Golf Club, for all his help during my stay.

Have a look at the website to see if you can fit in some CPD work this year, it can only make you a better teacher.

Bill Abbott

Body Balance using the Sam Balance Lab

 

Masters June 2011

Sam Balance Lab photo 1

Masters June 2011

Sam Balance Lab photo 2

 

Short Game Handicap Test

Masters June 2011

Short Game Handicap Test

 

Masters Putting Lesson

 
 

Masters June 2011
Masters Putting Lesson photo 1

 

 
 

Masters June 2011

Masters Putting Lesson photo 2

 

 

 

Living Golf SA – ‘Golf For Development’

Leseding Township Golf Project, Limpopo, South Africa

The golf project in Leseding Township in Limpopo is a non-profit, charitable project and EGTF member Franz Rolinck would like to ask golfers and interested donors to help him fund the work.  The R & A Working for Golf Programme is supporting the project.

If you would like to make a donation, please send Euros to:
Living Sports Africa e.V.
Account No. 72858418
Kreissparkasse Steinfurt, 48565 Steinfurt, Germany
BLZ 40351060
IBAN: DE 964035 1060 0072 8584 18
BIC: WELADED1STF
Reference “EGTF-Leseding Golf Project”

They are currently busy designing the website for the project and Khutso Foundation.  The website will include all donation details.  For more details contact franz@livinggolf.com

Some young talents enjoy the game of golf

Some young talents enjoy the game of golf

A young township talent

A young township talent

Living Golf SA teaching township child

Living Golf SA teaching township child

Tri-Golf lessons reveal young talents

Tri-Golf lessons reveal young talents

Golf on the wasteland soon to be golfcourse

Golf on the wasteland soon to be golfcourse

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