HEAD OVER HANDLE
All kids are looking for more distance. Some- times the desire to hit it big creates a massive swing length that ends
up working to their detriment. In most cases, I’m never concerned seeing a junior swing the clubhead a little past parallel. In certain circumstances, however, this relationship may di- minish the player’s ability to produce speed, especially for juniors lacking in strength. When a player overswings, the clubhead drops “below” the height of the handle at the top of the back swing. This relationship can make the club feel “heavy” making it difficult for the athlete to move quickly. In these instances, we coach students to think “head over handle.” This means short- ening the back swing to a degree where the swing finishes short of parallel, flip- ping the head to handle relationship. A head over handle position makes the club feel lighter, allowing the golfer to more easily add pace to the swing.
SWING IN SYNCH
A big theme in many lessons is sequence of movement. The issue most prevalent for juniors is activation
of the lower body too early into the down swing. In the effort to hammer the ball, a common occurrence is lift- ing the trail foot early, while driving and tucking the backside beneath the body. Although this may “feel” powerful, the result is often an in- consistent bottom to the swing along with a variable ball flight. The key to developing both distance and accu- racy is exercising patience within the delivery sequence. A core concept is teaching an acceleration of the arms, while remaining more grounded with the feet in the early stages of the downswing. This sensation better synchs the arms and body into the strike, timing the eventual release of the heel and extension of the hips appropriately for maximum distance and accuracy.
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NCGA.ORG / WINTER 2016
TOP THINK BIG
Performance Tips For Parents and Kids
Following his Masters victory, Jordan Spieth was featured in a com- mercial that high- lighted the beginning
of his amazing achievement. In the commercial, a 12-year-old Spieth is interviewed by a local news station. He told reporters that his goal was to “win the Masters.” I challenge kids to confidently
declare their authentic desires related to achievement. I empha- size “authentic” because many times what they initially project versus what they really want are two different things. I’ve had countless parents pull me aside following a lesson just to tell me how much their kid loves golf, but how they also think it’s important that they’re practical and realistic about their chances for success. My response is always, “No great achievement was ever born from practicality or realism.”
PRACTICE ACCOUNTABILITY
Rule No. 1 in my coaching is that following the first training session, all future sessions must
be scheduled by the child. Why? Accountability. I tell the kids, “If you want a lesson, you book it. If you have a question, you call me. It’s not your mom or dad’s game, it’s yours. If you want to be great, you need to take ownership over the process of what it means to be great.” This is a valuable lesson that only occurs when parents let kids take the reigns and exercise control over their future.
FIND A WINNER’S CIRCLE
Every success story involves a winner’s circle. The winner’s circle is full of people who care about you.
They believe in you and will always
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