Teaching and Learning 101

Teaching and Learning 101

Education, Concepts, Learning, Geometry

14 September 2012

Develop students who make the swing their own swing!

 

Hello from The Golfing Machine, LLC

Recently, I had the opportunity to assist two gentlemen with their golf motions and to say the least they were confused about what to do with during their golf swings. Although, they came from different backgrounds and had different skill sets each faced the same problem which was “I don’t know what should I be doing with my stroke?”, because “I am lost.”

Let me first set the stage for you. Both of these gentlemen had been to different “nationally known golf instructors” and neither had a clue of what to do with their golf motions or with their golf swings. One of these gentlemen was a golf professional who at one time could easily break par the other found himself at the low end of a 20 handicap after taking his lessons, the problem – he started as 9 handicap. Now that is not progress, it is regression.

My thought process for these gentlemen was to have them consider how they wanted to swing and not how some golf instructor told them to do it. Sometimes we (the golf instructor) must go backward before ever considering going forward. Mr. Homer Kelley wanted us to learn our motion so that we could develop our pattern which would end up as “My Way” not “The Way Theory.”

I know many of you have had a similar experience or heard of someone who has taken golf instruction only to find that it did not work and because the instruction was based upon  some current philosophy or the instructors personal  golf success. With the number of golfers playing on the decline and the PGA of America is desperately seeking to add players, the problem lies with us – the instructors who have not been trained in the geometry, physics, biomechanics or psychology of golf. Golf Instructors trained by The Golfing Machine, LLC are aptly name Authorized Instructors of The Golfing Machine who can be proud that they have studied the golf motion and that The Golfing Machine, LLC develop educational instruction for their students, which when followed precisely leads to a better golf motion and increased success..

Many have said that Mr. Kelley’s book is difficult to read and yet they rely on other more highly-marketed golf swing methodologies such as Stack and Tilt, One Plane Two Plane, Congruent Planes and whatever the fad or flavor of the day may be, which can lead to disaster as the student begins applying positions to their golf swing that conflict with other positions they have already adapted to their swing. Instead a student who learns the three Imperatives from The Golfing Machine and how to apply them throughout their motion creates a better motion which is much easier than overhauling their whole swing.

The take home message for the golf student is: make your motion and find an instructor who will work with your current motion and adapt changes one at a time. Make changes that will allow you to proceed along a line of instruction that will complement and improve your motion over time, this process is how the Authorized Instructors of The Golfing Machine have been trained!