No doubt about it, putting is by far the most important and yet least-practiced area of the game of golf. People playing recreational golf have difficulty getting excited about the art of putting, as they are more concerned as to how far they can hit the almighty driver. Competitive players, on the other hand, view putting in a totally different way. They respect its importance and give it the amount of practice time it deserves on a consistent basis.

To put this into perspective, consider the statistics on any of the major pro tours. The top 50 players on any of the tours are only a shot or two apart, and their putting stats across the board represent the difference between number one and number fifty.

Contact your local USGTF professional and set up some instructional time with the main theme of the lesson centered around the putting green. I promise you it will be time well-spent.

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When it comes to teaching in a golf school, a good golf teaching professional needs to have some specific qualities.  Aside from the obvious, which is a good understanding of the mechanics of the golf swing, they have to ensure that golf school students enjoy themselves.  A competent teacher understands that golf school students are there on vacation, and they not only want to improve their games, but they also want to have a good time in the process.

In order for this to happen, golf teachers who teach in a golf school setting need to have some fun-loving qualities themselves. They need to be able to get their students to laugh at themselves if need be, they need to keep everyone entertained to a certain degree, know when to take breaks, know how to mix up the day between teaching, video analysis, detection and correction, introducing certain training aids, and most importantly, they need to control the “mood” of the class and to keep things interesting and fun for everyone.

Not every teaching professional is able to do this. Too often, I have seen teaching professionals with holier-than-thou and condescending attitudes, teaching professionals who don’t find any humor in anything, and teaching professionals who simply love to hear themselves speak.  In fact, I have always maintained that I can tell if a group of golf school students are enjoying themselves from 100 yards away, just from their body language.  If a teacher is simply lecturing to them, you can see several students with their heads down, others chatting quietly to one another, some fidgeting, some even off to the side practice swinging.  This is when you know that the teacher has no idea of keeping a group’s attention.  They have lost their students, and the lesson is no longer enjoyable.  In fact, the teacher who does not realize that golf lessons are meant to be enjoyed are dong a major disservice to the industry.

In a golf school setting, there has to be a fine line between talking and then permitting students to hit balls.  In other words, they should be listening and then doing, and not just listening.

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The easiest way to correct the problem is to not get down on yourself, take a bucket of balls, go to a part of the driving range where you can be alone, and think. Start off with a pitching wedge and simply hit a few chip shots.  Go back to basically a putting stroke without even breaking the wrists.  Get the feel of the club making contact with the ball and allowing the ball to get airborne.  Then, take the club back slightly further and allow the wrists to break slightly – in other words, a miniature golf swing. Just spend a half-hour doing this.

Now that your confidence is back, allow the golf swing to become slightly longer.  Next, try the same thing with an 8-iron and then a 6-iron.  By this time, in all probability, you will have worked out the problem.  Perhaps your head was moving in the swing.  Perhaps you were changing levels, or your tempo was off slightly.  In any case, going back to the basics like this is truly the best way to solve your swing problems, because the bottom line is that golf is a singular game and eventually one really has to understand their own golf swing and  make it work. Unfortunately no one can be beside you forever offering advice when every little shot goes astray.  Like leaving home for the first time and finding your way in the world, a golfer has to listen to all the advice given over the years and eventually make things work for themselves.

By Geoff Bryant, USGTF President

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Oftentimes, unsolicited advice can be met with comments like, ”That’s not what my teacher told me!” Or, “That doesn’t seem to work, I’m still slicing the ball.”   Of course, unsolicited advice may also be met with comments like, “ I’ve been taking lessons for years from my pro back home, I don’t know why he never mentioned this to me.”  So, one can see that this scenario of giving unsolicited advice can open a whole can of worms.  As professionals, in fairness to ourselves and our peers, we want to avoid this.

Sometimes when playing in a pro-am or with an individual who is struggling on the golf course who may ask for advice, the best response would be, “Let’s get together at the end of the round and I’m sure I can help you, or we can set up an appointment for a lesson at your convenience.”  This would be the proper way to approach this request.  Any type of instruction should never be given to a previously unknown individual during the round.

By Geoff Bryant, USGTF President

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Of course, not every teaching professional has these qualities. And, I would have to say that one of the reasons America’s Favorite Golf Schools has been in business for 30 years is the fact that all of our teaching professionals possess these attributes.  There is no question that taking a golf school vacation for a few days is the best way to learn the game.  As opposed to taking occasional lessons and hitting occasional buckets of balls, a school of this kind allows you the time to practice and play, and of course, hone your skills with someone who truly cares that you improve.

By Geoff Bryant, USGTF President

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The setup is referred to as the position we all get into before taking the actual swing.  It includes a good grip, the correct ball position in relation to the feet with all the various clubs, good posture over the ball, and naturally being lined up properly to the target. The great thing about the setup is that these are all areas that everyone can become good at because they do not require any strength or movement.  Once a golfer is set up properly over the ball, then of course he/she must swing the club.

In a full golf swing itself, there are a few basic essentials that need to be adhered to:

1) At the top of the swing, there is more weight on the back foot, and at the end of the swing there is more weight on the front foot.

2) The golfer should stay at the same height during the swing.  In other words, if he/she sets up over the ball at 5’8”, they should be 5’8” at impact.

3) At the moment of impact, the head should be to the right of the ball, not past the ball.

Understanding these fundamental can start anyone on their way to a successful and enjoyable golfing pastime.

By Geoff Bryant, USGTF President

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For an intermediate or advanced player attending a golf school or golf academy, can further reinforce the fundamental basics necessary for good ball striking.  We all learn through repetition so by hearing these fundamentals over and over even  by different teachers is a huge key to improvement. Enjoying the game, the surroundings and camaraderie it offers and learning to accept it’s challenges and pitfalls is not limited only to those new at the game.  Even better players can be reminded that golf is not cancer research!  The learning process is there to enjoy and understanding this fact is truly the key to getting better at the game.

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the sport.  Any competent teaching professional is aware of this and the best teachers are the ones who are patient, who don’t put too much pressure on you, who can laugh with you, who can explain the mechanics of the golf swing in a simplified manner and then demonstrate the shot, and of course, encourage you when they feel you may need it.

Of course not every teaching professional have these qualities. And I would have to say that one of the reasons America’s Favorite Golf Schools has been in business for 30 years is testament to the fact that all of our teaching professionals possess these attributes.  There is no question that taking a golf school vacation for a few days is the best way to learn the game.  As opposed to taking occasional lessons and hitting occasional buckets of balls, a school of this kind allows you the time to practice and play and of course hone your skills with someone who truly cares that you improve.

Of course a golf school or golf academy is not just for beginning golfers. Because our teaching pros work in the industry year round, they are extremely competent in handling players of all abilities. There is no better way to improve than practicing and playing for several days with a professional who only specializes in teaching the game.  Enjoying the amenities of the facility where you decide to attend as well as the camaraderie of your golfing peers all add up to a great few

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The left hand cannot dominate the swing anymore than the right; they must be balanced and work together in harmony. To help give you this feeling of balance, Mr. Toski suggested you first tee up a few balls. Now, grip a 7- or 8-iron in your right hand only, and place your left hand either in your pocket or behind your back. Using only your right hand, swing the club with the intent of striking the balls you have placed on the tees. Repeat this process using only your left hand. Do not expect too much in the beginning, but keep working with it, and it will increase your awareness factor as to how both hands do indeed work together.

By Bob Wyatt, USGTF National Coordinator

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Evolution in golf instruction however was not quite complete. Over the last four decades enterprising golf resort owners and entrepreneurial golf instructors added a new twist to the best way for people to learn the sport.  Realizing the complexity of the game and that many golfers would do nearly anything to improve, the question was asked, “What if a golfer had the opportunity to go to a particular golf facility for several days and strictly work all day long on every part of their game?”  In other words, instead of taking occasional lessons and hitting the occasional bucket of balls, this particular format would provide the golfer the utmost opportunity for improvement.  Plus of course it would be financially rewarding for the teacher as well as the facility where the lessons would be taking place. The golf student could now focus entirely on improvement, in a pleasant setting, under the watchful eye of a qualified, personable teaching professional for several days.  And the golf school vacation was born.

The first of these were the Golf Digest schools founded in 1971 featuring legendary instructors Bob Toski and Jim Flick . Golfers could receive expert instruction from some of the game’s  best teachers.  Other teachers and general managers notice their success and quickly followed suit with their own golf schools namely, the Mt. Snow Golf School, Ben Sutton Golf School , John Jacobs Golf Schools, Rolland Stafford Golf School, Craft-Zavichavs Golf School  and America’s Favorite Golf Schools.  Interestingly, prior to initiating the golf school at Mt. Snow in Vermont, the golf course itself was virtually empty on any given week end.  Once the golf school came into existence, the facility was busy from early spring to late fall.

Today golf schools have experienced somewhat of a transition in that several have become specialized, focusing on a particular aspect of the game.  And at the same time more learning programs for golfers now exist throughout the nation. If an individual searches on the internet for golf schools they now have the opportunity to select from hundreds, with convenient price points and locations.  Of the original golf schools mentioned, America’s Favorite Golf Schools continues with its nationally renowned programs and highly qualified teaching professionals.

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