CPG ANNUAL AWARDS SUPPORTED BY ROLEX

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Past President of the PGA of Czech Republic, Petr Nitra, has etched his name into the history books becoming the latest PGA Professionals to earn the CPG’s 5-Star Professional Award.

“I would like to sincerely thank you for this prestigious and high honour that I have been awarded,” said Nitra on receiving his award at the CPG Festival of Golf at Saïdia Resorts in Morocco.

“The news of my nomination for the award reached me whilst I was on vacation and surprised me greatly but has brought me immense joy…and for me to be a PGA Professional is really living my dream.

“I am proud of the Board of the Czech PGA who do a great job, they are very strong and we have many coaches, and their cooperation with the Federation is great now and I am pleased to have done everything I can to help this over the years.”

Since 1992, the 5-Star Professional Award has been acknowledging the efforts and excellent of golf professionals that truly exemplify what it is to be a PGA Pro. Nitra joins this elite and illustrious group of some 90 individuals from around the world.

Nitra has been involved in many facets of golf from coaching players of all levels of ability, owning and operating his own golf facility in Germany, to influencing the administration and development of the sport in his role with the PGA of Czech Republic.

Nitra took up golf in 1970 and at the time Czechoslovakia was the only communist country where golf could be played, with him relying on minoring countries or peoples’ rare trips abroad to access golf equipment.

With opportunities in golf being limited, he moved to Hamburg, Germany, in the mid 80s and completed his training under professional Hans Heiser who himself contributed to European golf.

After sampling American golf in the 90s, but ultimately deciding not to move there permanently, Nitra returned to Czechoslovakia where he joined, and subsequently led, the PGA of Czech Republic, becoming it’s President from 2002 to 2016.

“I firmly believe that the Czech PGA is now an integral part of both the European and global PGA communities,” added Nitra.

“The current board, which has continued our work, is doing an excellent and responsible job – there is no doubt about that.”

Nitra’s efforts across the sport, both in his native Czech Republic, and his adopted home of Germany, display just how varied and impactful a PGA Professional’s roles can be and make him a worthy winner of this famous award.

To find out more about the Annual Awards and the Festival of Golf visit cp.golf/festival.

CPG ANNUAL AWARDS SUPPORTED BY ROLEX

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The CPG President’s Award for Golf Development for 2024 has been awarded to the Golf & Health Project, acknowledging the visionary efforts of the Project’s leadership, in its ground-breaking role in highlighting the significance of the sport’s benefits, and sharing these benefits far and wide.

Since 2016 the Project has worked to provide an academic backing and voice to the benefits that golf can bring and has been significantly driven by current DP World Tour and Ryder Cup Europe Chief Medical Officer, Dr Andrew Murray, his predecessor, Dr Roger Hawkes.

The Project’s pioneering work to evaluate existing research, identify potential gaps and opportunities for future research activities, and foster collaboration between the wide variety of health-related research projects taking place around the world.

But a primary objective of the Project has been to not only seek academic support of these benefits, but also to help communicate these benefits both in, and out of, the sport.

The promotion of the many psychological and physical benefits – such as golfers live on average of five years longer than non-golfers, and those who play better tend to live longer too – has helped to improve the sport’s image, the reasoning for taking part, and acceptance as a health-enhancing activity.

“I was sat with Dr. Roger Hawkes at breakfast during the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles when Roger shared his thoughts and insights on the health benefits of golf and asked for my support of the project both personally and from CPG,” said CPG Chief Executive, Ian Randell. “I was immediately intrigued and delighted to offer our full support from day one and it is fantastic to see the impact that it continues to make in promoting our sport.”

The award was collected on behalf of the Project team at the CPG Festival of Golf at Saïdia Resorts in Morocco by Dr Omar Malik, Consultant Neurologist at Cromwell Hospital and Golf & Health Project co-founder and Board Member:

“We are absolutely delighted that the work gas been recognised, it’s amazing,” said Malik.

“Considering how important the work has been in terms of shifting the momentum for golf participation then it is so nice to have recognition. Much hard work was done particularly by Roger and Andrew, and we are so happy that it has been so well received, especially by golf’s national bodies around the world.”

The Project has also been a great example of collaboration across the global golf industry with the Project initially receiving significant support from the World Golf Foundation comprising of at the time The R&A, USGA, the world’s various male and female tours, the Masters Tournament and PGA of America, along with support from the Ryder Cup European Development Trust [RCEDT], EDGA and the CPG itself as well.

“We have a lot of people to thank around the world for their support of the Project over the past 8-10 years, both for their financial support that has made it possible, but also their philosophical support in getting behind the concept of Golf & Health and each playing their part in supporting and promoting the benefits identified,” added Murray.

“The ability for us to work together in this way has set an example for all sports and has also resulted in significant developments and activities as a direct result of our friends and colleagues’ efforts in this space.”

For example golf’s joint response to the COVID pandemic, and ultimately a key part of golf being able to get going again during lockdowns around the world, was due in part at least to the groundwork laid in proving the sport can be played in a safe, outdoor environment, combined with the connections already created with policymakers and stakeholders in governmental leadership positions.

More recently, projects are being developed where golf is being prescribed by health professionals as part of recovery and rehabilitation regimes. And in the professional world, much of this work has resulted in significantly enhanced provisions for players across the world’s tours that help to support their physical and mental wellbeing and performance.

To find out more about the Annual Awards and the Festival of Golf visit cp.golf/festival.

CPG ANNUAL AWARDS SUPPORTED BY ROLEX

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World renowned coach, Hugh Marr, has been announced as the 2024 recipient of the CPG’s John Jacobs Award for Teaching & Coaching.

Hugh is the latest winner of the award that is known as one of the highest accolades a golf coach can earn in the world, all in the name of the godfather of golf coaching, John Jacobs.

“Any time you are recognised by your peers it feels a privilege, and to have my name associated with John Jacobs is something that can go down in history, so yes I feel incredibly fortunate,” said the Master Coach on receiving his award at the CPG Festival of Golf at Saïdia Resorts in Morocco.

“I love golf, and I know how much pleasure it gives people to play, so anything I can do to contribute to that, whether it’s coaching players or coaching coaches makes me genuinely happy.”

Hugh has worked with a variety of players at all levels, including those at the very pinnacle of the sport. He currently works with Thorbjørn Olesen and has helped shape his multiple wins in previous years, whilst also supporting Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, Scott Jamieson and various others who have been highly successful across the world’s tours.

But he continues to also be known for his efforts in supporting and developing the coaching community at large, through activities such as The Coach Alliance that he helped to found, his ‘Coach Hub’ platform and community, as well as numerous webinars, interviews and workshops designed to share knowledge with coaches at any level of the game and any level of experience.

“I firmly believe that the coaching community is the single most important stakeholder in our wonderful sport,” Hugh states.

“To be truly effective as coaches we must develop our skills with this in mind. I want to up-skill coaches to deliver on their responsibility to the game, to create a high-functioning community of like-minded people all passionate about improving themselves and the game.

“I’ve always been driven by ensuring I am doing all I can to make the players I work with better, and now it’s the same for coaches…so I am always trying to do the right thing at the right time with the best information available to me.”

To find out more about the Annual Awards and the Festival of Golf visit cp.golf/festival.

On Thursday, 11 November, representatives from golf and beyond came together at Scotland’s Climate Ambition Zone in Glasgow to discuss several important issues around the sport and climate action.

READ ALSO: Golf – Lets Reimagine, Recreate and Restore

After opening remarks from Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at Visit Scotland and Jonathan Smith, Executive Director, GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf, event host David Garrido from Sky Sports teed off the discussion. In-studio guests joined virtual speakers from all areas of the game, including facilities, tournaments, developments and golf tourism.

The opening panel session sparked a wide-ranging discussion with Richard Holland, Director, Operations and Network Development with international NGO Wetlands International, Hugh Salway, Head of Markets with the Gold Standard and Kelli Jerome, Executive Director at GEO Foundation, joined virtually by Sam Barratt, Chief of the Youth, Education and Advocacy Unit in UNEP’s Ecosystems Division, Julie Duffus, Sustainability Senior Manager at the IOC from Lausanne, and, from Oslo, Suzann Pettersen, professional golfer and Sustainable Golf Champion who memorably holed the winning putt in the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles.

This conversation covered several critical topics focused on how golf and society can come together to take meaningful action. Whether that’s protecting ecosystems and habitats in general, encouraging more athletes to get involved in advocacy or just doing one thing in your role to get the momentum started.

Suzann Pettersen spoke about her commitment to sustainability since retiring from the game, “I feel I’ve got an important role here. Sport is such a great arena to raise awareness. We inspire and influence so many millions of people every day.”

You can watch the entire Driving for Net Zero event below.

The following session focused on climate action by grassroots facilities at GEO Certified clubs in England, Finland and New Zealand with Jason O’Malley, Managing Director at Woburn Golf Club, Janne Lehto, Course Manager at Hirsala Golf Club and Spencer Cooper, Superintendent at Remuera Golf Club sharing insights into their journeys to reduce carbon emissions.

The large virtual audience then heard from golf tournaments and tours. This session began with comments from Alex Armas, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, and Mollie Marcoux Samaan, Commissioner of the LPGA Tour and how they are working together on shared goals. Philip Russell, Assistant Director of Sustainability at The R&A, outlined many practical examples of how the organization embraced sustainable tournament staging through initiatives such as The Open Water and increasing renewable energy use on-site.

Lee Spivak, Managing Principal, Sports and Entertainment at WM, sponsors of the WM Phoenix Open, shared a glimpse into the principles and practices which have resulted in the event becoming the first-ever to achieve GEO Certified status five times.

Further contributions came from Ben Cowen, Chief Tournament Business Officer of the European Tour and Chris Chandler, Head of Sports at Dow, who runs the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational on the LPGA – also a GEO Certified tournament in the US.

The penultimate session honed in on manufacturing, tourism and golf development. This included Toro’s Andy Brown discussing electric mowers and sustainable irrigation. Jeremy Slessor at European Golf Design highlighted the importance of sustainable golf developments and their path to net zero, and Peter Walton, Founder and Chief Executive of IAGTO, provided insights into the world of golf tourism and carbon emissions.

A final discussion between Maggie Kim, CEO, The Gold Standard and GEO Foundation’s Jonathan Smith explored the importance of credible carbon mitigation. It showcased some of the sustainable golf tools available to the sport to help individuals and organizations take climate action.

Jonathan Smith, Executive Director, GEO Foundation, said: “The team at GEO Foundation were pleased to be able to pull this important conversation together – to enable such a large audience to hear the perspectives from within and outside golf. We’d like to thank the Scottish Government, all speakers and the audience, plus those that have helped promote and share the event. Now we look to the post-COP26 landscape to see what we can do best with partners and programme participants to help accelerate climate action in and through golf.”

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After starting his final round at seven-under par in T-17th position, Sabbatini dug deep to card a course record-smashing, ten-under par 61 for sole second.

Rory Sabbatini 4 days ago… “If things work out and I was able to medal, it would be extremely impactful on Slovakian golf…”

Fast-forward to @OlympicGolf Silver Medalist at #Tokyo2020!! 🥈👏 🇸🇰 @olympijskytim #PGASK #SlovakGolf #OlympicGolf pic.twitter.com/KkYKqv6xC7

— Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG] (@cpg_golf) August 1, 2021

“I was out there…just trying to remind myself, okay, don’t think ahead, don’t think ahead, just enjoy the moment that you’re in because you don’t know when it’s going to end, just enjoy every hole as it comes,” Sabbatini said.

“It just seemed like every time I kind of had a hiccup out there I was like, oh, maybe this is the end of the run, but okay. And then all of a sudden, I kicked back into gear. So, it was a lot of fun and it was just one of those rare days that you have on the golf course.”

Any Olympic medal is undoubtedly special, but the legacy of this silver medal may well live on a bit longer than most. Slovakia is a modest golfing nation – 45 PGA Professionals working across around 30 facilities with 8-9,000 golfers – so a role model such as Sabbatini securing a spot on the podium is something that, until recently, may have seemed a long way off.

That was until a family connection sparked the idea of a change in citizenship to match that of his Slovakian wife and caddie for the week, Martina [pictured, above], and an idea from her cousin and President of the Slovak Golf Association, Rastislav Antala.

“You know Slovakia did not have anybody, so he [Rastislav] started saying there has got to be a great opportunity to create some interest in the game of golf and to get more kids involved and hopefully develop future generations of Slovak golfers,” explained Sabbatini at the beginning of the Olympic week.

“We are using it as a springboard to hopefully get some corporations, and the government, behind golf to develop future golfers. Before I came over to Tokyo, I was in Slovakia for a week and spent a lot of time with junior golfers and they were so extremely excited about it. Being able to medal means it will be extremely impactful and raise the excitement even more for these junior golfers.”

Antala [pictured above celebrating with Sabbatini] was on hand throughout the Olympic week and was able to give an idea of just what kind of impact the Olympian would have:

“For us it is a huge milestone. A few years ago, we had not even thought about it but here we are…getting a lot of messages from very excited people and ready to go.

“The interest is there, and this is exactly what we hope to accomplish…basically grow the interest for the sports in our country and hopefully get young kids to start playing and to see Rory as a role model.

“I have been involved in Slovakian golf since it started this new era of the late 90s, so it is a very young sport and I remember how we were simply trying to raise the money to basically just participate in amateur championships. Now we are more professionalised, are trying to move ahead and grow the number of people…we honestly did not even dream about this one – it is beyond or dreams to be here.”

Sabbatini’s work in promoting golf in the country was also well underway well ahead of the Olympics, after competing in, and winning, the Slovak Open in 2019:

“We met Rory in 2015, when he did his first charity event at Penati Golf Resort,” explains PGA of Slovakia General Secretary, Peter Petrovič. “After he became an official Slovak citizen and was at the Slovak Open, we agreed that he would be part of the PGA of Slovakia organisation as a Member.

“We are extremely proud that one of our Members has been able to compete at the Olympics…and it will only open the door to others – maybe not today or in a year, but we believe that we will raise the successor of the first golf Olympian.

“In the last two seasons we have had an increase in children and their parents becoming golfers. Hard work and everything you need to inspire children to play and win is encouraged, so we believe that new hopes worthy of the Olympics will emerge…children have to have stars to look up to and now we have Rory – he wants to help Slovak golf, and we are there to help as the coaches that will raise these future stars.”

FIND OUT MORE AT IGFGOLF.ORG

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Images courtesy of IGF Golf (Photos by Ben Jared/Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/IGF)

Much of this success is undoubtedly connected to his 11-year partnership with PGA Professional, Matt Tipper, who spent eight years living and working in Poland as the development of the sport continued to accelerate.

What does @pgapolska Member, @adrianmeronk, competing in the Men’s @OlympicGolf mean to Polish golf, and what pressure might it bring…? Adrian’s PGA Pro Coach, Matt Tipper (@academy_toya) explains more…

Find out more @ https://t.co/bJ49Nklgct #olympicgolf pic.twitter.com/HDupeBwypA

— Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG] (@cpg_golf) July 30, 2021

“Adrian was a junior member at Toya Golf and Country Club where I had started working – I saw him hit balls and it was like ‘ok, this kid is good – proper good’,” explains the Brit.

“We started working together – first, we built a programme, then the plan had to be an accelerant to bring him up as he was already 16 or 17 at this time, and then we needed to get him competition. The most important thing for me was that I didn’t screw him up in the process of doing this!

“We had PGA of Poland Board Member, Filip Naglak, who did a great job on the fitness side of things, and then we said ok, he really needs to go to college in America. We called in a few favours and he ended up getting a scholarship to East Tennessee State University. We sent him for his four years of college and I coached him the whole time, mainly online back and forth.”

Meronk is already a widely recognisable face in Polish golf – his continued rise has led to more national coverage and awareness. The Olympics is an even greater springboard for awareness of the sport amongst the general population in Poland.

“All the golfers in Poland are very, very proud of him,” adds Tipper. “He is out there on his own a little at the moment – although Mateusz Gradecki out on the Challenge Tour will no doubt be joining him soon.

“Golf is still very young in Poland but even from the time when I first arrived there to now it has changed dramatically. There are so many more kids playing and the sport is much more accessible than it was. Adrian competing in the Olympics, and then continuing to get better, will only highlight this more.”

When it comes to this week’s Olympic experience, Coach Tipper is confident that Meronk is not just there for show:

“I honestly believe that, on his day, I’d put him up against anyone in the world and I would fancy his chances. Ultimately, we’re going to be excited when we step on the tee on Thursday morning. We prepared well, we’ve got here in plenty of time. He is hitting it great. We cannot do anymore, really. It is up to him now – this is the worst time for me as there is not a lot more I can do!”

Whilst the competition is the number one priority, the opportunity to be part of the Polish Olympic Team, both for player and for coach, has been an experience of its own:

“You know we’ve all watched many Olympics on TV and the one thing that most people say is amazing about the Olympics is the village…and everything they say is absolutely right. So many countries in one place and everyone is working as one…it’s fantastic.

“The gym is phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal. We went in there once and once is the only time I’ll be going in – there was this guy who must have been squatting 200kg and he looked and me and I just thought ‘ok I need to leave’.

“Adrian had the chance to mix with other athletes a little bit and I did with other coaches as well, and that really makes us feel like a part of the Polish team family. I am lucky to be in an apartment with a couple of judo coaches and a couple of tennis coaches who coach amazing people, so it is great that we can actually sit down and talk about each other’s sports and discuss how and what they do with their athletes.”

Navigating the schedule and COVID-19-related arrangements and measures has made for a unique and challenging experience but equally has allowed the pair to arrive a little earlier than usual and ensure the prep work is done…

“The golf course this week is magnificent – there are no excuses. It is right in front of you. There are no hidden little things the greens are the best greens I’ve seen all year and they are absolutely phenomenal. The green complexes themselves are quite slopey and things like that. So, firing at the flag is not necessarily the best thing to do.

“His desire is to go out there every week and win – but of course if he doesn’t, all we can ask is that we give 100%. Although if he does win, I might have to change my flight on Monday morning…”

But, regardless of the result, Meronk is setting the bar for those from Poland, and the region:

“Adrian is a wonderful ambassador for Eastern European golf – and we are both proud to be here to wear the team colours and wave the flag for Poland.”

FIND OUT MORE AT IGFGOLF.ORG

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Images courtesy of IGF Golf & Matt Tipper

Gleneagles, in which the 2014 Ryder Cup matches were also held, set the stage for a magnificent event once again. Immaculate, tightly-mown fairways, pure rolling surfaces, a redesigned 18th green and grandstands to match the event’s continued growth in stature that has been seen in recent years. This year’s Solheim cup truly put the female game right into the spotlight.

Befittingly, it went down to the last three groups on the Sunday; a testament to the week as a whole and that holed putt by Norwegian Veteran Suzann Pettersen to seal victory will go down into the history books. Only half an hour earlier the European team seemed dead and buried. Resilience across the board was needed and resilience was shown in spectacular fashion.

Moving forward, transferring this resilience across to the female game in general is now vital to capitalise on the legacy left in Gleneagles. Female golf had slowed over the past decade, as the sport struggled to attract the younger generations to play and remain in the game.

The Women in Golf Charter, initiated by the Royal and Ancient (R&A) was designed to counter that very issue and has already had huge success, with organisations across the globe, including the Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG], pledging to its cause.

Another female-driven initiative, Love.golf, led by Alistair Spink, is also having profound effects on changing perceptions and increasing female participation. It therefore seemed befitting for its story to be showcased to the masses in Scotland as well, with a group of 120 volunteers demonstrating why they love the sport and how it can benefit everybody.

It seems that the 2019 Solheim Cup, and this European victory was a huge success, but not just for Catriona Matthews and her team of superstars, but also for showcasing the gathering momentum that is clearly being seen across Women’s golf, both on the course and off it.

Find out more about the health benefits of golf at golfandhealth.org

FIVE KEY POINTS

1. Our brains are built to learn the best when we’re operating at the edge of our abilities, outside of our comfort zones, and when we make a lot of mistakes.
2. Understanding that we can improve our abilities (having a growth mindset) is the key to learning. The most successful people in the world have this all figured out. They’re master learners, or as we like to call them – “Butt Kickers.”
3. Most of us struggle with learning because of our fear of failure, looking bad, and resistance to change. This mostly comes from a part of the brain called the amygdala aka “The Lizard Brain.” The Lizard Brain acts as an internal force driving us to have a fixed mindset.
4. The Lizard Brain is the brain of a wild animal. It’s hardwired to seek safety, avoid risks, and to fit in. This protected us back in caveman times, but now it keeps us from learning as much as we could.
5. As much as we would like to, we can’t kill the Lizard Brain. However, we can learn to dance with it and use it as a compass to show us we’re on the right path.

SPECIAL THANKS

We would like to give a HUGE shout out to Seth Godin for helping us out with the interview. He’s been one of our biggest inspirations through all of this and it was an absolute honor to speak with him. Thanks Seth!

Also, he just published one of the most unique and inspiring books I’ve ever read. Grab a couple of copies of Your Turn HERE – You’ll absolutely love it!

FREE POSTER

Screenshot it, download it, copy and paste it – it’s yours! Use it as a reminder of how learning really works. Feel free to post on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!

Expert Interviews

For this V-Essay we interviewed two incredible coaches:

John Kessel

Director of Sport Development for USA Volleyball.

He’s one of the smartest cats around and an expert in motor learning.

Tom Black

Head Volleyball Coach at Loyola Marymount University • Assistant for Coach USA Volleyball

We were having a discussion with Tom about mindset and he dropped some key insights dealing with the whole block v random argument. Tom is the man.

Shortcuts:

Kessel – (1:03-1:33), (2:44-3:27), (12:53-13:58)

Black – (9:40-10:51)

Research Studies

Summaries about a number of block v random practice research. Fancy animated graphs + explanations.

Shortcuts:

Block v random practice: effects on skill acquisition – (8:01-8:40)

Block v random practice: baseball study – (8:41-9:06)

Block v random practice: basketball study – (9:07-9:16)

Key Points

Game skills are complex

Every time you do a skill in a game, regardless of sport, you have to read, plan, and do. We call this process the “total skill.”

It’s all about transfer

Transfer is the word motor learning scientists use to describe real learning. When they study practice and how it impacts skill acquisition they always look at what the people can do the next day rather than the improvements they can see during the practice stage.

Transfer = How much of the improvements made in practice actually show up the next day or in the game.

Block Practice

A traditional approach to practice that involves getting a high number of reps repeating the exact same movement over and over and over again (hitting 10 putts from the same spot).

Random Practice

A practice approach that randomizes reps – you never do the exact same thing twice (hitting 10 putts from different spots on the green).

Random leads to wayyyyyy more transfer – why?

In all of the studies we see a huge difference between block and random practice during the transfer test (the one that measures real learning). This happens because during random practice (when we never do the same thing twice) we are forced to read, plan, and do before every single rep.

During block practice we simply repeat the previous movement and the reading and planning are eliminated from the equation.

Block is easier to do, obviously, and will make us look better in practice. However, if we want to prepare to perform in an actual game, random is the better option.

The SAGDB has been operating in South Africa since 1999 and has grown a network of coaches and officials who work across the country to develop the game in cities and remote areas.

The President’s Award for Golf Development aims to acknowledge the work of an individual or project that has excelled in developing golf. The SAGDB has helped over 17,000 young people have been coached through their programme across 14 areas of South Africa, with the aim of broadening the golfing community and transforming its composition to be more representative of society.

“For a small country like South Africa to be recognised internationally by the Confederation of Professional Golf really is something special,” said SAGDB Managing Director, Grant Hepburn. “It is a credit to the people back home that do the work – our coaches around the country, our managers – and obviously the youngsters who participate in the programme, who have done so well.”

The SAGDB has been successful in part at least due to the collaborative nature of the Board and the support given by the Department of Sports and Recreation, The R&A and a variety of South African golf organisations such as the Sunshine Tour, PGA of South Africa, and GolfRSA, as well as financial supporters, The Remgro Group and Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation.

Hepburn added: “We need to say thank you to Mr Johann Rupert – what he does for the Board, for golf in South Africa in general, is amazing. It is nice that we can win this award and give something back to our supporters by achieving something and being recognised.

“We are fortunate that the golf clubs are involved, all 14 golf unions are involved, and we have corporate South Africa involved as well – and it is really important that the PGA plays a big role too – they help us with our coaching programmes, they legitimise what we do, they endorse our coaching programme, and recognise our coaches, so that’s really important to us. We are also grateful for the generous support of Nomads, who provide regular playing opportunities and financial support for our players.”

The children that take part in the programmes are often those that would never have come into contact with golf, bringing a new audience to the sport and increasing the number of players at all levels.

But the Board are also able to then offer them many additional social benefits such as helping the children become positive and stable role models and mentors in their own communities through exposure to the discipline, etiquette and values that they learn through the sport. They also become healthy and active and can become economically independent with their acquired skills making them valuable members of their local communities and society in general.

The programmes are another way that golf can be taken directly to people, particularly helping underprivileged communities through the provision of free coaching and practice equipment, and nurturing elite players by sponsoring equipment, club fees and competition participation and making facilities more accessible.

Many of the children that have been a part of the programme have taken on golf as their sport with one senior national player and four players in senior national squad, 25 senior provincial and U-23 players, 108 junior provincial players, and over 1,500 junior tournament players. 34 of its most talented players have been invited to join prestigious and recognised High Performance Centres such as the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation, and six former SAGDB players have earned their tour cards on the Sunshine Tour.

The work of Hepburn and his colleagues continues with a vision to make golf more accessible in South Africa by providing and facilitating practice and playing opportunities for learners and talented players from all the underprivileged communities.

“I think if we strive to improve in terms of the results that we get and focusing as much on results as social-uplift, then I think we’re doing our job well. Hopefully it keeps going the way it’s been going – we’ve had success and I don’t think we need to change much, but we do need to keep looking after the core values of the Board and keep moving forward.”

For More Information On All of 2018’s Award Winners Visit http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress

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For more information on the 2018 Annual Award Winners visit Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress),follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#AnnualCongress’ or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Annual Congress Gala Awards are partnered by Rolex, Costa Navarino, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and Aegean Airlines.

With over 60 years in the broadcasting and sports journalism world, Zachrisson receives the award in recognition of his impact on Swedish golf through his commentary, both verbal and written, on golf. He is also receiving the same award as his friend and colleague, Renton Laidlaw, a fellow legend of the golf journalism world.

With over 60 years in the broadcasting and sports journalism world, Zachrisson receives the award in recognition of his impact on Swedish golf through his commentary, both verbal and written, on golf. He is also receiving the same award as his friend and colleague, Renton Laidlaw, a fellow legend of the golf journalism world.

“I am very surprised to have won this award…and makes you wonder ‘why me?’,” said Zachrisson. It will take a long time for me to understand being given the award…I don’t think I’ve done anything more than what I should of.”

“I have always enjoyed the game. I am a journalist, a writer, I create things – I could have been a lot of other things, but it happened to be golf…and it makes you realise the intricacies, and despite golf being a small world, it is important.”

Zachrisson is known throughout not only Sweden but further afield as well, for his distinct style of reporting on golf and a variety of other sports including multi-sports events such as the Olympic Games, as well as his wealth of knowledge around golf as a sport and its traditions. In 2012, he also conducted a famous interview with then Captain of the Swedish national football team, Zlatan Ibrahimović, which was watched by over two million people across the country.

His commentary is known as legendary for its easy-going and gentle tone, as well as his incredible knowledge and experience that helps him portray what is happening to the viewers or listeners with trust and understanding.

“All I’ve done is woke up one morning, started doing it, and I’m still alive and doing the same thing…!” said Zachrisson. “I have the greatest respect for the game and I swore I would not mistreat it – not the history, the passions, the players, not anything.

“I hope that my legacy would be in telling stories, whether it’s golf or whatever it is, a story has to be told. It has to be told clearly, but with a sense of humour and warmth. If I can reach someone and their story, if we can find a relationship then I love it…you want to get in behind the scenes and find the magic of a story.”

His career began in the early 1960s when he became Editor in Chief of the Swedish golf magazine, Svensk Golf. By 1966, he was commentating on the largest golf events in the world for Swedish national television, including the Ryder Cup in 1965 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, England, and the Open Championship won by Jack Nicklaus in 1966 at Muirfield Golf Links, Scotland.

In the early 90s, Zachrisson was hired by Swedish broadcaster, Viasat, and since then has been a commentator across its portfolio of channels. He has also authored a variety of his books, as well as continuing to write for Svensk Golf and other magazines such as Golf-Store Magazine and Golf Digest.

Having joined the Association of Golf Writers (AGW) in 1987, he more recently has held the position of President of the Association from 2015 – 2018, succeeding Renton Laidlaw and becoming the first non-Brit in the AGW’s history to hold this senior position.

Not only was he involved in the coverage of golf, but, having started with hickory-shafted clubs in his family garden, he played to a high level, competing in the Swedish Championship in 1964 – and showed more incredible sporting prowess by also competing nationally for squash and alpine skiing in that same year as well.

Zachrisson continues to reside in Sweden and is a member of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, as well as Royal Liverpool Golf Club, England, and several golf clubs in Sweden including Djursholm Golf Club, Sand Golf Club, Stockholms Golfklubb, and Svartinge Golf Club.

For More Information On All of 2018’s Award Winners Visit http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress

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For more information on the 2018 Annual Award Winners visit Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress),follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#AnnualCongress’ or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Annual Congress Gala Awards are partnered by Rolex, Costa Navarino, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and Aegean Airlines.

Olazábal wins the award in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contribution to golf across his career, becoming a recognised ambassador for golf in his native country of Spain, in Europe and across the world.

“It is a true honour for me to receive this award, especially coming from the Confederation of Professional Golf,” said Olazábal. The award was presented as part of the 2018 Annual Congress Gala Awards Supported By Rolex at Costa Navarino in Greece, and given to him at a hugely well-received Q&A session with Confederation of Professional Golf Board Director, Ken Schofield.

“I am humbled by this experience – all I tried to do in my career was to play golf the best I could, to respect the rules of golf, my peers, and my opponents, and to be fair and honest – and hopefully this was the result of that.”

The Spaniard is widely known for his major victories, Professional wins around the world, as well as for his incredible Ryder Cup record as a player, with the most successful pairs partnership with friend Seve Ballesteros, and his captaincy of the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012.

His golf career began at a young age in northern Spain where his father, a greenkeeper at Real Golf Club de San Sebastian, taught him to play with a cut down three-iron. He went on to win The Amateur Championship at the age of 18, and then turned professional on the European Tour earning the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award in 1986 after finishing second in the order of merit.

Olazábal formed part of a generation of golfers that made an impact not only in Europe but also in the United States, and his consistent finishes spanning a decade ensured he was in the world top-10 for over 300 weeks between 1989 and 1995.

This was helped in part by his break-through major win at The Masters in 1994, becoming the sixth European to win the tournament in seven years. 1999 saw him repeat his victory at Augusta National, securing his place in a list of legends who have multiple Masters wins and major victories, as well as a further 21 European Tour wins, four PGA Tour wins and a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

“As a golf player I believe that winning major events is key for us,” said Olazábal. “Those are the ones that determine your career and, in that regard, obviously those are my most important, or highest achievements as a player.

“But I cannot forget the special moments in my career, being Ryder Cup Captain in 2012 was the happiest and most special – it was the first time Seve wasn’t with us and being able to really feel the joy of so many people, the spectators, family members, the team with their wives and girlfriends, children, parents…that is the beauty of the event. I think it reached a lot of people and that is why it is so special to me.”

This Ryder Cup role is what Olazábal is perhaps most known for – as a player he formed one half of the ‘Spanish Armada’ with Ballesteros, the most successful Ryder Cup pairing in history with 12 points from 15 matches together. Olazábal played in seven Ryder Cups between 1987 and 2006, and was victorious in ’87, ’97 and ’06 with a total of 20.5 points to his name; the seventh highest points tally in the European Team’s history.

Having become a Ryder Cup legend, his experience and knowledge has proven to be hugely valuable as he took the role of Vice Captain for three matches in ’08, ’10 and ’14, was also the orchestrator of the previously mentioned ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012 as European Captain, producing one of the greatest comebacks not only in golf, but in all of sport.

Many forget, however, that Olazábal’s career has been one that often saw triumph overcome adversity. On multiple occasions his determination and attitude were relied upon to pull him through difficult times of injury.

Notably in 1995/96 when intense pain in his feet caused by back problems meant he thought he may never compete at a high level again, making his green jacket win in 1999 and return to the top of the sport even more impressive.

“Unfortunately, I had to go through tough times with my health,” added Olazábal. “I had some serious physical issues from playing golf, but not just that – I was in such pain I could not walk for weeks and could not do anything at all…at one point I thought my career was over.

“That puts things in perspective, when you overcome a situation like that…you see not so much the game in a different way, but from a different perspective, you realise golf is not everything. There are other things in life, friendship, family…sometimes even when you are on the golf course and things don’t go your way there is a split second where you go back and say ‘yes I made a double-bogey but there are worse things’.”

Competitive golf has not left the Spaniard just yet with aims to play on the Champions Tour in the USA in the future, as well as continue to play in European Tour events. Off the course the Olazábal Design business continues to grow, now with the inclusion of the latest two golf courses at Costa Navarino:

“In Costa Navarino we are in a very special place and the Navarino Hills site is beautiful with wonderful scenery of the Bay of Navarino and the mountains, it will be a fantastic place to come and play golf. When you design a course, you want people to have fun and enjoy it, all whilst challenging them, and the feedback is very important from the people that play them – if they are happy then I am happy.”

For More Information On All of 2018’s Award Winners Visit http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress

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For more information on the 2018 Annual Award Winners visit Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress),follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#AnnualCongress’ or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Annual Congress Gala Awards are partnered by Rolex, Costa Navarino, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and Aegean Airlines.

Kearney, who was nominated for the award by the PGA in Ireland, has spent much of his 25 years as a PGA Professional as a keen student of the sport. He has taken every opportunity to learn from those around him and develop his abilities as a coach, a tutor, and a mentor, and is also a key part of the Confederation of Professional Golf Golf Development Team, utilising these skills around the world.

“It is a big honour…I didn’t expect it…but I am delighted with the award,” said the Irishman after collecting his award at the 2018 Annual Congress Gala Awards Dinner Supported By Rolex at Costa Navarino in Greece. “It’s been a great lifetime in golf to date and hopefully, touch-wood, I am only half way through it!”

Kearney’s impact on all levels of golfers, both as sportspeople and as individuals, across many different facets of the sport make him a fantastic example of a 5-Star Professional that has shown the highest standards and achievements in his areas of expertise and the activities he has undertaken.

“I had great training and a great professional, Kevan Whitson, at Royal County Down set me up on a good road,” added Kearney. “Initially to get the support of my mum and dad to go into a profession that might not have been the place for a west-of-Ireland boy to be heading towards, and end up here 20 years later is very fulfilling for all my family.”

Kearney began his golfing career at Claremorris Golf Club in County Mayo on the west coast of Ireland, before moving to the world-famous host of many professional and amateur tournaments, The Royal County Down Golf Club, where he began his PGA apprenticeship under Whitson.

After qualifying as a PGA Professional, he moved to the United States and The Richmond Country Club near San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, where he was able to learn from two renowned teachers in Dr Jim Suttie and Mark Evershed.

Suttie’s own clients of Paul Azinger and Loren Roberts exposed Kearney to the highest levels of the game, whilst one of Canada’s greatest teachers and thinkers in golf, Evershed, was able to mentor him, leading the Irishman to move to Toronto, Canada, to study under him.

His globetrotting continued as he moved on The National Golf Club of Turkey for two years where he worked with local players of all abilities, often in using non-verbal communication to coach when language proved to be a barrier. He was able to work with local children and local Professionals to help develop many players, some of which are now fully qualified PGA Professionals themselves.

He would later work again with Turkey as National Coach for the Turkish Golf Federation, training and preparing teams for international tournaments such as the Eisenhower and Espirito Santo Trophies in 2008.

Moving back to Ireland, he opened his own academy and developed his own teaching system that pulled from his experiences and focused on all-round player development, where he also had success with local teams and players with his various activities with junior programmes, as well as with disability golf.

His early experience of working with emerging golf nations no doubt led to Kearney’s interest in both golf and human development, and this has been shown by various activities he has become involved in, including being a prominent member of the Confederation of Professional Golf’s own Golf Development Team, visiting countries such as Panama, Brazil, India, Bulgaria and Hungary, and as a Swing and Golf Coaching Tutor for the PGA of GB&I at the National Training Academy at The Belfry, England.

His national team work has continued as well with the Irish Ladies Golf team, being a key part of the development of many of the greatest female players to come out of Ireland in the past two decades – notably former world number one amateur, Leona Maguire, and current world top-30 amateur, Olivia Mehaffey – helping players earn titles such as Ireland’s first Girls Home International win in 2016, the Ladies Home International 2017 title, and numerous successful individual performances.

Most recently Kearney left the role of Golf Director at Carton House Golf Club in County Kildare, Ireland, having helped to deliver a highly successful World Amateur Team Championship Espirito Santo and Eisenhower Trophies with the International Golf Federation, all whilst continuing his role as Performance Director for Irish ladies golf.

Kearney is a true example of the adage of never stop learning and through seminars and conference appearances is always quick to help his fellow Professionals in their own development, and offer sage advice:

“I often tell Professionals straight away to follow their interest and follow their heart. Ultimately what gets you out of bed in the morning and what makes you make an impact with somebody is the interest you have.

“I learnt a little bit late that it was people I was interested in as opposed to sport or golf, but I would tell people to sit down and have a really good conversation with themselves and see where their interests lay… if you follow your interests it never feels like work at all.”

For More Information On All of 2018’s Award Winners Visit http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress

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For more information on the 2018 Annual Award Winners visit Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress),follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#AnnualCongress’ or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Annual Congress Gala Awards are partnered by Rolex, Costa Navarino, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and Aegean Airlines.

With a career in golf commentary, presenting and journalistic reporting that spans over 60 years, Laidlaw has provided the narration for most of golf’s greatest moments across 15 Ryder Cups and 150+ Major Championships, including over 40 Masters Tournaments, seeing first-hand the development of European golf and its players on the world stage.

“I’m particularly happy about this award as I’ve spent so much time in Europe covering the European Tour,” said Laidlaw during his acceptance speech shown during at the 2018 Annual Congress Gala Awards Dinner Supported By Rolex at Costa Navarino in Greece.

“I’ve always enjoyed Europe from the point of view of the different cultures, food, etc., but more importantly, the people we’ve met in Europe over the years. There are so many who were so helpful and I think that was one of the great things about being in Europe – we were all different but we were all alike. It was, as Seve used to say, a real family.”

Laidlaw’s journalism career began at the tender age of 14 when he took a job as a copy-taker in a local newsroom in his home city of Edinburgh. Following in the footsteps of his father, he then moved into reporting positions for the Edinburgh Evening News, and into golf after an editor asked him to cover multiple sports.

These reporting roles were the springboard for his access to some of the world’s largest golf tournaments in which he had the freedom to pick and choose which events to attend, including his first Major in 1959 at Muirfield where Gary Player claimed his first Major Championship as well.

A decade on, having worked in a freelance capacity for Reuters covering golf worldwide, he was then able to change medium having seen the opportunities that lay ahead in television. Initially working for Scottish Television, and later with Grampian TV where he became an evening news anchor, he was recruited by the BBC as a news anchor.

By the mid-seventies he was golf reporter for London’s Evening Standard newspaper whilst also taking television and BBC radio assignments on weekends, spending the next 15 years as BBC Radio’s golf correspondent.

In the early 90s he was working full-time with British Satellite Broadcasting, which was later taken over by SKY, and by the middle of the decade he broadcast his first European Tour event for The Golf Channel from the Dubai Desert Classic, where he became the mouthpiece for European golf in the United States and brought a European viewpoint to an ever-increasingly global sport.

“I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve been able to work in newspapers, write books, in television, and in radio,” added Laidlaw. “To be able to work in all these media is quite something…but I’ve been able to somehow scratch my way through and do them all which makes me, I suppose, a wee-bit unusual.

“I was always delighted with my work with the Golf Channel in America, because what we were doing on there was bringing to the Americans knowledge of the European players who they really didn’t know all that well and spreading the European golf message to that market.”

Laidlaw has also played a significant role in golf journalism around the welfare and support of journalists covering the sport through his various roles with the Association of Golf Writers (AGW).

He was Secretary of the organisation from 1978 – 1995 after which he held the positions of Chairman (1995–98) and President (2004–15) in which he was able to influence the working conditions and support of golf journalists working in the field. His influence has undoubtedly played a key part in helping to foster the successful relationships that exist between the professional and amateur organisations and the men and women of the golfing press.

Up until its last publication in 2014, he also edited what is known by many as the ‘golfing bible’ – The R&A Golfer’s Handbook – whilst also authoring many of his own books about the game.

After retiring in 2014, he was awarded the 2015 Masters Major Achievement Award in recognition of his coverage of over 40 Masters Tournaments, becoming the first non-American journalist to win the award.

This joined a significant list of awards received throughout his incredible career, including the title as first European winner of the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism in 2003, and the 2012 PGA in Scotland Lifetime Achievement Award.

For More Information On All of 2018’s Award Winners Visit http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress

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For more information on the 2018 Annual Award Winners visit Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress),follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#AnnualCongress’ or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Annual Congress Gala Awards are partnered by Rolex, Costa Navarino, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and Aegean Airlines.

Kenyon was nominated by the PGA in England and Wales’ North Region committee and selected by the awards panel in recognition of his continued success working with some of the greatest golfers of our time, such as Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Thomas Björn, and Louis Oosthuizen to name just a few.

“It is obviously a great honour – John Jacobs is a pioneer of golf coaching so to be even just associated with John is fantastic,” said Kenyon during his acceptance speech shown at the 2018 Annual Congress Gala Awards Dinner Supported By Rolex at Costa Navarino in Greece.

“In particular it is a great honour for me as well because Harold Swash who has been my mentor was really good friends with John, I know they had a great relationship, so I would like to dedicate this award to Harold really.”

The John Jacobs Award is the Confederation of Professional Golf’s highest coaching accolade and is presented to a PGA Professional who has excelled as a golf coach at all levels of the game, be it with elite or beginner players alike across a number of years.

Previous winners of the award have included Shane Lowry’s coach, Neil Manchip, along with Michael Bannon, coach of Rory McIlroy, Salvador Luna, coach of Sergio Garcia, coach to seven of the 2016 Ryder Cup Europe Team, Mike Walker, and last year’s winner and coach to the likes of Andy Sullivan and Brandon Stone, Jamie Gough.

“Jamie Gough and Mike Walker are really good friends of mine, I know them both from my travels on tour, added Kenyon. “Jamie is one of the hardest workers out there and he’s had great success with his students. Mike is a great coach and a really good friend of mine as we often share hotels or travel together so to follow in their footsteps is great for me.”

Having been introduced to the game by his parents and playing at a high amateur level, Kenyon concentrated on his academic studies before turning professional, completing an undergraduate degree in psychology and sports science and a Masters degree in sport science at Liverpool John Moores University.

After competing worldwide as a tournament professional on developmental tours, he decided to go into coaching and began his PGA of Great Britain & Ireland training. Having known and worked with the legendary putting expert, Harold Swash, for a number of years, Kenyon was able to absorb much of his knowledge, shadowing him in his work with many of the top players of that time, enabling up close and personal experience of dealing with top level players in that side of coaching.

Since Swash’s passing Kenyon has taken on the Swash Putting business and works out of the Putting Solutions studio at Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa in the north of England, as well as at sites in Lancashire, England, and Georgia, USA.

His continually evolving client list now reads as a who’s who of the golf world, with numerous major winners, Ryder Cup players, European and Challenge Tour winners, Race to Dubai champions, as well as English, Scottish, and Spanish national squads, all of which has contributed to his recent acknowledgement as a Master Professional by the PGA of GB&I.

Notably he has worked for a number of years with 2018 Open Champion, Race to Dubai champion, and European Tour Player of the Year, Francesco Molinari, as well as the other half of ‘Moliwood’ and another European Tour Race to Dubai Champion, Tommy Fleetwood.

“There’s many things that I’ve enjoyed, and got a lot of satisfaction from, in my career,” added Kenyon. “Being involved with guys that have won majors – Darren Clarke, Henrik Stenson, Francesco Molinari – have been great experiences. I’ve really enjoyed the Ryder Cups that I have been involved with as well.

“But I just enjoy working in golf, and week to week there are highlights for me. Helping players have good tournaments or keeping their tour card, or simply helping aspiring amateurs knock shots off their handicaps – I enjoy it all really and I am very lucky in that respect.”

For More Information On All of 2018’s Award Winners Visit http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress

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For more information on the 2018 Annual Award Winners visit Annual Congress Hub Page (http://eur.pe/2018AnnualCongress),follow @PGAsofEurope on Twitter and search the hashtag ‘#AnnualCongress’ or like the Confederation of Professional Golf Facebook Page.

The Annual Congress Gala Awards are partnered by Rolex, Costa Navarino, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, and Aegean Airlines.

The PGA of Great Britain & Ireland Professional is an established part of the coaching tour de force from the Peter Cowen Golf Academy, having worked with, and influenced, over 40 European Tour players across the last decade.

Much like many coaches, Walker started his golf career on the playing side but, having left the game, it was only when he actively sought out his old coach, Peter Cowen, to help him out of his then office job in London that he got fully into golf coaching.

“When I look back now to my younger years, possibly to my detriment, I was almost more interested in coaching and practicing than playing because I used to get very nervous,” says Walker.

“I was bored in an office job in London and I contacted Pete who was my coach before I gave up golf and it was he who said well you could teach, in his words, standing on your head. I was just really interested in coaching, and I couldn’t wait to get to work every day.”

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“I think it’s a shame that a lot of coaches keep their cards to their chest because I’ve found that just by having conversations you learn different things from everybody…”

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Walker was placed as the Padawan Apprentice to a Jedi Master in Cowen, whose coaching pedigree speaks for itself when you see the list of players he has worked with. His exposure to Cowen’s working environment enabled him to absorb much of his knowledge whilst also being given the freedom to establish his own philosophy and opinions.

“I am extremely privileged with the fact that I have had ‘on-tap’ access to one of the best coaches in the world. All the questions that would make you scratch your head; you could get answers or Pete’s opinion of that answer.

“I think it’s a shame in the golf industry that a lot of coaches keep their cards to their chest because I’ve found that, whether it’s Pete or other coaches, just by having conversations with them you learn different things from everybody.”

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“I wouldn’t be doing what I did last year if it wasn’t for Pete – it’s that simple. I owe him a lot.”

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Clearly even a slight dipping of the toe into the mind of Walker shows how much Cowen, and other coaches, have influenced him:

“Without Pete then I wouldn’t have received any awards if it wasn’t for him – I wouldn’t be doing what I did last year if it wasn’t for him – it’s that simple. So I owe him a lot.

“What I most enjoy is talking technique and hitting balls with Pete and comparing ideas, what some players do that he’s worked with, what other players do that I’ve worked with – it’s just constantly stimulating your interest so it’s a fortunate position to be in.

“Other coaches that you travel with – for example Phil Kenyon, the putting coach – I talk to him a lot about coaching because it transcends into other areas, not just technique. Managing people, looking at statistics or score reports – it’s a myriad of things that you’re actually doing. I wish people would have more open conversations or forums because I think it helps everybody ultimately.”

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“What I’ve found is that if you’ve got a pupil you were on the same wave-length as then it’s gratifying whether they’re just starting or whether they’re playing for a living…”

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The professionals covered by the Cowen/Walker partnership reads more like a football squad than a roster of individuals, and the multinational, multi-tour group mean that it can be non-stop for Walker throughout the season, travelling to various tour events and making sure he is available to his students.

“Coaching tour players around the world is a bit of a double-edged sword – I don’t like the travel, and I don’t know many people who do, but the places that you go the other side are more than worth it…you get unbelievable experiences.

“Being on tour might test you a little more, but it’s all contextual and rolls along the way. I would have been just as nervous doing my first lesson to a group as teaching on a large stage like the Ryder Cup or something like that because it’s new at the end of the day. I guess the more you do it the less nervous you get.

“What I’ve found is that at any level, if you’ve got a pupil that you were on the same wave-length as and you get on with then it’s really gratifying whether they’re just starting or whether they’re playing for a living. It can be gratifying coaching at whatever level – a beginner to a 12 handicap just as much as coaching somebody to win his or her first tournament.

“It’s especially gratifying with someone like Matt Fitzpatrick who you’ve coached from being a kid. When he won the US Amateur that personally was one of the most satisfying moments because you’d seen him as a 13 year old kid coming to the driving range and then you’ve taken him all the way up to walking on the first tee at the Ryder Cup with him.”

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“The fundamentally important thing is to know your topic absolutely inside-out whatever level you’re at…”

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Much of Walker’s success is attributed to the help of his fellow coaches. This culture of sharing and advice is evident in his own views on how PGA Professionals can advance themselves as

coaches and it doesn’t take much to get him enthused and impassioned about his area of expertise.

“Some people are extremely good at coaching juniors, others at coaching your bog-standard player, and other people would be more interested in elite coaching…I think you need to identify what you prefer early on.

“But irrespective of any of those avenues, you need to know your subject inside out because all of the best people I’ve come across – not just in golf but in different industries – they make complex subjects appear simple, and to be able to make it simple you need to know as much as possible.

“The fundamentally important thing is to know your topic absolutely inside-out whatever level you’re at – then pick your route and try as hard as you can.”

Earlier this year Walker was awarded the John Jacobs Award for Teaching & Coaching at the Confederation of Professional Golf’s Annual Congress Gala Awards in recognition of his position as a leading light in the profession.

“I felt very humbled and very proud – especially with John Jacobs linked to my roots at Hallamshire and Lindrick Golf Clubs at different stages. Matt Fitzpatrick, originates from Hallamshire, and my first proper golf lesson was at Lindrick with Pete so it seems quite fitting.

“I am extremely honoured to be associated with such a household name, especially with his recent passing. I know it’s a cliché but everybody values being acknowledged by their peers…if things like this happen then it gives you a boost of confidence and it’s really satisfying.”

Their staff explains how they do it:

This interview was the inspiration behind The Growth Mindset Playbook (a page dedicated to laying out the best ways to teach and implement growth mindset).

I’d like to give a huge S/O to Karch and his staff for being so incredible these past few years – I can’t explain how much they’ve helped the Train Ugly mission!

If you’d like to see the crew in action and learn more about their approaches, check out:

THE TRAINING THE GAP CONFERENCE

The Robert Kalkman Foundation has received funding from the Ryder Cup European Development Trust in order to continue providing opportunities to children across the Netherlands and allow the Foundation’s clinics to increase in size and frequency.

Golfing World caught up with Robert at the Foundation’s golf day to find out more about the great work being done…

To Find Out More About the Robert Kalkman Foundation visit www.robertkalkmanfoundation.com.

For more information on the Ryder Cup European Development Trust visit www.RCTrust.info, and follow @RyderCupTrust on Twitter.

IGPN spoke to Brian and Seve to find out more about how they work together and what lessons can be learned about creating a successful, effective team of practicioners around an elite performer.

Becoming an Effective Part of a Player’s Team

How did your working relationship come about?

SEVE: Our relationship began when I was a young lad playing for England. Brian was the England squad psychologist when I was about 17.

BRIAN: I remember seeing his name and like many people I thought it was misspelt.  So that was noticeable at first in terms of his name but I remember meeting him as a what was really a young boy of 15 and of course now he’s in his late 20s.

What sort of work did you do at first?

BRIAN: It would of been a typical session with a young junior golfer on the fringe of England recognition with ‘boys’ – what you’re trying to do is get to know somebody and how they approach the game because we’re all different.  Then largely it’s individually based – so for some people it might be very much on putting work and with others it might be their approach off the course.

But for a lot of young golfers, there are their own expectations of how far they want to go in the game and it’s very competitive in the game from a very early age.  What I probably recall from Seve…would be something about expectations of yourself, and of trying to forge a career in the game.

What has your working relationship entailed?

BRIAN: Seve’s always been a quiet individual, keeping himself to himself…I think sometimes with players, when they’re quiet they can be deemed to be unconfident but I would say Seve had quite a quiet assurance about him, which he’s always had.

SEVE: Working with Brian for this length of time has been a real joy.  He has always kept me focused on the process of what I am doing.  After working together for a long time he has become a great friend.  We meet on pretty much an ad-hoc basis from time-to-time and after seeing Brian I’m always left with a sense of calmness, which I love.

BRIAN: The beauty of working with somebody over that extended period of time is that you see him or her through so many psychological transitions – not just in terms of their game, but also as a person going from a young boy into a young adult.  Then they’re developing long-term relationships off the course in terms of their partner, along with other transitions such as buying houses…and all the things that we probably don’t think much about when we look at sportspeople play golf.

At the same time you’re cautious about the fact that you’re not their friend.  When you’ve known somebody for 14 years you get to know them very well but it’s a professional relationship, it’s not a personal friendship relationship.  Therefore we’re both quite disciplined in that way that it retains a professional sense whilst it is in a friendly way.

How do you manage these influential factors with players like Seve?

BRIAN: Work with any player is very individually-based if it’s going to be the most effective because you’re trying to establish a very unique relationship – what makes a player unique, what’s their way of thinking about the game, and how can you remind them of those things when there might be a sense to search for something that’s going to be more effective.

So we retain contact only maybe by text before and after a tournament. When he’s home for a reasonable stretch of time we try and meet up either at Wentworth where he’s based or more locally to me.

Then it’s very much in the moment about what’s on his mind – is it a performance issue or is it somewhere else in terms of lifestyle or his approach that he’s maybe lost his focus – it really comes from him.

SEVE: Since a young age, Brian has helped me to become very strong mentally and cope with any situation that may arise on the golf course.  I think that as time has gone on our relationship has improved and Brian knows how I tick so when something comes up in my game we can deal with it really effectively.

Brian, you’ve seen Seve through all of these various stages of development – is that a challenge to get background and relationship bond with players when you first begin working with them?

BRIAN: Yes, in new relationships getting to know one another, getting to know how someone thinks about their game, their particular issues or the demands/pressures at that point, gets easier as you get to know people.  But by and large, in sports psychology, they’re actually more short term relationships – people come to you with a specific issue and that may last as little as one or two sessions, six sessions, or over six months, but is more fleeting.  I think that this is where it is different from a PGA Professional because although players do change coaches my experience is that they generally do have a bit more longevity than a sports psych.

[Sports psychologist] relationships are generally more fleeting and therefore there’s more pressure on you to be effective over a short period of time, whereas with somebody such as Seve or a longer-term relationship, there’s a sense that you can get into other areas that perhaps they wouldn’t think are performance-related by getting to know the person better.

What is it about Seve and others that set them apart?

BRIAN: They’re all very different in their approach…but my observations of working with the amateur-professional transition in the English game would be that they invest in themselves.

So at National coaching level there would be a number of technical coaches with specialist areas, a physio, strength and conditioning people, and one of the difficulties for players when they turn professional is that all of a sudden that team largely drops off because they’re not at your beck and call as a national squad player.

So all of a sudden the support structure that you’ve experienced and the edges in performance through sports science or through certain technical coaching is no longer there.

I think that when you speak to people who have made ineffective transitions, you find that their team completely dispersed and they really suffered as a result of that.

Whereas I think that with people like Seve, Danny [Willett], Chris [Wood], what they did very well was that they still invested in themselves.  So at a time when perhaps money might have been at a bit more of a premium, they still tried to retain as many people of that core team as they could.

SEVE: I think my professionalism, relentless work ethic and commitment to the game are my strong points.  But they all come from the fact that I’ve always focused on, and invested in, the mental side of my game and made sure I put the effort in to maintain what I’m doing.

Because I’ve known Brian for a while and specifically since I was young, he’s helped me to mature as a person and become very professional in what I do.  We also spent a lot of time in the past looking at goal setting so our work has helped me become very clear on how to achieve those goals.

Brian, how do you fit into Seve’s coaching team?

BRIAN: I’m very rarely at tournaments, the European Tour is obviously a world-based tour now so there’s the cost implications of [travelling to events].  And also I think Seve is ‘low maintenance’ so I don’t think there’s a need for that a lot of the time.

Generally I’ll try and see him play a couple of times a year – clearly the UK ones this year, Wentworth and Woburn, are the easiest, and that’s more observationally.  As I say to him, I’m not looking to intervene at that point; it’s really an observational point to see how he operates because a large amount of his work is based on his reflections.  Also of course there’s a chance at that point to interact more with his team – he has a world-class coach in Pete Cowen, he works with Justin Buckthorp who works with Justin Rose and a number of other players in terms of his strength and conditioning, and I get a chance to meet with his caddie.

He works with Phil Kenyon on a week-to-week basis out on tour…so it gives me a great chance to catch up with their work and the putting work I am doing with him to make sure it’s in accordance with them.

So to get the views of other people who are closely involved with him in terms of their observations on maybe his improvement or areas where there could be more improvement is very useful.

So that’s how it works, but otherwise when Seve gets back after a series of tournaments we’ll either catch up face-to-face or by Skype, FaceTime or phone, whatever’s the most convenient to him.

How do you make yourself an effective part of Seve’s team and manage his expectations of what you hope to do?

BRIAN: There are many sports psychologists that would emphasise the content of interventions and ‘this is what you do’, and often there’s a lot of ‘yes, this technique will enable you to do x, y, and z’.  I’ve always approached it from a slightly different way – I’ve always recognised that the relationship is of primary importance.  So, as somebody begins to trust you and you build rapport with them, the relationship is in a sense also how you help people change their views or beliefs, or how they approach a certain situation.

So I always put great emphasis on the importance of the relationship with any player.  As it is with Seve, that’s easier to say as I’ve known him a long time.

The second part of it is that I try to be open to his needs at whatever point he is at.  Sometimes players give you that themselves.

I would like to think that sometimes I challenge his way of thinking when I think it is unproductive to him, or I present a different story to him that could be equally valid based on his experiences.

Let’s say in terms of expectations, in terms of your progress through the game, you could write a story where you say ‘well Seve’s never won on tour’.  He’s won as a professional, but like many people he hasn’t won on tour yet. They’ll be other people who will say ‘well Seve should have won by now’.  Now of course if that creeps in to your thinking that can put you under enormous pressure.

Where as an equally valid story is to say ‘well actually year on year he’s improving and whether he wins or not is not entirely down to him’.  It’s down to how in any given week, the rest of the field also perform.

SEVE: It’s really important to have a good team of people around you.  I would say that the team would each need to be open-minded and have minimal egos – that way they can work effectively for the player.

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With thanks to Brian Hemmings, Seve Benson (@SeveBenson) and Northampton Golf Club (www.northamptongolfclub.co.uk).

This topic came up as we were recently discussing the results of some of our competitive clients.  It seemed we kept coming back to this commonality in describing our students who were experiencing the most success.  Obviously, they perform well because they are all highly skilled, but the players that seem to have an unwavering belief in their abilities– keep achieving— sometimes even beyond the level that their current skills would predict.

We love the queued up clip below of the current World Number 1 communicating an amazing sense of belief in himself and his abilities.

“They had no chance.”

“Who’s playing for second place?”

This steadfast outlook on his ability to perform manifests itself in a few key characteristics:

• a willingness to take on meaningful challenges
• a propensity to exert maximum effort in training
• a persistence in the face of setbacks

These traits allow the self believers to navigate the ups and downs of golf and better manage the stress inherent within competitive golf.  Psychologist and motivation expert, Albert Bandura, referred to this belief as Self Efficacy. Here is how he describes performers with high self efficacy:

Alternatively, we sometimes encounter highly skilled and technically proficient players who lack this Self Efficacy. They approach competition with anxiety rather than the exhilaration.  These are the players who, despite having robust skills, aren’t able to parlay them into maximum output. How often do you see a player approach their performance with trepidation and expectations that are not in alignment with what they are capable of? Why is that?

It may seem obvious, but so much effort is spent on refining skill and technique that it’s easy to omit this essential component to performance from our lesson plans.  And sometimes it’s worse than merely omitting— sometimes we prepare for an event in a way that inhibits self-efficacy and belief.  Spending too much time on technique in our interactions leading up to an event rarely fuels a belief in their skills ‘as-is’.  Instead, this approach may allow for a bit of doubt to creep in as the performer wonders what iteration of their mechanics will show up when it counts.  This is a really difficult roadblock to avoid, especially if performance wanes in the lead up to an event.

So how can we build belief?

One of the most difficult things to do, as coaches, is to persuade a performer to believe more in their abilities. And that’s because players need something more tangible– to see it, not just hear it. They need proof. While we certainly try to build it and protect it through how we communicate— ultimately that belief has to be earned.

In our experience, the best source of Self Belief is the memory of previous accomplishments. To that end, we work closely with players to build a success inventory – a storage box of instances that demonstrate to the player, that they are capable to excelling in a variety of situations.

Think of an athlete who struggles to perform.  If we know the person well, and know what they need to be successful, we can get pretty creative in creating situations where these accomplishments can be earned – and their memory bank can get filled.

Through reflection, we found a very common pattern – the occasions in which the people we work with reported the most confidence and performed best in events, closely matched the time in which we presented them with tasks aligned most closely with the ‘Build Efficacy’ quadrant of our Task Design Matrix.

These tasks – ‘Moments of Mastery’ – allowed the athletes to train in similar-to-play conditions under  achievable outcome demands.

In looking closer at the anatomy of a Moment of Mastery, our end goal is to craft a task that creates assurance for the athlete– once complete, they know their skill is on-point and ready.  We want them to be able to recognize a situation and refer back to the training they have completed and know, with great certainty, that their skill set is more than capable of producing the outcomes that they want – and need – in that circumstance.  This performance state serves as a stark contrast to the uncommitted, uncertain performer who just isn’t sure if they can pull a certain shot off.  If that’s the perceived belief, they SHOULD be nervous and anxious!

Although it sounds simple, there is an art to it.  Knowing how hard the task needs to be to get them engaged and exerting effort while also keeping the difficulty at a level that is likely to produce a successful performance is quite difficult, as it is often a moving target and a very thin line to walk.  However, it is the means by which this ‘swagger’ is earned, and it is something that expert coaches are able to do with practice and careful planning.

This is obviously made more difficult when the player attempts to create a Moment of Mastery with a technique that isn’t producing the desired results.  That’s when, as coaches, we have to scale difficulty and possibly even put certain aspects of technique in isolation, so the performer can mentally ‘check the box’ and move on.  While this ‘isolation’ technique may not align with how a player best learns in the long-term– it’s worth doing at times if we know it will have a positive effect on their perceived competence.  For an example of successful players training his way, visit the putting green of any tour event Mon-Tue and witness players going through their technique checks with any number of training aids in a noticeably superficial environment.

On these occasions, we prefer a stable, unrepresentative setting despite the stigma that often comes with these ‘blocked practice’ activities.  If, in that moment, it will help an athlete believe in themselves more, we won’t hesitate to go there.  Even if it’s a bit manufactured and unrepresentative– skill acquisition science be damned!

CREATING MOMENTS OF MASTERY

There are two things that we need to be aware of when designing Moments of Mastery.

• The goal is to boost a player’s perception of their ability to be successful under the gun.
• The boost comes from them being able witness their success in the first person, repeatedly.

With those action items in mind, we need to provide a task that has three distinct characteristics:

• Low to moderate relative difficulty.
• A like-golf environment.
• Repetition.

These three aspects of the training task – difficulty, instability, and time on task – work together to create an environment that has the potential to inspire motivation and perception of one’s abilities as it offers the possibility for the performer to be successful, in similar-to-play situations, often. Provided the outcome standard that governs success is in alignment with their skill set, these tasks serve as a catalyst to the creation of confidence.  Here is an example:

PRACTICAL EXAMPLE

In this instance, the athlete received certainty that what he is training, he is able to recall when he needs it and that the outcomes are very good.  Again, it sounds very simple, but the more we can create these moments, the more moments of success they have in the memory bank to reference during competition.

In addition to providing opportunities to see success, we can further promote their sense of ‘I-Can-Do-It-ness’ by keeping track of their performance.  Logging skills assessments or statistics, can show tangible proof of progress against early versions of themselves.  What will happen to the athlete in the screencast after we point out a drill that at one time seemed very difficult, but now they complete with ease?  This is another great source for self-belief— it’s a great way to promote their sense of ‘I-Can-Do-It-ness.’

While we don’t claim to be sports psychologists– we realize that our interactions need to impact performance state in equal measure to skill.  Exploring the motivational and psychological underpinnings of how we coach and train should be a priority for all coaches.  Luckily there are experts in golf like Pia Nilsson, Lynn Marriott, Dr. Bhrett McCabe, and Dr. Rick Jensen who share their insights generously.

If you feel researching this topic could improve your coaching– our friend Cordie Walker is putting on the Unlocking Performance Virtual Summit.  Some of the brightest minds in golf, including the ones listed above, will be sharing their thoughts.  We would highly recommend checking it out!

Another great source is James Sieckmann’s new book, Your Putting Solution.  Not only does he cover the technical components of putting in comprehensive detail, but the second half of the book is essentially a master class in how to coach, build belief, and train more effectively.

And after you check out those great resources, we hope you’ll engage us in further investigating this topic in the comment section.  What activities do you use to create similar ‘Moments of Mastery’?  Describe a task that you use that seems to evoke a strong sense of ‘I can do it’ from your students.  We would love to compile a database that we can all learn from and use in our coaching.

 – COREY LUNDBERG & MATT WILSON

‘Are you getting by, or are you getting better?’  This is a question that we have heard a mentor pose to clients on several occasions.

It’s a seemingly simple question that is inherently complex and thus very difficult to answer.  Why? You have to answer it yourself through reflection. While it’s often uncomfortable to look at oneself from the perspective of the third person (nobody wants to see what they don’t want to), or to question and think about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it– it’s an essential and enlightening process.  It brings us full circle and cuts to the essence of why we are all here: we don’t know what we don’t know– and we have a strong desire to change that.  We are infinitely curious.

Despite the fact that we haven’t been writing, we’ve still been learning – quite a bit, in fact.  How? Reflection.

Reflection is the primary means through which we grow and evolve. Our practice is informed by our experience, and we need to invest the time and energy to look at said experience with a critical eye.  A thorough examination of our choices and behaviors helps us identify and reinforce the actions that correlate to success, and therefore the things we should keep doing, as well as the actions or choices that led to the opposite result.  As coaches, it is our job to evolve.  Given that 2017 is upon us, we want to dig a little deeper into this topic, and provide you with an example of the result of some of our own reflection, so that the entire coaching community (ok, we digress–any readers that have endured the prolonged break) can hit the ground running in the new year.

Dr. Wade Gilbert, a professor of Kinesiology at Fresno State University (and regular guest lecturer in Matt’s Coaching Effectiveness class at UBC), is one of the world’s leading experts on coaching science.  Much of his research focuses on how coaches develop their expertise.  Through his years of research, he’s identified that informal learning is a primary means through which expert coaches grow and develop.  Much of that informal learning is triggered internally, by reflection.  All coaches think about their experience, but only the experts try to understand why and how they can improve on it.  In other words, experts are curious about their performance, and have a desire to do it better.

We know that having experience and learning from that experience are catalysts for growth.  So, what are the mechanics of the process? How do you process that experience and make adjustments to your behavior?  How do you integrate it into what you do? While, we’re still trying to answer those questions ourselves, we have been following these two practices to help us get improve: Reflective practice and critical reflection.  Yes, they sound similar (which they are), but they are inherently different.

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE V. CRITICAL REFLECTION

When we think about reflective practice and/or reflection, the image that comes to mind is a steady stream of thought on a car ride home.  These are the relatively short, internal conversations that we have with ourselves, daily, that don’t require significant effort.  They’re mental ‘notes’ that often focus on problems we encountered, or about things that went particularly well in a given instance.  Sometimes, these conversations lead us to discover a different way to go about addressing a situation.

Critical reflection, on the other hand, is much more significant.  These are the reflections that force you to take a step back and consider the beliefs that underpin your actions and behaviors. They often represent an internal inventory-taking of your coaching skills and beliefs, and facilitate a deeper dive into self-improvement, often involving interacting with third parties, and other members of your coaching network for answers.  These are critical, evolutionary moments that identify gaps and signal action towards closing them, ultimately leading to relatively permanent change in behavior.

The point we want to make is that over the last 6 months, we’ve been thrust into opportunities that have illuminated the shortcomings we have as coaches.  The fleeting thoughts about an occasion that didn’t go as planned are often more frustrating than productive.  Critical reflection elicits more intrigue than frustration, it actually moves the needle.  Through continued reflection – both in the daily and critical sense – we’ve given ourselves a chance to grow and improve.

ACTIONABLES

• Keep a journal. Logging your days and jotting down your thoughts helps you become aware of any patterns that exist.  The notes serve as an informational foundation for critical analysis and eventually, change.

• Budget time to be critical. Going deeper into your reflections to create understanding, and ultimately change, takes time and effort.  Ensure that you are setting aside time either monthly or quarterly, to be self-critical, such that you can get a plan in place to close any gaps that you perceive to be apparent.

• Be vulnerable. Seeing yourself in action is a great way to understand your behavior.  You’ll become aware of a number of great things, as identify a few areas to improve.  Also, it is OK to not know.  Seek the opinions of others, as it’ll help close your knowledge gaps and make you aware of new solutions.  Yes, it is an uncomfortable process, but very much worth it.

• Remain as objective as possible. It can be far too easy to grade your paper against unrealistic standards. This can be done with film (as you’ll see below), or through a trusted friend/advisor who is invested in your success.  360 degree reviews or anonymous surveys are also helpful tools that can inform you of blind sports in your practice.

AN EXAMPLE FROM MATT

One of my biggest challenges is staying sharp, mentally and physically, day in and day out.  I feel very strongly that my effectiveness, and behavior, is directly related to the amount of energy I have available.  Over the past few weeks, I felt ineffective, but couldn’t quite figure out why.  Physically, I felt fine. And mentally? I thought I was sharp.  Still, something was missing – I was getting by, not getting better.

In the offseason, we do a lot of instructing and a heavy emphasis is placed on refining techniques and building skills.  When doing a lot of ‘teaching’, I find it easy to get into a pattern that is very directive and very generous with the provision of feedback in an effort to guide the learner to the desired outcome as quickly as possible.  It is as if we work extra hard to reduce the amount of mental effort required on behalf of the learner such that we can make the learning process ‘easier’.  In attempting to accelerate and simplify the learning process by reducing the amount of cognitive energy invested by the learner, pre and post movement, we end up having the opposite effect; we severely limit their learning.  They end up relying on our guidance to make corrections rather than making adjustments based on their evaluation of both the intrinsic and extrinsic feedback they receive from the movement, relative to their kinesthetic concept of what they are trying to learn.

I felt ineffective because I had it backwards.  I became overly concerned with WHAT the athletes needed to do, and didn’t place enough energy into HOW those interventions were carried out.  As a result, what needed to happen (their learning), didn’t.

So, what did I do to make the corrections?

To start, I set different goals for the day.  The goals focused on the learning environment we created, as opposed to the specific content that was to be learned.  My aim was for the client to be more cognitively engaged than in sessions past.  My plan to achieve that goal was twofold.  First, I wanted to ensure that I was cultivating the athlete’s capacity to accurately detect error.  The goal was to provide them with the opportunity to contrast what they did vs. what they intended such that they could calibrate their sensory feedback accordingly.  Second, I aimed to optimize the provision of feedback, delaying it until after the athlete had the chance to evaluate their intrinsic feedback, as well as establishing a bandwidth, outside of which prescriptive feedback would be provided.

Next, I wore a GoPro and filmed the day to gauge how successful I was in executing my objectives.  I wanted to see what the environment was actually like.

Below is a video excerpt from a session where we worked with an athlete on developing their control over the speed of their putts.  As stated prior, my objective was to provide the client with a better learning environment; one that challenged them cognitively, technically, and physically.  I structured the activity with the end goal of expanding the capacity of the learner to accurately assess the result of their movement in the absence of feedback, and in improving their ability to detect, and correct, error.  I wanted to help them close the gap that existed between what they think happens, and what actually happens, when they act on a decision.  Check out a brief snippet of the video below to get a better idea for how I ended up delivering feedback in this session.

https://youtu.be/5VHR8Dl5BSg

Was it perfect? No.  But it doesn’t have to be.  I learned more through this critical reflection than I had an any number of traditional educational activities.

What will you do to generate a similar experience?

We’ll give you some time to reflect…

– COREY LUNDBERG & MATT WILSON

(ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., USA) – World Golf Foundation (WGF) – the non-profit organization developing and supporting initiatives that positively impact lives through the game of golf and its traditional values – announces the launch of the Golf & Health Project, academically researching and highlighting how the game can benefit peoples’ lives.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, led by Dr. Andrew Murray and under the supervision of leading international academics, Professor Nanette Mutrie and Professor Liz Grant, have conducted the largest, most comprehensive study of golf and health, with the results shown in a Scoping Review published in the world’s leading sports medicine and science journal, The British Journal of Sports Medicine. In total, 5,000 papers were reviewed to provide a comprehensive view on the impact of the game on health, illness prevention (and management) and associated injuries (infographic).

Key benefits include improvements in life expectancy and quality of life, as well as physical and mental health benefits. Golf is expected to decrease the risk of more than 40 major chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, colon and breast cancer. Current research shows that golf has positive impacts on cholesterol, body composition, metabolism, and longevity.

The Project launches with support from all of golf’s major organisations, along with an initial eight ambassadors from around the world with more than 30 majors and 350 wins between them – Aaron Baddeley (Australia), Annika Sorenstam (Sweden), Brooke Henderson (Canada), Gary Player (South Africa), Padraig Harrington (Ireland), Ryann O’Toole (USA), So Yeon Ryu (South Korea), and Zach Johnson (USA).

“I am delighted to be an Ambassador for the Golf & Health Project and wholeheartedly support the work they are doing to prove the health and wellbeing benefits of golf,” explained Gary Player, nine-time Major champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member. “The systematic and academic confirmation of the physical and mental benefits golf gives people will be of great use to us all to spread the word to institutions, governments and the entire world!”

Current information from the Scoping Review and future research findings will continue to be available through the Golf & Health website – www.golfandhealth.org. This information is designed to be practical and usable by golf’s stakeholders to help develop the sport around the world.

The project also aims to show existing and future benefits that are identified are applicable to individuals of all ages throughout society, not just a specific sub-section of the population.

The WGF and the major golf organizations represented on its Board of Directors, along with partners such as the Confederation of Professional Golf and the University of Edinburgh, academic collaborators and supporters from the University of California at San Francisco, and various other organizations, are working together on the Project with a view to sharing its work around the globe.

“The importance of the Golf & Health Project in the development of the sport is vital, not just for the WGF’s partners, but everyone involved with golf around the world,” said Steve Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation. “This Project is something we can all get behind, as it is universally agreed that golf is good for you. It is going to provide real, tangible resources that can be used by governments and politicians, professional tours, governing bodies, golf businesses, PGA Professionals and more – all to the sport’s benefit.”

The Project is planning various research-led activities to further prove areas of interest and also expand into currently under-researched areas such as the mental health benefits of golf, physical benefits in older players and the positive effects of spectating.

“For a number of years we’ve felt we’ve underplayed the likely benefits of golf on peoples’ health,” added Golf & Health Project Executive Director and European Tour Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Roger Hawkes. “Over the last two or three years, there seems to be an interest from various bodies and we’ve been able to bring together that interest to actually study this area.”

Further information, news and features on the Golf & Health Project: www.golfandhealth.org, @GolfAndHealth on Twitter and ‘Golf and Health’ on Facebook.

For queries relating to the Project, contact info@golfandhealth.org and for media queries contact media@golfandhealth.org.

Myth #1 – Fitness pros are out to steal your client.

A client doesn’t have to choose golf instruction or fitness. In fact Lance uses the term “pit crew” quite a few times to suggest the idea of a team effort.

Myth #2 – It takes 6 weeks to make a change.

“I’ve never built the same program twice”

Myth #3 – We’re going to ruin your golfer.

It’s all about making a plan getting closer to goals. Not just bulking up. Golf fitness and beach fitness are TOTALLY different.

There is no ONE result from starting a fitness program.

One thing Lance asks of instructors is to become educated in his world. Meaning that by understanding the body you’ll be able to better understand the role and needs of fitness in a training program. Fitness professionals are learning about the golf swing shouldn’t instructors be doing the same?

The biggest issues with certifications and continuing education is how are you going to make your money back. Lance covers a FANTASTIC concept you can easily implement. Who you should market it to. How you should run it. And what you can expect. (this is about 15 minutes in).

If you’re a golf instructors Lance believe you should go get help for you and your game from a TPI professional.

We also got some great questions from the Young Teaching Professionals group on Facebook. (great group by the way hosted by past guest Andrew Rice)

Some of the questions we cover

• Do students get longer when working out?
• How effective is transfer training when hitting a golf ball well?
• How often is injury and pain due to physical issues rather than technical?

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Lance Gil is the Co-Director of the Titleist Performance Institute Fitness Advisory Board and the Lead Instructor for TPI Level 1 and Level 2 Fitness Seminars globally. He has personally taught over 10,000 experts in the fields of; Golf Fitness, Golf Instruction, Medicine, Junior and Biomechanical proficiencies.

He is the President of LG Performance, a private Golf Performance based company specializing in the betterment of golfers (from tour professionals to junior development) in the areas of; Fitness, Screening, Biomechanics, Instruction, Mental, Nutritional, Programming, and Life Coaching. Find out more at www.lgperformance.com.

During two practice rounds, Walker has been a familiar figure alongside the groups of Chris Wood, Danny Willett and Matt Fitzpatrick, analysing and assessing and stepping in with input if needed.

Reflecting on his role at the 41st Ryder Cup, Walker admits much of the groundwork has been laid prior to arrival but he’s is on hand to fine-tune if required.

“It is a funny week, I saw Dan with Pete at the range last week, and that’s where you do the work really,” said Walker.

“Matt I had seen him in Italy the week before but he had come to America to practise. I saw Chris Wood as well and you kind of get it all off your chest then on what you’re doing.

“Really, when you are here, it is reiterating what you’ve worked on and dealing with anything that crops up – whether it is shots they hit on the course, how they feel or whatever it is. You might not be used that much but it’s just in case.”

They are also a sounding board – not just for the players but for European captain Darren Clarke and his vice captains too.

“I’ve been to one Ryder Cup, Pete’s been to 11 so they tap into that a bit, we speak to vice captains about how they are playing and feeling, also acting as a middleman between them. It’s quite diverse but the lion’s share is shots and how they are feeling and what’s happened if they’ve missed it in a certain direction.”

Doing your work under the eyes of thousands of spectators could potentially be pretty intimidating but Walker takes it all in his stride.

“You definitely get more accustomed to it, even just going to major championships, there is a novelty to it but like anything else you just get used to it, you’re less fazed, calmer and you have dealt with difficult situations in the past which helps you deal with them in the future. I’ve got some experience, not as much as Pete or David Leadbetter, but enough.”

Working with elite level performers brings its own set of challenges – not least because they are so good – but it’s a role that Walker relishes.

“It’s harder to see things because it is much more subtle, but a lot of principles cross over and you self-perpetuate. The more you do it, the more you get an eye for it, the more experience you have, the more you handle situations better.”

And like any person seeking to improve there is no resting on laurels. It’s very much a case of always learning and building the knowledge base.

“I don’t think you can afford not to,” added Walker. “We are lucky to be exposed to elite level players and the more you are exposed the more you learn, you almost gain a competitive advantage in a way. The day you stop learning is the day it’s time to hang up your boots and do something else.”

For any aspiring coaches, Walker has some sage advice.

“You have just go to love your topic. In my experience I’ve always been motivated when I’m interested. If you lose your interest that is dangerous, I’d say Pete (Cowen), like myself, is obsessed with golf and coaching and that’s the key.”

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Visit the Ryder Cup Coach Hub at: http://eur.pe/RyderCupPGAPros

And no wonder. The Bristol and Clifton Golf Club head PGA Professional first coached Wood as a teenager so to see him scale the heights of one of sport’s greatest events is definitely something to cherish.

But if Mitchell did give it much thought, it was only fleeting because he had serious work to do – helping the 28 year old Wood get prepared for what will arguably be one of the more nervy first tee shots of his career to date on Friday.

Wood has broadened his coaching team and it also includes fellow PGA pros Mike Walker and putting specialist Phil Kenyon who were also patrolling the fairways and greens.

But while both have experienced Ryder Cups before in a coaching capacity, Hazeltine marks Mitchell’s first involvement in the biennial clash and focus is the buzz word of the day.

“I think it goes back to your professionalism as a club pro,” he said.

“You could easily get a bit side-tracked, and start looking at the other players but you are there with a particular player and your job is to look after them. And to be honest, you are so in your own bubble. It’s like when you are playing golf – you focus while you’re out there and it’s the same when you are coaching at an event like this.

“OK, now and then, you might think ‘bloody hell I’m talking to Rory’ when you are walking down the fairway but you are focused on your player and they’ve always got to come first.

“You want to make sure your player is in tip top condition, and everything you could have done is ready by Friday morning. That’s what I’m focusing on.”

Strategy off the tee is set to be key at Hazeltine and day one gave the players the opportunity to see what challenge the Minnesota course offers. Wood was playing with Rory MclIroy,  Sergio Garcia and Andy Sullivan.

“A lot of the time it is more about getting the tee strategy right,” added Mitchell. “The par four 15th was a perfect example. It’s a dogleg left. We’ve hit driver while everyone else has hit 3-wood and actually they’ve ended up with a really difficult second shot to the green. If you hit driver, it’s actually a bigger target once you get past the trees. It’s just working things out like that – devising your own strategy. I noticed that with the players today – they were all doing their own thing which is important.

“I think there are some key holes. There is a particularly difficult hole on the front nine (the seventh) which used to be on the back nine.

“It’s where you have water on the right, you drive over water, and have to hit driver really because it is into the wind. The second shot is to a really narrow green with water all around and today it was into a 15mph cold wind!

“That is a particularly difficult hole  and the par threes are long – 250 yards. But you realise when you come out here and see them hit three and four irons, you realise that they are at a different level with long irons. iI’d probably need to use my driver to reach!”

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My expectations of the coaching experience have changed considerably since I was an athlete. Of course, this was quite a long time ago!

I was lucky to have competed at a relatively high level in a number of sports, including rugby and cricket, before settling on fighting sports like Karate and Kickboxing.  In all of these sports the coaching would be best described as mixed.

Some coaches were knowledgeable, supportive and kind; others were not.  Some were role models; others were raving lunatics!  I tended to accept the coaching that was on offer partly because that was all I knew, especially if those coaches were judged to be successful.  And I figured that these coaches were strong in specific areas, so there was always something to learn from them, even if they were limited in other areas.

In some cases, the coaching was harsh, even brutal. In the case of fighting sports, made sense at the time, as it was obviously necessary to cope with pain and injury of a regular basis.  So I regularly trained with broken bones, recurring injuries and exhaustion.

Sometimes, it was just comical.  I remember the coach of my last cricket team insisting that none of his players used first names, and that we never socialised together, as he wanted to generate a ‘professional’ attitude among his team that was not diluted by the jokey friendliness of most of the opposition.  We were all under 16 years old.

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Things have moved on considerably since then.  I have seen a radical transformation in the perceptions of what makes a great coach.  Two changes, in particular, seem particularly significant.

The first is the movement towards an ‘athlete-centred’ approach, in which the interests and needs of the players are at the forefront.  In other words, the athletes are ends in themselves (their development is the whole point of the enterprise); not just means to someone else’s end, such as the coach ego or club’s success.

Athlete-cantered coaching need not be soft or easy.  On the contrary, it should be appropriately challenging, and my own understanding has been transformed by working with coaches who manage to balance the requirements of competitive sport with the simple fact that they are dealing with human beings.

The second change has been the slower emergence of evidence-based coaching.  Sport continues to be dominated by tradition.  But more coaches are recognising that ‘we’ve always done it that way’ will not do.

Common sense is a feeble justification for practices, especially when those practices can risk the health and well being of players.  Academically validated qualifications are part of the picture. More important, though, is the wider acceptance among coaches that a scientific mind-set lies at the heart of professional, athlete-centred coaching. Tradition and authority have little value here.

Science, alone, offers a candle in the dark!

This article originally featured in International Golf Pro News. Visit the IGPN Page to find out more and subscribe for free.

The topic of engagement and retention has never been more relevant in our sport.  As participation numbers decrease at an alarming rate, it’s time to take a closer look at how we can engage young athletes and prompt them towards a journey of development and sustained involvement.

Not only do our jobs depend on the generational influx of new players, but more importantly, the game that we have devoted much of our lives to is in danger without it.  As the generation of Baby Boomers that have sustained our sport for so long begin to pass the torch to a new wave of players and their children, devoting our efforts to engaging new players is of critical importance.

From a personal and more immediately rewarding perspective, a further examination of these motivational factors could result in more activity on our lesson tees and the opportunity to do more rewarding work– work that matters.

Improving our ability to motivate will obviously help us develop more skilled players, but it also helps us fulfill a more meaningful mission– it allows us to impact the personal and social development of young people.  We’ve all encountered a coach or teacher early in our lives that made that massive impact on us.  A person that makes us wonder ‘Where would I be if I hadn’t met this person?!’

So what ingredients make up a young athlete’s criteria for involvement?  What factors should we consider when introducing golf and how do we continue to foster that initial interest into a desire to improve and eventually excel?

Based on our experience and research, there are some key motivational milestones to consider. We believe motivation to participate starts with positive peer and coach CONNECTION, which leads to a fun environment that allows skills to develop through PLAY, which then builds CONFIDENCE, and ultimately provides enough motivation to ‘stick with it’ long enough to grow expertise and SKILL.

CONNECTION

Motivation to participate starts with a connection– it’s the most basic need of a young athlete.  If I don’t feel like I belong, I’ll never stick around long enough to find out how much fun the activity is or that I might actually be good at it.  So this is our first priority.  We have to facilitate positive connections with peers, connections with coaches, connections with parents, and ultimately a connection with the game.

Think back to your own childhood hobbies– in all probability your willing participation was heavily hinged on how many of your friends followed suit.

Or maybe you were drawn to an activity because of the warm and nurturing connection offered by the coach– a non-judgemental connection that made you feel safe to explore, experiment, and learn.

When connected, early childhood psychiatrist, Dr. Edward Hallowell, says, “children develop a feeling of security and safety, which, in turn, instills courage and the desire to take risks in the world.”  So to combat the initial nerves inherent in encountering a new activity, we have to earn their trust and show that the learning environment we’ve created is a safe one, free of judgment or criticism.

We were turned on to Dr. Hallowell’s work by one of the most brilliant minds in junior golf, Kate Tempesta.  Kate expanded on this concept when she told us, “It is paramount that we, as junior coaches, create an engaging and supportive learning environment. We must teach to the whole child and not just simply to their developing physical skills. This is the key to long- term success! Children are social, emotional, creative, spiritual and cognitive beings that need all of these domains nurtured and supported.”

Once a safe environment has been introduced, we have to facilitate the social bonds amongst peers that motivate participation.  These early social connections lead to the first tipping point in the development of a young golfer.  All of a sudden, the young person in front of us begins to identify themselves as a golfer, a key milestone to igniting a lifelong relationship with the game.

“Social identity has been defined as the part of an individual’s self concept which derives from his knowledge of membership in a social group with value and emotional significance attached to that membership.” (Tajfel, 1981)  When we encourage these friendships around golf, we are nurturing feelings of connection and a sense of belonging that comes from feeling similar to the others in the group.

ACTIONABLE:

To fulfill the basic motivational need of connection, we need to promote positive feelings of association with peers and coaches, along with a sense of belonging and the ‘fit-in’ factor.

• Remain ‘Connection Conscious’ throughout your group sessions.  Be vigilant about noticing how each individual is interacting with the group and how their motivation to stay involved could be affected.
• Develop skills through small-sided games.  Split groups into small teams and have them complete challenges or competitions.  Not only does this begin to fulfill the need for ‘Play’, but it fosters stronger social bonds among team members.
• Promote a Growth Mindset.  We often use the phrase ‘Not getting it is part of getting it’.  To open up in a way that allows for meaningful connections with peers and coaches, the kids need to know it’s safe to make mistakes.  Nothing can kill participation faster than a humiliating experience caused by a poor performance or perceived incompetence.  Reminding athletes that mistakes are acceptable and a natural step in the learning process reinforces a judgement-free environment where positive connections are more easily made.

PLAY

Fun is the single biggest factor for athlete retention and sport participation.  If an activity ceases to be fun, the likelihood of an individual sticking with it over the long term, diminishes greatly.  That being said, as easy as it is to say that ‘fun’ holds the key to everyone’s success in growing the game, fun remains somewhat of an elusive deliverable.  Here is Dr. Hallowell on the topic of play in sports,”Many parents, teachers, and coaches don’t realize that fun sets off a cascade of positive events.  If you make having fun the goal, and your child achieves that goal, then it is likely your child will also achieve all the rest: practice, discipline, mastery, and the other intangibles that sports can so wonderfully instill… Play that is fun leads to practice and practice leads to mastery.”

For a better idea of how we can deliver this level of fun, a perfect model of the play that leads to sustained participation can readily be found at recess and after school during a variety of ‘pick-up’ games.  Look for a group of screaming and laughing ten year olds playing outside.  These environments are void of technical instructions and instead rely on the kid’s creativity, autonomy, and social connections to deliver the ultimate form of play.  Kids have to be pulled away from this type of play.  School bells, dinner time or sunset are the only things that can suspend the action.

This informal environment has to be inclusive so as to achieve active participation from a variety of competitors and they have to come up with rules that maximize fun given the available resources.  No one is concerned with the ‘right way’ to execute a skill, they just look to the top performers to serve as a model to follow.  While skilled performance can eventually come as a result of this play, the sole intention is fun– not improvement like so many of the activities that we design for them.

ACTIONABLE:

• Promote autonomy by allowing juniors to be active participants in the learning design.  I’ve haven’t seen anyone do this more effectively in golf than Kate Tempesta.  The video below is one of many in which she shares the practical application of this idea– this is one of my favorites.  A cardboard box and a coach who is willing and able to nurture creativity and autonomy as a means to develop skill and inspire participation.

CONFIDENCE

Moving past the primary igniters of interest – Connection and Play – expanding an athlete’s confidence becomes critically important to sustaining motivation and participation.  Moreover, as coaches, confidence represents an exciting possibility, as it’s a factor we have a significant influence on.  Specifically, the way in which we communicate and interact with young athletes has a significant impact on their self-efficacy, self-esteem, and experience (fun or not fun).

What we want to focus on is Self-Efficacy.  In its most basic form, self-efficacy is an individual’s perception about their ability or competence.  Although there are many different sources from which athletes can increase their self-efficacy, the most powerful are instances in which an individual has to overcome a mild form of adversity to achieve a goal.  Jane McGonigal calls them ‘epic wins’.

“The most effective way of creating a strong sense of efficacy is through mastery experiences. Successes build a robust belief in one’s personal efficacy… Some setbacks and difficulties in human pursuits serve a useful purpose in teaching that success usually requires sustained effort.  After people become convinced they have what it takes to succeed, they persevere in the face of adversity and quickly rebound from setbacks. By sticking it out through tough times, they emerge stronger from adversity.” (Bandura, 1994)

Coaches should leverage gamification and challenge point framework to help design appropriate activities – activities that require the learner to dig in (just enough) such that they have to extend themselves to accomplish the task.  What they get is a quick shot of ‘I can do this’ and consequently, their self-image and level of confidence, increase.  Additionally, the feedback you give to the athlete should focus on the effort they are making, and should provide enough encouragement to help them push past the challenge that the activity provides.  This one-two coaching punch paves the way for growth and accelerates ignition.

ACTIONABLE:

• Ensure that you scale the task demands and difficulty to the skill level of the learner.  Be very aware as to how much success or difficulty participants are having with a given activity and modify tasks accordingly.
• When giving feedback, praise effort, reinforce the positive aspects of what they are doing, and provide them with one thing that they can do differently.  This also helps to promote a growth mindset.
• Celebrate success! Allow young golfers to get excited when they experience success.  As much as you want to get them to persevere through the right amount of difficulty, ensuring that they get to enjoy their ‘mastery moment’ makes it more likely that they will continue such behaviors.  It also tends to lead to a little more fun for all!  Fist pumps should be HIGHLY encouraged.

SKILL

Rather than a final stage of motivation that we have to fulfill, SKILL represents the top of the motivational pyramid that represents a by-product of sustained participation.  As with Maslow’s Hierarchy, ‘one must satisfy lower level basic needs before progressing on to meet higher level growth needs. Once these needs have been reasonably satisfied, one may be able to reach the highest level called self-actualization.‘  Well, in the Junior Golf Hierarchy of Needs, self actualization is replaced with Skill.  Once we have met the young athlete’s requirements for connection, play, and confidence– in all likelihood they are inspired to participate long enough to develop some level of skill.  This could be enough skill to continue a lifelong recreational relationship with golf, or for some, those previous steps have motivated them to work hard enough to develop a skill level that leads to more competitive pursuits.

A junior will learn the skills when they are ready to.  By taking an interest in growing their motivation, we, as coaches, can set the stage for continued participation and eventually, skill development.   More importantly, however, are the effects of sport on the rest of their lives.  By making a point to help each child grow their self efficacy, establish positive social connections, and develop a sense of mastery, such characteristics transcend golf and filter into other areas of their lives, ultimately leading them to become better learners and people.  As such, this is work that matters– to ourselves, the golfers we encounter, and the game we love.

— Corey Lundberg & Matt Wilson