Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/130253
iG1304--rev 5/13/13 7:47 AM Page 1 doing. It was partly my need to understand the theory just as much as my desire the get it mechanically right. It was also the realities of having a life outside golf. PALMER PERSPECTIVE The game plan is a fluid situation that changes as a client learns and evolves. There are many variables that determine the course of a player's journey including willingness to move forward, the amount of repetition through practice and consistency of performance of the task or assignment. All players hone skill, forge new neural pathways, at a different pace. REALIZING THE COMMITMENT(S) REQUIRED Anyone who is thinking about this kind of commitment to improving should know that it takes a large time investment. A simple one-hour lesson also requires the time to get to the course, warm-up and any post lesson hitting you may choose to do. Call that two hours. Add the minimum two other practice sessions during that week that ingraining your lesson demands and you are at more than six hours... or one-round of golf. So if you are used to playing twice a week, you will only be able to play once. Then there are those vacations or heavy work weeks that will affect your schedule. My advice is not to make commitments you can't keep. Maybe set up your lessons every two weeks apart to give you the time to do what is required. I realized this early on and have played less golf over the past ten months in order to be able to practice... and improve. PALMER PERSPECTIVE Learning a motor skill such as golf requires a player to enter the process with an open mind and also a willingness to make a major commitment. An effective coach creates a comfortable, engaging learning environment using visual and verbal cues but also by communicating physical assignments a client can 'feel.' A student must give feedback, challenge their coach and practice like crazy for self-discovery to achieve significant results. THE TEACHING APPROACH Working with Stick is a mixture of the technical and the philosophical. It was almost surreal to hear the similarities in talking to Jeff and talking to Sean Foley about taking the game to the course. Both believe in the technical aids, Trackman, V1 Academy, etc. but both speak just as much about the mental side. While the visuals in my case have been primarily lines and angles drawn over video clips, Jeff has lots of 'toys' that he can bring out. On a couple of occasions, he has pulled out items like a hula hoop to help reinforce a concept. From the start Palmer had me keeping stats using shotbyshot.com which gives you handicaps for each part of your game. It's work (you keep stats on the course and then enter them online). Mine as of November, 2012 were 9 for long game; 4 for putting and... 23 for short game. While the 2013 season has just started, there is no question the long and short games handicaps will be improved. One of the most interesting things to come out of this process has been watching the evolution of my swing and how Jeff uses drills to help ingrain change. Based on what he sees on the video, he will plug in or take out specific drills. Sometimes he will add one that he's just heard about or learned in a seminar to see how they work. It's sort of cool to be part of an experiment, to give feedback that is valued. Still it is video that Stick uses on a regular basis. It used to be every 3rd lesson or so but as time goes by he uses it more often and then selects the drills and swing thoughts he wants me to focus on until the next lesson. PALMER PERSPECTIVE I approach each client differently but with some fundamental things in mind. Each client possesses their own challenges and opportunities for improvement. I always start by looking at fundamentals first and then move on to specific swing improvements for better impact and ball flight. I believe in using certain drills and aids to help a golfer 'see' and 'feel' a particular move or physical task. THE RESULTS SO FAR There is no question that my swing mechanics have improved significantly. Terms like ball compression, kinematic sequence and releasing the club head make sense in ways they never did before. I am more aware of my swing than I ever have been and the results are starting to show up on the course. When you have options on approaches that include working the ball left to right or high or low, you start to think about leaves and how to attack the flag. Bottom line if you asked me whether I would trade a few rounds of golf lost for where I find my golf game today, I'd answer "Yes, in a nano-second." In installment #2, we will look at the mental approach and taking the game to the course. There will also be an in-depth analysis of Functional Movement Screening, the state-of the art method of identifying injury related swing compensations and the exercises used to correct them. About Jeff Palmer: Jeff is the owner of the Palmer Golf Institute and has established golf academies in Hawaii, Ontario and China coaching players of all levels. Palmer has spent time with some of the game's finest instructors including Mike Hebron, Jim McLean, Jim Flick, Pete Cowan, Jeff Ritter and Jim Hardy incorporating much of what he has learned from them into his programs. Operating 12-months a year, the Palmer Golf Institute has access to outdoor and indoor facilities at the stunning Olympic View Golf Club in beautiful Victoria, BC. Visit palmergolf.ca to learn more. About Jeff Sutherland: Jeff Sutherland is the publisher at Inside Golf Inc. and is reached at publisher@insidegolf.ca. "Bottom line if you asked me whether I would trade a few rounds of golf lost for where I find my golf game today, I'd answer "Yes, in a nanosecond." ALL IMAGES CREDIT JEFF SUTHERlAND / INSIDE GOLF 27