PGA Academy of Golf
Assignment Cover Sheet 2012 – Year Two
COA 2.4 – DEVELOPING A COACHING PHILOSOPHY
Value: This assignment forms 15% of Year II Coaching
Name:
Address:
Business Phone:
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Employer:
Once your assignment has been reviewed with your employer, please attach this cover sheet to
your assignment, have it signed and return to the Academy before the due date.
IMPORTANT: Make a copy of this assignment in case of loss.
DUE DATE:
2nd August 2012
I
, declare that this assignment is the original work of the author and has not
been copied, duplicated or plagiarised in any way.
Date:
Signature of Trainee Professional (Author)
Date:
Signature of Training Member (Confirming Review)
OFFICE USE
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Assessor:
Grade:
PGA Academy 2012 / Year II Coaching
"You need to understand golf in its total complexity so you can teach it in its utter simplicity"
- Tommy Armour, PGA Professional
HOW DO GOLF PROFESSIONALS LEARN TO TEACH?
by Dr Gary Wiren
Have you ever stopped to think how you learn? How you learn to do anything like type, or
play the piano or drive a car. There are of course a lot of ways you can learn, particularly in
regards to motor skills like those mentioned, You can read about the skill, watch others
perform, study pictures, mentally rehearse, listen to tapes, view films - you name it, there's a
way it can be learned. But any method of learning other than "learning by doing" finishes a
distant second place. Learning to play golf works that way - any learning to teach the game
is not different.
Anyone who has stood long hours on the lesson tee for a period of years teaching the golf
swing has to have some pretty good insight as to what does and doesn't produce success.
In a way, teaching golf is like piloting an airplane. Flying is not too difficult when all the
equipment is in perfect working condition and the weather favourable. The real test comes
when things don't go as planned, when the weather turns bad and instruments fail. Then
experience makes the difference.
Golf is taught to human beings who like the weather are far from predictable and only on
infrequent occasions in perfect working order. Individual differences alone make the task of
teaching a tremendous challenge. Mastering the art of teaching can be a lifelong quest.
Knowing the subject matter is not enough; communicating it successfully to a variety of
people is what puts teachers to the test.
The best example I can give of this phenomenon concerns a university golf class I was
teaching several years ago. One student, an excellent varsity golfer, requested permission
to bring a friend so that the student could get some additional help. I granted his request as
he seemed really enthusiastic and he began coming to my classes.
This is what I observed: The young student had in the first few classes developed some basic motion
and a sense of rhythm in his swing which was producing good success in moving the ball. He
seemed to be getting the hang of "feeling a swing". After a warm-up period, he prepared to hit a few
shots for his teacher-friend. Being a little nervous, he resorted to instinct on the first shot and righthanded it badly enough so that his left arm collapsed causing him to barely tick the top of the ball
sending it only a few feet from where he stood. "Oh you bent your left arm" said his temporary
mentor, "don't bend your left arm on this next swing".
The pupil didn't - but in attempting not to bend his left arm as in his downswing so that he ended up
hitting some four inches behind the ball. The resulting distance bore a striking resemblance to the
first shot. "You struck on your back foot" said the varsity golfer friend. "Don't stay on your back foot
this time". So in trying not to bend his arm and not to stay on his right foot during the swing, it was
impossible for the pupil to get the club-head to meet the ball anywhere but on the sole. He was three
for three. "Oh, you raised your head up, don't do that!" "Don't bend your arm, don't keep your weight
on your back foot, don't raise your head" and on it went. In 15 minutes the pupil looked like a robot
whose programming had gone haywire, not knowing what to do, only recognising there were many
things that he shouldn't do.
It is generally accepted that we learn a great deal from observation. It might be a club
repair, how to play a flick wedge or how to use the cash register, whatever the task we do
learn from observation.
PGA Academy 2012 / Year II Coaching
THE ASSIGNMENT
This assignment covers key teaching component elements of the course and as
such requires an appropriate level and depth of research. All discussion should be
reflective of the importance of this task.
TASK 1
You are required to observe three (3) lessons conducted by three (3) different PGA
Members (i.e. 3 lessons total). After each lesson you are to:
a) Complete the attached report form, and discuss the lessons with the
professional. All lesson sheets are to be sighted and signed by the
professional.
b) Compare (show similarities) and Contrast (discuss differences) the 3
PGA Members you have viewed taking into account ALL the lesson
subheadings on the report form you completed in part a (presenting this
information in table format would be appropriate).
c) Identify two (2) areas of the above coaching styles that you like and two (2)
areas that you dislike. You should then discuss how these areas may be
beneficial or detrimental to your own coaching development.
TASK 2
As your teaching develops you will require a broader range of drills to assist you in
helping your clients achieve their technical swing changes. From the PGA Trainee
Teaching Manual, page 530 - 540 select (1) drill from each of the following sections:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
Grip
Putting
Chipping
Bunker
Pitching
Full Swing Set Up
Full Swing Motion
You are then required to critically review the drill providing feedback from your own
experiences performing the drill. Include an analysis on the strengths and
weaknesses of the drill and any improvements or enhancements that you feel
would make the drill more effective.
PGA Academy 2012 / Year II Coaching
TASK 3
You are to video yourself undertaking a 30 minute lesson with a member at your
golf course. You are to then review your lesson and make an appraisal of your
teaching performance using the headings listed below. Under each heading and as
an introduction to each appraisal you are to bullet point the two most relevant issues
that best describe the content of the appraisal below.
The Academy suggests that you set out your lesson appraisal in a format similar to
the table below:
Lesson Heading
Preparation for the Lesson
Two (2) most relevant teaching points
•
•
Appraisal of my Teaching Performance
Lesson Headings
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Preparation for the lesson
Lesson structure
Communication style - clarity of explanation and instruction
Error identification and reasons for this
Drills and/or teaching aids used to affect changes
Comment on your ability to demonstrate to the student effectively
How did you assess that changes were effective?
Describe your ability to provide appropriate feedback to the student.
Note: You are to include footage of the lesson from three camera angles; down
plane, face on and in front. The lesson should be copied to a USB stick or CD-R disc
and be in windows media avi format (DVD-R Disc if in DVD format). You should also
ensure that your voice can be clearly heard so your main teaching points can be
assessed.
Please check that the USB stick or disc works before sending it to the Academy as
non-functioning disks will be returned to candidates unmarked.
PGA Academy 2012 / Year II Coaching
OBSERVATION OF GOLF LESSON
TRAINEE’S NAME: ________________________________
PROFESSIONAL: __________________________________
GENDER: _______ HANDICAP: _______ ADULT MALE ADULT FEMALE JUNIOR
CONTENT
YES
NO
LESSON TYPE:
FULL SWING SHORT GAME GROUP
INFORMATION GATHERED/DISCUSSION/DEMONSTRATION/OBSERVATION
PRE LESSON INFORMATION & PLAYERS
GOALS
WARM UP
TECHNICAL CONTENT & ERROR
DETECTION METHOD EG. Swing Analysis,
Video etc…
ERROR CORRECTION AND
EXPLANATION
(3 Key Teaching Points)
•
•
•
LIST PRACTICE DRILLS
LIST COACHING AIDS USED
PGA Academy 2012 / Year II Coaching
POST LESSON PRACTICE SCHEDULE?
(written, video, email)
FOLLOW UP SESSIONS AND
PLANS?
Discussed with professional post lesson:
Signed by Professional:
PGA Academy 2012 / Year II Coaching