Teaching Children Golf

By Brent Morrison

Parents who are considering an accelerated golf program for their son or daughter often ask about our philosophies on golf instruction. I'd like to take this opportunity to share some of principles that have guided both the design and delivery of our Performance Program.

Learning is an Individual, Unique Process. We believe that golf instruction must engage the entire physiology; effective teachers address more than the intellect! Our instructors employ a variety of different learning strategies and take learning modalities into consideration. For example, Student A may find it beneficial to watch an instructor hit a draw (visual learning) before attempting to execute the same shot. Student B may lose attention when the instructor demonstrates the draw, but will make the connection when physically guided through the motion in a swing trainer. Student C may benefit from both a demonstration (visual) and a swing trainer (kinaesthetic), but will really start to engage with a technical explanation by the instructor on why the shot works (auditory). It is the task of the instructor or coach to identify how each student learns best, and to teach to these strengths in order to help students benefit the most from their golf instruction.

Learning is Not a Passive Activity. Our students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning, identifying their golf objectives at the outset of their instruction and assessing the quality of their learning throughout their program. Questioning techniques are regularly employed in the lesson dialogue, encouraging students to analyze, interpret, and predict information. Queries such as Why do you think the ball flight is low when the ball travels left? and What do you think will happen when the club is stuck behind the body on the downswing? help students to make connections in their learning and foster new understanding.

Effective Golf Instruction Addresses both the Part and the Whole. We believe golf instruction involves much more than imparting isolated technical facts on how to hit the golf ball. It is centered on helping students, regardless of age or experience, to make meaning from the instruction experience. To this end, communicating the "big picture" to the student plays a significant role in cultivating new skills. A classic example of addressing technique in isolation is the beginner lesson where the student is first instructed on grip & stance. Alternately, we seek to provide a broader frame of reference for the student, such as getting the club in front of the body with a square clubface and immediately improving ball flight. When students are able to conceptualize the whole swing, they are better able to process how the individual parts work within the big picture. Addressing the why as much as the how assists the student in understanding his or her individual swing tendencies and the corrections recommended by the instructor.

Total Game Improvement goes beyond the Technical Aspects of the Golf Swing. We address the need for additional education components that are crucial to helping a student elevate his or her golf game to a distinctive calibre. By educating golf students on making optimal food choices, participating in fitness cross-training (strength training & yoga) and addressing the mental game (both on-course and in specialized sport psychology sessions), we empower students to move beyond perceived limitations to find their true potential. Fitness, nutrition and sports psychology components are included in our Performance Program and are also available to any of our clients on a referral basis.

The Brent Morrison Golf Academy is located at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort, 1025 Qualicum Road, Qualicum Beach, B.C. V9K 1M5. (250) 752-8786. For more information on instruction programs for adults and juniors, contact the Academy office.

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