==================================================== Newsletter - Issue 152 Date 10/15/10 ==================================================== ==================================================== TCT Quick Tips - Putting Rhythm ==================================================== If you think your putting rhythm needs improvement, lighten up - literally. Lightening up your putting grip will improve your rhythm, give it a try. Enjoy, Tom ==================================================== Golf Tip: Golf Teacher or Swing Coach ==================================================== Is There A Difference Between A Golf Teacher And A Golf Swing Coach? There is a difference and that difference can have significant impact on your golf improvement. The difference between change and evolution is the difference between a Golf Teacher and a Golf Swing Coach. This may not make sense at first but consider the golf teacher and golf swing coach to be the same instructor, only at different phases of the learning process. Change - The Primary Stage When a student first begins to work with a golf teacher, the student is normally given swing information/instruction and the student starts to learn a swing method that suits their physical characteristics. This is the primary stage, which is relatively short - maybe one to two years for someone who practices frequently - but can consist of intensely frustrating periods. Evolution - The Secondary Stage After most of the changes have been introduced, the instruction gradually shifts from new information to refining the movements the student has already begun to learn. In this secondary stage, the golf teacher becomes the golf swing coach, layering more small details in as the students' knowledge increases. There's more focus on giving feedback and less emphasis on teaching totally new information. The goal in this stage is to help the student develop a much deeper understanding of the golf swing in terms of how everything interacts. It isn't until the student gets to this evolutionary stage that they can begin to get the most significant benefits from golf instruction. Once they reach this stage, they are working on things that they have already worked on before so it becomes less difficult and less frustrating. The more golf instruction a person gets in the evolutionary stage in the form of feedback, the better their swing becomes. Unfortunately, most people don't get to the evolutionary stage because far too many students expect to see results quickly. It doesn't work that way in golf, it takes lots of focused practice repetitions to develop an efficient, repeatable golf swing. The good news is that practice itself can give you tons of great feedback and be very enjoyable. I say that because you get the chance to really enjoy your good swings while you practice, without getting the full blown negative effect of a bad swing at practice that you would get during a scoring round - namely a high number on your scorecard. Keep working at your game and enjoy the journey. BTW, there's a book that I recommended a year or so ago regarding learning how to practice golf. Practicing golf is not the specific focus of the book, rather it's a book about how to become great at what you do - but for anyone that's serious about improving their golf game, it's a must read: The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle Enjoy, Tom