Author: madsen_editor_01

…Good players want to be coached. Great players want to be told the truth

– Doc Rivers    Head Coach Los Angeles Clippers

When you do something for the number of years that I have you learn a lot and see patterns. I think Doc Rivers has it right. Good players want to be coached.

I have been hanging around coaching since I was a kid. I started taking golf lessons in 1969 and took somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 lessons over the next fifteen years. Every Saturday. I still go see my coach when I am training.

Since I turned pro, I have probably given over 30,000 lessons.

I’ve had several teachers really. All were very good players and had a complete command of the subject. The best ones told the truth and NEVER blew smoke.

In golf, we tend to be called “teachers”.  We are expected to help by instructing. This is certainly one part of the craft. I teach people stuff all the time: everything from etiquette to correct ball striking techniques. It’s plain old telling or sharing of information. I know something the student needs to know. So, I share it with them.

Coaching is something a bit different. Coaching is the art of giving the student the responsibility and the tools they need: concepts, drills, games, exercises, etc. Coaching insists the student do the discovering. It involves asking questions, coaxing answers, getting the player to experiment, and find out for themselves what’s happening and what’s best. I guide and kind of stay out of it. I get the student to study. This begins with their wanting to be coached.

Are you ready to study and be coached? That would be good.

We’ll make a good team.

MadsenGolf    bmadsen@sycuanresort.com

This is a conversation that took place via text between me and a 33 year old male triathlete and math teacher. He was completely tangled in knots–thinking too much– and could not hit the ball at all. He took his first lesson from me where we talked about moving better and letting things happen. He had this to say in the coming days of practice and drilling.

Dear Bob,

It’s a really weird feeling but I’m starting to build trust in the solidness of contact.  I realized I was totally obsessing on the ball and on the contact.

Now, I’ve gotten to the point where I can mentally let go of it and trust the contact will be there.  This allows me to pour all my mental energy into simply moving (my body better).

As a result I pulled off a pretty insane stunt today at the range. I hit four balls in a row with perfect contact and a full swing with my eyes closed!

My “full swing” now feels absolutely nothing like the full swing I had before.  It is completely effortless.

Today, I hit 20 balls eyes closed.  5 were miss hit.  The other 15 were identical super high fades that landed within a 5 yard radius 110 yards out.  I have no idea why my eyes closed shots are so so much more consistent than my eyes open shots. I’ve never hit a grouping that tight before.

–W.S.

_________________________________

Want to hit it better? Worry less about the hit, free it up and let it go.

Crafting a Better Golf Learning Experience

–BM

One way is to spend some practice time “kicking” field goals. That is, instead of shooting down a line to a pole or flag or sign on the range, pick out two “goalposts” and shoot between them. This creates an alleyway not unlike a fairway which has width. Greens do too. There is too much concern about perfect alignment and shooting down a line. Instead, pick out two yardage signs or range fence poles. This offers relief before you even walk up to address the target. It’s obviously easier to send the ball into an area 30 yards wide than it is to hit an exact line.

Hitting to an imaginary fairway breeds confidence. Each shot can be a relieving and reassuring victory instead of a depressing failure.

Start out wide. You can always narrow it up.

Short Game Class benefits student who is over 70

Bob,

I thoroughly enjoyed the session with you and Scott this morning. It was enough different than the other short game class that I attended to make it time well spent. I listened to other people’s comments in the de-briefing and I think all but one or two of them probably applied to me as well.

I have been doing some soul searching about golf, among a lot of other things. I realize that I probably don’t have too many more years to play the game and I am definitely not happy with the way I have been playing. I was pretty excited and committed when we first got together and then things evolved to the point where golf practice started getting pushed aside to make time for a lot of other demands that seemed more important at the time. (I suspect that you may have figured that out.) I realize that there are some limits on what I can expect to achieve but I can certainly do better than I have been and that means I have to adjust some priorities and put in more time and effort on golf. I intend to make this happen and I’ll let you know how it goes. Give me a little time to work on it by myself and then I’ll be out to see you about some fine tuning.

It is truly hard to believe that Walker is a senior in high school and soon to be a college freshman. You and his mom must be very proud of him and rightfully so.

Thanks again and looking forward to seeing you soon.

E.O

. 

I have known Bob Madsen for 20 years.  We met when I needed help with my golf game.  He has become more than a golf instructor through the years.  He has taught me patience, discipline, and perseverance.  Bob has encouraged a belief in myself, as I journey through the game of golf.  As I age, I am learning more from his EASY BOGEY book than I ever could have imagined.  He is truly one of a kind and I treasure my time with him.

Mark White      La Quinta, Ca.

If profanity had any influence on the flight of the ball, the game of golf would be played far better than it is.

— Horace G. Hutchinson

High school player requesting a lesson as tryouts draw near(via text): “Any chance you’re available at 10:00 on Saturday?

Professional—smelling trouble: “Are you talking about just for an hour or are you talking about coming at 10:00 and spending the day like I’d like.”

Student: “I have to leave around 1:00. At the latest”.

Professional: “Is it getting dark that early?”

Troubleshooting a Practice Session

Let’s say you’re practicing along doing reps successfully or creating shots, playing games or experimenting. Let’s say you are pretending it’s the most important shot of your life. Things are fine. You are hitting solid shots. Confidence is high and you are feeling good.

Then things start to go poorly. You start mishitting and spraying the ball all around. You have the driver in hand and the practice session is now in trouble. Now what?  

Here’s the deal. “When in trouble, go back!”

Go back to a 5 iron. Go back to a 7 iron. Go back to a wedge. Go back to 1/2 swings.

Do NOT spend time trying to figure out what you are doing wrong. This is almost always a total waste.

Going back is like following a trail of breadcrumbs in the wilderness back to known territory. You get a little lost, but you have a way to find your way again and get feeling good again.

This single point may be the biggest reason amateurs don’t get better.

Be willing to say to yourself “This practice session is in trouble. I am getting frustrated. I am not getting better at this point. I don’t know what I am doing wrong. I am not going to let it continue.”

When in trouble, go back.

Half Set = Double the FUN    

Article by Bob Madsen, PGA

revised: December 11, 2015

Playing with fewer clubs WILL lead to lower scores.

Golfers fuss over exactly what club to hit. Then, still uncertain about club selection, get over the ball and entertain a head full of nearly useless swing thoughts.

What if you didn’t have all those clubs to choose from? What if you only had clubs that you could definitely distinguish a use for? My wife plays with a driver, a 4-wood (named “Boonie” and made out of actual wood), a 7-iron, pw and a putter.

Most people would get by just fine with probably 7 – 10 clubs. Part of the reason for this is that without pro club head speed, the clubs don’t really behave much differently. A 6 iron goes the same distance and height as a 5. An 8 goes the same as a 9 and so on.

It is interesting each year when we play the “3 Club” event. Guys come off the course having literally shot their best round of the year with their face lit up with joy.
“That was so much fun!” they’ll say.

I never have understood why the next day they show up with 14 again.

I still get reminded of the time my caddy and I decided to play in the So Cal PGA Section Championship at Ironwood with a limited set of 9 clubs.* Brave? Yes. But I practice what I preach. Come to think of it. I am not even sure how many clubs I have in my bag right now. 12. I think.

*finished 9^th if I remember correctly

Bob Madsen, PGA

Sycuan Golf Academy