Indy Golf Coach

In June we’ll be starting the next round of junior golf classes. These two classes are our versions of TPI’s FUNdamental Cyclone and SMASH Zone developmental programs. The Cyclone is for kids ages 6-9 and SMASH Zone for ages 10-12. (We have a separate high school golf fitness program for ages 13 and up.)

Here’s a review of the Cyclone from last summer.

We started with a 6 week program for Fundamental Phase Juniors ages 6 – 9 years old. This phase is all about learning and mastering the fundamental movement skills before learning sports specific skills, including golf.

Fundamental movement skills addressed:

1. Locomotion skills – running, jumping, dodging, skipping, hopping, bounding, sprinting

2. Stability skills – (ABC’s of athleticism) agility, balance, coordination, speed, change of direction, disassociation

3. Manipulative/Object Control skills – ABC’s of athletics) throw, kick, strike, catch, dribble, dodge

4. Awareness – spatial awareness, kinesthetic awareness, body awareness, rules

Program Objectives

1. Make sure FMS are mastered, skill acquisition makes up 90% of the program.
2. Perform fundamental pre and post screen to monitor progress in FMS development.
3. Utilize games to capitalize on the first speed window by encouraging agility, quickness, and change in direction activities.
4. Physical fitness should be 10% of the program and focus on body weight exercises for stability and overall mobility.
5. Two 60 minute sessions going through the FUNdamental Cyclone per week.
6. One to nine holes a week of on course activities that simulate golf, keep it FUN.
7. Appropriate weight and length of golf clubs is paramount in this phase.  Only need 4 clubs.
8. Concepts of grip, posture, alignment, ball position, balance and weight shift may be introduced.
9. Intro to rules of the game, safety issues on the course and golf etiquette.

Pre-Test/ Screen Results:  (Taken on July 7, 2009)

Fundamental Movements Screens:

1. Locomotion – (Some kids clearly have not developed these skills.)

• hopping (Most difficult)
• skipping (Need more separation and coordination)
• sliding (Feet were crossing, lack of coordination)

2. Object Control -

• throwing (Not much weight shift or rotation)
• striking (Good overall with different implements)
• green bowling (Lack of visualization, speed control)

Fundamental Movements & Power Screens:

• Multi-Segmental Flexion/ Toe Touch (Most kids could TT)
• Multi-Segmental Extension/ Backward Bending (Some loss of spinal curve)
• Multi-Segmental Rotation (Good)
• Single Leg Balance (Very Difficult)
• Overhead Deep Squat (Depth was good, lack stability)
• Standing Broad Jump (Difficult to land and stick)
• Vertical Jump (Good start for most)
• Seated Chest Pass w med. ball (Not much speed/strength)

Post-Test/ Screen Results & Summary:

We worked through the list 2 times a week.  Our Junior Cyclone consisted of a dynamic warm-up and 8 stations.  We cycled the juniors through each station, lasting 5 minutes.  We added a new skills to stations for progression.  The last 10 minutes were left for games or contests at the end.   Overall, each junior improved their physical capabilities and movement skills.  In just 6 weeks, we we very pleased with the results.  Most importantly, the juniors had a blast while building a stronger foundation for any sport, not just golf.

The LTAD helps to develop golfers from pre-puberty to retirement.   I share the opinions of most experts sources are saying that a child who develops a better base of FMS will develop golf skills at a faster rate and will peak at a higher level of expertise. I look forward to improving our Long Term Athlete Development program and know it will deliver superior results.

CONTACT US to get your child signed-up for one of these classes or to get more information.

Golf specific fitness programs are a new addition to the typical player development regimen. Up until the early ’90′s most golf instructors focused on game instruction, equipment, and the mental component.

Since Tiger Woods hit the scene in 1996 a lot of things have changed. The old triangle was replaced with TPI’s Hexagon of Player Development.

1. Basic Instruction
2. Shot Making Skills- this includes short game skills, specialty shots, ball trajectories, etc.
3. Course Management- this deals with how to play each golf course, set make ups, game strategies, etc.
4. Mental- still the same.
5. Equipment- still the same using newer technology.
6. Physical conditioning

These components are not necessarily sequential but the beginning is a good place to start. Basic instruction is just what it sounds like – the basics. Here the instructor begins with the fundamentals of stance,alignment,ball position,swing fundamentals, grip, etc….Everyone has to learn how to play the game. As a player progresses then it is time to think about the more advanced shot making skills and improving the finer points of game play.

Advances in golf equipment have been amazing, if not controversial. However, what’s in a player’s bag is more or less the same as it has always been: clubs, balls, tees, and so forth. Part of learning the fundamentals is coming to understand what club to use and when. For some players this is a lifelong challenge but that issue is as much mental as equipment related. One of the most important things about equipment is to ensure that clubs are properly fitted to a player.

Golf is a mental game. A player has to learn to play under many conditions that are beyond their control. It is important to be able to relax, stay calm, and focus whether dealing with poor play or the pressure of competition. A player must learn to concentrate in the middle of many distractions and how to manage anger, an all too common obstacle to good play.

Course management is similar to the mental component but deals more with strategy and game planning. Every player knows that different courses play different ways. Even the same course can play differently based on changing course conditions, pin placements, and weather. Based on these dynamic factors the set make up will even vary. A beginner can benefit from basic course management strategies but for more experienced players trying to shave a couple of strokes off their game it can make a real difference to improve their decision making on the course.

Perhaps the biggest addition to player development has been the relatively new emphasis on physical condition.

As mentioned before, Tiger Woods has become the poster child for golf fitness. Any discussion of elite athletes, across all sports, always includes his name. It used to be that the only time a player of this sort was seen on a golf course was during a Pro-Am when one of the Pro’s would invite an NBA or NFL player to join them. Times have changed.

Golf specific fitness training is now a year-round part of the routine for top professionals. A conditioning program will address balance,mobility,power, and endurance. With such a long and intense schedule, injury becomes a much bigger problem. Golfer’s who are fit experience a reduction in golf related injuries and recover more quickly when they do happen. This is a benefit for the weekend golfer as well as the pro.

Junior players can build a great physical foundation by getting started in a fitness program early on but it is never too late to start. Older players can experience significant positive changes in their game play as well, not to mention their overall quality of life.

Few players will make their way to the PGA tour but every golfer can benefit from golf fitness training.

We finished up the first junior golf FUNdamental Cyclone at Wood Wind Golf Academy in Westfield.  Chad Distler, a personal trainer at Fitness By Design, joined me these last 6 weeks as we worked with kids from ages 5 to 9, helping them develop a good physical foundation for golf.

I’ve taught junior golfers for years. Recently, though, I completed certification with Titleist Performance Institute’s junior development program. I am now, officially, a TPI Junior Golf Fitness Instructor. The kids just call me Tracy.

The FUNdamental Cyclone junior golf program focuses on developing fundamental movement skills. The FMS categories include:

1.  Locomotive Skills: Running, Jumping, Dodging, Skipping, Hopping, Bounding, Sprinting

2.  Stability Skills (ABC’s of Athleticism):  Agility, Balance, Coordination, Speed, Change of Direction

3.  Manipulative / Object Control Skills:  Throw, Kick, Strike, Catch, Dribble

4.  Awareness:  Space Awareness, Kinesthetic Awareness, Body Awareness, Rules

The emphasis at the beginning is on general fitness and athleticism through games and activities that will develop the basic movement patterns. Unfortunately, many kids do not get to engage in much physical activity at school so it’s important to provide them with the opportunity to develop.  Additionally, it is important to educate the parents, as much as the kids, about what’s age appropriate for their children.

A 5 week Fall program starts August 20 at Wood Wind Golf Academy. We’ll meet each Thursday from 5 – 6:30PM.

During this program I  will spend 30 minutes with the kids working on movement skills then they will spend an hour working on golf specific skills with Tim Tague and Crissy Klein from the academy.

Contact me for more information about this junior golf program.