As an instructor, I want you to understand that I pride myself more on being a coach than an instructor. There is a definite difference between a coach and an instructor, where as an instructor will simply fix your swing or short game with technical thoughts and drills, while on the range. An instructor will ask you what you want to work on and what needs improvement. A coach, on the other hand, is more involved with your game. He motivates you, he gives you not only instruction, but explains clear ways to use this information and gives you proper practice habits, games, and drills.
As a coach I fill both roles. There are times when a student wants swing work, but I take them to the short game area, because this is what I truly know they need. Also, when I give a one-hour lesson I try to structure my lessons around the periodization philosophy. I start my lesson with instruction and drills. My students will be competent in knowing the fault and compensation that we are working on with their swing. We will do lots of practice swings, mirror work, drills, and pauses in the swing. I must be confident that my students know what we are working on and why, and that they can do the drills with proper execution. Once I am convinced that my student is understanding and improving we will graduate to slow swings and perhaps a more feel drill versus a technical drill. This allows the students to apply the technical information into their swing and I can supervise them. I give them help if they struggle or need clarification or to answer questions. Finally, as a coach I take them to real life situations. We will hit different shots, or sometimes even take our lesson to the course where the results are important. It is this point as a coach I get my students to simplify what they are working on and to reduce the number of thoughts in their head.
Coaching a player is much more difficult than instructing a student. As an instructor your only responsibility is to give and correct information. As a coach you must teach your student to apply that information in the best way possible. A coach is much more involved with the student and thus is more involved with the outcome of the student’s progress and successes and failures they have. I do not have the luxury to dismiss student’s poor outcomes and tell them it will take time. I am therefore more involved with their games and am there to help them with everything from instruction to life’s problems.
The difference between an instructor and a coach is the application of the issues you are working on. An instructor will provide information and will help you, however a coach will help you apply those lessons and serves more as a mentor to you. This is my philosophy and my choice and is why I choose to write articles and answer each and every blog question to the best of my ability. This is why I want to thank each and every one of you that write in questions to the blog and to my insider club members where I can start to develop a personal relationship with each person’s game, struggles, and successes. Please let me know if there is anything I can personally do to help each of you.
Keep em Long and Straight,
CJ
Its time to stop the pain in your wrist, hips, shoulders, arms, legs and lower back once and for-all. Discover a body friendly swing today.
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