GolfTEC Blog

From the March Momentum Newsletter.

In golf, there are times when you have to take a step back, forget about the mechanics and look at the big picture. This was the case for GolfTEC Client, Mike Kornmeyer.

Pushing towards his long-term goal of one day playing golf for a living, Mike had steadily improved under the guidance of his Coach, Dan Sniffin. Mike’s mechanics had drastically improved and his handicap had dropped considerably—from shooting around 100 (estimated 24 handicap) to a 2.4 handicap. After each season, Dan and Mike would step back to look at the progress they had made. And more importantly, they would look forward to what needed to happen in the coming season. Because one thing was always clear: to play golf for a living, Mike needed to get even better.

This review process—which Mike calls the “glue that builds my understanding of the swing and the philosophy of the game as a whole”—has played an integral role in the success Dan and Mike have had. From Dan’s perspective, this process is something he’s always believed in, both as a Coach and a player. When asked about this, Dan remarked, “I have always been convinced [that the process is a key to success], as I have done this type of thing for many years in my own game. We did this twice a year when I played in college.”

Now, you can get the same experience that Dan and Mike have benefited from in our newly-released Goal Planning Session (GPS).

What to expect in a Goal Planning Session

Dan and Mike used the 30-minute GPS to achieve four key things:

1. Review goals and progress from the previous season
2. Identify what worked (and what didn’t work)
3. Re-evaluate short- and long-term goals
4. Build a gameplan for the coming season

Guided by those objectives, Dan and Mike started their Goal Planning Session.

The biggest success for Mike was how much he was able to drop his handicap. There were no major shortcomings in the previous season; Mike had steadily improved. However, it was clear that Mike needed to shift his focus in a big way heading into the new season. His putting and lack of tournament experience was holding him back.

Mike’s goal to one day play golf for a living was still front and center. What needed adjusting were his short-term goals, such as playing in a specific number of tournaments in the upcoming golf season. Next was identifying what needed to happen to continue Mike’s success. The verdict:

1. Better practice. Mike needed to bring increased focus and structure to his practice (e.g. complete a designated number putting, pitching and full-swing drills)
2. More putting. Dan and Mike decided to focus more of their lesson time on putting
3. New courses and tournaments. Dan recommended that Mike strengthen his on-course experience by playing a group of new courses and competing in a specific list of tournaments

Ready to take on the new season, Mike walked away from his Goal Planning Session with a “good understanding of the relationship between my goals and the work necessary to achieve those goals.”

The GPS is a great tool that you can now take advantage of. If you’d like to learn more about it or schedule one today, call a GolfTEC Improvement Center near you and talk to a Coach. Click Here to find your nearest Improvement Center.

Thoughts on the Goal Planning Session? Ever used a similar process in your golf improvement? Let us know in the comments.

Note: If you do not live in or near Denver, CO, feel free to skip over this post.

This is a little different from our normal content, but we have a unique opportunity for Denver-area golfers that we wanted to extend to our readers.

Our own Steve Atherton, GolfTEC VP of Research and Development, is working with The Rose Center for Health & Sport Science on a 30-day golf research study. It’s a cool opportunity to be involved in a golf study, get some golf instruction and fitness guidance, and even get a free GolfTEC Swing Evaluation at the end.

Study details and information

The Rose Center for Health & Sport Science in conjunction with GolfTEC is performing a 30-day research study on the effects of various programs on increasing club head speed and distance.

To be eligible, you need to be:

• Male
• Age 35-65
• No orthopedic, muscular or health issues
• Maximum of 90 minutes per week spent in formal exercise per week (average for the last 3 months)

You will need to be able to commit to pre-study golf testing (approximately 60 minutes), and then will be randomly assigned to groups which include weekly golf lessons with a PGA Master Professional in Instruction or one of three golf-fitness programs. You will need to be able to travel to either the lessons or the fitness interventions at various locations. We endeavor to make locations convenient, yet based upon where you live, you may or may not be close to the intervention location. Testing will occur at GolfTEC in Centennial, and fitness interventions will occur at either 24 Hour fitness locations or Rose Hospital.

The golf lessons will be once per week for 60 minutes, and the fitness interventions will be two, 30-minute sessions per week at regularly scheduled times. All programs will take 4 weeks of training. At the end of the intervention period, you will come back to GolfTEC Headquarters in Centennial for post-study testing. On completing that session, you will receive a certificate good for a free one-hour Swing Evaluation with GolfTEC. Please note, if you do not finish the study or complete all the sessions, you will not receive the free Swing Evaluation.

If you are interested and fit the study requirements, please send your name, contact information (preferred email and phone) and general location of your home and/or work using zip code to:

Neil.wolkodoff@healthonecares.com

If you get to participate, we hope you enjoy it. And even if you aren’t able to, spread the word (the share button below is an easy way to do so) to any golfers you know in the Denver area.