Teaching Preferences

[Twitch127]

Hi MJ,

Great site and great info. Just a couple of questions to get an insight into what your teaching preferences are;
- When you teach a beginners class where do you like to start ie. 3-F-5 or
Basic Motion ie Short to Long,? What do you think they need to know first? How early on in their development do you start to customize them. Obviously in a group environment it is hard to customise because the teacher/student ratio might be 8 to 1.

Also do you have a pattern preference for beginners ie Flat Backstroke shoulder turn (on elbow plane) to locate a turned shoulder plane and down the turned shoulder plane (single shift pattern) I find this single shift pattern to be very easy for beginners to get and it gets there pivot working early on in their motion

These questions aren't meant to be leading they are just examples to get an idea of what you like to teach
Look forward to response

Twitch

[Michael Jacobs]

Twitch,

Glad you like the website. It is interesting if you take a look at how golf is introduced to beginners. Beginners are over loaded with all kinds of information and they are determined to learn every little detail and have constant feedback from those around them. I think the instruction for beginners should be kept very 'wide.' Very general and basic - making the club function like a golf club, an effective general body pivot, general understand of hand and wrist conditions. Small shots to big shots and all attention should be to make sure that they are enjoying themselves and want to take their new found game to the next step.

In my opinion, the basic motion curriculum, acquired motion is not a very good way to start. I think it is a horrific way to start

[Twitch127]

I think it has its place depending on the student. If the student is committed, has loads of spare time to practice and doesn't play on the golf course a lot - it is good - unfortunately the above takes out about 95% of golfers. I think it might have been Homers "in a perfect world" curriculum but I don't think you can build a golf swing like a boeing 727 most golfers come with a "shell" already built and you have to finish building it so it will fly! not "rebuild" it

Obviously being a GSED and having a long affiliation with the "yellow book" you have used 12-5-1. What shortcomings/pitfalls did you find when you used it compared to what you use now. "There is no substitute for experience"

Twitch

[Michael Jacobs]

Experience is key! I don't frown upon people who use it, I just don't....
The basic/acquired motion curriculum completely bypasses how to train an effective body pivot.

'It's only useful function could be in a classroom '

An important point is that basic motion is about 2 feet in either direction and 2 feet is a very short stroke
Next thing you know, you see a guy teaching students to do the basic motion with a stroke a lot larger than 2 feet in either direction and it destroys learning how to create a wallop

Great question though twitch -- keep them coming!

[Michael Jacobs]

I tell you what... I do a lot of beginner classes for the local areas. A pure welcome to golf class..... I do over 400 brand new people a year in just these evening classes. I will video them and put one up so you can see how I do a start up program.. They start late April

[Twitch127]

Mike,

That would be awesome. It's great to see a renowned teacher willing to share information...

And if I didn't live the other side of the pond I would come and see them in person

By the way, what handicap index is "Geoffrey" from Explosive Golf 1.0 down to now, he had a tidy action back then!!

Thanks,

Twitch

[Michael Jacobs]

Mike,

That would be awesome. It's great to see a renowned teacher willing to share information...

And if I didn't live the other side of the pond I would come and see them in person

By the way, what handicap index is "Geoffrey" from Explosive Golf 1.0 down to now, he had a tidy action back then!!

Thanks,

Twitch

Twitch,

As April approaches just send me a message to remind me to video those classes.

As for Jeffrey, don't know here he is
His family moved as he went on to college and I never heard from him again. He worked at the golf course here as a cart kid and I only gave him one half hour lesson and he went from a flipper to that pattern you see in the video. He had tremendous talent but I don't know what he did with it