Lady Golfer: Professionally speaking
What makes a good coach?
Someone who takes an interest in their members/the people they teach, stays current with their knowledge and has plenty of enthusiasm.
What’s the strangest request you’ve ever had from a member?
I had a chap ask me to give a lesson to his new girlfriend that he’d met on the internet to ‘suss her out’ as he thought during the course of the lesson that she would reveal her true feelings for him to me!
What percentage of your members have lessons?
I would say that 10 to 15 per cent of my client base is made up from the members of my club, 75 per cent are from other local clubs and the rest are not members of a club.
What is the most common fault among your lady members?
The ladies don’t make the most of their hips! I’m not talking in a Gok Wan kind of way, I mean they could use them more in the through swing to increase their distance.
What is the hardest part about being a female pro?
I would say that on the whole a female pro has to work harder to gain credibility than a male pro. It is certainly more challenging to get a head pro’s position as a woman.
What types of lessons do you think your members should take more of?
Playing lessons are often overlooked. During an on-course lesson you can cover so much. The swing mechanics are attained for a standard lie on the range, but how often do you find one of those on the course? Get out on the course more with your pro to learn how to play golf rather than just swing a club.
What is the best commercial idea you’ve ever had?
Setting up my website back in 2006. At that time not many pros had a personal website. It made me stand out and being a modest person in the flesh(!), it gave me the chance to showcase and document my past achievements and my passion for continuing my coaching development.
How does your golf compare now to when you turned pro?
I probably play/score better now than I did as an amateur. Don’t get me wrong, I can hit some pretty ropey shots at times but I don’t care as much and that was what was getting in the way before I turned pro. Not that I’m sponsored by a brewery, but I often say to pupils to go out and play as if they’ve had a couple of drinks!
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