Soon to be new HS golf coach, please help!!

[telfordtodd]

About to be installed as the new golf coach at the local High School. I love golf and play consistently in the mid 80's. I have never coached anything but as we all are on here, I am completely obsessed with golf and willing to do anything to play more and be around golf. Plus I seem to have a knack finding small imperfections in my buddies' swings and have helped them improve...

Any coaches on here give me tips to get started? Season starts in August so I have plenty of time but want to be as prepared as possible. What daily duties should I be expected to do? What troubles or difficulties have you encountered? I have been told that I will be more of an organizer rather than a swing coach which is good for me.

Just looking for tips and tricks to have for keeping my sanity and maybe even being successful.. :)

Thanks....

[Leftygolfer]

I am very interested in doing that later in life myself. I think making it as much fun as possble for the boys will help you be successful as a team and win. I think games when practicing (figure out ways to have them really have to focus) would be good. I believe one of the things I like most in coaches and leaders in general is when they understand people are different. Different players will be motivated differently so some kids you might have to challenge and put pressure on more where others you might have to be more supportive. Best of luck to you and your soon to be new team.

[Lefty-Golfer]

Keep it fun- if it feels like a job they won’t want to be there. Hard work is required but it has to fun sometimes.

Keep it moving- 15 minutes of 4 drills is better then 1 hour of the same thing.

Keep it competitive- Keep score, issues challenges, do small man on man competitions for shots. Game situations are priceless

Make sure they know the rules…if I understand it right you are not allowed to coach on the course during a match.

[jamo]

I'm not a coach but as someone who has played on a high school golf team for 4 years, I might be able to add some insight. If there is 1 thing i would do in practice, it is match play. They get to practice competing and it can be fun. But don't let them give gimmies if you think they might abuse it. They should also play out all of the holes, or you wont get accurate scores. I don't know how the league you are in works, but the one I was in was match play half of the year so it was good practice.

[Gibby]

I'm currently on my High School varsity golf team, so i may be able to offer a few suggestions.

First off, and most importantly, make it fun. Don't be hard on the kids, most people are hard enough on themselves when they have a bad day.

Really, REALLY emphasize ettiquette and playing with integrity. Possibly the only area to be harsh on. Make it clear that if kids are caught cheating or doing inappropriate things on the course there will be consequences.

As you said, you aren't really supposed to be their swing coach. At the same time, make it clear you're open and willing to help the kids with any questions they may have. If they want your insight, offer it. Others won't want you trying to tinker with their swing. Give them plenty of options when practicing, don't be too organized with "okay, 20 min everyone on the putting green, then 40 minutes everyone working on the range with their driver..." The kids should be smart enough to know what they need to work on, so let them. If player A is a great putter, don't make him waste half an hour on the putting green when he could be learning to keep his driver in play on the range.

Have lots of competitions. When playing 9 holes or whatever, include their score as a part of their average, or let the kids have "challenge matches" to move up or down in the lineup. Give them a reason to putt everything out and try their hardest on every shot.

In the end, just make the golf team a place where the kids can go and have fun. My golf team is incredible - we almost always have dinner together after practice or matches (the seniors and juniors can drive the freshmen and sophs). We have pasta parties the day before big matches (not that you really need to carbo-load for golf...o.O but it's still fun as hell =D). Out team has a reputation for having integrity and being very polite. At the same time, our biggest rival in our conference has a reputation for cheating and being arses on the course. Their coach supposedly is a total uptight jerk too - apparently he made a kid run laps around a course as punishment because he hit a ball into the water on the last hole when their team played us this year and they lost by 1 stroke. Now, not to say fitness is bad, or that running laps is a horrible thing, but in golf? If my coach made me run laps when i played bad I wouldn't like him or coming to practice anymore. Plus the stress playing in matches would become bad stress...instead of competitive eustress. I would be totally fine if I played football or something and our coach gave us punishments. But this is golf, make it fun.

It's nice to know that the last three years we've kicked our rivals butt in conference, and had a 1000% happier time doing it over the course of the season too.

[cignatz21]

I have played on my high school team for the past three years, and have learned a few things. First practice. The official season and practices legally start in August, but nothing is stopping you from practicing all summer long. (Yes, practices are not allowed to start until August, but you cannot prevent the team from somehow showing up at the course at the same time and playing)

The best teams in our section are those who "practice" from the end of May-August. jamo-

If there is 1 thing i would do in practice, it is match play.

I cannot agree more, format of high school golf matches can be nerve-racking. The more the players participate in match play, the more at ease they become in actual matches.

Lastly set goals and practice all aspects of the game (ettiquette and rules included). For instance, for the team- make playoffs, shoot 190 on average (not sure how good your team is, but our's shot this normally), for individuals- 15 putts per nine holes, 65% gir, 50% fairways. Stuff along those lines. Have fun, golf is fun not work, make it that way for the team. Good luck and keep us informed in the fall.

[jamo]

Wait, 1 more thing: MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THE RULES!!!!

Can't stress that enough. Maybe have a meeting after school one rainy day and go over the rule book or something like that.

[The Road Dog]

Might I suggest this. It was a great read.
Tiger Woods Made Me Look Like A Genius by Don Crosby

It tells of his efforts as a high school golf coach.

He understood his job was not to create great golfers but to win with what he had to work with in the limited time available.

[gogolfing]

I've been the golf coach at the high school I work at for the past 5 years. In that time, I have given very little swing advice. I organize tournaments and try outs, and try and keep it fun. As said, I stress etiquette and knowing the rules, and my teams have always been classy at tournaments.

In the off season, most kids on the team are members at the same club I am, so I make sure I get out and play with them sometimes and this gives me confidence in knowing that they have proper etiquette and know the rules. It helps build a relationship with them too. As the season approaches, I get them out a group a few times a week and set up different matches and get them playing together to help build in some competition and camaraderie with the team. We start these off with some short game and putting competitions too.

I love doing it. I used to coach basketball, and now coach my son's hockey team in the winter, and the golf is a nice relaxing break, while still getting to coach. I still play with former players all the time and have built a close bond with them. in fact, we are having a reunion tournament this summer for former players. I mentioned it to a few of them and they are all over it, so we should have 3 or 4 groups and we'll go out and play a scramble or a Ryder Cup style event, and then have a little banquet afterward.

Enjoy your experience.

[Laxplayer201092]

PLAY WITH THE KIDS!

The best memories of my golfing time at high school was the rounds that my coach played with us. It was fun getting to know your coach, and it made us want to play better so he didnt whup us. (regardless of if you can or cant beat your kids, they are going to want to play better infront of you, and that adds some pressure you just dont get playing nine with your buddies)

Also, make friday a best ball day, thats always a fun way to end the week

Also, its golf. dont get mad at the kids for having a bad round.

[deronsizemore]

Can't really offer any advice, but noticed your avatar. It's funny because I actually made that graphic around four years ago for myself on another forum. Thief! Just kidding.

[jamo]

Another really fun thing is to organize them into a scramble tournament. We did this my freshman and sophomore years and it was really good at getting people who don't play together (on my team it was the captains or varsity and the lowly JV players) to be in a group and work together. You do need to add restrictions like "you need to use a drive from everyone at least once" otherwise there is no point for having the JV players. It was always tons of fun because groups would shoot like 5 under (or whatever, I just made that up).

[telfordtodd]

Might I suggest this. It was a great read.

Thanks for the tip! I already have the book on order!

[telfordtodd]

I've been the golf coach at the high school I work at for the past 5 years. In that time, I have given very little swing advice. I organize tournaments and try outs, and try and keep it fun. As said, I stress etiquette and knowing the rules, and my teams have always been classy at tournaments.

Thanks for the reply. I am assuming my responsibilities will be similar: orgainzing try outs, picking line ups, scheduling, etc.. I still need to talk with last year's coach and the A.D. to find out more details like:

- How many players on the team - Tournaments are stroke or match play - Fixed Practice days

[leezer99]

Beyond trying to make the best golf team you can through practice, simulated games, etc. you are molding a lot of young men and women (assuming you have co-ed teams). You may also want to incorporate other fundamental learnings of golf by introducing them to the history of the game. Quite often overlooked by many coaches as they are only looking towards the next shot or next tournament but what has happened in the past has also paved the way to the future of the sport. Along those lines you may want to also incorporate some aspects on the architecture of your golf course. Teach them about what the architect was trying to accomplish by putting trouble spots in certain areas and how to identify them at other courses. This will help them with their mental management of what shot to hit next during those stressful circumstances of tournament play.

[beisenhauer]

There were two things missing from my high school golf experience that the coach should have emphasized more: knowledge of the rules and course management. Others have mentioned the rules, but I haven't seen course management brought up. Teach the kids how to get the most out of the game that they have. This will make your good players more consistent and your marginal players more competitive.

[telfordtodd]

Beyond trying to make the best golf team you can through practice, simulated games, etc. you are molding a lot of young men and women (assuming you have co-ed teams). You may also want to incorporate other fundamental learnings of golf by introducing them to the history of the game. Quite often overlooked by many coaches as they are only looking towards the next shot or next tournament but what has happened in the past has also paved the way to the future of the sport. Along those lines you may want to also incorporate some aspects on the architecture of your golf course. Teach them about what the architect was trying to accomplish by putting trouble spots in certain areas and how to identify them at other courses. This will help them with their mental management of what shot to hit next during those stressful circumstances of tournament play.

Great Tip! It would be interesting to teach the history and architecture. I just need to learn that stuff myself! :)

[telfordtodd]

There were two things missing from my high school golf experience that the coach should have emphasized more: knowledge of the rules and course management. Others have mentioned the rules, but I haven't seen course management brought up. Teach the kids how to get the most out of the game that they have. This will make your good players more consistent and your marginal players more competitive.

I agree, course management is a big thing for my game, especially considering my longest drive to date is about 240. Thanks for the tip!