I continue to observe learning physical skills, other than golf, and how to humans improve at those skills and how I can help coach my students in golf. In particular, I have been observing my 9 year old son, Quinten. In the past year he has started to have an interest in playing sports – hockey in particular..
So after 9 months of taking private ice skating lessons and going to some hockey clinics, and in the past couple of months, he has now decided on a position; goalie. Playing goalie is a parent’s worst nightmare, both from a financial and stress standpoint. Anyway, I can obviously only help him learn this position so much, but it’s amazing how much he has learned and mimics what he sees from watching NHL goalies. So there appears to be a value in “modeling” of experts. Of course he’s got much of the pro moves down, but he needs to work on the most important one – stopping the puck.
I found several clinics specifically for goalies and where he can scrimmage. Most recently I took him to the Ferraro Brother”s clinic at Iceworks – the facility where the Islanders practice. The Ferraro brothers, both Chris and Peter, are both former NHL players. He learned a lot in the first hour working with Chris. Chris reinforced his “ready” position and much of the basics – some things Quinten had learned already, but had become sloppy or forgetful about, and some new techniques. After an hour I couldn’t believe how good he looked and how much better his technique was.
So I was excited to see how much better he would do once they started scrimmage part of the clinic. But much to my surprise, and disappointment, he started doing the things that had become, what appears to be, habitual and let’s just say, less than effective. I continued observing him over the next couple of clinics with very little of what he learned, and understands, being incorporated into his playing in game situations. I’ve done my best to not become the farther/coach that’s constantly on top of his child – telling him “do this” and “don’t do that”. So along the past couple of clinics, I’ve gently mentioned a couple of things I observed him doing – after the clinics were over – and he was somewhat receptive to my comments.
Most recently, we registered him to play on his first recreational ice hockey team and he needed to go for an “evaluation” so the coaches can draft the players and keep the teams fairly even – as far as talent goes. So before the evaluation I said to him “I just want to remind you of a couple of things” – he said “I already know – keep my stick down, my catcher out and use my butterfly”. He did great while incorporating the things he’s been working on.
I believe this is further evidence that golfers, who sometimes struggle – in game situations – taking the changes they are working on to the golf course game and reverting back to “old habits”. But like my son, you may initially need to use more conscious thought on the course, to help integrate those ideas. Of course if you practice enough, in theory, the changes should just become automatic and go to the course with you, but some golfers will need some conscious thought and focus on those changes (practice mode), in a sense bridging and learning to TRUST those new changes on the course. This may at first hinder your performance on the course – because of being in a practice mode instead of a playing one – but in the long run, it may pay much bigger dividends for all your hard work and practice.
The greatest physical benefit to playing golf is getting exercise from walking. Walking for 18 holes is often the equivalent of walking 3-to-4 miles. This gets the golfer’s heart going and blood pumping. It is a stimulating if not rigorous activity. Golfer who play three or four times a week are getting quite a bit of exercise.