Professional Golf Instructor Training

[jim_0068]

Not all of us have the memory ability of Lynn or Justin .
I know what the words mean and how to get my students to demonstrate the concepts.

I agree 100% wholeheartedly.

And for those of you who think anyone can memorize that entire list really do not know how the human brain works in regards to memory, memory damage, or learning disabilities.

Everyone's different. As long as you know what you're doing with the information you have (the book) and can APPLY IT you have a chance at being a great teacher.

[Yoda]

I agree 100% wholeheartedly.

And for those of you who think anyone can memorize that entire list really do not know how the human brain works in regards to memory, memory damage, or learning disabilities.

Everyone's different. As long as you know what you're doing with the information you have (the book) and can APPLY IT you have a chance at being a great teacher.

I never said my 10-point checklist was a pre-requisite to becoming a great teacher. I was asked what could be done to help one prepare for Authorized Instructor training, and I offered the list, somewhat tongue-in-cheek due to its obvious overload. Certainly, there have been many effective teachers who never heard of The Golfing Machine, much less committed to memory much of its contents.

However...

Homer Kelley himself did require that those who came to him for GSEM training memorize items #1, #2, #3, and #8 in my Checklist. In addition, we were to familiarize ourselves with the Twelve Session Normal Course Curriculum, and we were to answer in writing his 50-page test bank of 529 questions covering each chapter of The Golfing Machine. All this was a pre-requisite to his training.

My own checklist included a few additional items, such as the 12 Sections of the Stroke -- certainly not difficult -- and the Mechanical Checklist For All Strokes and the Basic Motion Curriculum as long-term goals to strive for.

People think it is easy to become a Professional Golf Instructor, and they are right. There are few barriers to entry and the quality of instruction over the decades reflects that reality.

Homer saw it a different way.

It takes many years of dedicated study to become qualified to even begin to practice professsions such as medicine, dentistry, the law, and accounting. Why should becoming a qualified and competent Professional Golf Instructor be any different? Why should proficiency in what is truly a complex discipline come without the requisite pricetag of time and study?

I have met very few teachers -- great or not -- who when pressed, will not freely admit, "If I could give all my early students their money back, I would." It takes a long time to learn to teach effectively, even when you have the correct information. And rote memorization by itself is not the answer...I am not saying that it is. However, it can and will greatly compress the years required to truly be the Master of your Discipline.

Those who say that such memorization is unnecessary have not done it. Therefore, as effective as they may be as teachers, there is no way they can judge how much more effective they could be if they had truly internalized the Stroke Components, their Variations, the Basic Motion Curriculum, and the mission-critical alignments of the Hands in each of the Twelve Sections of the Stroke.

I have done it.

Was it easy? Hell no, it wasn't easy. I worked my butt off.

"How did you do it," I asked Homer. "How could you write such a book?"

Said he, "There is the sweat of blood on every page."

I know I am a better teacher for having followed Homer Kelley's advice to memorize those elements of The Golfing Machine that serve as its foundation.

My message in prior posts was that you don't have to do it all at once. Simply begin...

Take it one step at a time.

And before you know it...

You will have accomplished much more than you ever dreamed possible.

[jim_0068]

I never said my 10-point checklist was a pre-requisite to becoming a great teacher. I was asked what could be done to help one prepare for Authorized Instructor training, and I offered the list, somewhat tongue-in-cheek due to its obvious overload. Certainly, there have been many effective teachers who never heard of The Golfing Machine, much less committed to memory much of its contents.

However...

Homer Kelley himself did require that those who came to him for GSEM training memorize items #1, #2, #3, and #8 in my Checklist. In addition, we were to familiarize ourselves with the Twelve Session Normal Course Curriculum, and we were to answer in writing his 50-page test bank of 529 questions covering each chapter of The Golfing Machine. All this was a pre-requisite to his training.

My own checklist included a few additional items, such as the 12 Sections of the Stroke -- certainly not difficult -- and the Mechanical Checklist For All Strokes and the Basic Motion Curriculum as long-term goals to strive for.

People think it is easy to become a Professional Golf Instructor, and they are right. There are few barriers to entry and the quality of instruction over the decades reflects that reality.

Homer saw it a different way.

It takes many years of dedicated study to become qualified to even begin to practice professsions such as medicine, dentistry, the law, and accounting. Why should becoming a qualified and competent Professional Golf Instructor be any different? Why should proficiency in what is truly a complex discipline come without the requisite pricetag of time and study?

I have met very few teachers -- great or not -- who when pressed, will not freely admit, "If I could give all my early students their money back, I would." It takes a long time to learn to teach effectively, even when you have the correct information. And rote memorization by itself is not the answer...I am not saying that it is. However, it can and will greatly compress the years required to truly be the Master of your Discipline.

Those who say that such memorization is unnecessary have not done it. Therefore, as effective as they may be as teachers, there is no way they can judge how much more effective they could be if they had truly internalized the Stroke Components, their Variations, the Basic Motion Curriculum, and the mission-critical alignments of the Hands in each of the Twelve Sections of the Stroke.

I have done it.

Was it easy? Hell no, it wasn't easy. I worked my butt off.

"How did you do it," I asked Homer. "How could you write such a book?"

Said he, "There is the sweat of blood on every page."

I know I am a better teacher for having followed Homer Kelley's advice to memorize those elements of The Golfing Machine that serve as its foundation.

My message in prior posts was that you don't have to do it all at once. Simply begin...

Take it one step at a time.

And before you know it...

You will have accomplished much more than you ever dreamed possible.

If memorization was so much more valuable why is the AI Certification test OPEN BOOK?

There were lots of times in business school when in my Finance classes my professors would ask the student what say the Time Value of Money was. There would always be the person in the class that new the definition right out of the book. Then the professor would ask, "in your own words, what exactly does that mean? Explain it in a situation." They would look at him blank because they couldn't understand the CONCEPT.

Memorization has its place in learning but it doesn't necessarily make you any smarter or know how to do anything better, it just means you can remember it.

Now please don't take this the wrong way that i'm saying all people who can recite the book can't apply it because that is not what i'm saying. Some people are really pationate and they have learned to do it and can still apply the book and maybe even teach it.

[Yoda]

If memorization was so much more valuable why is the AI Certification test OPEN BOOK?

Jim,

There are at least three reasons why the test is 'open book:'

1. It is the only way that 95 percent of the soon-to-be-Authorized Instructors could pass the test. They simply don't yet KNOW enough to pass it any other way. And it is unrealistic to expect -- much less require -- that a student commit to memory the vast amount of material he is exposed to during the formal training process.

2. In truth, the test is more of a learning experience in and of itself than an actual 'exam.' Digging for answers and writing them down has value to the student.

3. Answering the questions is demonstrated proof that the student can use the book in its research function, and that he has at least a cursory familiarity with its contents.

To my mind, the Authorized Instructor designation is a beginning, not an end. It is formal recognition that the journey of a lifetime has begun. The student now has been exposed to the tools that over a period of years will enable him to become a true Authority. One, I might add, who could pass an 'open book' test...without the book.

Whether or not that noble goal is achieved rests squarely on the shoulders of each student. True mastery of any discipline requires an effort that differentiates the few from the many.

And so it is for those who would master The Golfing Machine.

[Amen Corner]

Jim,

There are at least three reasons why the test is 'open book:'

1. It is the only way that 95 percent of the soon-to-be-Authorized Instructors could pass the test. They simply don't yet KNOW enough to pass it any other way. And it is unrealistic to expect -- much less require -- that a student commit to memory the vast amount of material he is exposed to during the formal training process.

2. In truth, the test is more of a learning experience in and of itself than an actual 'exam.' Digging for answers and writing them down has value to the student.

3. Answering the questions is demonstrated proof that the student can use the book in its research function, and that he has at least a cursory familiarity with its contents.

To my mind, the Authorized Instructor designation is a beginning, not an end. It is formal recognition that the journey of a lifetime has begun. The student now has been exposed to the tools that over a period of years will enable him to become a true Authority. One, I might add, who could pass an 'open book' test...without the book.

Whether or not that noble goal is achieved rests squarely on the shoulders of each student. True mastery of any discipline requires an effort that differentiates the few from the many.

And so it is for those who would master The Golfing Machine.

HEAR, HEAR

as they would say in he british parlament(sorry if I´m wrong lads!)

Had a few minutes over between finishing my openbook exam for level 2 and starting to memorize a couple of things for the visual identification and demonstration exams for tomorrow.

Remembered point # 10 on Yodas list to me - and here I am.

I have spent 64 hours on the schoolbench(right spelling?) with TGM the last 8 days. This is only my 7 month (Yoda was at our Sweden PGA teaching summit in March) with TGM, so I am fairly new with the expression compared with others here. Since then, I`ve been reading the book and visiting the forums every single day. I've learned a lot and still do.

But going through Bachelors class IS a whole other ballgame.

I TRULY UNDERSTAND the differnt concepts
I CAN DEMONSTRATE it to my students to make them understand

and I can appreciate EVEN MORE Yodas recommendations to me.

BTW, Yoda, do you remember the guy that you talked/teached during the morning hours at Halmstad? Your introduction to TGM made him attend this class I´m going!

So, without ............. oh shit, times flyes when having fun. Must go back to memorizing!

Hej på Er!

[Yoda]

BTW, Yoda, do you remember the guy that you talked/teached during the morning hours at Halmstad? Your introduction to TGM made him attend this class I´m going!

Congratulations, Javier, on your success with the TGM Authorized Instructor training. I am happy for you!

I am also happy for your classmate who I trained with you in my half-day, main platform presentation to the Swedish PGA Coaching and Teaching Summit last March. And also, in the 'after hours' session you witnessed (and cheered on!) the last day!

Keep working, Javier. Unlike those who would drift with the tide, you are making your future happen. I am proud of you!

[jim_0068]

I can't win so i'll leave. I still stand by my statements, memorization really has 0 to do with being a good teacher in ANYTHING.

It has to do with knowing the definition of whatever you are teaching, being able to apply what you are teaching, and finally be able to commute what you are teaching in a way the students can understand.

This isn't just golf either, it's ANYTHING. When any of you go out and teach people with Learning Disabilties than you can come back to me and re-exam your response.

----------

Also i think some of my college professors would be rather offended that

"2. In truth, the test is more of a learning experience in and of itself than an actual 'exam.' Digging for answers and writing them down has value to the student.

I have had some pretty damn hard finance theory exams that were open book and it sure was more than just an "learning experience."

I'm out.

[12 piece bucket]

Let me qualify this by first saying this . . . I'm probably one of the top 5 biggest book nerds on this and other sites. I have or have copies of every edition. I have typed the 6th into a word file. I have for the most part read each edition but I'm half way throught the first and haven't read the 2nd. I have read the 6th from cover to cover 3 times. And read the 7th.

However . . . I haven't memorized much of the book . . .

What exactly is the intent of the memorization? I'm not saying that I wouldn't do it. I probably will . . . but to what ends does it serve? Is this a "to be teachers" task? Or just a task that any serious student should take?

[Yoda]

What exactly is the intent of the memorization? I'm not saying that I wouldn't do it. I probably will . . . but to what ends does it serve? Is this a "to be teachers" task? Or just a task that any serious student should take?

[Bold emphasis added.]

Bucket was writing his post as I was posting mine. He deleted his because he felt his question had already been answered. I have taken the liberty of resurrecting it -- it's fun to be an Administrator! -- because his post asks a very up front and to-the-point question I want to answer.

What is the intent of memorization?

To my mind, it is quite simple:

How can you teach the five alignments at the Finish unless you know them? And how can you know them unless you can recite them?

How can you teach the seven alignments at The Top?

How can you teach the four alignments in the Start Up?

How can you teach the six alignments at Impact Fix?

How can you guide your student step-by-step through the Basic Motion Curriculum unless you stone-cold know it?

After all...

You are the Teacher!

It is your job to know.

In his June 1981 G.O.L.F. Bulletin for Authorized Instructors, Homer Kelley wrote:

Self 1 and Self 2, right and left brain, ball-and-striker sports and the play-pen seem to have one thing in common. That is that Geometry and Physics have, early and late, had no advocate therein. The one obviously out-of-place member of that group that might some way be redeemed, appear to be the ball-and-striker sports inasmuch as The Golfing Machine is dedicated to removing at least one of these sports from the playpen syndrome.

Nothing has changed. To a large extent, Golf Instruction remains in "the Playpen." What has been missing all along is precision. And only The Golfing Machine can supply that precision.

So, our job as Instructors is to become true Authorities and, in time, to liberate Conventional Instruction from its Playpen status.

And if we don't -- because we are either unwilling or unable to pay the price to truly know our subject -- then...

Who will?

[Yoda]

What exactly is the intent of the memorization? I'm not saying that I wouldn't do it. I probably will . . .

Now I would like to make a point. And that point is that you already have memorized much more than you think! And you have done it "by accident." My position is that if you did it "on purpose," you would enjoy even greater benefits.

The Proof:

Bucket, you are hereby asked to take the following test. You may NOT consult your book. You are 'on your honor' -- do not go there! -- and you are to post your answers exactly as you are able.

Pencils ready...

Open your test booklets...

Begin.

1. List the 12 Sections of the Stroke...in order.

2. What is the subject of 2-F?

3. What is the subject of 2-G?

4. What chapter explains the 24 Components?

5. What chapter explains their Variations?

6. What two chapters refer to the Wrist Positions and the Hands?

7. What chapter explains the Power Package Concept?

8. List the Four Power Accumulators.

9. List the Four Pressure Points.

10. What chapter lists 21 points that explains the operation of The Golfing Machine?

11. List the Three Imperatives...in order.

12. List the Three Stations.

13. List the Three Functions of the Club.

14. What is the Star System Triad?

15. List the Three Zones.

I could go on, but you get my drift.

And now, Bucket, I am waiting to grade your test. My guess is that your score will support my thesis.