[Andromino]

It is such a big advantage to live in the south or the west because you can play sports all year long. It is amazing how many more football and baseball players come out of those states as opposed to the northern states, it can't be all talent

I kinda agree with this. Golf takes hard work. But I had someone on my team who only practiced 2 days a week and he was on the team. Now he wasn't that great and was often an alternate, but he could still shoot good scores. I think in that situation it's because Country Club Sports are pushed here in the South. Just my observation.

[Malinguenem]

It is such a big advantage to live in the south or the west because you can play sports all year long. It is amazing how many more football and baseball players come out of those states as opposed to the northern states, it can't be all talent

Yeah man here in the southwest we have year round golf-except really early and really late in July so we don't get 100+ weather. They practice a lot here

[Enjoymms]

I graduated from high-school in 07' and much like your coach Hacker mine had a very hands off approach. I feel like a more hands on coach would have done wonders for my golf game.

My teams average handicap was probably 15 which wasn't a lot of fun when we faced our rivals (avg. team handicap of 5) that had coaching.

Absolutely, if you have a coach working with you, you will get better. I am sure if your coach at least tried to help you a little you would of had a better chance

[MadMark]

I graduated high school in Colorado in '98, and I played golf all four years. Our coach drove us around and basically said "go putt," "hit the range," or "go play nine." I don't remember any instruction whatsoever during my time. Our team was decent, but I don't remember us ever winning anything. My senior year I think I averaged 74 or 75 per round, and I was third or fourth ranked on the team. None of us were country club brats, but I worked at one for my junior and senior years. I think a lot of the modern training practices started just after I graduated high school, when Tiger Woods, technology, and new health trends revolutionized the game.

[exhibeKed]

Earlier I posted how I was a high school golf coach for a year and didn't do anything because the parents didn't want me to. I would have gladly helped any golfer on the team, but with every kid on the team working with a pro my hands were tied. I do think that this is a trend these days. That a lot of kids who get serious about golf work with pros and leave little for the coaches to do. I just wanted to say this because my earlier post could have come off like I didn't want to help. The teacher inside of me wants to always help kids reach their potential and give advice but parents paying $200 per hour for a lesson don't want the high school golf coach giving advice.

I feel bad for those of you who played in high school and wanted tips and advice from their coach but didn't get it. It's a shame that some golf coaches could be lucky enough to have players who want to improve and parents who support it and yet the coach does nothing to help. I should have said in my earlier post but when I was on my high school golf team, none of us worked with a club pro and our coach was great. He would work with us at the range and on the greens. That's what I was hoping to do when I took the job but as JB said, sometimes geography dictates what the coach can do. While golf isn't year round in NY, some areas (like the one I coached in) have the financial means to keep kids playing golf all year (trips, indoor facilities, etc.).

[golozhopik]

Earlier I posted how I was a high school golf coach for a year and didn't do anything because the parents didn't want me to. I would have gladly helped any golfer on the team, but with every kid on the team working with a pro my hands were tied. I do think that this is a trend these days. That a lot of kids who get serious about golf work with pros and leave little for the coaches to do. I just wanted to say this because my earlier post could have come off like I didn't want to help. The teacher inside of me wants to always help kids reach their potential and give advice but parents paying $200 per hour for a lesson don't want the high school golf coach giving advice.

I feel bad for those of you who played in high school and wanted tips and advice from their coach but didn't get it. It's a shame that some golf coaches could be lucky enough to have players who want to improve and parents who support it and yet the coach does nothing to help. I should have said in my earlier post but when I was on my high school golf team, none of us worked with a club pro and our coach was great. He would work with us at the range and on the greens. That's what I was hoping to do when I took the job but as JB said, sometimes geography dictates what the coach can do. While golf isn't year round in NY, some areas (like the one I coached in) have the financial means to keep kids playing golf all year (trips, indoor facilities, etc.).

I understood what you meant in your earlier post. It must have been a very good team to have everybody on it think that they could go on in the sport after high school.

[goolen4you]

Earlier I posted how I was a high school golf coach for a year and didn't do anything because the parents didn't want me to. I would have gladly helped any golfer on the team, but with every kid on the team working with a pro my hands were tied. I do think that this is a trend these days. That a lot of kids who get serious about golf work with pros and leave little for the coaches to do. I just wanted to say this because my earlier post could have come off like I didn't want to help. The teacher inside of me wants to always help kids reach their potential and give advice but parents paying $200 per hour for a lesson don't want the high school golf coach giving advice.

I feel bad for those of you who played in high school and wanted tips and advice from their coach but didn't get it. It's a shame that some golf coaches could be lucky enough to have players who want to improve and parents who support it and yet the coach does nothing to help. I should have said in my earlier post but when I was on my high school golf team, none of us worked with a club pro and our coach was great. He would work with us at the range and on the greens. That's what I was hoping to do when I took the job but as JB said, sometimes geography dictates what the coach can do. While golf isn't year round in NY, some areas (like the one I coached in) have the financial means to keep kids playing golf all year (trips, indoor facilities, etc.).

Now that I pay attention to professional golf and how to become a pro, I look back at my high school career with a bit of regret. Our coach never once talked about preparing for college golf or going pro. It was like just taking a golf class as part of the curriculum. I finished my senior year and that was that. Golf was all I wanted to do during the warmer months, and I feel like if I had someone there telling me I had the potential to go on and do something with my game, or even someone to just let me know what kind of opportunities were out there, I think I would have tried to find some open doors out there and try to make something of my game. I have 15 years between then and now and I'd love to be able to fine tune my game and see what's possible now, but the opportunities are much fewer and much farther between.

[xanaxnewtrader]

I understood what you meant in your earlier post. It must have been a very good team to have everybody on it think that they could go on in the sport after high school.

They thought they were better then they actually were . All joking aside we had a solid team, 2 of 6 went to states that year and we had a couple younger guys who were going to get better. I thought 1 or 2 could play in college but there were kids that I thought could of used more instruction (I just couldn't and it wasn't a fight worth taking on).

Now that I pay attention to professional golf and how to become a pro, I look back at my high school career with a bit of regret. Our coach never once talked about preparing for college golf or going pro. It was like just taking a golf class as part of the curriculum. I finished my senior year and that was that. Golf was all I wanted to do during the warmer months, and I feel like if I had someone there telling me I had the potential to go on and do something with my game, or even someone to just let me know what kind of opportunities were out there, I think I would have tried to find some open doors out there and try to make something of my game. I have 15 years between then and now and I'd love to be able to fine tune my game and see what's possible now, but the opportunities are much fewer and much farther between.

While I didn't do any instructional teaching I was always supportive and trying to boost them up. Telling them how they had the talent to go to states, play in college, etc. And obviously, the most important part in my mind was making sure that they kept up their academics because if they wanted to play golf someday, they would need to keep their grades up. This was about all I could do as any college interested in the kid would talk to the pro at one of the amateur tournaments the kid would enroll in.

[AttableBewNaw]

It varies. When I played in the '70s I was lucky enough to have a coach that was a certified PGA professional. Most of the coaches coached so they could play the country clubs where the matches were played. My coach kind of ruined that for them as he lobbied to get the rules changed so coaches could coach during a match, and when he was doing it, the other coaches looked like asses if they didn't. He's a very well known junior instructor to this day in Cheeseland and actually is my daughter's swing coach.

My daughter's current H.S. coach knows the game and the swing well, I think, but takes a hands off approach as far as the swing if his players have swing coaches. I have had to encourage him to coach my daughter in the short game and putting if he sees something as I'm comfortable with his knowledge. And he is an excellent coach when it comes to the approach to the game. There are a number of schools in our area that hire local pros as their coaches, so those kids are getting instruction if needed. No one around here just drops kids off. They all "Coach" to a certain extent. Some much better than others. There's one in our conference I'd like to kick in the nuts. He likes to drive around in the cart and talk on his phone during tournaments. I feel for his girls. Another in our area has a special needs kid on his team. His daughter also plays. All he does is follow his daughter, while the special needs kid struggles. I'd also like him to meet my left foot.

My daughter is lucky to be in a good program with a history of success. I was speaking with another coach in the conference the other day. His teams are generally not very good, but he's an excellent coach. He helps them with their swings, and has been known to supply clubs to girls with no experience and no equipment that show an interest in the game. His teams always improve during the season due to his dedication, and I really respect that.

So it varies.

Jman needs to coach H.S. golf. I suspect he would be awesome.

Kevin

[LxtdK9i4]

Our coach was a pretty bad golfer. Putted Sam Snead style. Never taught us anything. More of a babysitter really. Did something right though, our boys team won state 2 times while I was in HS. The JV coach could play though. Go figure.