Teaching Philosophy
At Jim Estes Golf, we believe that to play to your potential you must look at the entire game of golf.
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Most golf instruction is often focused on just the golf swing, but the game is measured on score, not the look of your swing.
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At Jim Estes Golf, we focus on 4 Key Areas to build a golf game that can be self-sufficient for our players and show long-term improvement.
The Golfing Mindset -
A golfer must be taught how to manage their thinking so they are able to manage their emotions. In golf, you will be tested mentally and physically; if emotions and negative thinking are in the picture, then the golfer will struggle to trust their talent and enjoy the so-called pressure of tournament play.
The Real Game of Golf –
Golf is a game of misses & mistakes. Nobody has perfected the game and no one ever will. The key is not to try to perfect the game but to play it! To do this you have to know that the lowest score wins. So the question is: how do you shoot lower scores? We teach our players through games-based training how to shoot lower scores and how to track their play so they can match it up to stats from the best players in the world.
Skill Development –
We focus on teaching our players only the skills they need to accomplish their current goals. There are so many parts to the game of golf that often players become overwhelmed with information and are no longer playing golf but thinking technique.
By adding the skill sets the player needs in a progression based on their ability, the learning process is made fun, fast, and lasting.
Purposeful Practice –
We believe practice does not make perfect; rather, practice makes permanent! To become a champion golfer you must practice the way champion golfers practice. We teach our players fun ways to challenge themselves that simulate tournament conditions.
Why Coaching VS Private Lessons?
The philosophy is based on the student becoming more independent after each session as they learn the 4 key areas of the game. They are learning the mindset and mental focus for golf, how to score and manage the course, how to analyze their play and create a purposeful practice routine that promotes long term development, and skill-development which focuses on the skill sets needed to accomplish their goals in golf.
In coaching, your junior is an individual in a Team environment. Each of our juniors is taught the skills and techniques based on his or her strength & mobility, their learning style, and their desired outcome. The team environment is so productive for several key reasons:
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It creates the right environment to learn the life skills and core values we teach
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It allows your juniors to build friendships in an individual sport
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It allows coaches to create competition and challenges that motivate the players
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It enables your child to take leadership or mentoring roles to develop interpersonal skills
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Its increases the hours your child can spend with their coach while not increasing the expense
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Its reduces the chances of over-teaching & technical overload as the child to applies what they are learning by experimentation, allowing them to learn and ask questions rather than just being told what do to do. Article on learning would be good to link hear
What is On-Course Coaching?
The game is played on the course so once our juniors have developed solid skill-sets, we need to get more time on the course to simulate golfing conditions (side hill lies, bunkers, hitting over water, etc). Learning in the real environment enables them to gain confidence that they then can take to their play and tournaments. On the course we set up games, matches, and benchmarks to help them understand the keys to scoring and course management. Our players fill out the Jim Estes Golf scoring system scorecards which then creates a practice plan for them based on their play, thus becoming more self-sufficient when they go off to play college golf.
What is Mentoring & Who Is It For?
Mentoring is for JEG Elite & above level players. Mentoring focuses on supporting the player and teaches them how to set goals for their game and create practice plans/tournament schedules that increase the likelihood of success. The mentoring program is every other week for 2 hours and is a minimum 6-month commitment. Every 90 days’ parents are required to come in and meet for a 1-hour consultation with the junior golfer and coach to discuss progress, plan for future, and answer questions that you as a parent may have. The goal of mentoring is to give the student the tools, education, and guidance to go to college and be able to handle the workload, life changes, and demands of a student athlete.
What is Skill Development?
When working on full swing, we believe it is important to focus on the correct outcome. Too often, that is a good-looking swing when in reality a great swing is able to put the ball where you desire it to be under pressure and in all situations. If the look of the swing was what mattered, Jim Furyk, Fred Couples, Dustin Johnson, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus would never have won a tournament. Look at this video to see exactly what I mean.
Using radar technology called TRACKMAN allows our players to compete and to track our players' shots and see the data of their misses. The data allows us to show improvement through where the ball is going, which then relates back to what their body is doing so that we can adjust their swing accordingly.
What is a college golf coach looking for?
College golf coaches are looking for well-rounded individuals with great grades, who volunteer their time, and who have hobbies other than just golf.
The golfer they are looking for is confident in his ability and willing to learn, knows how to be part of a team, controls his swing and emotions, can create his own improvement plans, is dedicated to his practice, and brings a positive attitude to the team.
In college, the coach is not there to fix your swing or tell you how to play. He or she expects you to already have that in place. The coach is there to mentor you in how to play in 4-day traveling events and manage life and school so your able to accomplish the goal of graduating.
This is why it is so vital to start with loving the game and to focus on all areas of the game so that you can accomplish your goals and dreams.