Back to basics: Dorset Club Professional Keiran Poole gives me his thoughts in my own playing lesson
Golf coach Keiran Poole has claimed that England will soon have the Major winner it has been longing for.
The teaching-expert, who is Head Professional at a local club in Dorset, thinks that there are enough English players with the talent to eventually capture a title on the big stage. "I think we've got a lot of people who that are close," said Poole "It doesn't have to be someone that's consistently playing well, you just have to get the right weekend and you have to play well at the right time. "We've got enough players who are getting there or there abouts so it will just be a matter of time before we do get one. Poole added: "I think a lot of stress is put on majors at the minute but if you look at actual performance, they're in the top end of the game. |
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"Physically they are all definitely good enough because they can all win tournaments, they are just not seaming to win a major for some reason.
"Whether it's the fact that we put so much stress on winning a major and that’s how you're perceived, if you've won a major that’s when you become good. Yet being number one in the world for weeks and months on end doesn't seem to be good enough." Poole, who has over ten years of teaching experience, believes that the standard of instruction and a coach’s partnership with their golfers can be vital to achieve success at any stage of development. He added: "You should have a good relationship whether you are at the bottom level or the top." However, with membership rates at golf clubs dropping considerably in the current recession, Poole has had to turn to other ways to make a living rather than just teaching. He added: “I would definitely like to teach more, but with current financial situations it’s not always as easy. “We would have to pay extra staff to cover me whilst I’m teaching. Although if I was teaching more I would be able to earn the money to afford to pay the staff to get in there, it's a bit of a catch-twenty-two at the moment." The coach believes there are a number of factors that effect players at the top level in the biggest tournaments, one of these relates to equipment and fitting, something he also specialises in. “It makes a huge difference,” said Poole, who is a certified ambassador and custom fitter for Callaway. “Obviously it’s their craft, it’s their game, they need to know exactly where that ball is going to go. "If they’ve got ill-fitting clubs they won’t work correctly for them, they won’t fly straight, especially on your wedges and your putters "We look at things like spin rates, they need to be spinning at the correct rate to get the right distance, it’s a big factor. "Having the right weight, the right shaft-flex, will allow shot dispersion to be tighter." At grassroots level, the coach focuses on teaching juniors and lady golfers the basics, a coaching strategy that has scientifically developed in its methods since the 33-year-old trained to be a club professional. He said: "The game has moved on a lot more now than when I was younger, we used to get taught on grip, aim, set up and posture. "We now teach on ball flight, there's physical laws that cause the ball to fly and we change whatever it is we need to in the swing to effect the ball flight. This is why now everyone’s swings look different, it's not so much a textbook golf swing, and it’s about what we get the ball to do.” |
Teaching methods: A revolution of thinking
Club-pro Poole also understands the need to keep young people interested in the sport with competition from other activities.
He said: “You've just got to keep it fun, if they enjoy it they'll come back, it doesn't matter if they're good or bad. If they have fun they will learn.
"It's always a difficulty because at the start golf is always a second or a third sport for quite a lot of people."
With the game's strict traditions come many rules of etiquette, this is also something that Poole has mixed feelings about.
"It’s a barrier," said the former Bournemouth golf scholar.
"I don’t know if it would put kids off but it’s something they have to get used to."
"Traditions of the game and the etiquette are good for the juniors, it teaches them good values for life."
With regards to the strict dress codes on some courses, he added: "If they are extremely talented it would be the passion for the game that makes him want to play not what he's got to wear."
We can see that advances have been made in England to provide the most modern golf-teaching philosophies, however whether business structures can allow for success may also be something that those at the higher end of amateur levels may need to evaluate.
Either way, coaching and grass roots methods must be considered if England is to produce a major winner in the near future.
He said: “You've just got to keep it fun, if they enjoy it they'll come back, it doesn't matter if they're good or bad. If they have fun they will learn.
"It's always a difficulty because at the start golf is always a second or a third sport for quite a lot of people."
With the game's strict traditions come many rules of etiquette, this is also something that Poole has mixed feelings about.
"It’s a barrier," said the former Bournemouth golf scholar.
"I don’t know if it would put kids off but it’s something they have to get used to."
"Traditions of the game and the etiquette are good for the juniors, it teaches them good values for life."
With regards to the strict dress codes on some courses, he added: "If they are extremely talented it would be the passion for the game that makes him want to play not what he's got to wear."
We can see that advances have been made in England to provide the most modern golf-teaching philosophies, however whether business structures can allow for success may also be something that those at the higher end of amateur levels may need to evaluate.
Either way, coaching and grass roots methods must be considered if England is to produce a major winner in the near future.