My drive at the Links at Arizona Biltmore. The golf lessons are paying off!
I feel like there has been an explosion in the learning/teaching field. There are endless posts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok along with newsletters, blogs - the list goes on - all trying to teach you something (or maybe anything?). Although much of the information is free, it is clear that more and more "experts" are trying to monetize their content through subscriptions, paywalls or apps that require an annual fee.
In addition to all the online content available, traditional classes also seem to be in high demand. We live in Whitby where I saw a post recently regarding children's swimming lessons. The classes were full 30 seconds after online enrollment opened. It is unclear if this is because of a lack of capacity in Whitby or demand, likely a combination of both. Judging from the number of children I see at the Salem Ridge driving range in the summer, it seems like their junior golf camps are popular and full. I see posts from parents sharing ideas (and frustrations) about how to get their kids into baseball, hockey, tennis and other camps. Recently, Teresa and I enrolled in a course through the Town. We signed on as soon as registration opened and got two slots, but minutes later the class was sold out (full disclosure there were only 12 spots in the class).
This focus on "taking lessons" whether online or in person seems to be a fairly recent and growing phenomenon. Growing up, my parents did not send me to lessons or camps. I never attended a hockey camp. In fairness, they may have decided that given I was a below-average house league hockey player, a camp would not have been worth the money. Many of my friends were great hockey players but I don't remember them going to camps. All the neighbourhood kids used to high jump in my friend Paul's backyard but no one ever took lessons - we just jumped (I mostly just ran into the bar, as I was even worse at high jumping than hockey).
I was a very good junior golfer and although I played competitively in tournaments, I never went to a golf camp or took lessons from a professional. I was fortunate to take up golf when I was young. As a result, I developed both a love for the game and a skill level that I have been able to grow and maintain as I get older. My golf index is normally between 6 and 7, meaning my handicap hovers around 7. For most of the last 20 years, I have taken lessons from a golf professional, usually at the beginning of the season. It has certainly helped my game but it was only 4 or 5 lessons and didn't represent a serious effort to improve, more just maintenance and a few tips. I play in a unique golf event called the Father and Three Sons (FATS) Golf Classic - www.fatherandthreesons.ca. As the title suggests, you can only play if you have a father and three sons. Recently while updating our FATS family scrapbook, I looked at my previous rounds. In 2002, the first year our family played, I shot 76 - an excellent score for me. Last year at the 2023 event I tied for the father's low gross score with 76. The good news is my golf game has remained reasonably consistent. However, there are several areas where I feel my game is weak and beginning to impact my scores. It also seems that as I get older, these areas will probably get worse, not better. My driver was the number one concern, but hitting the ball with a consistent draw, better contact and overall distance were other areas I wanted to refine.
I concluded that a significant change was needed to get the improvement I desired. I needed professional lessons.
I decided to turn to Cam Lancaster, a golf professional, performance coach and head of Lancaster Golf Performance. He is also the son of a family that plays in our FATS event. Cam is a former college golf player and a true student of the game. Working with Cam is like having a PGA professional swing coach help my game. Cam takes his work as a coach seriously and expects you as a student to do the same. He is very clear in all his communications. You can't improve in golf if you don't work at it. My first lesson with Cam was in Burlington at an indoor range equipped with the Trackman launch monitor system. He analyzed my swing and we discussed the areas I wanted to improve. It was a great start. After that initial lesson, all our sessions have been online. This was the only practical way to proceed as I live in Whitby and Cam is in Hamilton. The process is fairly easy. I go to an indoor range that uses the Trackman system, I hit balls with various clubs for an hour, videotaping all my swings from the front and behind. Trackman records all the data which I send to Cam. He then analyzes this information using the Onform app and sends me back a video lesson. The Onform app has a "skeleton" angle tool that shows your swing in excruciating (sometimes too excruciating) detail. Cam highlights 2 or 3 things I need to work on, provides examples of what my swing should look like and drills that I can do to help reinforce the changes. If I have any questions I send them to Cam via Telegram. The advantage is I get to keep these lessons and refer back to them when I need to. I honestly think this is better than face-to-face instruction. So what about results you ask? The real test will be when I get out on the golf course, but after 3 lessons and 4 Trackman sessions I am hitting most of my shots with a draw, my driver on average is 15 yards further and my swing speed is close to 7 mph faster. Good improvement so far and certainly enough for me to recommend Cam and his lessons.
Fitness is something I have taken seriously for a long time. I started running 10 km 4-5 times weekly about 20 years ago. I participated in several 10k runs and ran 3 half marathons. Fifteen years of running ensured I had a good level of cardio health and lost 20 pounds. After reading the book Younger Next Year https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/96596 - an excellent book I highly recommend, I changed my fitness regime. The premise of the book is that after the age of 50, your body begins to slow down which leads to a deterioration of your bodily functions and health. The book recommends 90 minutes of intense exercise 6 days a week as a way to "trick" your body into thinking that you are not getting old, that you are active and alive. I took this on as a challenge. I reduced the number of times I was running because I found the pounding too hard on my knees and started cycling 90 minutes a day in the summer. In the winter, I switched to gym workouts for 90 minutes. My workouts were primarily cardio with infrequent attempts at core exercises and some limited resistance training. I have never had good upper body strength (I cannot do a chin-up) and felt my lack of resistance and weight training could become a health/physical problem as I aged.
Not having the discipline or knowledge to develop a proper resistance and weight program, I visited Lakeside Personal Training in Whitby and was impressed by the approach that the owner Paul Thorton takes to exercise. The price for personal training sessions was the same for an individual or a couple - a bonus as this meant that Teresa and I could go together. We push each other to attend all the sessions, especially when one of us doesn't feel like it and can help with form and tips (this mostly constitutes Teresa trying to help me as she has much better form than I do). In addition to the twice-a-week training sessions we also have access to the gym on non-training days. This has allowed me to work out an additional 3-4 times per week.
Our trainer Cole Jefferies has done a great job developing a program that forces us to do exercises and use muscles that I don't normally use in my other activities. Our routine includes strength and resistance training, core exercises and a focus on flexibility and posture. After 12 weeks I can feel the impact the workouts are having, especially on muscles that I don't use often. My progress has been slower compared to golf. I have not seen a big difference in muscle strength or mass, but I know I will get the results I want over time. Lakeside Personal Training in Whitby has been beneficial for us - maybe for you too.
I have periodically explored the idea of meditating. I inherently believe that meditation would be good for my physical and mental health and have read at least 6 books on the subject. I think Teresa and I even tried to enroll in a community program but it was full before we could enroll (see my points above). We did a meditation session with a Buddhist monk in Osaka, Japan, but that was a one-time (great) experience. I have tried meditating a few times but have not been able to sustain a routine. I don't know if it is my lack of discipline (I am very disciplined on several other things), lack of attention span or what, but it has not clicked for me.
Teresa and I enrolled in a Tai Chi class in January. We completed the first 12 weeks and have signed up for the spring session. Although it is probably not accurate to compare Tai Chi to meditation and likely shows my ignorance of both disciplines, I do find some similarities.
Tai chi requires an intense singular focus to perform the moves properly. Your mind needs to be clear of all distractions and there is a strong focus on breathing. Tai Chi also drives constant self-improvement. Not only are there always more moves to learn, but there are also many subtle changes to hand, foot and body positions. Although frustrating at times, (it is harder than it looks), I love the challenge. Our instructor Dave, who also runs his own school (Chathamson School of Tai Chi and Qi Gong), is extremely patient. As I said, it requires me to clear my mind and focus intently on the movements. Our son Sean wonders if we will become those old people doing Tai Chi in the park. I don't know about that but I look forward to practicing our moves at the cottage by the lake. That sounds pretty close to meditation to me.
One of the cool aspects of the three activities I have been trying to improve over the winter is that they are interrelated. I am sure that our fitness training will help my golf game. Increased strength, core strength and flexibility are all keys to a successful golf swing. Tai Chi will also help my game. First, the warm-up exercises for Tai Chi are also perfect to do before golf. But more than that, focusing, clearing of the mind, breathing, balance and discipline are all characteristics that successful golfers have. I hope my work and development in these activities individually will help me improve in all three. Hopefully, this is one of those situations where 1+1+1 = greater than 3.
What have I concluded from all of this? Getting better at anything is hard work, and takes time and commitment. There are many ways to improve whatever you want and depending on how serious you are, it will probably require some level of expert instruction. And if you do have to take a class, make sure you are ready to enroll early as it might sell out in 30 seconds.
If you have questions or comments let me know or share your own experience at thethirdperiod.ca@gmail.com
Comentários