My Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy boils down to one word which is..... COMMUNICATION

A golf teacher's job is too maximize your students potential so they can have fun and also so they can become better at the game. Therefore, the teacher must understand the student before giving any instruction...

The first step in understanding the student is to conduct a good first interview. The teacher must ask questions that help find the reason why the student is coming for lessons. The teacher must understand the students goals and aspirations when it comes to golf before starting the lesson. The teacher must then begin to figure out what kind of learner the student is. Asking questions such as: What do you feel when you are hitting a golf shot will help the teacher figure out of the student is a kinesthetic learner.

Once the student begins to hit balls, the teacher should first focus on posture, grip and alignment. I believe that the these three things affect all aspects of the golf swing so for example a poor grip will result in a negative swing compensation. Once these three things are taken care of, the student is set up for success.

In a given lesson, I only like to give 2-3 swing corrections at one time. I do not want to overwhelm the student with multiple swing thoughts and I do not want to confuse the student. Therefore, the teacher should stick to a couple of things at a time and instruct the student in a simple but effective way that does not confuse the student.

Just like the beginning interview, the conclusion of the lesson is extremely important. The teacher should wrap everything up and tell the student what he/she needs to work on before the next lesson. It is important for the teacher to be specific rather than vague in what he/she wants the student to work on for the next lesson. The student should feel excited to continue to work with the teacher so the teacher should try to schedule a follow up lesson in the near future.

David

My Introduction

My name is David Ricke and I am a PGM student at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Over my short career I feel that I have gain experience in many aspects of the golf industry. I have worked in the golf shop, cart barn, junior golf camp and junior golf tour in three different states. I also am confident interacting with other people and feel that I am easy to work with.

I love being around the game of golf!!! That is why I have decided to surround myself with the game for my career. I am interested in pretty much all aspects of the golf industry. I would say that the areas that most interest me are tournament operations and junior golf instruction. I also love playing the game of golf and like everyone else is trying to improve constantly and be as good as I can possibly be.

I look forward to writing about myself on this blog and hope that you enjoy my experiences!!!

David