Monday, 28 December 2009
On the move
I've moved blogs... you can find all my new blogs at: http://katchaszczewskipga.wordpress.com
Friday, 18 December 2009
Merry Christmas everyone!
Not long got back from my 2nd year PGA week long residential at The Belfry. We were the first group and I have to say that I am sooo thankful to have it out the way now. Completed my first two assignments last week and have another two to go. Had my Equipment Technology exam today and got all 3 jobs done. Was pretty happy with the way it all went and am feeling confident that I've done enough to at least pass, hopefully maybe more!?
It's been a pretty hectic few months, hence the lack of blogging. Assignments and forward ordering for Spring/Summer next year mostly. Christmas is only a week away and have a few pressies to get but feeling quite organised now. It will be full steam ahead come January with assignments and my fitness programme. Also going to plan in some practice sessions, rather than just playing for the sake of playing the minimum required rounds. It would be great to feel that I can actually compete this year!
Everyone else has had a lot to say about Tiger, so I shall refrain apart from saying that it is such a shame for someone who is held in such high esteem by so many golfers, juniors especially, to have behaved the way he has. He MUST have known that he'd get caught out at some point! I really feel for Elin and her family, and of course, the children. Hopefully things will quieten down and they will all have a chance to reflect and make some decisions for their future.
So, here's wishing you all a very safe, happy and harmonious Christmas.
Thanks for reading and I will be back in the New Year, charting the progress of my journey through the PGA course and, my journey as a Coach.
Until then, ciao for now.
It's been a pretty hectic few months, hence the lack of blogging. Assignments and forward ordering for Spring/Summer next year mostly. Christmas is only a week away and have a few pressies to get but feeling quite organised now. It will be full steam ahead come January with assignments and my fitness programme. Also going to plan in some practice sessions, rather than just playing for the sake of playing the minimum required rounds. It would be great to feel that I can actually compete this year!
Everyone else has had a lot to say about Tiger, so I shall refrain apart from saying that it is such a shame for someone who is held in such high esteem by so many golfers, juniors especially, to have behaved the way he has. He MUST have known that he'd get caught out at some point! I really feel for Elin and her family, and of course, the children. Hopefully things will quieten down and they will all have a chance to reflect and make some decisions for their future.
So, here's wishing you all a very safe, happy and harmonious Christmas.
Thanks for reading and I will be back in the New Year, charting the progress of my journey through the PGA course and, my journey as a Coach.
Until then, ciao for now.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Lasting Relationships
I know, I know...it's been a while. To be honest I haven't done that much teaching over the past month, for one reason or another - either I've been committed to personal things or the weather's been poor, like today for instance. I worked 7am-12.15pm in the shop this morning and it's pretty grey and miserable out there having rained quite heavily overnight and again this morning. I was supposed to be teaching this afternoon, unfortunately, my lessons have called to cancel due to weather conditions. Not that I blame them, but I'm left now with 3 hours before a session this afternoon that I must honour.
We have offered some FREE coaching sessions and today is one of the sessions that I am running. Just a taster session to give people the opportunity to give it a go. Very exciting for me as a Coach to have people attending because they are interested in learning to play golf.
So....I thought I would post an entry.
Don't know if you are on Twitter - the crazy 140 character phenomenon that seems to be growing daily. Well, I'm on it. It's fascinating - a bit like facebook - people post an update on what they are doing or information they want to share but only have 140 characters to do it. Makes people get to the point, that's for sure. I read somewhere that actually about 90% of users on Twitter provide information about other things and the remainder post information about themselves. If something happens in the world, it is far more likely that you will read about it on Twitter before you hear about it on the news. How crazy is that?
Anyway, I joined it for two reasons: firstly, because I was curious to see what all the fuss was about, and secondly, because I am fascinated by the sharing of information. Since joining, I now follow approximately 190 people and have 70 people following me. The majority of both are linked to golf and the access to well renowned and experienced golf coaches is amazing. I asked Dave Pelz (short game guru) in the US a question and he messaged me back! Simply incredible!
One of the guys I am following is in Marketing and specifically works with Golf Coaches helping them to build a brand. He asked me a really interesting question off the back of a comment I made to an earlier question he asked someone else.
It's so simple and so important, yet not one I had asked myself:
"What are you doing to build lasting relationships?"
The question relates to my clients, or the pupils I coach. Having thought about it for a while, I believe it is a number of things: It is about enthusiasm which is infectious. If you, as a Coach, love your job, and treat everyone individually, and are enthusiastic in the way you deliver what you want to communicate, then chances are, your pupil will want more. It's about making your pupil feel safe - allowing them to make mistakes and know that it's not only okay, but that this is the best way to learn. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we simply cannot progress very far without some kind of struggle.
It's also about empowerment: helping them to understand how to explore and having fun while you are doing it. For me, I think this is the most important element for the pupil - that they go away feeling that they have a better understanding of their own game and can use that knowledge to improve and better themselves.
My own journey continues and the more information I gain, the more empowered I feel about making decisions about my future. This is what I want to give my pupils!
Hope that's given you some food for thought?
Thanks for reading.
Ciao for now.
We have offered some FREE coaching sessions and today is one of the sessions that I am running. Just a taster session to give people the opportunity to give it a go. Very exciting for me as a Coach to have people attending because they are interested in learning to play golf.
So....I thought I would post an entry.
Don't know if you are on Twitter - the crazy 140 character phenomenon that seems to be growing daily. Well, I'm on it. It's fascinating - a bit like facebook - people post an update on what they are doing or information they want to share but only have 140 characters to do it. Makes people get to the point, that's for sure. I read somewhere that actually about 90% of users on Twitter provide information about other things and the remainder post information about themselves. If something happens in the world, it is far more likely that you will read about it on Twitter before you hear about it on the news. How crazy is that?
Anyway, I joined it for two reasons: firstly, because I was curious to see what all the fuss was about, and secondly, because I am fascinated by the sharing of information. Since joining, I now follow approximately 190 people and have 70 people following me. The majority of both are linked to golf and the access to well renowned and experienced golf coaches is amazing. I asked Dave Pelz (short game guru) in the US a question and he messaged me back! Simply incredible!
One of the guys I am following is in Marketing and specifically works with Golf Coaches helping them to build a brand. He asked me a really interesting question off the back of a comment I made to an earlier question he asked someone else.
It's so simple and so important, yet not one I had asked myself:
"What are you doing to build lasting relationships?"
The question relates to my clients, or the pupils I coach. Having thought about it for a while, I believe it is a number of things: It is about enthusiasm which is infectious. If you, as a Coach, love your job, and treat everyone individually, and are enthusiastic in the way you deliver what you want to communicate, then chances are, your pupil will want more. It's about making your pupil feel safe - allowing them to make mistakes and know that it's not only okay, but that this is the best way to learn. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we simply cannot progress very far without some kind of struggle.
It's also about empowerment: helping them to understand how to explore and having fun while you are doing it. For me, I think this is the most important element for the pupil - that they go away feeling that they have a better understanding of their own game and can use that knowledge to improve and better themselves.
My own journey continues and the more information I gain, the more empowered I feel about making decisions about my future. This is what I want to give my pupils!
Hope that's given you some food for thought?
Thanks for reading.
Ciao for now.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Self Discovery
Wow - have been on a 3 day seminar with Mike Hebron and Susan Berdoy Meyers at the London Golf Club. Mike is a revered and respected golf coach, and Susan is rated as a top 50 coach in America. Actually I've still got one day left of the seminar but already feel like I've gained so much.
As someone relatively new to golf, it's been a very liberating and exciting experience. Liberating because coaching does not need to be complicated or technical - it's about communication and delivery, building rapport and relationships. Exciting because I'm on a journey of self discovery.
As a player, after listening to their philosophies and findings, through sharing their experiences, I feel a huge weight has been lifted. I played on Monday at Little Aston in a WPGA event and felt such discomfort throughout the whole round. After pretty much every shot, I was analysing and fixing - this led to frustration, tension, anxiety and doubt. I was trying so hard to fix: where my hands were; where my hips were through impact; where my weight was; what my posture looked like - so many things and all related to the body and not the tool!
The focus in their teaching is very much on the tool, i.e. the club. When we want to play tennis, we learn to use the racket; when we ski, we learn to use the skis. Mistakes are inevitable, but generally we do not see them as failure - we may miss the ball (tennis), or fall over (skiing), but we make adjustments as we go based on the experiences we have. We do this naturally, as human beings. We learn from doing and experiencing.
When we are babies, we learn to walk through falling over. If we fall over, are we failing? No. Are we struggling? Yes, of course we are, but is it not the struggle that helps us learn - through self discovery. As adults however, we react differently to the struggles we have. We are driven by success and told that our goal is to succeed, so much so, that we become afraid of getting it wrong, or put another way, we see it as failure, rather than exploration.
I went to the driving range tonight and all the baggage I was carrying with me on Monday dissipated and I felt so free just to swing the club and see what happened. There was no pressure to 'get it right' and I hit so many great shots with no real effort and came away with a real sense of freedom and achievement, even though I did make mistakes. It was liberating in so many ways and I hope that I can empower my students in the same way I feel empowered about my own game right now!
The amazing thing I am learning is that the lesson is not just applicable to golf, but to life in general. Let's not worry about making mistakes. Has Richard Branson ever made a mistake? Of course he has, but that has not detracted from his success; his mistakes have helped him discover the best way to do the things he does best. What is it you do best? What is it you are afraid of? What is it you want to succeed at? What's stopping you? Do not let your 'fear of failure' stop you....IT IS NOT FAILURE....ONLY MISTAKES....AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN! Start your journey of self discovery now.
As someone relatively new to golf, it's been a very liberating and exciting experience. Liberating because coaching does not need to be complicated or technical - it's about communication and delivery, building rapport and relationships. Exciting because I'm on a journey of self discovery.
As a player, after listening to their philosophies and findings, through sharing their experiences, I feel a huge weight has been lifted. I played on Monday at Little Aston in a WPGA event and felt such discomfort throughout the whole round. After pretty much every shot, I was analysing and fixing - this led to frustration, tension, anxiety and doubt. I was trying so hard to fix: where my hands were; where my hips were through impact; where my weight was; what my posture looked like - so many things and all related to the body and not the tool!
The focus in their teaching is very much on the tool, i.e. the club. When we want to play tennis, we learn to use the racket; when we ski, we learn to use the skis. Mistakes are inevitable, but generally we do not see them as failure - we may miss the ball (tennis), or fall over (skiing), but we make adjustments as we go based on the experiences we have. We do this naturally, as human beings. We learn from doing and experiencing.
When we are babies, we learn to walk through falling over. If we fall over, are we failing? No. Are we struggling? Yes, of course we are, but is it not the struggle that helps us learn - through self discovery. As adults however, we react differently to the struggles we have. We are driven by success and told that our goal is to succeed, so much so, that we become afraid of getting it wrong, or put another way, we see it as failure, rather than exploration.
I went to the driving range tonight and all the baggage I was carrying with me on Monday dissipated and I felt so free just to swing the club and see what happened. There was no pressure to 'get it right' and I hit so many great shots with no real effort and came away with a real sense of freedom and achievement, even though I did make mistakes. It was liberating in so many ways and I hope that I can empower my students in the same way I feel empowered about my own game right now!
The amazing thing I am learning is that the lesson is not just applicable to golf, but to life in general. Let's not worry about making mistakes. Has Richard Branson ever made a mistake? Of course he has, but that has not detracted from his success; his mistakes have helped him discover the best way to do the things he does best. What is it you do best? What is it you are afraid of? What is it you want to succeed at? What's stopping you? Do not let your 'fear of failure' stop you....IT IS NOT FAILURE....ONLY MISTAKES....AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN! Start your journey of self discovery now.
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
In Recovery...
Wow - what a week! Been in bed for most of it - feel like I've been knocked sideways by a bus! Hopefully I'm through the worst of it now though and should get some medicine from the Doc in next day or two to totally knock it on the head. Suffice to say I've added the following items to my diet this week - lucozade (original), pepto bismol, immodium, chicken noodle soup and dioralyte: seems I have some kind of stomach bug. Just focusing on building some energy and getting myself back to fighting fit again!! (Sorry if that was too much info!!).
I did not feel great Tuesday/Wednesday but had already booked golf for Thursday and whilst I didnt feel totally great whilst there, I did still manage to enjoy the fantastic Hindhead Golf Course, in spite of the 2 club wind and odd shower. It's Surrey's highest golf course, sitting at nearly 650 feet above sea level. Steeped in history - founded in 1904 by a group of enthusiasts, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I was in good company with many past Open Champions having walked the fairways, including Harry Vardon, James Braid and Ted Ray.
I was struggling to eat anything and my energy sapped quickly, and let's just say it was a game of two halves for me. Standing at one over par after the front 9, it all quickly fell away from me, with a few doubles swiftly followed by 3 bogeys. I went with Lora Fairclough and we had a little matchplay. Lora plays full time on the Ladies European Tour...so she's a pretty good golfer...and I managed to hold my own, until the back 9 that is. I have to say that had I been in full health, I might just have worried her a bit!!
It was evident that the greens have recently been hollow tined however were still in pretty good condition. I would certainly recommend a visit. They're undergoing some renovations and the clubhouse and facilities were fantastic - whilst not completely finished, the majority appears to have been completed. It might be a bit pricey for a green fee (£60), but I must say that it's one of those courses, that deserves at least one visit - and if nothing else, just to pay a visit to their awesome halfway hut! I am a bit partial to this type of Surrey heathland course though!! If you manage to get a game there, let me know what you think: http://www.the-hindhead-golf-club.co.uk/
Thankfully I've not had too much on this week - thanks to Christine, Tim and Dave for covering me whilst I've been off and I should be back to full health very soon!!
Thanks for reading.
Ciao for now.
I did not feel great Tuesday/Wednesday but had already booked golf for Thursday and whilst I didnt feel totally great whilst there, I did still manage to enjoy the fantastic Hindhead Golf Course, in spite of the 2 club wind and odd shower. It's Surrey's highest golf course, sitting at nearly 650 feet above sea level. Steeped in history - founded in 1904 by a group of enthusiasts, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I was in good company with many past Open Champions having walked the fairways, including Harry Vardon, James Braid and Ted Ray.
I was struggling to eat anything and my energy sapped quickly, and let's just say it was a game of two halves for me. Standing at one over par after the front 9, it all quickly fell away from me, with a few doubles swiftly followed by 3 bogeys. I went with Lora Fairclough and we had a little matchplay. Lora plays full time on the Ladies European Tour...so she's a pretty good golfer...and I managed to hold my own, until the back 9 that is. I have to say that had I been in full health, I might just have worried her a bit!!
It was evident that the greens have recently been hollow tined however were still in pretty good condition. I would certainly recommend a visit. They're undergoing some renovations and the clubhouse and facilities were fantastic - whilst not completely finished, the majority appears to have been completed. It might be a bit pricey for a green fee (£60), but I must say that it's one of those courses, that deserves at least one visit - and if nothing else, just to pay a visit to their awesome halfway hut! I am a bit partial to this type of Surrey heathland course though!! If you manage to get a game there, let me know what you think: http://www.the-hindhead-golf-club.co.uk/
Thankfully I've not had too much on this week - thanks to Christine, Tim and Dave for covering me whilst I've been off and I should be back to full health very soon!!
Thanks for reading.
Ciao for now.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Perfect....just perfect
Well yesterday evening was better than I imagined. Such a still and warm evening...Pimms and dinner on the patio - we were out there til about 9pm. Felt like we were on the French Riviera.
So September is here now and what a blustery day for coaching. First up was the Lady Captain - we've had several sessions over the past few months and the amount of time Carol spends practising and working on her game is evident for all to see. She has spent a lot of time practising without a ball so she can focus on her swing, without getting distracted by the ball and I have to say that it's worked really well for Carol. She's gained 20-30 yards with her longer clubs, and more importantly, gained confidence in the irons she has struggled with for a while. We worked on trying to keep things more compact - by that I mean, the arms and top part of the body working together. There's a slight tendency for the arms to work on their own which makes the shot much weaker.
My second client was a total beginner who was given some lessons for her birthday. She's been to the driving range with her husband a couple of times and expressed an interest in learning. We started with putting - the smallest stroke and generally the easiest to start with and worked up to a chipping stroke. She felt a real sense of achievement with the putting drills we worked on and covered all the basic elements including aim and alignment so that she can go away and practise.
My last client of the day has recently completed a series of sessions with me and was bought a 9 hole playing lesson for an Anniversary present. It was exceptionally windy and the temptation from most people is to try and hit the ball harder to get through the wind - this tends to add more spin to the ball, which is exaggerated by the wind, so my recommendation would be to have a slightly wider stance (adding stability), softer hands and swing easy - the ball will generally fly straighter. The main thing he needs to focus on is aim and alignment, especially with putting - 'D' has a great feel for distance, however not spending the time to get the aim correct can only result in missed putts.
Vijay Singh is reknowned for the amount of time he spends practising - he not only practises his swing but he also practises his aim and alignment. This is such an important part of your game and causes so much frustration - when you hit a great shot but miss your target purely because your aim is poor.
I'm covering the shop in the morning and have another afternoon of coaching - hoping the weather's going to hold out.
Thanks for reading - hope you enjoy and please feel free to leave comments.
Ciao for now.
So September is here now and what a blustery day for coaching. First up was the Lady Captain - we've had several sessions over the past few months and the amount of time Carol spends practising and working on her game is evident for all to see. She has spent a lot of time practising without a ball so she can focus on her swing, without getting distracted by the ball and I have to say that it's worked really well for Carol. She's gained 20-30 yards with her longer clubs, and more importantly, gained confidence in the irons she has struggled with for a while. We worked on trying to keep things more compact - by that I mean, the arms and top part of the body working together. There's a slight tendency for the arms to work on their own which makes the shot much weaker.
My second client was a total beginner who was given some lessons for her birthday. She's been to the driving range with her husband a couple of times and expressed an interest in learning. We started with putting - the smallest stroke and generally the easiest to start with and worked up to a chipping stroke. She felt a real sense of achievement with the putting drills we worked on and covered all the basic elements including aim and alignment so that she can go away and practise.
My last client of the day has recently completed a series of sessions with me and was bought a 9 hole playing lesson for an Anniversary present. It was exceptionally windy and the temptation from most people is to try and hit the ball harder to get through the wind - this tends to add more spin to the ball, which is exaggerated by the wind, so my recommendation would be to have a slightly wider stance (adding stability), softer hands and swing easy - the ball will generally fly straighter. The main thing he needs to focus on is aim and alignment, especially with putting - 'D' has a great feel for distance, however not spending the time to get the aim correct can only result in missed putts.
Vijay Singh is reknowned for the amount of time he spends practising - he not only practises his swing but he also practises his aim and alignment. This is such an important part of your game and causes so much frustration - when you hit a great shot but miss your target purely because your aim is poor.
I'm covering the shop in the morning and have another afternoon of coaching - hoping the weather's going to hold out.
Thanks for reading - hope you enjoy and please feel free to leave comments.
Ciao for now.
Monday, 31 August 2009
Hot Sunny Bank Holiday Afternoon
Well it's a fantastically gorgeous day and sadly I've got to stocktake - last day of the month, every month. Don't get me wrong, I love my job - not only do I teach, but I run the Pro Shop at Mid Sussex Golf Club too, it just seems such a shame to be stuck inside on such a stunning afternoon, especially as summer is sadly drawing to a close.
I've managed to get through the stocktake at a fairly rapid rate, however have to wait for cashing up to take place - thankfully it's not too busy, so hoping we can get that done in the next 20 minutes or so.
My other half has gone and got some Pimms - so hoping that I'll get to see some of the sunshine - sit on the patio sipping Pimms - aaahhh that's the life!
Well this is just a short sweet entry - things to do, places to be, people to see - you know how it is.
Coaching tomorrow and hoping that the weather is just like today!? Fingers crossed.
Ciao for now.
I've managed to get through the stocktake at a fairly rapid rate, however have to wait for cashing up to take place - thankfully it's not too busy, so hoping we can get that done in the next 20 minutes or so.
My other half has gone and got some Pimms - so hoping that I'll get to see some of the sunshine - sit on the patio sipping Pimms - aaahhh that's the life!
Well this is just a short sweet entry - things to do, places to be, people to see - you know how it is.
Coaching tomorrow and hoping that the weather is just like today!? Fingers crossed.
Ciao for now.
Saturday, 29 August 2009
New Beginnings
Wow - my very first blog. I used to write a lot when I was younger - letter after letter, diary entries - couldnt get enough, but with age comes more responsibility, and time is precious - seems I have very little time these days to do just the simple things. Things I used to take real pleasure in...reading, writing, walking, daydreaming....
Well now I can indulge myself a little with a blog. Everyone seems to be doing it these days. I've thought about it, but thinking about it doesnt get the job done...so here I am.
No early start for me, so I can blog away to my hearts' content.
Had a great day coaching (golf) today. Started with 2 groups of kids. First group - 6 juniors 10-12 years - all really well behaved. Got them chipping, pitching, bunker shots, then we played a few holes on a short par 3 course we have. Sun was shining and they seemed to be enjoying themselves - it's great seeing how far they've progressed. Second group 13 juniors 5-8 years. It's much harder keeping their attention and focus. An hour is a long time when you're only 5!! Again, they did great.
I had a beginner who was on her 2nd session with me. We had our first lesson about a month ago where we looked at putting and then chipping. Today we introduced the bunker (and effectively, the full swing), and then looked at pitching, before playing a couple of holes on the par 3. She was totally impressed that she was playing golf. This is what it's all about. Love it!
Last session of the day was 4 ladies who are all beginners - they've been coming to me for a series of lessons covering all parts of the game, and today was the last in the series. 2 hours on course. Played a texas scramble - get to play more holes that way. Stopped and explained rules, etiquette, where you should be standing, but most of all, just out enjoying the golf course and helping them put it all together. The 2 hours flew by - what a job!!!
One of my very first pupils, Jelina, who has just turned 12, has been playing great all year - already winning the Ladies Spring Meeting and her handicap has been tumbling down. I hear that she played in a county girls event yesterday and won by 9 stableford points - get this, she had 48 points and her handicap got cut 5 shots!! WOW! Go girl. Not only that, but today was our Junior Club Championship - she won the girls competition and shot 1 under her brand new heavily cut handicap. LEGEND. Her brother won the Championships on the 3rd sudden death playoff hole.
Lovin it - makes you feel so good when the people you are helping, do well. Gonna sleep well tonight. So that's it for tonight....not sure if anyone will read this, but if you have, thanks and hope you enjoy my entries!
Ciao for now.
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