Todd Anderson, Grand Rapids, Mich. native and the Director of Instruction at Sea Island GC in Georgia, is the 2010 PGA of America’s Teacher of the Year. Receiving that prestigious honor next week in Orlando, Anderson will also be the headliner at the 23rd annual West Michigan Golf Show (www.westmichigangolfshow.com) on Feb. 11-13 at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. Recently, he spoke by phone with Show publicist and golf writer Terry Moore with whom he discussed his golf background and teaching insights. Here’s part two of their two-part conversation.
What can average golfers learn about course management from Tour players?
One of the amazing things about successful Tour players is how they’re able to score low often in spite of not hitting it that well. They know how to manage their emotions when not hitting it well and still get the ball into the hole. And much of this is due to a rock-solid short game. Yes, they may miss greens but they manage to get it up and down and save par time after time. They don’t make big numbers.
And the difference between top amateurs and top pros?
They both hit a similar number of quality shots but it’s the quality of their misses that is the key difference. And the other big difference is the quality of the short game. When good amateurs get to within one hundred yards of the flag, they may hit a wedge to six or eight feet whereas Tour players regularly dial it in to within three feet. And the difference between making a three-footer compared to an eight-footer is huge.
Talk about your mentors beyond the ones you listened to during the Golf Digest Schools.
I must thank Lynn Janson who gave me my first assistant’s job at Green Ridge CC in Grand Rapids in 1984. I also worked under Scott Davenport and Hank Johnson at the Golf Digest Schools. And of course, I want to thank Jack Lumpkin, the longtime head instructor at Sea Island, for being so helpful and encouraging.
What instructional books have influenced you?
I think highly of Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book. It says a lot about the game other than just swing fundamentals. I also like How to Become a Complete Golfer by Bob Toski and Jim Flick. Of course, Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons is a classic but so is the under-rated Golf Fundamentals by Seymour Dunn. Written in 1922, it offers timeless advice. And I think Bob Rotella’s Golf is Not a Game of Perfect is a terrific mental book.
Talk about parents wanting their children to be golfers.
The one thing that’s apparent today is that there is more pressure on kids playing sports and golf now than ever before. I work with a number of elite junior golfers and notice how much pressure they put on themselves in addition to that put on them by some overzealous parents. I like to see parents teach their sons and daughters the rules and etiquette and traditions of the game. Kids need to respect the rules and etiquette of the game and parents should instill and reinforce that learning.
In terms of playing, I recommend parents make sure the time with their children on the course is fun and enjoyable. Sometimes, it’s better to quit playing or practicing with them before they get too tired or frustrated. But the key early on is to make learning and playing golf a fun experience. Have a treat after a round of golf or a practice session. Parents must act like the “good coach,” making sure their kids know they love them in spite of any score or performance out on the course. You don’t want kids to confuse who they are with what they score.
When did you first meet NBC’s Matt Lauer?
I was the Director of Golf at Old Marsh Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and Matt used to play golf there with a friend of mine from The Breakers. Anyway, one day I happened to see them in the locker room and started up a conversation. Matt finally says to me, “I need to come to see you.” It was nice to hear but I didn’t think anything would come of it. But the next week, he called me and said he was coming down for two days and wanted to set up a lesson. That was in the winter of 1998 and from the very first lesson we just hit it off. We’re good friends and when we work together we always have a good time.
What kind of golfer is Matt and what do you work on with him?
He’s a good player, probably a seven/eight handicap, but he’s married now with young children and doesn’t have much time to play or to practice. When we get together, I work with Matt on his rhythm because he has a tendency to get too fast in his swing. So I try to get him to turn more and especially to rotate his body more through the shot. For players with faster tempos, I like to encourage them to get wider and with more turn in their backswings, to hit it more with their core body and not just with their hands.
Contact:
Terry Moore
All About Golf
616-490-0433
terry50moore@gmail.com
