Greg Guman is the Director of Golf Instruction at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Greg Guman on the importance of having golf fitness in your player development programming:
Having a great number of beginner golfers within my student base, it became clear that I needed to figure out a better way to demonstrate and ultimately teach them the relationship between the upper and lower bodies in the golf swing – often called the X-Factor. To do that, I implemented a teaching program that I offer two days per week for 60 minutes each session, allowing students to attend as often as they wish. The sessions feature eight stations that range from hitting balls on a golf simulator to special exercises such as wall squats, swinging a weighted club, one leg balance and other movements to promote that relationship. The key to the success of this program is that we’re introducing various elementary golf fitness components within a beginner player development program. Through the repetition of the various stations, we are helping participants understand the physical moves that are needed in their golf swing. The methods implemented in this program have really hit home with our participants. I’ve got students coming up to me saying “I get it! I finally get what you’re preaching!”
Greg Guman on the business impact of having golf fitness in your player development programming:
We started the program almost five years ago, and it’s become so popular that we’re often filled to capacity. We cap participation at eight people per class so we can keep to the eight-station format. Each station is two minutes long with a break built in for a rest period after the first circuit. Then we run the circuit again and will keep it going if we have time remaining. Participants pay $15 per class and do not have to prepay when signing up for their desired session. The program has had ancillary benefits elsewhere within our club, including lesson growth and increased golf shop sales. Over the years, I have seen positive changes in members’ swings, as well as in their fitness. They are grasping the X-Factor concept and are increasingly able to move the upper and lower bodies more effectively.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email greg.guman@countrycluboflandfall.com.
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