Jamal Gibson, a two-time GFAA Recognition Award winner, is a PGA of America Associate Professional Performance Specialist and Golf Coach at Georgia Golf Performance in Canton, Georgia, and a Golf-Specific Trainer at Dunwoody Country Club in Atlanta, Georgia.
Jamal Gibson on the importance of using your education and expertise to stand out in the industry:
I graduated from the University of Florida, where I majored in Exercise Sport Science with a concentration on Fitness and Wellness, and have worked in the fitness industry for more than 25 years. While interning with the Orlando Magic during my college years, I also did some clinical work to broaden my knowledge across multiple facets of our industry and acquired dozens of certifications. My goal was to learn something every day, and I accomplish that to this day. My career has allowed me to train and impact the lives of a broad range of people — from paraplegics to high-performance and professional athletes. My elite specialty is club sports, particularly golf and tennis. However, golf is where my real passion lies. I actually didn’t start playing the game until I was almost 25 years old, but got hooked instantly! My golf-specific career journey started a year or two later when I completed my TPI Level 1 certification. That achievement led to roles at Maine Golf & Tennis Academy, Isleworth Country Club and the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy. I have also worked with dozens of PGA, LPGA and mini tour golfers over the years. In addition to personal training expertise, I also bring a knowledge of recovery, injury prevention, corrective exercise and nutrition to my clients, and have performance enhancement and behavior change specializations through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Now with two TPI certifications (and currently working towards a third), my country club clientele is diverse in age and in skill level. With golfers who are in their 70s and 80s, as well as juniors who are looking to play at a high level, I am utilizing my wide breadth of knowledge to help these individuals play more, play better and play pain free. At Georgia Golf Performance in Canton, Georgia, my players range from five years old to the collegiate level. Managing the adult beginner program at GGP means my clientele runs the gamut of golfer — quite literally from 5-85 years of age.
Jamal Gibson on the business impact of using your education and expertise to stand out in the industry:
My initial fitness training experience has carried over to golf in how I motivate and influence my clients’ health and wellness habits and injury prevention awareness. Working with several other excellent trainers at my facilities, I strive to find ways to stand out among my colleagues. In my opinion, a great golf swing should end up feeling nearly effortless. Much attention with beginners and juniors is placed on feel and drills that help them get started on the right path. Even more advanced swings that are athletic and powerful should not be detrimental to your joints and ligaments over time. It’s vital to physically train for stability, mobility, strength, balance, speed and coordination to maximize your golf skills and get more out of your game. I tell my students that when you put in the work, you’ll create advantages that allow your best golf to just click. I love being able to find my clients’ limits and then convert them into leverage. Now a PGA of America Associate Professional seeking membership, I am asked “why golf fitness?” Why this side of player development? I believe the average person can’t feel a few degrees of movement, translation or depth. Plus, most swing restrictions are physical or cognitive. A golf fitness specialist can help create abilities and discern if it’s mind, movement or mechanics. At some points, they may look the same but can still be worlds apart. Beating balls without intention or a goal doesn’t create a controllable skill. A well-designed golf program is constructed to amplify one’s abilities in golf each and every workout. And today, we have the science and technology to support it.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email jamal.gibson@georgiagolfperformance.com.
