Brian Phelps is a PGA Certified Personal Coach at GOLFTEC, in West Hartford, Connecticut. He is a graduate of the Coastal Carolina University Professional Golf Management Program.

Brian Phelps on the importance of teaching your students how to effectively practice between lessons:
It has always been my opinion that students will improve faster if they practice correctly and with a purpose. Very often they’ll go to the range between lessons and hit as many balls as they can, with no plan and no consideration of what was taught in their previous lesson. So it has become a primary goal of mine to instill in them the philosophy of a post shot routine. I want them to get something out of every shot, to learn something from every swing taken, good or bad. The key to improvement is not just repetition, but correct repetition. After all, golf is a skill that is learned. No one is born with the ability to hit a golf ball well. There is definitely a process to becoming good, one that starts with instruction and continues with proper practice. The more correct practice undertaken, the better my students become, and the faster they improve. My students and I discuss this philosophy during the initial assessment and they are put on the right path with a detailed game plan for improvement. We discuss drills that help the student practice our lesson topics, allowing us to reinforce these items at our next session and move on to new ideas as well. This starts the process of acquiring their trust, and with subsequent sessions, this theory is driven home and instilled as part of the learning process. The proof is in the pudding when you see their reaction to a well struck ball. As they progress and become more comfortable, students start to believe in what I am teaching and they apply it with confidence.

Brian Phelps on the business impact of teaching your students how to effectively practice between lessons:
Teaching the right way to practice can prove highly beneficial to your teaching business. As students realize that you care about what takes place between lessons and not just the 30-or 60- minute session that you are together, a relationship is forged and trust develops. As my students and I discuss their game plan for improvement and proper practice is stressed, they continuously come to me with stories of progress and achievement. This progress is huge for my instruction business. I am now teaching 6-7 hours per day, using the best teaching software and technology around. My title at GOLFTEC is Certified Personal Coach because I care about their progress. I put them in a place to get better faster. Additional proof that this philosophy is valid is the fact that almost 40% of my students have referred friends and family to me. Finally, I estimate that 80% of my revenue is from 20% of my students. That means they come back time and again, and when the need for clubs arises, they come to me for custom fitting. There’s a value in my teaching and students see that in our interaction and in their improvement.

If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email bphelps@golftec.com