David Bach, a four-time Wisconsin PGA Section Assistant Player of the Year, is the PGA of America 1st Assistant Golf Professional at Whistling Straits in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
David Bach on the importance of committing time to practice outside of lessons:
One of the first questions I ask golfers of all skill levels before starting a lesson is “How many hours do you have per week to work on your game?” Along with this, I have my students set their own goals. A big priority is making sure that they are honest about the time they can commit to practicing outside of lessons. From here, I like to build a lesson plan on the realistic improvements we can make based on the amount of time an individual can commit outside of lessons. I believe it is important to be up front with my clients about their goals to make sure we can make the most progress going forward. While coming in for lessons will improve my student’s golfing abilities, there still needs to be a commitment to practicing the changes and new movements in their own time.
David Bach on the business impact of golfers committing time to practice outside of lessons:
As a father and the PGA of America 1st Assistant Golf Professional at Whistling Straits, I experience many busy weeks throughout the year. Many of us found our way into becoming PGA of America Golf Professionals because of our love for playing golf. Because of this, I think it is important to find the right balance of playing within your work/life schedule. I encourage all of our younger golf professionals or interns at Whistling Straits to continue with their playing aspirations and to seek out future roles that support this as well. Even with maintaining a busy lesson book or keeping up with the operational demands of my job, it is important to reserve time in my week to practice. When scheduling time to practice, I aim to maintain a consistent regimen. Some days, I may only have time to hit 100 full swing shots or roll putts for 30 minutes, but it is important to commit to a schedule. Moreover, I constantly seek out the opinions of other PGA of America Golf Professionals. I am always an information seeker because I never know what may help me going forward.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email David.bach@kohler.com.
