By Kay McMahon, PGA/LPGA
I always thought that teaching golf the traditional way seemed too complicated — too many fragmented tips, too many things not connected. Therefore, considering my background and degree in physical education and teaching, I knew other sports were taught differently than the way we teach golf. Major motor skills are broken down into smaller skill sets. When a smaller skill is mastered, the next skill or next level is then added, combined, blended and so on.
The golf swing is simple. It might sometimes seem complex, but it is NOT complicated. It is about how to operate the club as it is designed. It is about a stick and a ball. In other words, it is about how to use the stick or the tool to get the ball moving in a desired direction with some distance.
The challenge: Be open to some new thinking. Learning is a process that leads to change. Change should be and can be embraced without fear.
Golf fundamentals are often talked about, but a lot of extra “stuff” gets thrown in around them. What I call “Golf 8.5” contains all the fundamentals, much like setting the table for dinner. All the stuff is there — plates, placemats, silverware, glasses — and assembled in the right order.
Golf 8.5 is an approach with four things to do in “setting the table” that should be done in the right order. In Golf 8.5, posture NEVER has to be taught. Posture happens automatically. Then for the in-swing, there are only 4.5 things to do, again in the right order. Building on each fundamental or step is reliant on the previous one.
Origin of Golf 8.5
The importance of the story is to understand the history or background. Over the years, many examples shaped the development of Golf 8.5. I had to ask myself questions, such as, “I know I am teaching it correctly, but why don’t people get it or why does it take them so long?” I realized it was not the student. It was me. I had to change. A couple of major events got my attention, changed my thinking and subsequently solidified my approach — all to make it simple.
The story begins with the four pre-swing fundamentals of how to set up. Not the what, but how.
I recall teaching an advanced workshop about swing principles and techniques to new student teachers. I was presenting my approach on how to teach the “setup.” I used the acronym, G-CAP, which is the order of how to get set up.
G – Grip the club first.
C – Clubhead sets on the ground.
A – Align your feet.
P – Posture happens automatically.
Traditionally, posture is taught first, but NOT with G-CAP.
The young, aspiring students were not quite buying my presentation. They argued, defending the position that posture had to be taught first. Therefore, to demonstrate a typical average golfer, I addressed the golf ball to set up by doing the “penguin walk” — showing bad posture, stiffness, head down, super straight arms, simply looking awful, etc. To “fix” or adjust me, six of them got up and each gave me two to three things to do before I could swing. Yes, 12-18 things to do.
Next, I asked each of them to set up in preparation to hit a shot, just to see how they did it. Guess what? They each, unbeknownst to them, set up doing the order in G-CAP. Each gripped the club first, stepped in setting the clubhead to the ball and target, set or aligned their feet, and that was it. Done. No posture fixes, jiggles or tweaks. Each set up as they normally would with some different styles, but using the order I had just outlined.
Light Bulb Moment
My question to them was, “If we do it that way, then why don’t we teach it the way we do it?” Their emphatic answer was “Because no one will get it. You have to teach posture first.”
That experience was the first validation. To further fortify, test and prove G-CAP, we did a field study. We took two groups of students — one using the G-CAP approach and the other using the traditional method — teaching posture first.
Hands down, the G-CAP group got it right away, literally in minutes. Their response was “It’s too simple.” The other group remained confused, seeking an “athletic” posture, asking many questions regarding ball position, how far to stand, how much knee bend and taking ever so long over the ball. The conclusion: Posture is learned during the first year of life. Posture does not have to be taught. It is reinforced though at about the age of 13 with your mother consistently telling you to “Stand up straight.” Then you meet the golf pro and posture becomes an issue again. Never mind.
To this day, by using the order of G-CAP, many find it difficult to believe that posture, ball position, how far to stand from the golf ball and alignment all happen automatically. The club by design tells you where to stand. Thus, less time fidgeting over the ball with less to think about and more happening automatically.
One more thing – G-CAP actually speeds up play.
This is only the beginning of the story of Golf 8.5, not the end. Introducing G-CAP, the first four fundamentals will hopefully pique your interest, leading to the next chapter of the 4.5 steps of the in-swing principles. Golf 8.5 makes the learning curve fast-tracked and simple. This is my story with a strong foundation and more to follow. Teaching golf is simple through our Golf 8.5 Teacher Certification.
Kay McMahon is an LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame Member, a PGA of America Golf Professional and Women in the Golf Industry President. To contact or learn more, email Kay at Kay@eduKaytiongolf.com or log on to her website at www.eduKaytiongolf.com.
