Tim Conaway

Please indicate past awards won/recognitions:
GRAA Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional

Other awards won:
Nominated: Golf Digest Best in State in FL, 2023

Total number of individual lessons given per year:
Male: 700
Female: 250
Junior: 150

Total number of individual clinics given per year:
Approximately 100

Please indicate any Growth of the Game initiatives your facility/academy has launched over the past year (please give specifics on such programs):
This year we partnered with Nike Golf Camps to conduct junior classes throughout the summer. We provided weekly classes for both boys and girls. They were 1/2 day classes and divided into two age group (6-11 and 12-16). These classes were conducted every week for 8 weeks throughout the summer. We are also conducting a Thanksgiving Week camp as well.

I also provide discounted adult group classes through Sarasota County’s Adult Education Program. These classes are conducted throughout the year and are 5 week classes for an hour each week. The class size is very limited and the fees are reduced so that there is a low barrier to participate and those that do get high quality personalized instruction.

Please share any programming you have made to keep your customers & students engaged:
There are two things that I feel are very important for any coach to do to keep the students engaged. The first is to treat them as an athlete, regardless of age or ability. Initially some students might not embrace that perspective but its important that they are treated as such. Amateurs don’t realize how athletic the golf swing is and in order to get more proficient at it, it need to be perceived as such. With that said training the athlete is equally as important as training the mechanics of the swing. It facilitates their growth as a player and will also spill into their every day life.

The second element that I think is critical is to have as many touchpoints with our clients as possible. Seeing the once a week or twice a month for just a lesson is nowhere near enough. To help with that I have incorporated practice sessions that are built into our membership options. Memberships consist of an equal number of private lesson hours and practice hours in the studio. By having influence on how a student practices significantly increases their development and provides improve retention. The practice sessions are unsupervised structured training sessions that consist of a combination of custom drills, intentional rehearsal swings without the ball and then attempts with the ball. As their coach as well if I am not conducting a lesson during their practice session I will pop into their bay to see how they are doing and give a quick reminder of something if necessary.