THREE GOLFERS, THREE GOALS — ONE RESULT
By Peter Thulson,
GolfTEC Marketing Specialist
Improvement demands commitment. Three GolfTEC clients understood this well.
Like their stories and goals, each golfer is distinctly different. What connects them to each other is a commitment to improving their golf game.
Ian Peterson
Coached by Kyaw Htet, GolfTEC Clearwater, FL
Some things are too broken to be fixed. That recliner you still have from college is one of them. Your golf game isn’t, though it may seem to be. This was the case for Ian Peterson.
Ian first stepped foot in a GolfTEC teaching bay on October 12, 2008, consistently shooting between 110-120, less than confident in his ability to achieve his goal, and with a swing that, well, needed some work. Take a look for yourself.
Ready to build a new swing, Ian purchased a 12-Month Improvement Plan, but the first month was not easy. He had failed to do two things: Fully commit to the GolfTEC improvement path, and fully believe that he would reach his goal. Commitment and belief. Both are critical to achieving a goal — both were lacking for Ian. But then something changed.
Ian grew tired, tired of hearing his wife’s skepticism towards his golf improvement (he’ll thank her later). Hey, whatever it takes right? Once Ian had heard enough, he made the decision to commit to reaching his goal.
Fast forward to April 18, 2009. After shooting a career best 94 two months earlier and making some adjustments to his driving, Ian achieved his goal. In a tournament round at The Eagles, Ian posted an 86.
The original goal: Break 90 in 12 months. In just over six months, Ian made it happen. He didn’t let it happen — he made it happen. After seeing Ian’s improved swing, you’ll know why his scores dropped.
After breaking 90, Ian set his new goal of consistently shooting in the high 70s and low 80s. Considering he just shot a career best 74 on July 11, 2009, he hasn’t wasted much time. He also mentioned the importance of being competitive with the group of friends he plays with. For Ian, good competition is fun.
That’s why Ian plays golf. It’s about competing, improving, and having fun. All different actions, but tightly connected.
Andrew Bisbee
Coached by Howie Barrow, GolfTEC Needham, MA
The stage had been set — 56 amateur qualifiers from across the country, three championship trophies on the line, one world-renowned course set up to Sunday Tour conditions: THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
Andrew Bisbee was just one of over 1,000 golfers, all competing for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play for the 2008 Nature Valley Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Andrew had earned his spot among the 56 by winning the Birdie flight of the TPC Boston qualifying tournament.
After 18 holes, and the infamous island green at the 17th, Andrew Bisbee was the champion of the Birdie flight. Shooting a gross score of 84 for a net of 74, Andrew had gotten as close to a PGA Tour experience as any amateur can get — completed by holding the trophy after the Sunday championship round.
Not too bad for a 10-handicap player from Boston.
Just eight months before winning the 2008 Nature Valley Amateur Championship , Andrew was hovering around a 15-handicap, and he felt like he was “just going through the motions.” That all changed after Andrew stepped into a GolfTEC teaching bay with his coach, Howie Barrow. “Until I saw the address position Howie put me in matched up with Stuart Applebee’s on the screen, I would have never believed it was the correct stance. I felt like I was going to fall over.” As Andrew stated, the initial changes were more than fine-tuning, but the end result was worth it.
From a 15-handicap in early 2008, Andrew saw his handicap drop to an 8.4 at the end of the 2008 season, just after winning the tournament. Taking nearly 7 strokes off his handicap and winning the 2008 Nature Valley Amateur Championship makes for an impressive 2008 golf season.
Wonder what he has in mind for 2009?
Diane Harper
Coached by Ty Walker, GolfTEC Denver, CO
Ranked as one of the top PGA instructors by Golf Digest®
Golf will test your patience. Whether you are a scratch golfer having an off day, or a recreational player consistently shooting 140, there are times when you ask yourself why you play the game of golf. The answer to that question for most golfers comes by way of that next great shot, or a career round, but for some, it seems that those great shots and career rounds never come.
Diane Harper was one of the latter. She had been shooting 140 for longer than she could remember. Local lessons at a club were simply not working, and she was ready to throw in the towel. But Diane decided to give golf one last chance.
Diane connected with Ty Walker, GolfTEC Denver Director of Instruction, and her golf game was never the same. From the very beginning, Diane displayed a high level of commitment. Starting with her setup and progressing through her entire swing, Diane and Ty steadily improved her game. After shooting a career round of 94, it was clear the steady progress had paid off — Diane had dropped more than 40 strokes.
Even more important than her career round is the fact that Diane enjoys golf, even when playing with complete strangers. As Diane said, “Now I can play golf with strangers and enjoy it. I’m not out there making a fool of myself and not knowing why. It’s made a huge difference.”
Enjoying the game of golf is why Diane continues to buy into the GolfTEC improvement path. In fact, her long term goal is to “retire on a golf course and be a golf bum.”
Sorry Diane, there’s not much we can do to make retirement come any quicker, but we’ll do everything we can to make the golf aspect a reality.
Make It Happen
So what’s your story going to be?
Whether your goal is being more competitive with your buddies, winning the Nature Valley Amateur, simply feeling comfortable playing with strangers, or (insert your goal here), it’s time to make it happen.
Editors Note: GolfTEC is currently offering savings of up to 25% on Improvement and Lesson Plans
