12–13 May 2009

It was a quick turn around for me from the ladies pro-am as I was only home for 6 days before heading back to Islantilla to prepare for my 2 weeks of golf schools.

In great weather my group arrived, I am always happy when the sun shines and a temperature of around +24 greeted the group so they were happy too!

The first day we started with chipping. Making sure we were in a good set up position we concentrated on making good contact and then distance control. This is something I like to do at the start of the week, as I feel the chip and run is one of the most important shots and understanding how and when this versatile shot is used can take many strokes off your score.

We then did some long game. Again looking at set up, grip, posture and balance. It is always a good place to start.

After a bit of lunch we hit the golf course. We played the blue and yellow courses that make up holes 1-9 and 10-18 as there are 3 sets of 9 holes here at Islantilla. All the group enjoyed the challenge of these courses and the on-course tuition in lovely sun shine.

Day 2 we again started with pitching, the short and long pitch shot. Again working on good contact and distance control. We then hit long shots, working on alignment and the importance of a routine which was something a lot of the group did not have. We then took that on to the golf course. It’s hard to work on a change  however small, and work on a routine too, so the group did well with all the changes.

After the day of rest where the group did some shopping, catching some sun, and of course practicing, we started with putting. Working on the grip, set up and distance control. It is so important to get these things right if you are to improve your score. We then played after a rain delay in great sunshine so although the day did not start so good it ended up great.

Day 3 we started with bunkers, it’s always good to see the group improve in this hard part of the game as a lot of people do not practice their bunker shots enough, so we had a good session on the beach. After that we worked on driving and fairway woods. Hitting fairways is a great way to start the round off, so it was good to see everyone work hard at it. We then played the blue and yellow course where Jean came out on top with 40 points and only 34 putts and Viv with 35 points and 32 putts!! Very good I feel.

As we came to the last day, we hit the practice ground with a round up clinic, and long pitching which is something a lot of people struggle with as it’s hard to get the distance right, so a good session was had.

After lunch we went to play the green and yellow course, playing a stableford and secret pairs, it was a good day, with good scoring. The secret pairs was won by Vivian and Debby with 67 points. The best score was by Jean.

A good week was had by all, so a big thank you to all the group, who each have lots of things to go home and practice on, thanks guys you were all fab!!

14-21 May 2009

As I said goodbye to my 1^st group my next came in. 9 ladies from Norway and 2 from Manchester all looking forward to the challenge of the week.

The girls from Norway still have some snow on their course up north and were looking forward to getting a head start for the start of the season at their home club, as most of them have not been on the course since September last year... just how lucky are we in the UK?????

So we started off with short game working on chip and run shots and learning how to control distance.  As the girls had not played much it was good to check all the set up points to get them all off to a flying start. We also did some long shots again working on making good contact and lining up properly. After lunch we hit the course, we played the green and yellow courses and what a challenge they were for my Norwegian group +2, but all enjoyed it very much, playing in short sleeves and shorts!!

Day 2 we started with short pitching and then some longer ones, again making them work on just how important the contact is. We then did a video session with the long game. In the clinic I talked about how important the grip was and how it controls the club face, and again the importance of lining up which is something everyone needs to keep working on. We then hit the course after lunch and played the blue and green courses in lovely sunshine. The whole group really enjoyed themselves but were also looking forward to their day off.

Day 3 started with pitching, and then we headed to the bunker!! I think most of the girls have not put in too much practice in the sand so it was a great session, working on a sound set up, and then getting out most times!! We then moved to the driving range where we worked on woods.

After lunch, we played golf. Again working on keeping the ball in play and then if in trouble, getting out the easy way. I kept on saying “safe means safe - even if it means going sideways!”

Day 4 started with putting, working on a great set up, ball position and balance. Working on a smooth stroke, and staying still.

I gave them drills to work on that will help when they get home. We then did more long game working on alignment and balance. Something I feel everyone needs to keep working on.

We then did more on course management, in great sunshine, with all the girls doing well.

As we came to our last day, the girls were a little tired, but full of hope for their coming golf season. We did a clinic about how to prepare to play and I talked then through just how I prepared for a tournament, starting with short game, then irons, woods, and ending up with putting.

Then on to the course for their final competition, again in great sunshine. Our winner on the day was Helen, a girl from the UK, with a fab 39 points, well done that girl!

The week was great with 9 girls from Norway, and 2 from the UK, so it was Norway +2 for the week.

Great fun was had and everyone made new friends, so a big thank you to them all for making my job easy, I look forward to hearing how it all goes when you get home……without snow, as those girls are from the North !!