Good student makes teaching more fun
One of the rare privileges a golf instructor receives is getting
a chance to teach a young student that really wants to learn to
play golf. Mine began when I met LaShea Dailey. At the time she was
9 and had never played golf. Her mother signed her up for a free
clinic I was putting on for young kids. At first she didn’t stand
out, but as I began to work with her I realized she really did want
to learn. She asked questions and tried hard to learn the movements
to swing a golf club the right way.
Good student makes teaching more fun
One of the rare privileges a golf instructor receives is getting a chance to teach a young student that really wants to learn to play golf. Mine began when I met LaShea Dailey. At the time she was 9 and had never played golf. Her mother signed her up for a free clinic I was putting on for young kids. At first she didn’t stand out, but as I began to work with her I realized she really did want to learn. She asked questions and tried hard to learn the movements to swing a golf club the right way.
As soon as I realized this I gave her a pitching wedge and a putter to keep. I knew they wouldn’t stay in the trunk of her mother’s car until the next lesson but that she would be swinging them at home. Later, when the Eagle Ridge Golf Course began closing its driving range on Sundays and turned it into a five-hole golf course for kids 12 and under, she set the course record for girls by shooting a 16. The record still stands.
LaShea is 14 now and I am happy to say is still my student. Like most of us she wasn’t born with a natural golf swing but she is smart and athletic. She has worked hard and I love to watch the way she swings a golf club.
She comes to see me every Sunday and I always look forward to it. We spend a lot of time laughing while working together because she knows it is still just a game. When she swings the club wrong she never gets down or mad but laughs at herself.
Her mother Caroline and her little brother Ty bring her and quietly wait for her to finish her lesson (well maybe Ty isn’t that quiet). They never pressure her to hurry; they are a big part of what makes her special.
My hope for LaShea is to get a scholarship and finish college. I know that a golf instructor can go his or her entire career without meeting someone like this; I just got lucky when I met LaShea. Play well.
Eagle Ridges’ Kids Course is open every Sunday starting at 2 p.m. It is for kids 12 and under. Please join us. Have any golf related questions? From rules to club fitting you can call me at 408-846-4531 or e-mail me at [email protected].
