13 August 2009
PGA Magazine Article: Coach Awareness as Much as Technique
Posted by Dan DeMuth under: PIM News .
The following article was featured in PGA Magazine, August 12, 2009.
Dan DeMuth on the importance of coaching awareness:
At Performance in Motion, we integrate the principles of awareness education to enable individuals to achieve extraordinary results in their games, and their business and life endeavors. I see my job as a PGA Professional as helping my clients build a strategic plan for the whole game that can tie into their business and life. We still teach technique, but much of the focus is on a philosophy of play, with the students focusing on their thoughts and actions to become more aware of themselves and what they’re doing. We always base the sessions on the client’s needs/wants and pull the answers from the students rather than simply give them advice; people usually know what’s hindering them, and we work together to understand the interference. It’s not just about teaching how to overcome the obstacles in the student’s game; we work to remove interfering perceptions, as well as old beliefs. The goal is always the big picture: to learn how to deal with letdowns, accept them as part of the game and move forward. Too often, we see our clients only focused on the ball instead of the target. We work with them to remain clear on their intentions and focused on the target.
Dan DeMuth on the business impact of coaching awareness:
Perhaps the most obvious benefit of coaching awareness is a coaching relationship can last months or years, while instructional relationships are often a short-term relationship. Furthermore, I see my students fit more golf into their schedules when they realize how the sport can have positive effects on their entire way of looking at things. Many of my clients are business professionals, and they take the skills of analyzing themselves and building solid goals to enhance their careers. Whether improving people’s golf games or focus in business and life, golf can become a great teacher.
