Richard Woodhouse knows the importance of getting more kids playing golf. The 2016 PGA Teaching Professional of the Year, Golf Queensland Women’s State Coach and Director of Instruction at KDV Sports’ Academy has worked both nationally and internationally and recently gave his time to work with regional kids in Mackay on their golf game.
“Golf is now accessible to everyone and these clinics are great to help encourage kids to learn more from their game. And even though there are limited coaching resources in regional regions, compared to metropolitan regions, events such as these give golf better exposure,” Richard said.
Along with isolation issues, Woodhouse sees that the lack of competitions in these areas pared with limited information on fitness and nutrition means that the kids are not receiving the best results possible for them. He hopes to change all these by supporting the Regional Development Program.
“Parents should have their children attend these types of events to gain exposure to competition. Education is so important and assists in overcoming obstacles in learning. There are also great opportunities to network, meet like-minded athletes and individuals with similar passions and goals. Similarly, the participants should expect enjoyment, fun, competition, making friends and learn structure. It’s geared to their willingness to improve and compete in future,” he said.
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But what is the most asked question this experienced coaching professional is asked? Woodhouse says it is always about what equipment they should use and how much practice should the player being doing.
“Currently I like to use a T-pro training device from Gravity Fit. Alignment sticks and string line are also essentials in a player’s golf bag. But the best part of being a coach is not the equipment. For me it’s being part of the athlete’s development, watching the player achieve their goals, no matter what level of golfer they are.”
From the event at Mackay, Woodhouse found that players are more advanced at a younger age, from being skilled-up from coaching and emerging technologies. Woodhouse used the time to focus on practice efficiency, how to design realistic practice plans, full swing understanding and learning about cause and effect of ball flight.
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“It’s a long process and success isn’t an overnight thing; It takes years of hard work and commitment to the process in order to achieve the desired outcome. Enjoy the journey!”
To find out more about the Regional Development Program, please visit the website.
Find out more about Richard Woodhouse – LinkedIn profile – https://au.linkedin.com/in/woodhouserichard