Teaching the teacher: Will it work?

“Teach-the-Teacher Clinics on the Show Floor PGA Director of Instruction Rick Martino and renowned golf instructor Butch Harmon will present new “teach-the-teacher” clinics. The seminars are designed to provide teaching professionals with the tools they need to become better teachers, build their client base and increase teaching revenue.”

The citation above is brought to you from a PGA of America press release on a new feature of the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando this January. It’s about time.

One of the great misnomers of the early days of the PGA Tour was the linking of the great tour players as representative teaching professionals of prestigious clubs. These players often did no more than show up a few days a year on the range, allowing their hired assistants to do the majority of teaching, espousing the various theories of the touring pro. The obvious return for the club was the prestige of the link to a Hogan, Snead, or Demaret. Hob-nobbing was part of the deal, and everyone was happy. Everyone, that is, except those who received lessons from some pros who knew very little about teaching.

In the grand scheme of life, the demolition of a golf swing at the hands of an uncertain or insensitive teacher is pithy. If you’re paying your hard-earned cash (and who doesn’t?) for the lesson, it takes on an investment nature. Shouldn’t all teachers, be they elementary, middle, or high school, as well as college, or club levels, be focused on conveying information in an accessible, comprehensive way?

That’s the beauty of teaching the teacher. Take these high-profile teachers and put them out there in front of their peers, to share what has been so successful for them. Here’s my suggestion: bring in some hackers, and have Martino and Harmon separately team-teach the chops with selected club pros. Let the star teacher lead the way, and let the club pro do the critiquing of the star.

In this way, the pro from tiny Euphonium CC will have the chance to compare her or his style with the limelighter, and really take something away from the event.

Only problem is, chances are excellent that the teaching of women and children (first?) will not be addressed. Ask any all-girls school teacher or any elementary or middle school teacher about the differing needs of those school pupils, and you’ll get a book in return.