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“I had been working in the family business as a workshop manager for some time, when I realised I simply was not happy and had lost touch with the real love of my life, golf.
I don’t know how it happened, one minute I was thinking about lifting the Claret Jug, after winning the British Open and the next I am up to my eyeballs in grease, in a car repair shop.
I already knew I did not want to do a course with another association as I could not afford the change in earning, as I was working in the family business I had been well looked after.
Then someone told me about the World Golf Teaching Federation and the qualification and training I could attain. They told me they had done the course and were already successful and that everything on the course was not only unique but also based on simplicity.
I had enjoyed a long junior and amateur career as a player and had been fortunate to learn from some very good and bad coaches. I felt my technical knowledge as well grounded but my teaching and coaching skills required some work.
So I went to Pedham Place and met Peter Hudson, who has been my inspiration since. What I learnt that week convinced me I should be coaching, I even felt I had a responsibility to those having lessons, who were receiving bad service and advice.
I simply spread the word by networking and soon I had a position at Hanover Golf Club. This summer I worked on average between 60-70 hours a week, at a top rate of £40. I am spending the winter in my villa in Turkey.
If you are at all serious about learning more about how to swing better, improve golf performance and learning how to coach well, you should call and enrol now it was the best investment and decision I ever made. When you turn it into a career and spend the next 20 years coaching, then how good a decision will it be.”
“Last year I was a Senior Manager in a company where I’d worked for eleven years, BMW on the drive and a good salary going into the bank every month. Then came the news that the company was closing down, this was the third time I’d been made redundant in my working career.
I had six months to decide what to do. I knew what I wanted to do but at 42 how could I retrain and actually make a living doing what I really enjoyed.
There were two challenges to overcome if I was going to make this life changing decision happen. Firstly, where could I get a coaching qualification? I was too old to go to another association and I didn’t have the time for the three year mars bar selling programme. Secondly where could I find a niche in the market to make a living?
As you are reading this, you’ll soon know the solution to the first challenge was easy! I booked onto a WGTF course at Beadlow Manor, in October 2004.
The second took a little more thought, I needed to do something different. Then came the idea of using computer simulators to teach and so the journey began.
Off I trotted to Beadlow Manor full of confidence that I would breeze the course, after all I’d spent ten years as an amateur coach to my son and had an eye for the golf swing. Reality set in quickly, although I did have an eye for a swing.
I scraped through the live coaching tests, a good lesson learnt, over confidence can be as bad a lacking in it! Still I was now a qualified coach, had many more tools in my box and more importantly, I knew how to teach! I also took a club repair and custom club building course in 2004, my toolbox was now full.
I launched my business, ‘The Indoor Golf School’ on 1st January 2005. I’d done a 4000-leaflet drop before Christmas so I was ready to go. From March to September, I did 375 lessons … I now have regular clients, regular referrals, teach in two schools, and I’m building a reputation as a good coach and club builder. It’s very rewarding and immensely satisfying and I’ve learnt that the competitor is not strong and very few are qualified club fitters. Being able to talk technically about equipment, took my coaching skills to another level. I would recommend all aspiring coaching to do the same and learn the art of club fitting.
I now walk a few paces out the back door to go to work and if you have the drive and determination to succeed your dream can come true too!”
