Winter Golf Training with Andrew Rice

College Golf Camps contributor, Andrew Rice from andrewricegolf.com has developed a Winter Golf Training program for golfers.

I am very excited to share the Off-Season Project with you! With the help of my good friend and golf fitness expert Derek Lemire we have created a fantastic challenge for you this off-season. Are you prepared to dedicate 24 hours over the next twelve weeks to better golf?

Derek and I have built a program for you that will improve your technique, increase your club speed and better your body and all we ask for 2 hours per week. Take a look…

Andrew Rice is the Director of Instruction at Berkeley Hall in Bluffton, SC. where he helps his students to better understand and control the factors that influence the flight of their golf ball. He has been teaching golf for almost 25 years and uses cutting edge teaching technology to help golfers of all abilities improve. He is one of five faculty members at Revolution Golf, and is also a TrackMan Partner and SwingCatalyst Ambassador.

Derek Lemire is the Fitness Manager at Berkeley Hall in Bluffton, SC. Derek trains golfers of every ability to improve their well-being, increase performance levels, and prevent injury. He has trained golfers on the PGA, LPGA, and Champions Tours. Derek holds certifications with NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) and is a TPI Certified Instructor. He has been published on numerous occasions in journals which include The Journal of Strength and Conditioning and The Journal of Exercise Physiology.

Winter Golf Training with Andrew Rice

College Golf Camps contributor, Andrew Rice from andrewricegolf.com has developed a Winter Golf Training program for golfers.

I am very excited to share the Off-Season Project with you! With the help of my good friend and golf fitness expert Derek Lemire we have created a fantastic challenge for you this off-season. Are you prepared to dedicate 24 hours over the next twelve weeks to better golf?

Derek and I have built a program for you that will improve your technique, increase your club speed and better your body and all we ask for 2 hours per week. Take a look…

Andrew Rice is the Director of Instruction at Berkeley Hall in Bluffton, SC. where he helps his students to better understand and control the factors that influence the flight of their golf ball. He has been teaching golf for almost 25 years and uses cutting edge teaching technology to help golfers of all abilities improve. He is one of five faculty members at Revolution Golf, and is also a TrackMan Partner and SwingCatalyst Ambassador.

Derek Lemire is the Fitness Manager at Berkeley Hall in Bluffton, SC. Derek trains golfers of every ability to improve their well-being, increase performance levels, and prevent injury. He has trained golfers on the PGA, LPGA, and Champions Tours. Derek holds certifications with NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) and is a TPI Certified Instructor. He has been published on numerous occasions in journals which include The Journal of Strength and Conditioning and The Journal of Exercise Physiology.

Interesting blog post from Brandi Jackson who started coaching and consulting with junior golf families in 2011, Brandi has coached and consulted over 50 competitive junior golfers on an individual basis, along with running camps and clinics to introduce the game of golf to over 100 kids. She does not teach swing mechanics; instead she focuses her coaching on short game creativity, practice drills, on-course management, mental toughness, work ethic and player development.

Enjoy the read from Brandi!

After giving up my professional golf career in 2010, I started working with junior golf families throughout the college recruiting process. I was speaking at high schools and tournaments all across the country about the realities of college recruiting and how to navigate the process. This was the first time I had become aware of how much the process had changed since I had gone through it as a junior golfer. One of the biggest eye openers for me was how early the process starts (and ends) and how unaware some families were about what it takes to play at the college level.

I am a huge believer in keeping the game fun and not putting too much pressure on a young player.

Nowadays there seems to be a lot more responsibility put on kids and more specialization of sports at a young age. I couldn’t imagine not having
the experiences I had as a 3 sport athlete. Unfortunately those are rare these days. But after working in the college recruiting business for
almost 5 years now, I see why things have shifted in the direction they have. One of the least favorite and heartbreaking parts of my job is having to tell a young player that playing golf at their dream school just isn’t an option. Either they waited too late to decide they want to play college golf, their game just didn’t develop in enough time or they weren’t aware of the level of competitive golf that they needed in order to be recruited by that particular school. Many different scenarios have led to me having to be the bearer of bad news, even to young 8th and 9th graders.

Because of this I am a big advocate for understanding the realities of playing college golf at a younger age and being more aware of the recruiting process timeline. It’s hard to believe that a 14 or 15 year old player can actually be far enough behind in the process to have already eliminated a handful of top golf programs from being realistic schools. This in no way means they can’t improve and still play at a great university on a competitive golf team, but the top 20-30 D1 golf programs are identifying potential recruits as early as 8th and 9th grade, and in many cases have finished their recruiting before a player even finishes their sophomore year of high school. Crazy, I know! But unfortunately that is the reality of the recruiting process in the modern world.

So with all that said, my goal is to provide the information and understanding to girls of ages and skill levels, so they better understand what they need to do in order to reach their goals. The purpose is not to put more pressure on the girls, but instead help them better mature and develop skills necessary to not only play golf at a higher level, but also excel in life. So, to answer the question, “is to too early to think about college golf”? If you have a young girl who has shown genuine interest in the game of golf and they talk about wanting to play competitively then it’s not to early to make sure you have an understanding of what needs to be done in order to help them reach their goals. The last thing anybody wants is to look back and wish you would have known more and done more.

You can reach Brandi Jackson at www.brandijacksongolf.com

Twitter @BJacksonGolf

Interesting blog post from Brandi Jackson who started coaching and consulting with junior golf families in 2011, Brandi has coached and consulted over 50 competitive junior golfers on an individual basis, along with running camps and clinics to introduce the game of golf to over 100 kids. She does not teach swing mechanics; instead she focuses her coaching on short game creativity, practice drills, on-course management, mental toughness, work ethic and player development.

Enjoy the read from Brandi!

After giving up my professional golf career in 2010, I started working with junior golf families throughout the college recruiting process. I was speaking at high schools and tournaments all across the country about the realities of college recruiting and how to navigate the process. This was the first time I had become aware of how much the process had changed since I had gone through it as a junior golfer. One of the biggest eye openers for me was how early the process starts (and ends) and how unaware some families were about what it takes to play at the college level.

I am a huge believer in keeping the game fun and not putting too much pressure on a young player.

Nowadays there seems to be a lot more responsibility put on kids and more specialization of sports at a young age. I couldn’t imagine not having
the experiences I had as a 3 sport athlete. Unfortunately those are rare these days. But after working in the college recruiting business for
almost 5 years now, I see why things have shifted in the direction they have. One of the least favorite and heartbreaking parts of my job is having to tell a young player that playing golf at their dream school just isn’t an option. Either they waited too late to decide they want to play college golf, their game just didn’t develop in enough time or they weren’t aware of the level of competitive golf that they needed in order to be recruited by that particular school. Many different scenarios have led to me having to be the bearer of bad news, even to young 8th and 9th graders.

Because of this I am a big advocate for understanding the realities of playing college golf at a younger age and being more aware of the recruiting process timeline. It’s hard to believe that a 14 or 15 year old player can actually be far enough behind in the process to have already eliminated a handful of top golf programs from being realistic schools. This in no way means they can’t improve and still play at a great university on a competitive golf team, but the top 20-30 D1 golf programs are identifying potential recruits as early as 8th and 9th grade, and in many cases have finished their recruiting before a player even finishes their sophomore year of high school. Crazy, I know! But unfortunately that is the reality of the recruiting process in the modern world.

So with all that said, my goal is to provide the information and understanding to girls of ages and skill levels, so they better understand what they need to do in order to reach their goals. The purpose is not to put more pressure on the girls, but instead help them better mature and develop skills necessary to not only play golf at a higher level, but also excel in life. So, to answer the question, “is to too early to think about college golf”? If you have a young girl who has shown genuine interest in the game of golf and they talk about wanting to play competitively then it’s not to early to make sure you have an understanding of what needs to be done in order to help them reach their goals. The last thing anybody wants is to look back and wish you would have known more and done more.

You can reach Brandi Jackson at www.brandijacksongolf.com

Twitter @BJacksonGolf

Welcome to College Golf Camps weekly junior golf swing tip. This week CGC welcomes Joey Wuertemberger, Lead Master Instructor at Jim McLean Golf Academy in Ft. Worth, Texas. Joey has a very impressive stable of junior golfers and college golfers. Joey has become the busiest instructor in the Jim McLean system.

Want to hit it further by not swinging faster?

Try this simple drill next time your at the range!

Everyone is looking for more distance these days, and to be honest it’s a simple answer plus you don’t even need to swing faster.

How do you do it you might ask? Simple – Improve your angle of attack. The angle of attack is the direction the clubhead is moving up or down at impact. Any ball on the ground, always strive for a negative attack angle, but if you want to maximize distance with the driver, hitting up on the ball (positive angle of attack) is a must.

If you want to know exactly if you’re hitting up on the ball -try this simple drill.

1.) Take a sleeve of golf balls (without balls in the sleeve) and place the sleeve 8 – 12” inches in front of the ball.

2.)Take your normal set – up and swing. If you can hit the ball high on the face and safely escape the sleeve – You did it! If not – now you know what you need to work on for maximizing distance.

Contact Joey Wuertember at joeyatjimmclean.com

About Joey: Originally from Richmond, Indiana, Joey is a graduate of Methodist
College where he majored in Business Administration with a concentration
in Professional Golf Management. While at Methodist, Joey was part of
two national championship teams. After college, Joey had a successful
professional career in which he competed on the Golden Bear Tour, Grey
Goose Gateway Tour, Tar Heel Tour, Hooters Tour, Canadian Tour, and the
PGA Tour Qualifying School.

Since joining Jim McLean Golf Schools in 2006, Joey has become the
busiest teacher in the Jim McLean system. Joey began his teaching career
at Pinehurst Resort and Spa under Eric Alpenfels and then moved to Hank
Haney, both of which are Golf Digest Top 50 and Golf Magazine Top 100
teachers. Joey also mentored under Bill Davis, Director of Instruction
and Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher at Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta,
Florida. Joey has had the opportunity to watch or spend time with top
teachers such as Chuck Cook, Dave Pelz, Stan Utley, Mike Shannon, Dr.
Rick Jensen, Ben Doyle, Pat O’Brien, Todd Anderson and every instructor
at the Jim McLean Golf School at Doral.

Welcome to College Golf Camps weekly junior golf swing tip. This week CGC welcomes Joey Wuertemberger, Lead Master Instructor at Jim McLean Golf Academy in Ft. Worth, Texas. Joey has a very impressive stable of junior golfers and college golfers. Joey has become the busiest instructor in the Jim McLean system.

Want to hit it further by not swinging faster?

Try this simple drill next time your at the range!

Everyone is looking for more distance these days, and to be honest it’s a simple answer plus you don’t even need to swing faster.

How do you do it you might ask? Simple – Improve your angle of attack. The angle of attack is the direction the clubhead is moving up or down at impact. Any ball on the ground, always strive for a negative attack angle, but if you want to maximize distance with the driver, hitting up on the ball (positive angle of attack) is a must.

If you want to know exactly if you’re hitting up on the ball -try this simple drill.

1.) Take a sleeve of golf balls (without balls in the sleeve) and place the sleeve 8 – 12” inches in front of the ball.

2.)Take your normal set – up and swing. If you can hit the ball high on the face and safely escape the sleeve – You did it! If not – now you know what you need to work on for maximizing distance.

Contact Joey Wuertember at joeyatjimmclean.com

About Joey: Originally from Richmond, Indiana, Joey is a graduate of Methodist
College where he majored in Business Administration with a concentration
in Professional Golf Management. While at Methodist, Joey was part of
two national championship teams. After college, Joey had a successful
professional career in which he competed on the Golden Bear Tour, Grey
Goose Gateway Tour, Tar Heel Tour, Hooters Tour, Canadian Tour, and the
PGA Tour Qualifying School.

Since joining Jim McLean Golf Schools in 2006, Joey has become the
busiest teacher in the Jim McLean system. Joey began his teaching career
at Pinehurst Resort and Spa under Eric Alpenfels and then moved to Hank
Haney, both of which are Golf Digest Top 50 and Golf Magazine Top 100
teachers. Joey also mentored under Bill Davis, Director of Instruction
and Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher at Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta,
Florida. Joey has had the opportunity to watch or spend time with top
teachers such as Chuck Cook, Dave Pelz, Stan Utley, Mike Shannon, Dr.
Rick Jensen, Ben Doyle, Pat O’Brien, Todd Anderson and every instructor
at the Jim McLean Golf School at Doral.

*(photo by Wojciech Migda)

College Golf Camps interviews Stacy Lewis, LPGA golfer and Head Golf Coach Kelley Hester, Furman University about the first girls only Junior Golf Exposure Camp in West Palm Beach, Florida

This girls only junior golf exposure camp is scheduled for January 16-18, 2016 in West Palm Beach, Florida. CGC – Stacy Lewis camp will bring together 18 of the top Division I, II, III and NAIA coaches in the country. Junior golfers and families will have the opportunity to meet one of the all time greatest women’s golfer. All who attend will listen to Stacy Lewis speak about her career as a junior golfer, college golfer and of course her LPGA. Campers and parents will be treated to a clinic on the range by Stacy.

See the list of college coaches for CGC – Stacy Lewis Camp

“Its a great honor to partner with College Golf Camps to start their first ever all girl’s camp. I am very passionate about women in sport and providing a platform for us to stand alone. I look forward to sharing my college experience and the things that I have learned since with the campers. I can’t wait to see everyone in West Palm Beach in January!” – Stacy Lewis, LPGA

*(photo by Wojciech Migda)

College Golf Camps interviews Stacy Lewis, LPGA golfer and Head Golf Coach Kelley Hester, Furman University about the first girls only Junior Golf Exposure Camp in West Palm Beach, Florida

This girls only junior golf exposure camp is scheduled for January 16-18, 2016 in West Palm Beach, Florida. CGC – Stacy Lewis camp will bring together 18 of the top Division I, II, III and NAIA coaches in the country. Junior golfers and families will have the opportunity to meet one of the all time greatest women’s golfer. All who attend will listen to Stacy Lewis speak about her career as a junior golfer, college golfer and of course her LPGA. Campers and parents will be treated to a clinic on the range by Stacy.

See the list of college coaches for CGC – Stacy Lewis Camp

“Its a great honor to partner with College Golf Camps to start their first ever all girl’s camp. I am very passionate about women in sport and providing a platform for us to stand alone. I look forward to sharing my college experience and the things that I have learned since with the campers. I can’t wait to see everyone in West Palm Beach in January!” – Stacy Lewis, LPGA

College Golf Camps of America sits down with Debbie Doniger, Sirius XM PGA Radio Show to discuss junior golf exposure camps. Debbie is the Director of Instruction at Glen Arbor Golf Club in Bedford, N.Y. as well as Lead Master Instructor at The Jim McLean Golf School. She currently co-hosts the Sirius XM Radio show “The Golfer Girls with Debbie Doniger and Natalie Gulbis.”

College Golf Camps of America sits down with Debbie Doniger, Sirius XM PGA Radio Show to discuss junior golf exposure camps. Debbie is the Director of Instruction at Glen Arbor Golf Club in Bedford, N.Y. as well as Lead Master Instructor at The Jim McLean Golf School. She currently co-hosts the Sirius XM Radio show “The Golfer Girls with Debbie Doniger and Natalie Gulbis.”

Women’s Golf

How to Choose a Junior Golf Camp

There are so many great junior golf camps available today. Parents are looking for one-day camps, overnight camps, instructional camps, exposure camps and/or development camps for their kids. Golf camps are a great idea for kids who enjoying playing golf or want to learn how to play. There are some key concepts every family should consider prior to registration.

Today’s junior golf camps range from little “kiddy” camps to advanced developmental camps. Most have some restrictions based on age, gender and/or the total number of campers. Skill set should definitely be considered when choosing a junior golf camp. Most camps will divide campers into groups based on skill levels or age.

Junior golfers who are advanced players looking for more player development, they will have needs that will be different from the youngsters just learning to play golf. Here are a few aspects to consider when choosing a junior golf camp.

Here are a few aspects to consider when choosing a junior golf camp.

1. Goals – what are your goals of the camp? Every camp has its strengths, some are very intense on the swing mechanics while others are more geared towards the basics of the game. Identify your goals, then search for golf camps that will fulfill those goals.
2. Location – There are some great golf camps all over the world. Decide how far you want to travel in order to attain the goals of the camp. Some camps are worth the travel especially if you’re looking of advanced instruction or interaction. However, check with your local PGA professional on his/her camp schedule. There might be a great camp opportunity in your backyard.
3. Instructors – Obviously it is extremely important as to who is teaching the camp. For the “kiddy” camps it might be a local PGA professional or assistant. Those camps will be more relaxed and geared towards fun games with younger kids. For more advanced camps, they might have instructors from golf academies or college golf coaches or specialty coaches, such putting or gurus. Identify the best instructors for your goals. If your junior golfer has been playing golf for a long time, they might consider an exposure camp. Junior golf exposure camps can be a great opportunity for campers to learn more about college golf or professional golf.
4. Camper/Instructor ratio – How many kids will be in the camp? How many instructors? Is there a cap on the number of campers? Is there a guarantee on the ratio? Golf is a sport that requires lots of attention, so the ratio needs to be small. Campers need to get the attention they deserve, so too many campers can be challenging.
5. Camp curriculum – Again, there are many types of golf camps, such as short game camps, putting camps, girl only camps, etc. If your camper is a girl, you might want to check out LPGA golf camps, women’s college golf camps or girl only camps. Golf can be intimidating, so you want your camper comfortable but also challenged. More and more girls are learning the game of golf, sometimes it’s great to have boys at camp, and sometimes it’s better to just have girls.
6. Cost of camp – Camps vary in price depending on how the number of days, location and what is included in the camp. Most camps have their own registration systems, it’s important to pay attention to any restrictions such as age, gender and number of campers. Some camps are more expensive because they offer a unique opportunity such as exposure to college golf or intense putting instruction. Compare what is included with the price and decide what best fits your needs.

At the end of the day, this is about managing your expectations, developing your child’s skill set and keeping the joy of playing this great game. Junior golf camps are a great way to improve your skills and knowledge of the game, but it can also be a great way to build friendships. Golf is a great social game that teaches great life skills, so encourage your camper to have a great attitude with an open-mind.

No matter what your daughter or son’s skill set, there are lots of benefits to attending junior golf camps. If you follow these guidelines, do the research and ask questions, you and your child will get the most out of your junior golf camp experience.

Nick Rook founded College Golf Camps of America, LLC in 2012 and serves as its Chief Executive Officer and President. He and his wife Jen have three children, Isaac(9), Lauren(7) and Emily(2).
A schedule of upcoming junior golf camps is available online at collegegolfcamps.com.
Follow College Golf Camps news on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram.

Feature image credit: 2nd Annual Kids Golfing used with permission via Creative Commons license. Other images: College Golf Camps of America

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Women’s Golf

How to Choose a Junior Golf Camp

There are so many great junior golf camps available today. Parents are looking for one-day camps, overnight camps, instructional camps, exposure camps and/or development camps for their kids. Golf camps are a great idea for kids who enjoying playing golf or want to learn how to play. There are some key concepts every family should consider prior to registration.

Today’s junior golf camps range from little “kiddy” camps to advanced developmental camps. Most have some restrictions based on age, gender and/or the total number of campers. Skill set should definitely be considered when choosing a junior golf camp. Most camps will divide campers into groups based on skill levels or age.

Junior golfers who are advanced players looking for more player development, they will have needs that will be different from the youngsters just learning to play golf. Here are a few aspects to consider when choosing a junior golf camp.

Here are a few aspects to consider when choosing a junior golf camp.

1. Goals – what are your goals of the camp? Every camp has its strengths, some are very intense on the swing mechanics while others are more geared towards the basics of the game. Identify your goals, then search for golf camps that will fulfill those goals.
2. Location – There are some great golf camps all over the world. Decide how far you want to travel in order to attain the goals of the camp. Some camps are worth the travel especially if you’re looking of advanced instruction or interaction. However, check with your local PGA professional on his/her camp schedule. There might be a great camp opportunity in your backyard.
3. Instructors – Obviously it is extremely important as to who is teaching the camp. For the “kiddy” camps it might be a local PGA professional or assistant. Those camps will be more relaxed and geared towards fun games with younger kids. For more advanced camps, they might have instructors from golf academies or college golf coaches or specialty coaches, such putting or gurus. Identify the best instructors for your goals. If your junior golfer has been playing golf for a long time, they might consider an exposure camp. Junior golf exposure camps can be a great opportunity for campers to learn more about college golf or professional golf.
4. Camper/Instructor ratio – How many kids will be in the camp? How many instructors? Is there a cap on the number of campers? Is there a guarantee on the ratio? Golf is a sport that requires lots of attention, so the ratio needs to be small. Campers need to get the attention they deserve, so too many campers can be challenging.
5. Camp curriculum – Again, there are many types of golf camps, such as short game camps, putting camps, girl only camps, etc. If your camper is a girl, you might want to check out LPGA golf camps, women’s college golf camps or girl only camps. Golf can be intimidating, so you want your camper comfortable but also challenged. More and more girls are learning the game of golf, sometimes it’s great to have boys at camp, and sometimes it’s better to just have girls.
6. Cost of camp – Camps vary in price depending on how the number of days, location and what is included in the camp. Most camps have their own registration systems, it’s important to pay attention to any restrictions such as age, gender and number of campers. Some camps are more expensive because they offer a unique opportunity such as exposure to college golf or intense putting instruction. Compare what is included with the price and decide what best fits your needs.

At the end of the day, this is about managing your expectations, developing your child’s skill set and keeping the joy of playing this great game. Junior golf camps are a great way to improve your skills and knowledge of the game, but it can also be a great way to build friendships. Golf is a great social game that teaches great life skills, so encourage your camper to have a great attitude with an open-mind.

No matter what your daughter or son’s skill set, there are lots of benefits to attending junior golf camps. If you follow these guidelines, do the research and ask questions, you and your child will get the most out of your junior golf camp experience.

Nick Rook founded College Golf Camps of America, LLC in 2012 and serves as its Chief Executive Officer and President. He and his wife Jen have three children, Isaac(9), Lauren(7) and Emily(2).
A schedule of upcoming junior golf camps is available online at collegegolfcamps.com.
Follow College Golf Camps news on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram.

Feature image credit: 2nd Annual Kids Golfing used with permission via Creative Commons license. Other images: College Golf Camps of America

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