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PGA Best Practices: Travel
John Hafera on Travel: Keep Your Mind Open To Unique Opportunities.
THIS IS THE THIRD OF FOUR SPECIAL EDITIONS ON THE PGA MERCHANDISE SHOW
John Hafera is the PGA director of instruction at Waters Landing Golf Park in Germantown, Md.
John Hafera on the importance of keeping an open mind:
I attend the PGA Merchandise Show not to zero in on a limited number of vendors, but to seek out the industry’s newest trends, to increase my knowledge about our business and to establish new relationships. And so it was that 12 years ago I met representatives from the PGA Center for Learning and Performance in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Back and forth during the show’s run we chatted casually and discussed my options for using the Center as a winter golf school destination. They verbally introduced me to their facilities, explained costs and suggested housing arrangements. With their knowledge and my excitement about what the proposed winter golf school could mean to my students and to me, an idea was born. The next winter I launched formal winter golf schools at the PGA Center for Learning and Performance. I make it as convenient as possible by handling all travel, picking them up at the airport, renting a car for the week, etc. After developing a relationship with a realtor in the area, who is also a PGA life member, students receive a great deal on condo and town house rentals. The schools allow them to continue to maintain and improve their golf games throughout the year, even during winter. It also puts me in the position of offering a truly unique golf experience that my customers and students know has been successful for over a decade.
John Hafera on the business impact of keeping an open mind:
Had I not exposed myself to the opportunities within our industry at the PGA Merchandise Show a dozen years ago, this revenue-generating and totally fun and enjoyable learning experience for me and my students would have never been born. Growing my business, and providing added value to my customers and clients is a daily concern for me. Because of the interaction that I shared at the PGA Merchandise Show, I have successfully found one more opportunity to expand my business and provide a unique off-season opportunity to the golfing public. I now offer successful Florida golf schools that increase business during a previously slow season to both my practice facility and my instruction program.
Plan Winter Teaching Trips
John Hafera is the PGA director of instruction at Waters Landing Golf Park in Germantown, Md.
John Hafera on the importance of winter teaching trips:
In my 35-year career as a PGA Professional, I’ve met a lot of people, made many friends and built a substantial portfolio of students and clientele. One of the ways I cultivate the relationship with my students is by taking instruction-based golf trips during the winter to PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Fla., home of the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance. I generally bring two or three students for four-day, three-night excursions so that I can provide the detailed attention needed to make the trip worthwhile. I call it “total golf immersion.” We do nothing but instruction or playing for four days. When you get away in that environment, you can get a lot more accomplished compared to an hour lesson. I utilize my K-Vest for 3-D motion capture and real-time biofeedback on the practice tee and supplement it with the technology available at the CLP, such as the TrackMan and the SAMPutt Lab. As a TPI Level 3 Certified golf professional, I have already screened my students for physical limitations and have provided them with their personalized workout programs, and I utilize Director of Fitness David Donatucci to enhance my program. These elements have proven to be very helpful to the overall golf/fitness experience.
John Hafera on the business impact of winter teaching trips:
Thus far in 2010, I’ve already brought three groups to PGA Village. I offer my students an all-inclusive package in the price range of $2,500 that includes golf, housing, transportation and airfare. I price it in a way that I’m happy with the margins, and the students are happy with the service and the experience. The added value of the first-class golf courses, practice facilities, technology and fitness expertise available at the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance gives my students even more incentive to go on the trips.
Combine Technology and Physical Assessments
John Hafera is the PGA director of instruction at Waters Landing Golf Park in Germantown, Md.
John Hafera on the importance of combining technology and physical assessments:
During an initial evaluation with a student, I typically gather data on swing characteristics, observe shot patterns and examine equipment. In recent years, I have added two components of empirical data to the evaluation. Through my Titleist Performance Institute certifications, I can assess what the student can and cannot do physically. Secondly, K-Vest 3-D motion-capture analysis provides me with the player’s kinematic sequence and swing efficiency. The most efficient path of energy starts with the lower body and goes to the hips, then the torso and finally to the club. With video we see many different swing styles, but are they efficient? In addition, K-Vest provides graphs and numerical values of a player’s motion on three axes (bend, side bend and turn) throughout the entire swing. Maybe the most valuable aspect is that it can also be used for training the three planes of motion with live visual and auditory feedback. Certification seminars with K-Vest and TPI biomechanics have improved my understanding and application of 3-D motion capture. Now, before I begin teaching, I know what the student can or cannot do physically and if the swing is efficient, and I have data on the three planes of motion throughout the swing, which makes me better prepared to begin teaching.
John Hafera on the business impact of combining technology and physical assessments:
My students understand that I’m committed to improving their golf games by using science-based technologies and improved training programs. By using 3-D motion capture, physical assessments and online workout programs, I provide my students with an added value that will not only help their golf games but also their overall wellness. Even though I have many years of teaching experience, this constant upgrading and improving has helped me retain clients and attract new ones.