PGA Training: Think you’ve got what it takes to become a pro?
“What the assistants need is the depth of knowledge and understanding, in this particular case, of how shafts work, how they flex, how they twist,” he explains of the exercise I witnessed.
“All of these things can affect whether the club returns back square to the ball or not.”
On his career as a teacher, he adds: “I didn’t think I knew enough to be able to teach anybody but, of course, I’d probably forgotten more than they know. I love it.”
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Those being taught get a kick out of the programme too, regardless of the dedication required to cut the mustard. Scraptoft is home for Olly Booth, a former Leicestershire County matchplay champion before embarking on his professional career.
“It’s very golf, golf, golf. It’s good,” he says of the programme.
“It’s great networking with people and making good mates and connections. “If you wanted to play, this probably isn’t the course to do but it is a stepping stone. You are covering all options.”
“The most difficult thing I have found is balancing the work and working,” adds Branston’s Ross Ward.
“When you are in the winter, it’s a lot quieter so, when they give you the coursework, you can spend more time to do it. “If your employer is allowing you to do that, you’ve got plenty of time to get it done. When you are here, all you think about is your exams and coursework.”
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It’s all about juggling competing pressures, reckons Inverness assistant Ross Black. “It is hard – especially during the summer when the shop is open later – to motivate yourself when you are working 10 hours,” he explains.
“To then go out and practise as well when you probably just want to go home is tough but I have enjoyed it at the same time.”
This trio are nearing the end of their journey, a final stop before they embark on the rest of their golfing lives. The future is in safe hands.
