Coaching brief for PGA academy role

An exciting career opportunity has arisen within the PGA Training Academy with a brief to lead the technical content for all its coaching related programmes.

The position of training executive for golf coaching, which is based at academy headquarters at PING House, The Belfry, will see the PGA qualified candidate play an important role in maintaining and enhancing the PGA training programme’s worldwide reputation for delivering the very best coaching standards.

With UK and Europe based golfers enjoying global success at elite level, and flourishing grass roots initiatives such as England Golf and ClubGolf growing the game, the role of the PGA Professionals in coaching golfers, from beginner level right through to elite level, has never been more important.

It’s why Dr Kyle Phillpots, The PGA’s director of education and career development, believes this position is such an exciting challenge in helping ensure the skills and abilities of PGA Members are equipped to meet the coaching requirements of a growing golf population.

“The PGA believes that coaching is a very different skill to playing so we are looking for a candidate to help us develop the academy’s already strong foundations in this area,” said Dr Phillpots.

“While all PGA Professionals have come from a very strong background of playing (they have to be a category one amateur before turning professional), many have focussed on a career in coaching rather than playing.

“As we know there is a great deal involved in becoming a skilled coach – this includes knowing what to coach and also how to coach.  Coaches have to have the knowledge and understanding of all the different shots from all the varieties of lies and combine this with how to communicate with players of all levels to help them improve their performance.

“The starting point for all this is the PGA Training Programme, a three year apprenticeship in all aspects of being a PGA Professional which incorporates a Foundation Degree from the University of Birmingham as well as a UKCC accredited golf coaching award.

“The starting point for all coaches is the ball flight, understanding this leads to an understanding of impact factors,  leading to pre-swing and in-swing principles and taking into account how the body is moving (and capable of moving) as well as the golf club.

“To put it simply they have to know the technical, physical, mental and tactical elements of golf performance and understand how to coach them to others. 

“The ‘coach’s eye’, the ability to analyse someone’s golf swing and performance and is then developed over a long period. 

“This means that by the age of 35, the age when professional footballers are thinking of retiring from playing and start learning about coaching, PGA Professional will have had at least 15 years of coaching experience behind them. This experience that is vital to help develop golfing skill in others. 

“The new candidate for this role will have an important part to play in leading our coaching programmes to enable all PGA graduates to possess the right coaching skills.”

To find out more about the vacancy see the jobs in the members’ area. Click here.