A new series of instructional videos promises to enhance the learning materials on offer to both PGA Trainees and Members alike.
Gone are the days when learning meant sitting in a classroom or lecture theatre.
Students now have access to a wide range of learning materials in many formats and the ability to learn wherever and whenever they like – and the Trainees undertaking the three-year PGA Training Programme are no different.
PGA Trainees are the future of the golf industry and PGA Members are the present, with vast expertise and experience that can be used to help guide the next generation as they prepare to embark on their careers.
With these things in mind, The PGA’s Education department set out to invest in the learning materials on offer to their students and have developed a series of high-quality instructional videos about club building – presented by PGA Member Rhys Atkinson – which support their residential sessions and are available as a permanent resource on their university learning platform.
And with custom-fitting services now often forming a core aspect of the PGA Professional’s business - more than 12,000 golfers in UK and Ireland search for custom fitting on Google each month – the videos are also available for Members to watch on PGA Learn.
We spoke to Philip Dye, lead lecturer for Equipment Technology on the PGA Training Programme, and Rhys Atkinson about the videos and their impact on PGA Trainees and Members.
CLICK HERE to access the new instructional videos via PGA Learn.
Why did you decide to deliver the material about club-building by video?
Philip Dye: It is important that students are given the best possible learning materials. We understand that some aspects of the training course are more difficult to deliver in an online environment, and multimedia plays an important role in helping students learn about some of the more practical elements of the course, such as club building.
Rhys Atkinson: As a tutor, you always try to get a feel for the trainee’s experience and also their opportunity to develop and learn once they have left residential learning at The PGA. It was clear that not every trainee was getting the opportunity to practise their workshop skills in between residentials. After some discussion with Philip, we put together a set of videos that replicated the current residential workshop to give all trainees a resource they could refer to.
How did you seek to make the videos informative, interesting, and engaging for the trainees?
RA: The original idea was to replicate the residential workshop sessions, so I basically scripted the videos with that in mind. However, Philip was keen to make it more engaging and to avoid it being stilted and too formal. He arranged for the professional filming of the content, and we basically ended up deciding the main headings, placing the materials we needed on the work bench, and then just filming each section without a script to allow some ad lib in terms of little insights that would hopefully make them watchable and informative.
What value will they add to the PGA Training Programme, and how will they be used by Trainees?
PD: These videos support the residential sessions where students build clubs and complete practical assessments. They provide a permanent resource for future reference and help students learn the processes involved in building clubs and how several club specifications impact performance.
Often, custom-fitting services form a core aspect of the PGA Professional’s business. Excelling in this area can help PGA Members compete in an increasingly competitive hardware market and strengthens position within the industry.
- Philip Dye - lead lecturer for Equipment Technology on the PGA Training Programme
How important is it to provide high-quality content such as this to Trainees?
PD: It is very important. Our students have to deal with significant demands on their time while studying part-time, and providing learning materials that are appropriate and focus on developing skills that are not always possible to practise in their place of work ensures that students finish the course with a good grounding across a wide range of topics.
How is the way you work with students and Members changing in terms of how they want to learn?
PD: Students need to have greater flexibility and appreciate the convenience of being able to access learning materials and resources online. We need to assist learners by making access to appropriate information as straightforward as possible. It is also important that we utilise technology as students become more proficient at using online tools.
We also have to accommodate a wide range of prior learning experiences among students, and providing a range of information that can support students with different learning preferences and motivations for taking the course required significant planning and preparation.
CLICK HERE to access the new instructional videos via PGA Learn.
What role do PGA Members – such as Rhys – play in the process?
PD: Some of our Members, including Rhys, are experts in their fields and, as lecturers, it is important that we utilise this expertise to inform the course content and delivery. Maintaining strong relationships with industry leaders ensures that we keep ahead of industry trends and ensures that students are receiving the most relevant and up-to date information.
RA: It is actually my passion [to pass on my expertise to the next generation of PGA Pros]. Having just won an award in the Southern Enterprise Awards for Best Custom Fit Service in the South East, I know I can now confidently train aspiring fitting specialists and fitting businesses in an approach that ensures the golfer, the fitter and the fitting business all win.
The people I most want to train are those aspiring trainees and newly qualified professionals who want to specialise as fitters or who want to set up their own fitting business.
And how important is it for PGA Trainees to learn about custom fitting and building as part of their qualification?
PD: Custom fitting and being build aware are very important as many golfers turn to professional club builders and custom fitters to help them with performance. Often, custom-fitting services form a core aspect of the PGA Professional’s business. Excelling in this area can help PGA Members compete in an increasingly competitive hardware market and strengthens position within the industry.
RA: Equipment building and fitting are critical elements of performance for every golfer. Any PGA Trainee who has a passion for helping golfers must be well versed in both of these areas. Not only is it essential for the golfer’s results on the course, but it is also incredibly enjoyable and rewarding to be able to change a player’s results with this part of the game.
Even if a Trainee wants to specialise in coaching, they need to embrace equipment as a fundamental part of their services if they want to keep up with increasing expectations from golfers that coaching goes hand in hand with equipment fitting. We even provide specific training for PGA coaching specialists who want to bring their equipment knowledge up to speed. Its less intense but an incredibly valuable investment into the services they can provide for their aspiring golfers.
CLICK HERE to access the new instructional videos via PGA Learn.
