April 2012
28 posts
1 tag
can a coach and a recruit face-time?
Yes, but it counts as a phone call. All the same rules as phone calls apply.
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Once players arrive on their college team do they...
This is a great question to ask the coaches who are recruiting you. There might be a wide range of opinions. Some of my players work primarily with me and some others have their own “swing coach.” In my opinion, the best scenario is when the college coach and swing coach can communicate well and be on the same page. College coaches see the players in all conditions and almost every...
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I played in a highly regarded tournament but...
I always find it respectable when I get reports from recruits after poor events as well as the good ones. Personal responsibility and accountability are key attributes coaches look for in recruits so I think being upfront about all scores is good. Avoid making excuses. If you report all scores the good ones will stand out more. They’ll probably see the results anyway.
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What kind of scores does a high school golfer have...
I think mid 70s is the highest you can shoot on average to play college golf at any level, but I’m not an expert on the D2, D3, and NAIA stuff.
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Is your 2013 class full? Is there still time to...
Not full. I think there is always time if a recruit is good enough. Each year is different for each school so it’s really hard to say definitively.
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hey coach, as you play in a cold weather climate,...
In that specific case I would guess around 10 yards. Part of the distance is the colder and heavier air, but even more it is wearing more clothing, and just being tighter. A person’s clubhead speed usually goes down quite a bit in colder weather. It’s a very important skill to be able to control distance at all elevations and in all conditions.
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How often should a recruit call or email a school...
I think that depends on the relationship with the coach. Early in the process you may not call too much, but as it gets really going regular calls would be better. I think this is a great question to ask each coach. Simply ask, “how often would you like me to call?” Also you should ask, “when is the best time to call you?”
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Did you play college golf? If so where? Were you...
Yes. I played at BYU. I was a solid college player. I was on a very good team and we won a lot and I played in most events. I was not a superstar or even an All-American, but was a strong contributing member. Fortunately, it turns out I’m better at coaching :)
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Hi Matt:
Most pro golfers started playing golf at...
I’d say more often than not the best players at age 9 are the best at age 20. Not always, but it seems most common. There are those that have started late and made it a long way, but starting early is still an advantage.
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My son is a highly ranked junior player and is...
This is a huge challenge. We deal with it with all of our signees. They are sort of in scheduling “no man’s land.” I’m pretty comfortable what tournaments can work in the Northwest, but outside I’m not as sure. You can certainly play in city amateur, state amateurs, and even regional events (like the PNGA Men’s Am here). On www.scratchplayers.com you will...
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Would you recruit, or consider recruiting a player...
The low 70s would be the key here. What tournaments, whether AJGA or others, is mostly irrelevant. We would want to see low scores and winning tournaments and be assured that they player could compete at the level we are looking for.
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If a player does not play the "ranking game" with...
Probably. Certain rankings (specifically NJGS) uses many tournaments in their rankings. I refer to it often. I don’t recruit off the rankings, but I do find that often the ranking is a reflection of how they have performed. If somehow a player is having excellent tournaments on good courses against good players, but is still ranked low, I think they would still be recruited.
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If I sent you a video of my swing what are the...
We watch most the videos sent to us, but mostly out of courtesy. We are most interested in what they look like in person and how they play golf. The swing and technique is a small part of what makes a golfer.
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After recently watching a college tournament I was...
I could write volumes about this. The AJGA does a great job with Pace of Play. They have clear standards and expectations and they consistently demand those be met. Penalties are assessed when they aren’t met. They teach simple things that help players play more quickly, even without speeding up their routine. Further, they understand field size and how and when to tee people off to...
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What is the best way to decline an offer at an...
Just call the coach and be honest and open about things. If you don’t have a personal relationship with the coach you can email them. It shouldn’t be as hard as it seems. The coaches will/should understand. They say “no” to hundreds of kids every year. They should be understanding when someone says “no” to them.
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198 wins AJGA Heather Farr classic, 214 wins AJGA...
Hard to answer. The course at the Heather Farr was pretty easy.
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Coach Matt - what should a recruit wear on a...
I think golf attire is the safest. Some of the nicer clubs you may visit won’t allow jeans or t-shirts so if you are planning to visit some courses golf attire is best. If you plan to go to a sporting event more casual clothes would be fine. Absolutely do not wear gear from their rivals and I would recommend even avoiding the rival’s colors.
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Coach Thurmond,
There are several recruiting...
I delete most of the email from the recruiting services. They are rarely personal and specific. If a student-athlete just hires someone to do their work for them that tells me something. Other coaches may use them more than I do. For me, I’m only interested in personal and specific contact directly with the recruit.
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is it just me or has recruiting slowed down?
Probably. This is a really busy time for all coaches. This is the most important part of our year. Our focus is on our teams and the upcoming post-season events. It will pick up again in mid-May for those who don’t advance to the NCAA Championships. For the rest, it cranks up in early June.
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What is the best way to update a coach after a...
I think a quick email is good. Give the facts of the events and something to explain them. Maybe you would talk about what you learned. I like to get links to results too, in case I hadn’t seen them already. I like to know what a person shot and finished, but I also like to know how they feel about it.
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How is it determined what teams qualify for...
The winners of each conference championship advances to Regionals. The rest of the 81 (I think that’s the number) are selected on an “at-large basis.” Generally, you need to be ranked in the top 68-70 teams to go to Regionals. All of this is determined by the NCAA-appointed NCAA Golf Committee.
There are six Regionals around the country. Each will have 13-14 teams. Five...
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Hi,
I'm a journalism student from the UK and was...
I don’t have this data. I really wish I did. There are several hundred college golf programs for each gender so the numbers may be pretty large.
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why do some courses ban jeans?
Jeans are just more casual and traditional golf attire is more formal. Some clubs that don’t allow jeans have started to allow them into the clubhouse and restaurants, but still not on the course. If I ever own a course jeans and t-shirts will be encouraged :)
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Coach, what do you do if you find a talented...
Absolutely! I personally don’t believe a person’s weight has any impact whatsoever on their ability to get the little white ball into the hole. In fact, as you look back through history at the great golfers you will find many overweight golfers winning many majors.
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When is the best time and worst time to contact a...
If you are emailing it doesn’t really matter. I would remember that in a really busy time of the season for a coach he/she may be slower to get back to you. If you are thinking about calling them I would think early evening is the easiest time to catch them on the cell phone. A lot of times we may have meeting in mornings and some courses for afternoon practice don’t allow cell...
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Do you think the changes that the PGA are making...
No, I don’t.
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What junior events will you be at this summer?
It varies a bit each year depending on where the recruits are playing. I attend several local events and qualifiers, Junior World, US Junior, Junior America’s Cup, various AJGA events, Hogan Cup, WJGA State, Canadian Jr, etc. That is sort of a standard year. We are still considering this year’s plan.
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I am wondering if you can let me know what the...
Sorry, but I really don’t want to get into the specifics of the University of Washington on this forum. I look for great golfers who are committed students and have high character. I want people who demand a lot of themselves and want to be a part of a team.
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