Camosun PGM Social Media Session: Dec8th

 

Last December I was fortunate enough to be asked to speak to Camosun College (my alma mater) students in the Professional Golf Management program on the topic of social media. These grads will face the reality of finding a job in the golf  industry, learning the business (after college), and networking within the industry. Daunting, for sure.

The talk I gave covered some of the basics, and offered a few tips and success stories on how professional golfers, golf courses and golf instructors have used social media to build their brands. Examples included Stewart Cink, John Graham, Jeff Ritter, and Red Mountain Ski Resort (still my favorite viral marketing video ever).

If you’d like to view the powerpoint presentation I used, you can do so here. If you want clarification on any of the slides, please leave a question in the comments or ask me on Twitter.

Stack & Tilt is the New California Condor

Lets dig into the back issues of Golf Digest for a second and pull out the June 2007 issue. The cover headline: “Hit it Flush Every Time: 20 Tour Pros switch to a Radical New Swing”

Inside you’ll find the original Golf Digest Stack & Tilt article. Since that article was published, reactions from all corners of the golf world have been mixed to say the least. Strong opinions have surfaced on both sides, both in favor of the swing system and against it. It’s no longer debatable that the system works. Stack and Tilt principles have helped golfers the world over to hit the ball better and lower their scores.

To me, what’s interesting is how Stack and Tilt information is spreading through the golf world. Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett are smart, savvy guys, and have been successful in using social media to spread their message. They are winning the hearts and minds of players, coaches and golf influencers, using the platforms of today’s media. Lets break down a few ways that the Stack and Tilt boys are #winning the social war and a few ways they could improve their efforts.

#Winning: The Cause

Search for “Cause Marketing” on Google. You’re going to get a page with more than 140 million results. If you’re unfamiliar with Cause Marketing, take a quick look at the Wikipedia page dedicated to the subject. It essentially refers to leveraging a “not for profit cause” to build an existing brand. Plummer & Bennett have created a cause, whether they intended it or not. In their case, the cause could be stated as “reducing golf’s barrier to entry by creating a system of true golf skill fundamentals.” For golfers and golf coaches this is a powerful cause, one worthy of advancement. It has created a flag to rally behind. (Much like the Save the California Condor campaign, in case you were wondering about the title.)

Those that choose to rally behind that flag and take up the cause are the most powerful assets of that cause: Brand Champions. Brand Champions can be defined as “internal and external story tellers who spread the brand vision, brand values and cultivate the brand.” The list of Stack and Tilt brand champions is a long one, and includes many top-tier golf coaches. These guys are great assets to the Stack and Tilt cause, and fervently spread Plummer & Bennett’s message through every social channel, as well as on the lesson tee. They are quick to defend the principles of the system when questioned, and serve to educate and inform more players of all levels than Plummer & Bennett ever could have by themselves. This is the massive advantage that Stack and Tilt has over any single instructor not affiliated with the cause, as an individual instructor has a much tougher time creating brand champions than a cause does.

Finally, Plummer & Bennett are winning by being themselves! As touchy-feely of a message as that is, it is one of the keys to success in social media in general. Both coaches, Plummer especially, are easily reachable via social channels. They regularly comment and add value to threads about the system. They offer candid opinions and pull no punches. They also talk about their interests (college sports, etc) and show that they are in fact real people behind the Stack and Tilt brand. Can you imagine Butch Harmon or David Leadbetter doing anything like that? Yeah, me neither. This accessibility and authenticity behind the principles they teach draw people in, as much as the information itself. That means you, certified coaches.

#Losing: The Attitude

It’s not all rosy. Lets talk about a few of the challenges that face the spread of information about Stack and Tilt.

Most of the challenges fall into one category: Negativity. The Stack and Tilt system has been unceremoniously bashed by golf coaches in the mainstream golf media since day one, which has created an “underdog” attitude among the champions of the Stack and Tilt brand. Which, while totally understandable, isn’t helping the cause. Many of them tend to be derisive and sarcastic to coaches who teach differing principles. “Incorrect information” or not, derision and ridicule are poor tools when it comes to winning the hearts and minds of golfers. Brand champions of the Stack and Tilt system would do well to consider their audience when posting and commenting in an inflammatory fashion. Better not to share a YouTube clip or an article than to share it with the intent of belittling the efforts of others.

This derision and ridicule tends to alienate teachers and coaches who may have been interested in learning about the system’s principles. At the PGA of British Columbia education symposium last spring one of the presenters, Mark Strong of Vancouver Golf Club, gave a talk about the “D-Plane,” a concept that describes impact dynamics between the golf club and ball. This can be a complicated and controversial topic among golf pros, as some of it is information that flies in the face of the status quo (much like Stack and Tilt). Mark began his presentation with a statement that somewhat defused that controversy right off the bat. To paraphrase, he said that new information doesn’t necessarily mean that what a coach has been teaching or doing is wrong, but instead may help explain why the coaches current methods work. If those who coach Stack and Tilt would take a similar approach, their information might have been better received, as Mark’s was.

Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett have done a wonderful job creating a cause around their instruction system. By speaking to PGA sections, and making connections, they continue to create brand champions for the Stack and Tilt cause. If I were them I’d make darn sure that each of these champions knows their role and responsibility in spreading the information, so that their message can be one of positivity and learning rather than derision and ridicule. Either way, the paradigm shift is on (which by the way is #6 on the Encyclopedia of Business Cliches, but that’s another story!).

If you’ve read this far, please consider retweeting this post, posting it on Facebook, or sharing via any of the links below!

The Biz of Social Media: Infographic

This is a great infographic, giving perspective on the growth and impact of social media in business. This applies strongly to golf, golf courses, and golf instructors.

Great infographic borrowed from Social Media Today. If you’d like to see the graphic in its original post, click here.

Thanks Callaway Golf!

Improving at golf requires a perfect blend of many factors. One of these that is often overlooked is equipment. Most golfers think “it’s not the clubs fault” that they are struggling, which is often true. However, often a players equipment can be a source of inconsistency and frustration.

For the 2012 golf season, I will be a Callaway Staff Professional. I played the RAZR line through the 2011 season and was really impressed with the quality of the product and the customer care. I really believe that the average player could really benefit from the same service I have received.

Callaway Golf has been a great friend and partner to me and to Highland Pacific Golf this past season. The golf shop there will be exclusively carrying Callaway gloves and will have the full line of balls and equipment. Contact me to discuss club fitting, ball fitting, and best addressing your equipment needs.

3 Reasons Your Golf Course needs Social Media

Golfers are a social group. For most, golf is best enjoyed with others. It’s about hitting the links with your friends, about enjoying some banter in the clubhouse afterwards, about discussing the latest news from the tour.

What we’re seeing today is a trend toward discussing all those things, enjoying those same pastimes, in an online environment. Consumers are increasingly interacting with businesses and brands through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Its becoming the first choice for information. So why is it right for your golf course?

1. You can’t afford not to be there. As mentioned before, this is becoming the place where consumers are looking for their information first. This is nothing new. Consumers have always trusted their social circle for recommendations about courses to play, for instructors to learn from, for equipment to buy. Now they’re doing it online.
2. Its Free (ish). Golf course budgets are not big. Marketing budgets for golf courses are even smaller. Social media as a whole has very little hard cost associated with it, which makes it a perfect fit. However don’t assume that this means no cost at all. There is a large time commitment required to be online, which could require more staff hours.
3. It’s happening without you. Golfers and consumers are already talking about your brand online, whether you like it or not. Shouldn’t you be a part of that conversation? While you won’t ever be able to control the conversation, you’ll be able to mediate and respond, which is invaluable.

While the platforms of the future may change, the way people are getting their information won’t. Join the conversation.

The Only Weight Shift that Matters

Weight shift. Bring this topic up among golf instructors and get ready to hear a whole bunch of differing opinions.

Some teachers will say that your weight should start forward, stay forward, and keep going forward. Others will advocate a distinct shift to the trail foot during the backswing, with a corresponding shift forward. Other still will tell you to keep your weight centered during the swing. How the heck is a golfer supposed to know what to do?

Its pretty clear that its possible to swing each of these ways and have success. Examples of players doing all of the above can be found on professional tours worldwide, having varying levels of success. There is a common denominator though. Any player that strikes the ball consistently exhibits the following: They gradually move their weight forward during the swing, reaching impact with the majority of their weight on their front foot, and continue moving weight forward into their finish position.

This allows a consistent impact position with the handle of the club forward, the bottom of the swing in front of the ball, and the club striking the ball first and then the ground. Any teacher will tell you that making impact this way is the only consistent way to strike a ball.

So for the average player, the answer is to keep it simple. Don’t worry about what you’re doing with your weight on the backswing, unless it affects your ability to move weight forward incramentally during the downswing. If you’re comfortable transfering your weight, do that. If you prefer not to, that’s OK as well. Just make sure that it’s moving forward when you make contact, like the world’s best players do.

Whose Game is it Anyway?

Are you competitive? In golf, just like in life, a lot of us have competitive tendencies. We want to be the best, to beat the best, to win. This can be a great motivator, and can drive people to do great things. But, sometimes it hurts us. The golf course can be one of those times.

Have you ever played with a guy you thought you “should” beat, who beat you instead? A tendency I’ve fought in my own game is to get caught up in the games of my playing partners, rather than focusing on my own. This is a no-win situation. Think about it: If your partner is playing well, the tendency is to start pushing to keep up, taking you away from your game plan. If your partner is playing poorly, sometimes you take your foot off the gas and get complacent.

Recently, I came across this great footage of Davis Love III playing a practice round at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, NC. Take a look:

What do you notice? Yes, DL3 has a great swing, blah blah blah. But notice the utter lack of interest that he takes in the shot of his playing partner. DL3 has placed his focus purely on his own game, his own process, his own shot. In this way, he has removed a source of distraction.

Take a tip from Davis and try to put this focus into your own game. Whether your buddies are having a hot round or a poor one, keep the focus the same: Your game, your process, your shot. You may find that this helps you to play your best more often.

On-Course Lessons

Have you ever had an on-course lesson?

The on-course session has one major advantage over the range lesson: You learn the skills to play in the same environment in which you use them. One of the major complaints of everyday golfers goes something like this: “I hit it great on the range, but cant take it to the course.”

By learning a skill in one environment an then taking it to another, you create a disconnect between learning and doing. While range practice definitely has it’s purpose, it can be hard to bridge this gap.

If you’ve taken a number of lessons without going to the actual course, suggest this to your instructor. By matching your training environment with your playing environment, that gap will start to bridge. And that means better golf.

The Four F’s of Kids Sports

When helping your child become involved in any sport, it’s important that they have fun doing it. Duh. But what makes kids actually want to play sports? The four F’s of Kids & Sports are motivational factors that keep kids involved.

Fun: Is the activity fun for your child? This one’s pretty self-explanatory. If the kids aren’t having fun, they won’t be participating for long.

Friends: Are their friends or peers involved? Are the other participants like-minded kids who they get along with? Making friends and having fun with others is a major reason kids participate.

Fit-In: Similar to the previous point, kids want to have fun with other kids, their friends. If they feel excluded or left out, the activity ceases to be fun.

Feels-Good: A somewhat abstract factor, feeling good is a combination of the first 3 factors combined with physical comfort. Example: If the first three factors are met but the activity takes place outside in January, the child will probably feel cold more than anything. That tends to take first priority.

Notice especially that competition isn’t on this list. Neither is winning. In most cases the outcomes don’t really matter to the children, more to the parent. Don’t be a “hockey dad.” Nobody likes them in hockey, and even fewer people like them in golf.

5 Steps to Make Your Resolution Count

In a few hours (depending on where you live) it will be 2011. A new year with new possibilities, new goals, and the same old golf game.

Over the next couple days, people throw around resolutions for the new year, resolving to improve their lives in many ways. Most won’t stick to these resolutions, and will experience little change. Resolutions for your golf game are no different. One of the major reasons that these resolutions fail is that most have no plan for their goal.

A great acronym that will help you to build a solid plan for your goal is illustrated to the right: SMART. Setting SMART goals will create a plan that you can follow to reach your goal. Lets break it down in golfing terms:

S is for Specific: Specific goals are far more effective than vague ones, simply for the reason that you know what you’re working towards far more clearly. Here’s a common vague goal: “I’m going to get more consistent.” What does that mean? The more clearly defined your goals are the easier it is to stay focused working toward them.

M is for Measurable: Creating a measurable goal allows you to check your progress, and to evaluate when it’s time to set a new goal. In the example goal of “getting more consistent,” how do you know if you are? How do you know when you’ve achieved your goal? A measurable goal would be: “I want to average 12 greens hit in regulation.” This is quantifiable, in that its pretty clear when you’ve been successful (and when you haven’t).

A is for Attainable: Attainable goals are a must. As much as we’ve been told to “reach for the stars,” sometimes it just won’t happen. If you’re a 20 handicap now, its not attainable to set a goal of reaching the PGA Tour this year. Take the time to think about all the variables: how much practice time you’ll have, what the other demands of your life are, your current level, etc. Then set a reachable goal that you can proudly accomplish in 2011.

R is for Relevant: Relevant goals tie together with attainable goals, but are slightly different. This requires you to answer the question, “Why do I play golf?” then tailor your goal to the answer. If you play golf for fun, set a goal that will allow you to have more fun. If you play to compete, set a goal that helps you to improve in competition. Your goal should match your reasons for playing, otherwise you’ll struggle to stick to it.

T is for Time-Bound: Finally, create a time frame for completing your goal. Mark your calendar with the end date, as well as checkup dates where you measure your progress against your goal. Golf isn’t a game where you can procrastinate and then do all your practice right before your goal deadline. Build a timeline for your improvement.

Following these steps (or at least keeping them in mind) as you create your goals for 2011 will help you to stay on track. Hopefully when you make your goals for 2012 you won’t be making the same ones!

If you need a hand creating your goals for the year, don’t hesitate to contact me.