10/02/2014

For all the speculation about the future of golf, there is one fail proof solution that is the same as in any other sport.  If we teach the youth to perform to the best of their ability, we ensure the success of our game going forward.

My name is Todd Kolb.  I earned my PGA membership in 1993 and since then I’ve dedicated the better part of twenty years coaching young golfers in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area.  I’ve won many awards, including the 2008 Minnesota PGA Teacher of the Year and the 2010 Dakota Chapter Teacher of the Year. 

Dozens of players from the Todd Kolb Golf Academy have gone on to participate in collegiate golf.  I have sent students to schools as close as the University of South Dakota and South Dakota State, to as far as the University of New Mexico and the University of Arizona.  My most prized-pupil, Kim Kaufman, recently completed her rookie season on the LPGA Tour where she posted three top ten finishes in 14 events played.

What do I do differently that makes my players achieve such high levels of success?  In a word – process. 

Beginning as young as 10 years of age, we instill a process within the Academy that allows golfers to reach their full potential.  We envision their careers three and four years down the line, rather than three or four weeks. 

I often tell my players, “I don’t care what you shot today.  I don’t care what you shoot tomorrow.  What I do care about is how what we do today, will affect your game in the future.”

Of course, it starts with the fundamentals.  We work tirelessly to improve basic skills such as the basic grip, lag putting and chipping – things that if they do well, will always save strokes.  But, it’s not just fundamentals that we teach. 

We also teach the PROCESS of becoming a competitive golfer.  How to attack a certain pin, or how to remain in contention during the course of a tournament, are just a few of the things we dive into.  Golf, as I teach it, comes down to this:  You have to have a plan.

In this day and age of coaching to the masses, I have found great success and pleasure in working with smaller groups of students.  I typically have 15-20 students I work with individually.  This small ratio, allows me to immerse myself in their careers.  I know each of them individually and we are better able to personalize the process needed to help them achieve their long and short term goals.  I know with great detail the weaknesses and strengths of their games. By working hard so closely together we are able to celebrate success together, no matter how small or big that success may be.

As much as I would like to work closely with many more competitive golfers, it is just not physically possible.  Therefore, I have spent the last several years creating a platform to share my ideas and plans for creating elite golfers.  The information can be found at www.USGolfTV.com. 

While I won’t be able to establish the same sort of personal relationships that I do at the academy, the goal of the endeavor remains the same: to develop highly competitive junior golfers.  Thanks for reading, and enjoy the journey!

Fairways and Greens,

Todd Kolb