As winter approaches and temperatures decrease, it would be a safe bet to say that the golf season is long over. Having put all their clubs away, golf fanatics must now wait at least four or five months before they can make their next tee shot. They will, of course, start out the new season rusty, enduring several rough outings before they can find their rhythms.
UTM students can avoid this process. Beginning January 13, they can get a head start and work out all their golf-related issues by signing up for golf lessons at the RAWCs state-of-the-art golf cages.
This course introduces students to golf at a great price. A typical lesson at an average golf instruction facility is a minimum of $75 per hour, whereas the course is $60 for four one-hour sessions at the RAWC.
Not only is the price affordable, but the learning experience is notably advantageous. Taught by Jim Beddome, UTMs own golf professional, students will absorb 25 years of golf teaching experience and expertise. The courses have a maximum of three participants per session, so students can be sure to get some high quality individual attention.
Rachel Tennant, program coordinator of the Department of Physical Education, noticed that students who have partaken in this course in past years share similar bad habits.
The most common issues with peoples swing include too much power, lack of balance and no tempo, said Tennant. Practice, with correct feedback, is likely to help the student improve.
Beddomes personalized approach helps each participant improve their individual mechanics. The golf cages only allow the student to hit the ball eight feet, so they are forced to strategically develop their swing. Without the pressure of hitting the ball far, students can focus on the accuracy and the biomechanics of the swing rather than the power in the swing.
The course also offers a video analysis of the students swing. Participants can see what is good and what needs to be fixed, as well as see their swing compared to a swing with the proper mechanics.
For those who are even remotely serious about the game of golf, these lessons are essential. Trying to develop proper mechanics on your own is next to impossible due to the complexity and the science behind the golf swing.
Students can sign up for the course either online or at the RAWCs membership services. There are no requirements for the course, and the Department of Athletics even provides clubs for use during the lessons. All UTM students and current RAWC membership holders are welcome to join.
For students unsure about signing up for the course, the RAWC also offers Try IT clinics for golf. They are free of charge and offer students one-hour learning sessions run by UTM coaches and instructors. These free clinics are scheduled to run on Wednesday, January 20, and Friday, January 22, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the golf cages.
As for the course itself, it will be offered on January 13 and 15, and again on February 24 and 26. On Wednesdays, the sessions will take place at 6 p.m., 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. and on Fridays at noon, 1 p.m. or 2 p.m.
For more information on the course, contact program coordinator Rachel Tennant by phone at
905-828-3712 or by email at rachel.tennant@utoronto.ca.
