Potting and putting: A new link

PGA and snooker get together over coaching ideas

Fri, 9 Dec 2011
Potting and putting: A new link

Leading coaches in golf and snooker are to share knowledge that should prove beneficial to both sports.

The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA), which represents more than 7,000 professionals and is recognised as the leading educational body for the industry worldwide, has teamed up with International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF) to see what each can learn from the other.

The collaboration will see a sharing of coaching ideas and practices and has been welcomed by the PGA’s director of education and career development Kyle Phillpots and Nic Barrow, head coach at the IBSF, a member of the World Confederation of Billiard Sports, which is recognised by the International Olympic Committee.

Phillpots says: “I had an informal conversation with Nic about coaching because of the similarities of coaching snooker players and golfers.

“We both use specific equipment to move a stationary ball, be it be for putting or potting and there are numerous similarities with ball control, long and short games and various scenarios to get out of testing situations.

“Both skills rely on biomechanics, the analysis of movement and the effects that the smallest detail in the swing or cueing action can have on the outcome of the shot.

“We use state-of-the-art computer technology and high-speed photography to examine cause and effect and this kind of technology can be harnessed in snooker coaching too.

“I’m sure snooker coaching can provide us with methods of analysis and coaching that the PGA training department can draw on and use,” says Kyle.

“We have a world-renowned education programme, but are always looking at ways we can improve this and having this relationship with the IBSF is an example.”

The IBSF represents 83 national governing bodies across the world and uses techniques such as hypnosis, biofeedback and awareness-based learning in its player improvement programmes. Its coaches also benefit fromteaching techniques, root cause analysis and building business skills, which can ultimately lead to IBSF coach examiner status.

Pascal Guillaume, president of the IBSF said: “Since founding the IBSF Coaching Academy in 2005, we have always looked at other sports to open our minds to coaching and playing principles that can work in snooker. With golf, we hope to have a long and lasting relationship that can benefit the coaches and players of both sports for many years to come.”

For more information on the PGA National Training Academy visit www.pga.info

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