More lessons from golf…

Taking notes (getting the most out of each lesson) 

I admit it, I am a note-taker. I keep a bound journal of each of my golf lessons and sessions on the practice range, just as a way of noting how things went, what I’ve observed, what I’m trying to focus on, and what’s working (or not). I think the act of writing on the page also helps me remember those points better.

I noticed this at my last golf lesson: while 30 minutes seems like a short amount of time, and the 4 or 5 key instruction points would seem to be easy to retain, I still drew a blank when I stepped off the mat and tried to record those points at the end of my lesson. Unlike my students, I don’t have the advantage of a 3rd person taking notes for me during my lesson, but it really reminded me that if I want to keep track of all the comments from my instructor, so I can really work on internalizing them when I practice, I need to find a way to record them in real time during the lesson. My golf pro doesn’t use video (yet), but I am tempted to start taping my lessons!

My golf story of the day…a lesson in not practicing

I thought I’d share some of my experiences from my golf lesson today, which I went to with the full knowledge that I had not picked up a golf club all week.

Some of my favorite things

Here’s my version of the list of things I just love:

• really nice stationery
• the perfect shoes (for the perfect outfit and occasion)
• a really beautiful and delicious buffet at someone’s home during winter

Quality versus Quantity of Practice

A common question I am faced with is, “Is it more important to get through a whole list of pieces each day, or to focus on a few pieces and really accomplish something?”

You might gather from my choice of words where my bias lies. I think it’s always a balance between covering enough ground to build the child’s repertoire, endurance, attention span, etc, and trying to get through too much, leading to lack of retention.

Facing Resistance to Practice

I’m often asked by parents, “What should I say when my child doesn’t want to practice?”

It’s common for players at all levels – even professionals – to experience some days when practice feels mostly like a chore, and other days that seem filled with inspiration and energy. The trick is to commit yourself to something useful to result from each of these kinds of practice days.

Our latest group photo

 Here is our current group of students at a recent concert on December 9, 2006.

Holiday repertoire class – December 16th

Here’s the schedule of events this Saturday:

• 9:15AM – Arrive for tuning
• 9:30AM - Combined repertoire class (varied order of pieces) begins, with parent participation, games and prizes!
• 10:45AM – DVD screening of Betty Haag Academy’s Christmas 1984 appearance on AM Chicago, hosted by Oprah Winfrey (the job that originally brought Oprah to Chicago)…see Dr. Chu when she was just a few years older than her students now, and watch Oprah learn to play Jingle Bells!
• 11:00AM – Mini recital with Dr. Chu, Mr. Mah, and Mrs. Mori….FINALLY we are performing for all of you!
• 11:15AM – Reception for all families