About Mark
About Mark - Traditional teaching golf professional (NZ)
Background: My journey in golf began at the Templeton Country Golf Club in Christchurch, New Zealand, where my parents introduced me to the sport. As a junior player, I dedicated myself to golf, eventually leading me to Melbourne, Australia, in 1979. There, I started my professional career as a trainee at Mornington Country Club in Victoria under Trevor Flakemore.
After returning to New Zealand and competing on the professional golf circuit, I was appointed the Resident Professional at Christchurch Golf Club in 1983. I later took on the same role at Harewood Golf Club, which ended in 1988, and I am currently at Russley Golf Club. This unwavering commitment to the game, a passion that has been a driving force throughout my golf teaching career, is something I bring to every lesson, with every student.
As a Teaching Professional, I have had the privilege of coaching a diverse range of golfers, including individuals of various genders and ages, in both social and competitive settings. My students range from beginners to more accomplished players with high-performance aspirations. I believe in a holistic approach to teaching, focusing on the technical/physical elements, mental and emotional components, and golf psychology to help each of my students, regardless of their background, reach their full playing potential.
INSPIRING Training Endeavours
The 10 Major Movements have two distinct shot-routine phases: 1 to 5, the Fundamentals involving pre-shot set-up and address, and 6 to 10, Swing Technique involving the execution of the shot.
10 Major Movements brief description:
- Grip: correctly holding the club in both hands (top ahnd / bottom hand)
- Stance: feet placement with ball position in mind
- Alignment: direction of body & club with the intended target / aiming-point
- Posture: physical structure and athletic pose at set-up over the ball
- Waggle: takeaway rehearsal mimicking stroke intentions
- Backswing: triggered takeaway, activation of upper rotation & shoulder-turn over hip-pivot and lower-body
- Swing Plane: shoulders incline tilt-angle at address, moving to on-plane back & froward swing motion
- Forward Swing: transition into the downswing and pre-release, to release-action and follow-through
- IMPACT: point of the contact between clubface & ball, to beyond the impact-span
- Swing Finish: effective footwork moving to, target-side clearance, to upper rotation and shoulder-turn, through to stable recoil and balanced finishing pose.