Extraordinary Golf Corporation Information

Extraordinary Golf is a unique educational organization, which offers golf schools for golfers of all ages and all levels of proficiency. Extraordinary Golf's parent company, Extraordinary Golf Corporation, also offers corporate training programs (Extraordinary Business through Extraordinary Golf) and coaches' development programs (Extraordinary Coaching). The Company is based in Carmel, CA. How long have Extraordinary Golf programs been in existence and who develops/leads them? Extraordinary Golf was founded in 1990 by coach and golf professional Fred Shoemaker who authored Extraordinary Golf: The Art of the Possible (Putnam/Perigee). Extraordinary Golf programs are developed and lead by its team of specially trained coaches. Where are programs held? The bulk of its programs are held at Carmel Valley Ranch Resort in Carmel California (May to November) and The Golf Club at Terra Lago in Indio/Palm Springs, California (January to April). Seasonal programs are held on the East Coast, in Canada and Japan with occasional programs in South America and Europe. New US regional programs are added ongoingly. Corporate programs are held at sites agreeable to the company and Extraordinary Golf. What distinguishes Extraordinary Golf from other programs? How is its instructional approach different? Extraordinary Golf intends that students learn to coach themselves through the development of their awareness. Also, whereas traditional instruction models the teacher as the knowledge giver and the student as the receiver of the knowledge, Extraordinary Golf trains the student to be the source of their development. The coach is a partner who enables the student to uncover their extraordinary ability to generate their development. What is covered at an Extraordinary Golf regular golf school (basic 3-day)? What can I expect? The 3-day program is rich! While we explore the short game to the full swing and examine all aspects of the game (curving the ball, power, solid contact, the time in between shots, the pre-shot routine, debriefing the round, etc.), great attention is paid to that which is of critical interest to each student . Another way of saying it is that each program is personalized to include the wishes of the student. You can expect to learn to coach yourself in those critical areas. You can also expect to renew your love of and perspective on the game. Other aspects of the program include examining how we learn and undermine our learning, joy and performance; what is concentration and how do we access it; how do we handle breakdowns, change, fear, self doubt; how do we learn to trust ourself. Are you a mental school? Extraordinary Golf is often mislabeled a mental school. In truth, we consider ourselves to be a "complete" school in that we cover the physical and mental sides. We aim to lessen our students' mental baggage (which is often what undermines their learning, joy and performance) and get them back to a physical game. After all, golf is a physical game: it involves the interplay of a target, a body, club and ball. The degree to which golfer is aware of those is usually the degree to which they develop in the game. The mental seems to mostly get in the way. If we do our job right, students leave our program freer than when they arrived. And, it's in that sense that we mean a "complete" school, inclusive of the physical and mental sides. Do you have a method or swing you ask each student to adopt? Do you work on mechanics? We don't ask students to adopt a particular swing style because the swing is as personal as their fingerprints. Rather, we want them to discover their own swing. We do work on mechanics but not in the way you might imagine. Mechanics emerge naturally without students having to remember a long list of physical moves. Golfers who have a lot to remember feel the stress of mental clutter, end up learning slowly and performing poorly. We intend that students leave with less mental stuff, more physical resources and a renewed appreciation for their natural instincts. Do golf pros really attend? Do you put people in different categories? If not, how does that work for the beginner and the pro? Many teaching pros participate in the 3-day school. They come to develop their game and expand their teaching/coaching skills. In fact, both the LPGA and PGA provide continuing education accreditation to their members for taking the programs. Having beginners and pros in the same group is not a detriment to either. It adds richness to the group and to each other. But when it comes to the coaching, students are coached individually so each student receives coaching appropriate to their level of development, not to that of the person next to them. Won't I be tired of hitting all day? I don't think I can sustain it for 3 days! We don't expect you to. We realize that people are not trained to hit for 3 consecutive days so we've created a program with enough pace and variety to make it manageable to students of all levels and ages. And yet, there will be plenty of time to hit balls. In addition, we will be reminding to monitor your body and see to your wellbeing. In the end, students are surprised at how much energy they have at the end of each day and how much was accomplished. How much time will be spent indoors? Your indoor time will be approximately 20% of your program, just enough time to set up the foundation of the 3 days, to view videos and have a daily chat about how things are going. Will we play golf in the basic 3-day program? Yes, students play with a coach to bring their learning to the course and to learn how to handle breakdowns. We know that breakdowns are part of the learning process (breakdowns and breakthrough) so we intend to have you look at new ways to be handled them so that you don't get stuck there for very long. How do I learn more about the program? I'm still not sure it's for me. We suggest you read Extraordinary Golf: The Art of the Possible (Perigee) by Fred Shoemaker (available online, through your local bookstore or library). The book is a good read and reveals a great deal about how we approach golf and the learning process. From reading it, we think you'll get a feel for whether the program is for you or not. Alternatively, call us at 800 541 2444 or email us at email@extraordinarygolf.com. We'd be happy to chat with you about what you're looking to develop and whether we're a fit.