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DAVID
COLLINS
Master Teaching Professional, CGTF
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David Collins has
been a member of the CGTF for 10 years, and a Master Teaching
Professional for nine of those years. At the Level IV course at
the Ahwatukee Country Club in Phoenix, Arizona, he was awarded
“Best Overall Performance” in his class, and has also been an
instructor at several certification courses.
Many Canadian members will remember him at their courses, and
will no doubt still be using the short game skills they learned
during his short game clinics that week. He has also contributed
articles for Golf Teaching Pro magazine over the last several
years.
David has been employed for over 25 years as a nuclear operator
and is licensed by the Canadian federal government to operate
nuclear reactors in the control room of the Ontario Power
Generation, Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. This highly
scientific background was valuable experience when David decided
to enter the field of professional golf instruction.
It is interesting to note the similarities between David and the
wellknown teacher Dave Pelz. Both come from scientific
backgrounds. Both men are about the same size, 6’ 4”, and both
specialize in teaching the short game using science to support
the techniques and learning. David is currently the Master
Teaching Professional at Fox Run Golf Centre (www.foxrungolfcentre.com),
and Fox Run proudly displays the CGTF logo.
His teaching philosophy begins with the fundamentals of grip,
alignment, stance and posture, and ball position. As much as
each person’s swing has some uniqueness, every swing will need
good fundamentals to provide a foundation to the swing and swing
movement. David will also take the time to prove to students
what makes the golf ball behave the way it does using the ball
flight laws and other scientific facts, so that the student has
a clear understanding of what caused an undesirable golf shot.
This allows the student a clear idea of what to focus on during
the next swing to make a correction. It is fascinating to watch
David with a student after a mis-hit golf shot. The discussion
usually is in three parts:
“What causes a golf ball to behave in that manner?”
“What tendency in your swing produces that particular cause?”
“Fix the next swing!”
The result is always a more successful swing, much to the
delight and amazement of the student. This is important to
students, as when they go out to practice even after one lesson
from David, they are able to correctly analyze each golf swing
and have a plan to correct the next swing. Practice becomes much
more efficient for the student.
Taking the time to prove the causes of golf ball behavior also
allows David to effectively teach very good players. Several
very low-handicap players are regulars at Fox Run and will not
hesitate to book lesson packages to fine-tune their swings with
him.
As much as David’s lesson plan draws on science and detailed
fact to support the swing improvements, every student has fun
while they learn. It is important also to note that every
student learns. David has always adhered to a message that was
presented during his Level IV course in Phoenix by Mark
Harman. Written down in David’s note book from that year is this
quote: “After each and every lesson, there should be a
noticeable and tangible improvement in your student.”
These words have become a mission statement for David in his
golf teaching career.
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