Page 48 - Summer2020GTP
P. 48
STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
JAPAN
NEWS FROM JAPAN
Beginning June 1, the government’s restraints
were gradually removed at golf courses, but
indoor sports facilities, such as golf teaching and
working out, are still in a difficult situation as players
are required to be seven feet apart. The whole
By Shuchi Yaginuma, President golf market, including golf courses, equipment and
USGTF-Japan teaching opportunities, is still very limited. And the
embers here in Japan are in a very difficult numbers of certification courses will be limited to
Msituation due to COVID-19. Most of them seven to eight times this year.
teach golf at indoor facilities and have no As we wait for progress to return, I would like to
teaching opportunities, which means no income share the below story from one of our members,
the past three months due to the emergency Sho Aoki. I hope you enjoy the read.
status announced by the government of Japan.
to improve her performance. All that I could do
then, however, was to help her learn how to make
solid contact on the club’s sweet spot. By working
on this, she could get through the third stage of
By Sho Aoki, the Q-school. Then I was asked to be her official
USGTF-Japan member and golf coach.
coach to tour professionals I think Hinako’s advantages are her amazing
have been coaching Hinako Shibuno, who w physical ability, her receptive mind to others’
I I have been coaching Hinako Shibuno, who advice and, most importantly, she is patient
won the 2019 Women’s British Open. In that enough to keep doing repetitive drills. She also has
tournament, I worked with her as a coach and exceptional scoring ability, which encourages her
caddie. to adjust her game appropriately, adapting to her
In 2017, when she first took lessons from me, it physical condition each day. Her experiences in
was two weeks before the first stage of the JLPGA playing softball as a pitcher seemed to contribute
Tour Q-school, and she had just failed to pass the to such a superior ability.
playing ability test to become a JLPGA member. By developing her own style in playing golf,
Her golf game was giving her great difficulty: she began to shoot aggressively for pins. I could
She hit the ball too low and was struggling with a see some improvement at the Vantelin Ladies
severe low-flying hook. The balls she hit weren’t Open, one of the JLPGA tournaments in April 2019.
stopping on the green. Most of her iron shots In that tournament, although she was near the
were fat shots. Some urgent fixes were necessary bottom after the first day, she improved her score
Sharing Our Passion Around The World!”
®
45
Golf Teaching Pro SUMMER 2020
