Page 48 - 07.06 p1-56 (Final Print)
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
By Shuchi Yaginuma feet apart. The whole golf market, including golf
President USGTF-Japan courses, equipment and teaching opportunities,
embers here in Japan are in a very is still very limited. And the numbers of
Mdifficult situation due to COVID-19. certification courses will be limited to seven to
Most of them teach golf at indoor facilities eight times this year.
and have no teaching opportunities, which As we wait for progress to return, I would
means no income the past three months due like to share the below story from one of our
to the emergency status announced by the members, Sho Aoki. I hope you enjoy the read.
government of Japan.
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 coach.
and golf coach to tour I think Hinako’s advantages are her
professionals amazing physical ability, her receptive mind
have been coaching Hinako Shibuno, who to others’ advice and, most importantly, she
I won the 2019 Women’s British Open. In that is patient enough to keep doing repetitive
tournament, I worked with her as a coach and drills. She also has exceptional scoring ability,
caddie. which encourages her to adjust her game
In 2017, when she first took lessons from me, appropriately, adapting to her physical
it was two weeks before the first stage of the condition each day. Her experiences in playing
JLPGA Tour Q-school, and she had just failed softball as a pitcher seemed to contribute to
to pass the playing ability test to become a such a superior ability.
JLPGA member. Her golf game was giving her By developing her own style in playing
great difficulty: She hit the ball too low and golf, she began to shoot aggressively for pins.
was struggling with a severe low-flying hook. I could see some improvement at the Vantelin
The balls she hit weren’t stopping on the green. Ladies Open, one of the JLPGA tournaments
Most of her iron shots were fat shots. Some in April 2019. In that tournament, although she
urgent fixes were necessary to improve her was near the bottom after the first day, she
performance. All that I could do then, however, improved her score the next day to make the
cut. After finishing the first day with a score of
“Sharing Our Passion Around The World!”
®
48
SUMMER 2020 Golf Teaching Pro ®
