By Jagpreet Sandhu,New Delhi, Feburary 2 :The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA), representing over 7,000 professionals and recognized as the leading educational body for the industry across the world, has teamed up with the International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF) who are themselves affiliated with the IOC and represent 83 National Governing Bodies.
The collaboration will see a sharing of coaching ideas and practices and has been welcomed by PGA director of education and career development Kyle Phillpots and Nic Barrow, IBSF head coach.
Phillpots said: “Nic and I initially had an informal conversation about coaching which stemmed from the similarities of coaching snooker and golf players.” “Golf and snooker both use specific equipment to impact a stationary ball for putting or potting. Parallels in golf and snooker also pair up delicate pitching & cue ball control, driving & long potting, and bunker shots & snooker escapes. Golf skills rely on biomechanics, and benefit from movement analysis. The smallest detail in swing or cueing action, and precise manner of ball impact can have huge effects on the shot result”, he added.
He also told that they are always looking at ways to improve world’s renowned education programme – the three year foundation degree in professional golf.
The IBSF Coaching Academy employ techniques such as hypnosis, biofeedback and awareness based learning techniques for their player improvement programmes. IBSF Coaches benefit from a wide array of teaching techniques, root cause analysis methodology and business building skills that can lead to their eventual appointment as an IBSF Coach Examiner.
Pascal Guillaume, president of the IBSF said: “Since founding the IBSF Coaching Academy in 2005, we have always looked at other sports to open our minds for coaching and playing principles that work in snooker. With the PGA, we hope to have a long and lasting relationship that can benefit the coaches and players of both sports for many years to come.