OB Sports Golf & Leisure

OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE x WINTER 2016 x obsports.com l Q&A ask me about, and teaching gives me a chance to talk about golf and about play- ing on the Tour. I also find enjoyment in seeing people improve. A lot of people are afraid to take lessons, so it means so much when they decide to take that step. Seeing that smile they get when they hit a good shot makes it all worth it. And the thing I really enjoy is working with kids. I think I have a good demeanor with them. Especially with kids, it's not about being 100 percent serious with them all the time. I like to make it fun. That's the way to get people, and particularly kids, involved and inter- ested in the game. How would you describe your teaching philosophy? I actually don't think I have a specific teaching philosophy, because I'm not big on doing anything just one way. Everyone is totally different – their strengths are differ- ent, their flexibility is different. So I like to focus on basic fundamentals: swinging the club in an athletic manner, getting the club back to where it started efficiently, and letting the body do the work. When I've focused on the basic fundamentals and then improved what needs to be improved on a case-by-case basis, I've found success. My personal approach to teaching stems from my desire to give back to the game that has done so much for me. I never know where my students are going to go with the game or how far they'll compete, but I do know that if I help them establish fundamentals, they'll be able to play their whole lives. What is the one most important thing you teach every student? The biggest thing I try to teach is consis- tency. Once you find the motion you want, it's about doing it over and over again. That correct, repetitive motion is going to get you where you want to go. Everybody has a slightly different swing, but if you find the swing that works for you, you have to practice it, perfect it, and trust it. Best golf tip you ever received? Be patient with progress. Everybody, myself included, wants to see improvement quickly. In some cases that's possible, but more often than not, improvement takes a long time. You'll get there with a good work ethic and patience. What might someone be surprised to know about you? A lot of people don't know how big of a golf family I come from. They're usually surprised that my family has been heavily involved with golf on a professional level for 50-plus years, and that my brother, sister, and I all played at the highest level. CLICK HERE TO VISIT JEFF GALLAGHER ONLINE SHORT SHOTS ›› WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVE- MENT? Having a great family. That's the most important thing to me. Raising two great daugh- ters is No. 1. But on the golf side, I think my greatest achievement was that first year of get- ting my PGA Tour card, which happened before the 1996 season. ›› WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO ON THE GOLF COURSE? I always go back to that one word: patience. I'm not always the best example of it, but it's something I al- ways strive for. ›› WHAT IS YOUR BEST SCORE EVER AND WHERE? A 62 is the lowest that I can remember. I've shot that a few times, but the first time was at the Byron Nelson Tournament on the PGA Tour in 1998. Gallagher works with students young and old alike.

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