Coach of the Month: Adrian Harris

Name: Adrian Harris
Age: 31
Coaching at: Broadstone Golf Club, Dorset

TrackMan User since:
January 2017

When and why did you start playing golf?
I started playing around the age of 8, my father’s work meant he followed the coverage of the golf week in week out once the USPGA Tour was covered by Sky in the early 90s I would sit next to him and watch each tournament which ignited a passion for the game from then on.

What is your HCP?
PGA Professional, turned pro off scratch 10 years ago.

Which is your favorite golf course?
I was lucky enough to play Waterville on the South-West coast of Ireland as a youngster in 1999, we were invited by a family friend to travel over and meet the best players in the world who were there to prepare for The Open Championship. It was here that we took one of my prized possessions, a photograph with the world number one at the time David Duval, the greatest golfer of my generation Tiger Woods and the unforgettable Payne Stewart who had just won the US Open at Pinehurst. The course is a stunning links, which the players loved at the time and is certainly not for the fainthearted!

Do you have a favorite coach you follow and why?
Historically I have always admired Butch Harmon, his record of pupils including Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Adam Scott to name but a few speaks for itself. I enjoy listening to his take on the game when he joins the television commentary and always drops in some pearls of wisdom!

More recently I have been involved in gaining my TPI qualifications which boasts a number of top coaches in various aspects of the game including Dr Greg Rose, Dave Phillips and James Sieckmann all of which look at the game with a very modern approach utilising the latest technology to identify strengths and weaknesses of a pupil in a measurable way.

We strive to emulate this approach at Broadstone which lead to investing in a TrackMan 4 to ensure we offer the best possible service we can to our customers.

Who is your favorite player and why?
My favourite player has always been Freddie Couples, he was at his prime when I first started watching golf, his swing was very infectious and I would always try to imitate his moves and unique tempo when out practising myself. I was given a replica Lynx visor as a 12th birthday present, which initiated a nickname as ‘Freddie’ with my peers through the rest of my junior time and I still play without a glove to this day!

What is your best golf related achievement?
As is a common story amongst club pros I played most of my competitive golf as an amateur representing my county at all levels working up to training with the England squad for a couple of years as a junior. As a pro I qualified for the Europro Tour only to finish my season after one event due to injury which lead me to focus more on the teaching side of the industry.

As a golf coach, what is the most common mistake among players you see?
The most common mistake I see is controlling the low point of the swing, this is usually due to the incorrect sequence of moves on the downswing, it is quite a difficult area to teach but broken down into more manageable steps can lead to big improvements in strike, distance and control.

What are your greatest professional strengths?
Being able to adapt to the wide variety of clients that we see is a feature that is essential for any good coach. We see all shapes, personalities and physical capabilities at the golf club and identifying ways to adjust how and what you teach each individual is an area I think we are particularly strong at here.

What’s in your bag?
Callaway Epic SubZero 9.0 Driver
Callaway XR Pro 16’ Fairway Wood
Callaway Apex UT 18’ & 21’ Utility Irons
Callaway Apex 4 iron – 9 iron
Callaway MacDaddy 3 48’ Wedge
Callaway MacDaddy Forged 52’ & 58’
Odyssey O Works #7

How often do you play golf yourself?
I try to play as much as possible but running a busy shop and teaching facility does restrict playing times, in a good week I will play 2 to 3 times.

What has changed since you started working with a TrackMan?
The main thing that has changed since working with TrackMan is the confidence that you can have in knowing that what you are trying to teach the pupil is having the desired effect. To be able to measure faults and progress in a pupil’s swing had always been subjective but to get the confirmation from TrackMan that improvements are working is fantastic and encouraging.

Which is your favourite TrackMan feature, and why?
There are many TrackMan features that work great, for club fitting the optimizer offers a great, quick visual for customers to see if a club is performing as it should and if not, why.

For teaching I love to use the screencast option to give the client a professional, informative summary of each session.

For playing the performance centre is fantastic, this allows you to identify strengths and weaknesses using the Combine Test and also design and adapt practice sessions where you can hit to random yardages as you would out on the golf course making the practice much more efficient.

The TrackMan University is also a great reference for players and coaches of any level and has been a great resource tool since purchasing the TrackMan 4.

How and where can golfers get in touch with you?
Website: www.adrianharrisgolf.co.uk
Email: broadstonepros@gmail.com
Twitter: @broadstonepros

Do you have any suggestions, how TrackMan can do better or differently?
I would find it very hard to criticise TrackMan as they are world leading in what they do and offer so much already.

However, evolving the data and features in the putting app would be fantastic and a standard combine test for junior golfers of different ages/abilities would be very popular.

Nevertheless, keep up the great work!!

Disclaimer: The answers in this interview have not been modified or changed, nor do they necessarily represent the views of TrackMan A/S.