Coach of the Month: Emma Fairnie

Name: Emma Fairnie
Age: 30
Coaching at: The Institute of Golf, Auckland, NZ.

TrackMan User since:
November 2017

When and why did you start playing golf?
I started playing when I was 10 in a tiny village in Scotland called Minto. I was a pretty sporty kid and very competitive. So when my brother (who’s 6 years older than me) threw me a club to have a hit when me and my dad went to pick him up from his junior coaching, I blasted it down the practice range and the rest is history…

I am now an Honorary member of Minto Golf Club and always go back when I am in Scotland for a visit.

What is your HCP?
I was 0.6 handicap when I turned pro in 2010.

Which is your favorite golf course?
I have been spoilt for choice playing all of Scotland’s best courses. I worked near Muirfield when I was training and got to play it regularly-it was a lot of fun and had pretty tight fairways with thigh high rough if it was in a lead up to an Open. Royal Aberdeen and Kingsbarns are probably my top two outside of East Lothian.

Do you have a favorite coach you follow and why?
I like to look at lots of different coaching styles and methods. I believe that all theories have a time and place that they can be applied. Our coaching team are always looking for better ways to teach and more effective methods so its great to look at what everyone else is doing and trying it out.

Who is your favorite player and why?
I have always loved Sergio Garcia. The way he attacks all shots and his pure ball striking is impressive.

What is your best golf related achievement?
When I was training in the UK, I finished as runner up in the Trainee of the Year awards (there were over 400 students in my year group). The top 3 students were all female- for me that showed the real potential that I had in the golfing industry and is still a great moment to look back on.

Following that, moving to New Zealand in 2014 to work with Guy Wilson and Craig Dixon, Lydia Ko’s former coaches, has been massive. They are so passionate about what they do and love to share their knowledge. I love being part of a team who are so devoted to coaching and attack the challenges of golf coaching every day.

As a golf coach, what is the most common mistake among players you see?
Living in a big city, we see a lot of driving range golfers who don’t really play golf. Hitting off a mat can present quite a different situation to playing on real turf with awkward lies and varying ground conditions. TrackMan has so many features that allow us to make practice more applicable to a real on course situation. The Combine Test is great fun- players need to know their distances and be able to flight the ball appropriately. It makes range practice a lot more effective when the weather makes courses unplayable over the winter season.

And of course the perpetual slicer. But you’ve probably heard that one before…

What are your greatest professional strengths?
A big smile and a sparkling personality ?

But on a more serious note, I love working with players from all backgrounds, ages and abilities. My experience has been gathered over almost 9 years of coaching and in different countries and cultures. Meeting new players everyday means that we have new challenges that we, as coaches, need to figure out and communicate with each player. My key role at The Institute of Golf is Junior Development and Programming. I am always looking for better ways of teaching and applying our knowledge so that players have a more effective understanding of what we are trying to teach them. This means that they see results, and faster.

What’s in your bag?
Callaway Big Bertha Driver (waiting on my new Rogue!)
Callaway Big Bertha 3 wood
Callaway XR hy4 hybrid
Callaway Apex UT 24 degree
Apex Pro Irons 5-PW
MD3 Wedges 50, 56, 60.

How often do you play golf yourself?
Last year I had an ACL reconstruction on my knee which required 9 months of rehab so I have just been getting back into playing more again in the past few months- we had a team training trip down to Queenstown last month and played Jacks point and Millbrook. Those courses are pretty exciting to play so it really made me want to play more! Right now, I play once a week and will practice a couple of times.

What has changed since you started working with a TrackMan?
Understanding how measurements are made and how one parameter effects another has been so powerful in becoming a more effective and efficient coach. I now know exactly where to look when I want to see specific flights. I am much more assertive about what I want to see- and I love using My TrackMan to measure and record changes over time. The players love this too and really feel a sense of achievement when they look at their improvements. It’s very easy to forget how far they have come.

Which is your favourite TrackMan feature, and why?
Optimizer is great for Juniors. It’s extremely easy for them to see if they are creating optimal launch conditions and can generally figure out what they need to do to improve the consistency of their shots. The colourful tabs and 3D flight also keeps it interesting.

How and where can golfers get in touch with you?
If you’d like to come see us at The Institute of Golf, visit our Website www.instituteofgolf.co.nz.

Information about all of our facilities is available there, and contact forms are available if you are looking for more information.

Do you have any suggestions, how TrackMan can do better or differently?
Love the new impact feature- keep the updates coming!

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