SNAG and 10 and Under Tennis: A Comparative Analysis to Awaken an Industry

March 25th, 2011 5:30pm - Posted By: Rob

Whole New Ballgame from 10 and Under Tennis on Vimeo.

 

Player development within the golf industry is about to take huge step forward. That is, as long as the golf industry takes notice.  The tennis industry has embraced change and has revolutionized the way tennis is taught to kids, using QuickStart. A point to ponder, tennis grew by 4 million new players since QuickStart was introduced and golf lost 3 million last year alone…hummmm. By comparing SNAG Golf and 10 and Under Tennis using QuickStart, I hope to offer one solution to attract and retain new players, thus growing golf. QuickStart is for tennis what SNAG is for golf.

WHAT:

10 and Under Tennis using the QuickStart Tennis play format has revolutionized the way tennis is taught to kids. The concept is very simple in that the equipment is modified to fit the needs of a new learner. Balls are lower in compression thus move slower for easier hitting and skills development. The racquets are smaller with larger sweet spots and the courts are smaller thus allowing the player to cover more effectively. For over 10 years SNAG Golf has been teaching with a similar concept. Our equipment is modified to fit the new learner (of all ages) to make skills development easier with less frustration thus more fun. SNAG can be taught indoors or out and on almost any surface. Both 10 and Under Tennis and SNAG allow the new player to actually play more while learning the needed skills to grow to the next level.

WHY:

10 and Under Tennis does a great job comparing player development in other sports with that of Tennis. For example, baseball is taught by first hitting off a T hence T-Ball. Basketball has a lowered hoop and smaller ball. Soccer has a shortened field and smaller goals and balls. It is plain to see the success these sports have had in attracting and retaining players.  Many professionals in the golf industry embrace this reality and want to make similar changes.  We are contacted by these Pros every day.  Many of them have been screaming to our governing and organizational bodies in golf to embrace this same philosophy for years. Tennis is 100% behind this form of player development and we in golf should be too.

SNAG Golf will continue to do what we have been doing for over 10 years to grow the game of golf by introducing golf to millions of new learners worldwide. We are also thrilled that the National Recreation & Parks Association (NRPA) has stepped up to the plate to roll out our much anticipated G-Ball program which is golf’s version of T-Ball. We will finally have golf in the parks to develop future player’s one community at a time. In addition to the 5,000 schools that use SNAG to teach golf we have over 25 countries around the world who have committed to growing golf’s popularity. What our governing bodies have to face is that the game is in a fight for survival.

HOW:

10 and Under Tennis is easy to be a part of and has great resources on their site. In short, they are highly organized and new players interested in tennis do not have to go far to find a program. At SNAG we are still growing and expanding our network of professionals, golf facilities, Park & Rec departments, and schools. Since there are no formal programs of this quality offered by our organizational bodies we urge you, the professional, to contact us if you want to offer programs to both grow golf and create sizable new business opportunities for your facility.

Where:

Like 10 and Under using QuickStart, SNAG can be played almost anywhere and on any surface. Although SNAG classes are very popular at golf facilities it can also be taught indoors in bad weather or in the off season. It can be played and practiced in your student’s backyard, in a park, or on the beach. This means a professional can teach golf skills to new learners without stepping foot on a golf course.

Conclusion:

SNAG Golf focuses on advanced player development programs for new learners of all ages. We have been working with the same philosophy for over 10 years, much longer than 10 and Under Tennis. The difference is that 10 and Under Tennis, with the help of its governing bodies, has acted fast to implement a superior program to grow their sport. They let logic and reason prevail by setting aside red tape and egos for the betterment of the game. There is something to be learned here and I urge everyone in golf to start thinking on this level. We understand that professionals are on the front lines and introducing golf to new learners is a big part of your job. We offer a coaching system to help transform your business and the golf industry as a whole.

 

Check out their AWESOME website with amazing videos and easy to understand reasons as to why this is a no brainer:

http://10andundertennis.com/

(Oh yeah, in case you were wondering that IS Michelle Obama endorsing the 10 and Under Tennis program on their website) GREAT JOB TENNIS INDUSTRY! Making a sport fun for kids...very smart!

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Response to "Call for Mindset Change" article

January 5th, 2011 4:18pm - Posted By: Rob

This blog is in response to the “Call for Mindset Change” article in the December Asian Golf Monthly: See page 44, http://asp18.digitalflip.com/asiangolf/asiangolfmonthly/AGM123/AGM123-Dec2010.html

 

Multi-time Majors champions Gary Player, Greg Norman, and Annika Sorrenstam were among 50 world class speakers at the fourth Asia Pacific Golf Summit in Bangkok who debated the direction of golf in Asia, direction of the junior game, and the importance of keeping golf relevant in these rapidly changing times. The Asian golf industry hasn’t even been hit as hard as the U.S. has and they are already being more proactive!  As the article states, “The call for CHANGE was pretty much unanimous. With Greg Norman and Gary Player to the fore, heartfelt pleas for a paradigm shift in the mindset in the golfing industry intensified.” Much of the focus was squarely on golf development to grow the game. As most of you already know, this is a subject very near and dear to our hearts; we are passionate about golf development! One of the hot button subjects in the golf industry right now is how to shift the “Big Golf” mindset to something more inclusive where we bring in more players.  We agree that golf as an industry “can’t afford to do business the way we always have”.

In any industry change does not come easy and that especially applies to a game that throughout its history has been very exclusive. Elder statesmen of the sport Gary Player and Greg Norman pleaded for a paradigm shift in the mindset of the golfing industry in a recent APGS conference in Bangkok. While there were many areas of improvement discussed at the summit, I want to address the issues that stand the best chance of actually making progress in what I term “Big Golf”. In short, Big Golf cannot get out of its own way simply because it’s too big.  A simple but powerful statement that speaks to the inherent issues that are causing the game to die a slow death. Mr. Player and Mr. Norman realize this and are reaching out for answers to transform the game of golf into a sport that more people have access to in a variety of environments. We have a few ideas for Mr. Player and Mr. Norman and with their support and the support of other industry leaders we can make infinite progress toward making golf a thriving sport among all ages, abilities, races, and economic circumstances.

So, let’s explore some of the major concerns discussed at the APGS.

1.       “We need to get more people into this game”: Getting NEW players and RETAINING them requires targeting specific groups. Then, making the learning process fun and easy with real measures of success early on. Golf is a lifelong sport and it takes hard work and dedicated to make process. Just ask Mr. Player and Mr. Norman and I am sure they will tell you they are always improving in all areas of their game and in their life. SNAG equipment and training tools make the learning process fun and easy. It is a revolutionary learning system that incorporates cutting edge teaching techniques with unlimited and engaging fun! SNAG touches on all aspects of the game from an emotional, physical, and mental perspective. We employ things like NLP and Task Focused Instruction to get real results (Jedi Knight stuff). The equipment is modified to make learning easy right from the start. There is nothing more difficult than hitting for the first time with traditional equipment.  The game can also be played anywhere indoors or out while delivering a real golf experience. Now, I know all the teaching pros are thinking NOT WITH MY PROGRAM! Yes, with your program too. Would you like to have golf in every school in your section feeding the bright and talented young golfers for years to come?  Do you want to bring new players into the game of golf and retain them for a lifetime? If you’re interested in achieving these goals please keep reading...

2.       “We need to get kids away from their Playstations and get them an introduction to golf in the elementary and middle schools”: I know this seems like a daunting task. Ask any parent or family member of a youngster and they will tell you that between the TV, video games, and texting our kids sometimes seem like technology zombies. We need to get our kids engaged in the real world! Breathing fresh air, learning, and being physically active!! SNAG is currently utilized in PE classes in more than 5,000 schools in the U.S. and over 1,000 schools in 25 countries. To clarify, that is 6,000 schools worldwide learning and playing golf. Our All Ages Kit is a turnkey operating system that PE professionals can easily implement to teach up to 48 kids comfortably indoors or out. Our SNAG-a-School program teaches the local golf professional how to implement a golf program in area schools that provide for a feeder into the local courses helping to grow the game regionally.

3.       “We need to get existing golfers to play more”: In these busy and economically challenging times, how many families can spend 5 hours and $50 to 100 per person at a country club playing traditional golf? (and that is assuming the kids and the spouse enjoy golf at all). The answer is very few families, and even these numbers are diminishing. With SNAG, families, groups, and people of all abilities can play anywhere for a very low cost. The focus can be on having fun instead of holding up the guys behind you because your wife (or you) takes 15 layup shots to reach a par 3 green. You can play for as long as you like, anywhere you like, and include everyone.

4.       “We need to launch aggressive junior golf development programs”: This is a huge part of our mission. We do this all day every day. There are thousands of pros out there doing a great job with SNAG golf development programs. Over the years we have helped many of these pros to develop or improve their junior golf program so it is attractive to potential clients and sustainable; this is fun for us and we can help make it easy for you. Don’t go it alone, we have a network of experienced pros and a library of resources.  

I urge you to read the article HERE and judge for yourself. Are there very real issues effecting the game of golf? The answer is clear and we firmly believe our programming and innovative approach to the business of golf will make a significant and positive change for the better.

Enough talk, let's see some action! Take a look at our SNAG International Distributors at http://www.snagpros.com/internationaldistributors.html who are making great strides in their home countires. Our mission at SNAG is to grow the game worldwide by putting golf in every school. We partner with the First Tee and other groups in the U.S. to accomplish this goal but we also need the help of all of our dedicated professionals out there that want to grow the game!

SNAGROB      

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Professionals: Are You Maximizing Your Revenue Teaching Golf?

November 8th, 2010 12:27pm - Posted By: Rob

If you’re making more than enough money teaching golf then please disregard this message.

If you are like most teaching professionals, bringing in and retaining new players in an attempt to grow the game is becoming more of a challenge every year. Sports like Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, and even Archery…yes, Archery have surpassed golf in participation. It is becoming clear that if we as a community do not modify our approach to retaining new players, we might not have much of a business in the coming years. I was recently listening to a sports radio show in Denver and they were debating how to get more golfers out to play at the courses. It was very entertaining because in addition to actual golf professionals, most of the callers truly believed the reason there were fewer golfers coming out to play was because of the dress code traditions. One of the  other innovative solutions suggested to “save golf” was to offer cheaper beer. So, the prevailing solution to fixing the decline of golf in the minds of your peers is to allow wife-beater tank tops and cheap liquor! I was a little confused so I called in and explained my point of view to the screener and he put me on hold. Needless to say I never got on the air to defend greater logic and reason and then it occurred to me; these guys have no idea how to fix golf and bring more people into the game. It’s not their fault at all. I just felt pity for them.

The rest of the day I thought about that show and what these poor souls had said. I am sure this viewpoint is not representative of all Colorado golfers and golf professionals and I am sure a hand full of folks would feel the same way as I do. However, I scaled it up a bit and thought of how many people across the country have no idea what to do about the decline of golf and their business. The reality hit me hard and I began to speak with golf professionals, teaching professionals, and parks and recreation folks. All day every day I speak with golf professionals on the phone and meet hundreds more at various tradeshows. Invariably I continue to get asked the same questions about how to maximize revenue. So that is why I am writing this article to put this information in the hands of our talented and innovative professionals. Although I can’t tell you all of our secrets until you come aboard with us but let me highlight a few points that will get you thinking. The pros that “get it” (and you know who you are), realize there are countless revenue building opportunities using the SNAG Coaching System:

 

1.    Local Schools: We talk to PE teachers every day who wish they could put golf into their school program. SNAG is in over 6,000 schools worldwide and is introducing golf to kids on a scale never before seen. Why not help raise the money by holding a tournament to bring golf to the schools? How many new students do you think you will get as a result of introducing this programming? We can show you how.

2.    Afterschool Programs: With your SNAG Coaching System you can teach afterschool beginning golf indoors or outdoors. We can show you how to work with the schools.

3.    Parks and Recreation Centers: From our experience these places are practically empty during the day. Why not use your SNAG Coaching System to bring seniors out to the gymnasium or on the soccer fields for some practice and play? Although they may not be able to walk 18 holes they can SNAG and have a blast! We’ll show you how to do this as well.

4.    Corporate Team Building: Companies love golf outings… but what about the other 80% of employees who don’t play golf well enough to play in a tournament or don’t play at all? SNAG is easy to learn and play, and it can be played anywhere! New players have success the very first time out so why not have a company golf tournament where everyone can play? This strategy just might help you retain some new clients who have a new found love for golf.

5.    Day Camps: We can show you how to build a sizable income doing SNAG Golf Camps.  Depending upon your goals, you could choose to only do camps in the summer. How would you like to take the rest of the year off? This is great for retirees, or those that are looking for a transition into retirement while still making great money. It is also a great way for teachers to supplement their income during the summer months.   

6.    Events: The event industry is HUGE.  Event planners and attendees are always looking for something new, fun, and easy to do at meetings, conventions, and corporate events.  People are making a good living doing SNAG Birthday Parties! Use your imagination!

 

In short, The SNAG® system allows the professional to be truly mobile for the first time. Instructional sessions can be conducted away from the main facility and are effective either indoors or outdoors. This added dimension of portability opens up new ways for pro’s to generate revenues. If the main facility is in use, any open space, green space or soccer field can be used without any agronomic damage. A large room or gym at the facility can serve as the indoor venue for an instructional session as well. With this kind of flexibility, the pro's opportunities are endless.

It will pay for itself quickly and provide years of consistent revenue. What are you waiting for?  These are just a few of the ways our partners are using the SNAG Coaching System to grow their business and the game of golf. It’s tested, it works, and there is nothing else like it on the market. There are some changes happening in the world of golf. Do you want to be a part of it?

 

We would love to work with you to help grow your business and the game we love.

 

SNAG Rob

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SNAG at the 2010 NRPA Expo..What is G-Ball?

November 3rd, 2010 10:06am - Posted By: Rob

Last week, the SNAG team, led by self-proclaimed SNAGDADDY Terry Anton, descended upon the chilly city of Minneapolis for the 2010 National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA) trade show. The public parks and recreation facilities across the country are in trouble and the goal of the NRPA is to preserve the heritage of our public parks for the benefit of all citizens. SNAG Golf shares this vision which is why we are helping to bring our programming into the parks departments to help enrich and expand their programs.

Our flagship program G-Ball is golf’s version of T-Ball of baseball. G-Ball can be played in existing fields around the facilities and can be taught by parent coaches as the program is easy to implement. Finally a real golf experience can be achieved by beginners without the need of lengthy lessons and expensive green fees. This is perfect for the NRPA as they have a commitment to inclusion and diversity while supporting health and wellness. SNAG Golf and G-Ball gets kids moving while teaching them the lifelong principles learned in the great game of golf. SNAG Golf and G-Ball promises to deliver a safe, affordable, and accessible golf experience in line with the principles of the NRPA.

The SNAG Team truly had a wonderful experience at the show and enjoyed meeting the great members of the Parks community. Through continued collaboration and partnerships with the NRPA, SNAG Golf will be in a position to fulfill the mission of introducing golf to every child (and Adult) in America. In addition, we want to help the NRPA enhance the parks and recreation experience for communities across the country. We would like to thank everyone who took the time to stop by and experience the SNAG booth in all its glory and bright colors!

 

We will see you next year!

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Golf Industry Take Notice!...new rules for kids will forever change tennis

September 15th, 2010 11:50am - Posted By: Rob

We are committed to keep you informed with the latest trends in our industry. The article in this release describes drastic changes underway in the game of tennis to both grow the game and retain players. There is much competition in junior... sports and it is very clear that golf is in trouble. Participation is down and as a result the game is on the decline. That is a fact. SNAG Golf has understood this for over 10 years which is why we are committed to developing the best first touch equipment and programming anywhere in the world. Old paradigms and traditions keep progress and innovation from transforming the game we love for the better.

Read this article carefully and take a lesson from Tennis and what they are doing to grow their game. We urge everyone who cares about the future of Golf to weigh in on this and help us in our goal to grow the game we love.

 

It's A Whole New Ball Game

USTA.com

 

"In a decision that will fundamentally change the future landscape of tennis in the United States, the USTA has passed new rules governing competition for 10-and-under tennis tournaments. The new rules require that 10-and-under tournaments be played using slower-moving and lower-bouncing balls, on smaller courts and utilizing shorter, lighter racquets. 

  This move follows the International Tennis Federation’s proposed rule change, and will take effect on January 1, 2012. It applies to all USTA-sanctioned events for children 10 and under.   "We’re very excited about what this change means to the future of tennis in the United States," says Lucy S. Garvin, Chairman of the Board and President, USTA. "Competition is an important element of learning and growing the game, and now all children 10 and under will have the proper platform with which to compete."   10 and Under Tennis is designed around the same concepts as Little League Baseball and other youth sports such as soccer and basketball, all of which use equipment and field/court sizes scaled to the size of young children. The scaled-down equipment and smaller playing fields allow kids to achieve success the first time out—and sustain that success as they continue develop and refine their skills.    With the smaller courts, lower-bouncing balls and smaller racquets designed for those 10 and under and used in the QuickStart Tennis play format, kids are able to rally and play the game early on. That makes tennis fun and increases the likelihood that kids will come back to play again and again, improving their skills with each trip to their local court.   "Scaling tennis down to the size of children will promote greater participation and ensure that young kids will be able to play tennis much more quickly," says Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. "This rule change to the competition format for kids 10 and under is critical to the long-term growth of our sport, and ultimately will help us develop new generations of players and champions."    The specifications for the revised system hold that all tournaments for those ages 9-10 be played on 60-foot courts using orange low-compression tennis balls and regulation nets (3 feet at the center) or, for those more experienced and more skilled players, on 78-foot courts with green lower-compression balls. Tournaments for those 8 and under are to be played on 36-foot courts using red foam balls and nets at a height of 2 feet, 9 inches.    "There have been hardly any changes to tennis in its history, and this one is major," says Dave Miley, Executive Director, Tennis Development, ITF. "People maybe don’t understand the significance of it, but you’re changing the court and you’re changing the ball that’s being used. It’s significant, and it will allow us to compete more easily with other sports and other activities for the time and attention of 10-and-under children. My dream is to see a dad who’s never played tennis going out and playing with his kids. That’s how we’re going to grow the sport, by making it more accessible."   The change in tournament format by both the USTA and the ITF was reached after weighing the benefits for beginners as well as recurring and high-performing youth players. Studies have found that competition, when conducted in a welcoming environment that allows for multiple play opportunities, enhances kids’ enjoyment of the game. And for aspiring collegiate and professional players, the QuickStart Tennis play format fosters proper technique and enhances strategy, key components to success in competitive play.    For that reason, the change has been endorsed by USTA Player Development and supported by the Tennis Industry Association and teaching pros throughout the country. Moreover, in May the Intercollegiate Tennis Association approved a measure to allow NCAA competition to take place on courts with blended lines (i.e., courts lined to accommodate both 10 and Under Tennis and 78-foot tennis).   "Competition is at the very heart of our sport," says Patrick McEnroe, General Manager, USTA Player Development. "And learning how to play tennis the right way, with the right strokes and the proper technique, is beneficial for kids both now and into the future, whether they pursue the game recreationally or at the very highest levels."   http://www.usta.com/Youth-Tennis/its_a_whole_new_ball_game/     ok Pros, we want to hear from you! What are your thoughts?  Do you think this was a good move for tennis?  Will it affect golf?

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