Tom Aikmus, Lake Quivira Head Golf Pro
By Jim and Joan Davies
Lake Quivira’s golf professional, Tom Aikmus, has been named by Golf Digest magazine as the top professional golf instructor in Kansas for 2011. Adding to this remarkable achievement is Tom’s inclusion on the Golf Digest’s list twice before when he was the head golf professional at Tiffany Greens Golf Course in Missouri.
Any of you who have had the pleasure of participating in an instruction session with Tom know why his teaching skills are so widely recognized. It turns out they’ve been deliberately honed over many years. Tom said when he first decided he wanted to pursue golf as his career, he knew he wanted to be a club management professional, which meant being the very best golf instructor possible. “I set a goal to make the game of golf as much fun as possible for as many members as possible,” says Tom. “A key question I try to always remember to ask myself is, ‘What can I and my team do to make the golf experience the most fun for you?’”
It has always been Tom’s belief that golf is an experience which can be enjoyed better when one is improving his or her skills, which helps to reduce frustrations. “Golf is a game to be enjoyed, not conquered!” he insists. As an integral part of this belief, Tom always wants to see more people play golf. Therefore, he actively promotes programs encouraging greater member participation. Examples of new golfing activities that increase member participation are the twilight couples events, new men’s league events and especially new youth activities, using the SNAG coaching system.
SNAG is the acronym for “Starting New At Golf.” SNAG, a comprehensive system developed through years of research and field experience, is a training program to the game of golf to people of all ages and ability levels. The program builds on strong fundamentals of the different strokes and swings, which develops playing ability quickly and effectively. Positive results are often immediate, which motivates new learners to become more involved with golf.
Because SNAG is so effective in teaching children the fundamentals of the golf swing in an entertaining game-like approach, it has become a popular addition to the Lake Quivira Summer Recreation Program. You may have seen some of the SNAG setup as you drove by the golf practice area this past summer. It utilizes special targets, clubs, balls and layouts designed for fun while teaching the fundamental physical movements of good golf swings.
Any age group can play and enjoy the program’s game, SNAGology. The game contains all the elements of golf, but in a modified form with its own simplified rules and terminology, which adds fun to the learning and playing experience, making it perfect for family fun!
SNAG offers the versatility to teach or play in almost any environment. It is a portable, compact program and can be played indoors or outdoors, in non-traditional venues such as on a soccer field, in a gym, at the beach, in the snow, even on the grass or asphalt. Falling somewhere between miniature golf and regulation golf, SNAG allows for full shots, pitching, chipping and putting. The SNAG ball has a limited distance, with the average player launching it a maximum of 50 yards.
A demo of "rolling" the ball
The program’s developmentally appropriate equipment and training tools are specifically designed to simplify the learning process for both youth and adults of all ability levels. For example, instead of using a full set of 14 clubs, SNAG uses two clubs. The “launcher” and the “roller” allow new learners to fully grasp the concept of each swing and how to easily hold the club. The launcher is used to launch, pitch and chip the ball, and the roller is used to roll the ball toward the target (putt). All shots other than rolling (putting) are played from a mat and tee called the Launch Pad, ensuring the player will have an optimal lie every time. Furthermore, when learners remember, “right hand on red, left hand on yellow,” they are guaranteed success in holding a golf club every time.
The target is called a Flagsticky. It is not a hole with a cup inside, but rather an above-ground, weighted cylinder covered with a hook material (like Velcro) to which the ball will stick. The ball is slightly smaller than a tennis ball and is covered with a loop material. Unlike golf, where you finish by putting your ball into the cup, in SNAGology, you finish by sticking your ball to the Flagsticky.
Tom and his staff have developed a hybrid beginners’ program by combining elements of SNAG with elements of a program developed by the Titleist Performance Institute’s Junior Performance Center’s Cyclone Program. “By incorporating the Titleist Program with SNAG, we hope to help young people be the best they can be, while learning to play golf in an incredibly fun and engaging atmosphere!” says Tom.
Golfers of tomorrow
At the Titleist’s program’s core are the “FUNdamental Cyclone” and the “SMASH Zone,” activities wherein participants kick, hit, throw, putt, catch and chip. There are wrist release stations and strength building stations, each with exercises and movements enabling youth to learn the fundamentals of athleticism and golf. These activities include a lot of basic physical fitness, along with the specific skills required to become a more proficient golfer. During each cycle, the participants learn and eventually master a different theme, including grip, alignment, posture and weight shift.
The “FUNdamental Cyclone” is designed for less experienced children. It focuses on the body’s fundamental movement skills. The SMASH Zone – which stands for Stability, Mobility, ABCs (Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed), Sports skills and Honing golf skills, is designed for youth with greater golfing skills. The SMASH’s focus is developing sports skills, specifically golf skills.
Innovative ideas and programs like these, which Tom incorporates into the Lake Quivira Golf Program, are examples of why Tom continues to be recognized by other professionals as a leading PGA instructor. Believing golf is not a game to be won or lost; rather, it is a game to be enjoyed while playing, Tom is always “on the hunt” for new and fun ways to encourage more members to play golf. Since we all need to spend more time exercising and being outdoors in fresh air, why not on the golf course?
