Ep 231 - Matt Ballard: I Got Into Golf Coaching Backwards

Sign up for the free course/library of 22 drills to help you get better at golf here Matt Ballard's journey into golf coaching was anything but conventional. A former touring professional himself, Matt actually began coaching Tour players while he was still trying to make it as a player — including one week at the WA Open when he realised he'd booked six or seven putting lessons for other professionals before he'd even prepared for his own tournament. That moment helped set him on a completely different path. In this episode, Matt joins the Your Golf Performance Podcast to discuss his playing career, how he got into coaching "backwards", and the lessons he's learned working with some of the best players in the game. We talk about his early fascination with putting, what he learned from Greg Chalmers when he was one of the world's best putters, and how Matt eventually found himself coaching Adam Scott's short game. Matt shares some brilliant stories from his time with Adam — including initially having to turn down the opportunity to coach him, a difficult conversation at TPC Sawgrass, and a reconnaissance trip alongside Adam and legendary caddie Steve Williams that changed the way Matt viewed tournament preparation. We also dive into Matt's time as Singapore National Coach, what he implemented within their high-performance program to help Singapore become more internationally competitive, and the lessons he later took into his work with Golf Australia. Finally, we discuss how Matt's coaching has evolved from being heavily technical to focusing on three key areas: technique, skill development and pressure training — and why improving technique means very little if a golfer can't transfer it to the course. A fascinating conversation about playing, coaching, high performance and what actually helps golfers get better. As mentioned in the episode I do offer training programs to help you get better at your practice outside of your lessons with your coach! email me for more information [email protected] Training Aids & Discount Codes Back 2 Basics Putting – Use the code YGP10 for 10% off or Click Here for 10% off Divot Board –Use the code YGP for 10% off or Click here for 10% off Strike Wedge – Click Here for 15% off Ryp Golf Speed Training – use the code YGP at check out for 10% off! Your Golf Performance Academy - Use code PODCAST at check out for 30% off any subscription. Sign up for the free course/library of 22 drills to help you get better at golf here We thank Titleist - The number 1 brand in golf for their continued support of the YGP Podcast A huge thank you to the partners who support the Your Golf Performance Podcast:Titleist — supporting golfers at every level with some of the most trusted equipment in the game. Draw More Circles — helping golfers understand their game through powerful stats and performance tracking. STYKZ Golf — an exciting new junior golf equipment company, creating golf clubs designed specifically to help young golfers enjoy the game and develop. Thank you to all our partners for supporting the podcast and helping us continue to bring you new episodes every week.