Where the journey began:
In 2016 the GVG Academy was derived from a single man’s sheer determination.
To create a golf academy experience that would not only stand out from the crowd, but would empower its golfing students to take on the world, confident in their technique, mental fortitude and ability to cope under pressure.
Like any great dream the opening of the GVG Academy came at a price tearing Grant away from playing as a professional as he embarked on a journey that would quickly become his life’s passion and a living legacy – coaching the game of golf.
The GVG Academy is the product of that dream and testament to the culture of continuous learning, improvement and the challenge to strive for the best that infuses the coaching team.
Training
Principles:
Golf is a series of technical and mental basics executed with perfection. A player’s character is moulded in tiny increments and tested in moments of pressure on the course. A player’s success is found in the balance between practice and rest. Every player is responsible for their own success or failure.
Teaching Philosophy
One of the key elements that differentiates the GVG Academy apart is the empowerment of players to understand their own swing, to own the training to such a degree that the player can identify why a shot wasn’t perfect and the coach can step back and become a mentor.
Teaching golf students independence is a key success factor in their success. The coach can only advice how a player should play a shot, but at the end of the day, the player needs to make those critical decisions on the course.
When a player understands the basic golfing techniques they have the confidence to be self-critical and self-correcting enabling them to make quality golf decisions in difficult circumstances.
With every lesson, the Grant Veenstra team assess the player’s skill development and mental landscape on that day, working with the player’s natural style and strengths to develop an cache of player specific skills and mental tools to empower their game.
Each exercise is designed to improve the player’s technique with intelligent movement that positions the player’s body into the correct alignment for the shot.
The GVG Academy is about more than just teaching golf technique; it’s about developing the player into a person of excellence, able to cope with the pressure of The Game.
Players’ are welcomed into an academy-wide mentorship program where, along with the coaches, Professionals mentor Seniors, and Seniors mentor Juniors, developing comradery and accountability to develop the game and share lessons along the way.
This network of hard-earned golfing wisdom supports the GVG Academy players as they mature into seasoned golfers.
Assessment
To improve any students game; the Grant Veenstra team starts with a rigorous assessment of each player.
This assessment includes the players natural movement, the strengths and weaknesses of each players game and the areas of mental development that need to be matured.
The Grant Veenstra team develops a game strategy specific to the individual player where the Academy students are taught the art of breaking a course down into areas of strengths and weaknesses, with strategies for amplifying their strengths and minimising their weaknesses.
This empowers every player to conquer any course they play on.
This confidence to make decisions for their own game, independent of a coach or mentor’s presence, is the ultimate goal of GVG Academy and a mark of a mature player.
Coach
Expectations
The opportunity to train in the Grant Veenstra Golfing Academy comes with a set of expectations and responsibilities designed to support each golfing apprentice as they reach their golfing potential. These responsibilities include mental and skill development discipline, a willingness to develop technical excellence through an openness to learning, and the humility to accept correction and advice from more experienced golfers.
Student
Experience
When a student is accepted into the GVG Academy they are welcomed into a coaching world where their specific talent, ability and dedication will enable the coaches, and the people in the students support network to determine a golfing direction specific to that individual. The coaches at GVG Academy provide a wealth of experience that supports students on their journey- whether it be in life, sport, studies or personal growth – empowering with the skills they need to accomplish anything they set their minds to.
GVG
Academics
Early on in the GVG Academy development it became clear that balancing the demands of high intensity training with the importance of academics required an exceptional solution. Enter Home Zone Educators, a dynamic educator passionate about providing the highest quality of academic standard with the flexibility professional elite athletes require. The academic excellence of our student is a primary concern at GVG Academy and the alignment with Home Zone Educators gives our elite athletes the opportunity to excel in their chosen sport and school.
Academy
Life
Contrary to popular belief becoming a full time athlete is less about the glitz and glamour and more about hard work, dedication and fierce determination. At GVG Academy, the coaches understand the sacrifice our students are making to pursue their dreams, just as they understand how difficult it can be when goals are hard to achieve. As a result the GVG Academy coaches mentor students in training and life balance, with time management, rest strategies, accountability, social skills, study strategies and life coaching, preparing each student to cope as a well rounded individual