Jackson Koert
What got you into coaching?
Have had a passion for coaching or teaching from a young age, and that developed significantly during my time in college around my coach, Kenneth Staton. Post college, I was able to caddy for Adam Hadwin on the Web.Com Tour for the summer while gaining incredible experience on the bag for a world class player. After working for Adam Hadwin, I transitioned to being the assistant for Adam Schriber, a phenomenal golf coach who has specialized in developing junior and professional golfers. In 2017 my wife and I moved from Michigan to Alabama so that I could mentor under and run a golf academy for Tony Ruggiero. The next move took us to St. Simons Island, Georgia, where I am continuing to learn and develop my skills for each aspect of the golf game. Tony has also exposed me to some phenomenal coaches in the golf industry: Wayne Flint, Mark Wood, Mark Hackett, Kolby Tullier, Dr. Greg Cartin, Dr. Scott Lynn. Closing in on a decade of golf coaching now!
Tell us about your style of teaching
My style of coaching is always based around the student. It is my job to understand the goals of the player and what they are trying to do with their game. From there it is my belief that the coach’s job is to guide the player to ownership as they understand the areas they must improve upon. Technology can be very helpful with this! Essentially everyday I use SwingCatalyst, TrackMan, some sort of 3-D, the OnForm app, and exercise equipment to help the person in front of me!
Describe for us how you manage your weekly coaching
Season fluctuates a good bit for me in Florida, averaging around 25 per week in the offseason, and over 40 while “in season”.
Managing time is very, very important. Planning your weeks out ahead and staying on a routine with not just scheduling your lessons but the other duties that the Director of Instruction requires. Routine and having checklists for your processes at work are critical! Personally, I have always been a big note taker and list maker, which help me not lose track of the little details when work is busy.
Taking on new students is always exciting. The best part about my job is the relationships within the industry and with clients. Getting to know a person that is willing to spend their hard earned money on improving their hobby or their skill (if a serious competitive player) is still very fun for me. Golf is a wonderful sport in which people have success swinging the club many, many different ways. It has helped to try to learn something from students more so than trying to impart my knowledge to them.
Do you have any specific areas you focus on more than just general coaching?
The area to focus on is more based on what the player in front of me needs most. Yes, my job is to make your swing better, but my real job is to get you to shoot lower scores!
When working with Tony throughout his golf retreats etc. I am thankful to bounce around coaching each area and learning from the other people he involves. As time has gone on, I have helped lead the areas of short game for his schools, but still love to do the full swing with them!