How to make the transition from player to coach
Twenty years ago, Gareth Davies burst on to the Challenge Tour scene when he won on just his second start in Egypt. He would win again the following year and in 2007 he would secure his card for what is now the DP World Tour. Among those also graduating to the main tour that year would be the likes of Alex Noren, Martin Kaymer, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Alvaro Quiros.
There would be over 40 starts on the then European Tour and in 2016 Davies completed his PGA qualifications. He still competes at regional and national level – in 2019 he won the Leeds Cup at just the second attempt – and these days he is the Head Teaching Professional at Abbeydale Golf Club in Yorkshire as well as being one of the Yorkshire county coaches.
“Coaching is very different to playing and I wanted to make sure that the knowledge was there. I’ve always been keen to learn stuff but the respect for the job was the big thing and to be qualified to do that was crucial.”
PGA Professional, Gareth Davies
How hard a decision was it to stop playing full-time?
It wasn't easy as you’re giving up on a bit of a dream and it was always a huge passion of mine so I had a little period where I wondered about staying in golf, but it’s been my life and I love it.
The next thing was what to do? I always felt like coaching would be where I could pass on my knowledge and experience. I was open-minded to becoming a traditional club pro but coaching was always the bit that interested me the most as that’s the bit that’s closest to the game.
Coaching is still the essence of the sport and that’s what I enjoyed the most in the training.
What made you get your PGA qualification?
The big thing was my respect for the profession really. I had a strong playing career which does help you become a decent coach but that’s only one aspect.
Coaching is very different to playing and I wanted to make sure that the knowledge was there. I've always been keen to learn stuff but the respect for the job was the big thing and to be qualified to do that was crucial.
I grew up playing at Abbeydale and I was attached there when I was playing and then I did my PGA training working in the shop and I coach there now. The residential weeks were the highlights and I really enjoyed those, meeting some really interesting people and learning from them.
Which coaches have helped shape your career?
I've been lucky that I’ve worked with two great coaches. As an amateur I was with Pete Cowen and then I was with Graham Walker when I was playing professionally. I've always been keen to learn but other lads would have been more technical so I’ve certainly developed that over the past 10 years and I continue to do that.
Pete and Graham are similar in that they're both Yorkshiremen so are quite straight talking and you always knew where you were at. I saw Pete as a mechanic in the sense that he was very technical and it was very much about getting the technique in the right place to be able to hit the shots. You were left in no doubt that what he was telling you was correct, which is how he is, and that really works with the right personality as we've seen with so many of his players.
I’ve always said that Graham was the best coach that I’ve ever worked with. He saw the game as lots of different compartments and developed me as a player in terms of improving all elements of my game. At times I didn’t feel like I was hitting better shots but everything was getting that little bit better so my scores were improving.
I hadn’t had a golf lesson just for me since starting my PGA but I had a back injury in 2022 and was really struggling last year so I went to see Graham for a different set of eyes and he got me back playing some decent golf again. If I feel like I’m struggling, he would still be my first port of call.
What is your style of coaching?
I will always be very player centred so, whether you are a beginner or playing for a living, I will try and get to know the person and then apply my knowledge to it. Often people don’t really know what they need to get better at and it’s often something else that they need to work on. I'm not a method coach but there are certain things where I'm looking to create certain positions to produce a great impact. Everyone is a different case; we've all got different bodies and things that we can and can’t do physically and there's also the time element that is important to understand and how long they've got to work on their game. So there isn't a single style of coaching but hopefully I'm pretty good at adapting to the person in front of me.
How much technology do you rely on?
You have to measure in this day and age and we have GC Quad, Boditrak and Capto putting in the studio and everyone who has a lesson will get a summary at the end. You must measure stuff and you have to give feedback, some players like numbers off a launch monitor and some don’t but they need some feedback. I have bought lots of swing aids and I generally don’t use them a lot after the first few weeks. Some things work for certain players and golf is a lot more about than just having one certain movement, you have to be able to adapt. But I will try and keep up to date with modern trends and technology but there is also a little bit of old school in creating feelings for a player.
Your website offers more information than most Pros?
Most people go for a lesson through word of mouth or find someone they’re going to connect with so I wanted my website to give a bit of my back story and anyone coming in will have an idea of what they’re going to get. I want people to buy into what you’re doing and, if you're going to improve, then you have to believe in what you’re doing. When I was working with Pete and Graham I knew their backgrounds as decent players so that gave me a lot of clarity and belief in what I was doing and what they were saying.
How did the Yorkshire coaching come about?
I was contacted around four years ago by Yorkshire and they asked me to spend a day with Steve Robinson and Graham when they were coaching the men’s squad. I shadowed them and contributed a little bit, then I got asked to work with the Under 16s alongside Craig Fricker and Gary Brown, another two great coaches and guys, and now I'm working with every squad from the U13s to the men’s team. We've had some success and I've really enjoyed it, we have a great team of coaches and we complement each other pretty well and we're working with some exceptional players who are very invested in what they do.
You're in a part of the world where there are some exceptional coaches?
Yorkshire really is great for coaches, they take care in their craft and they're decent people and that network and sharing of ideas is a great place to be involved in. Everyone was very welcoming when I first got involved, it's a bit like anything where it's nerve-wracking at first but you learn as you go and then get more confident.
The hardest thing about county coaching and when you're working with new players is that you don’t know the people in front of you. They are good players who already have coaches so you can’t dive straight in and you have to build a relationship. But over time a lot of players will spend a bit more time with you and the lads who have gravitated towards us have had a lot of individual success which has really helped.