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Welcome to this month's newsletter and I'd like to start by wishing you a Happy New Year and I hope you achieve everything you're striving for in 2026!

I'll be honest, I really don't like January. The weather is typically poor, less people have golf on thier mind and it always just feels like a dull month. I do try however, to use this time as a reset and a time for reflection and to plan for the year ahead. This, I find, helps to keep some positivity in a month that otherwise doesn't have much going for it!

Why golfers improve faster as part of a community (and why going alone is harder than you think!)

Golf is often seen as an individual game.

You stand over the ball on your own.
You hit the shot on your own.
And when it doesn’t go to plan, you usually deal with the frustration on your own as well.

But when it comes to actually improving, golf is rarely best tackled in isolation.

Over the years, one of the clearest patterns I’ve seen as a coach is this:
golfers who feel supported, connected, and understood tend to improve more consistently — and enjoy the game far more — than those trying to figure everything out by themselves.

Improvement feels easier when you’re not alone

One of the biggest challenges golfers face is uncertainty.

Am I practising the right thing?
Is this struggle normal?
Why does this feel harder than it should?

When you’re on your own, those questions often lead to second-guessing and unnecessary changes. In a community of golfers who are all working toward similar goals, those doubts tend to fade.

You start to realise that:

Everyone has setbacks
Progress is rarely linear
Frustration is part of the process, not a sign of failure

That perspective alone can be incredibly freeing.

Motivation is stronger when it’s shared

Motivation is rarely a constant.

Even the most committed golfers have weeks where practice feels flat or progress seems slow. A community provides a gentle but powerful form of accountability — not pressure, but encouragement.

Seeing others:

Putting the work in
Sharing small wins
Being honest about struggles

It keeps improvement in the front of your mind and reminds you that you’re part of something ongoing, not just reacting to the last round you played.

You learn faster from shared experiences

Golfers often learn just as much from each other’s experiences as they do from instruction alone.

A community allows golfers to:

See how others apply advice
Understand how different players adapt concepts to their own game
Pick up insights that feel more relatable than generic tips

It’s not about copying swings or comparing scores. It’s about understanding how improvement actually looks in the real world, for real golfers.

Confidence grows when progress feels normal

One of the underrated benefits of a supportive community is confidence.

When golfers are surrounded by others who are openly working on their game, improvement stops feeling like something you hope will happen and starts feeling like something you’re actively building.

Confidence grows not just from good shots, but from:

Clarity
Reassurance

And knowing you’re on the right path, even when results lag behind effort.

Golf is more enjoyable when you feel connected

Ultimately, most golfers don’t just want lower scores — they want to enjoy the journey of getting better.

A community adds:

Conversation
Shared purpose
A real sense of belonging

Golf becomes less about battling your swing and more about developing your game with support, perspective, and enjoyment.

Why I built The Scoring Club App

Last month I launched The Scoring Club app and I wanted to explain why I decided to create this golf coaching and community online expereince.

Having helped thousands of golfers over many years it became clear to me that improvement can come from many different angles. Of course having lessons will help you improve your technique but most of the time that's where it stops.

My aim is to give golfers the 'extra bits' that a single golf lesson can't give.

This includes help on how to practice to get the most out of your time on the range, course management advice, developing golfers mental skills to aid in performance on the course, and as you have just read above, to create a community of golfers who can support each other along the way.

I also wanted to create a product that gives golfers, who are not currently working with a coach, a chance to understand their swing with some help and advice that will apply to them as an individual - helping to diagnose swing faults by learning what ball flights to look out for. All of this is available in the FULL SWING section of the app and the content inside will be growing immensly this year.

You can learn more abou The Scoring Club by visiting www.thescoringclubapp.com.

Oliver Wilson joins my first podcast!

Last week I announced that as part of The Scoring Club app membership I will be producing a video podcast Q&A session with a special guests.

I am super excited to announce that my first guest is former Ryder Cup player and multiple tour winner Oliver Wilson.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Oli, here are a few of his achievements over his 20+ year career as a touring professional:

- Ryder Cup Player 2008
- 2 x European/DP TOUR Winner
- 2 x Challenge TOUR Winner
- 2 x Seve Cup Winner
- 100 weeks ranked inside world top 50

I will be chatting with Oli via video link in the hope to bring you not only an insight of TOUR life and Ryder Cup experience, but what it takes to become an elite player and how that can transfer to you, the club golfer.

YOU CAN BE A PART OF THIS INTERVIEW...

As previously mentioned I am opening up the floor to questions for Oli. You can ask anything from his career as a player at the top level, to something you would like to improve on in your own game and any advice he may have for you.

Questions must be submitted by 31st January and will be on a first come first served basis, so if you would like to ask Oli anything please click the button below and submit your question.

Remember you MUST be an app member to watch this podcast when released so make sure you join the app membership for FREE to get involved!

The Coaching Team News

Hannah Ralph & The Ladies Academy

Since arriving at Blackmoor last April, I’ve enjoyed coaching various members, both male and female, as well as visitors from other clubs and have been delighted to witness their progress, often resulting in success in club competitions, alongside handicap cuts.

A highlight has been the new Ladies Academy consisting of current members and also potential new members, such has been their rise in individual improvement.

One of the groups collectively (six ladies) have reduced their handicaps by a total of 35 shots. Two of them came second and third, respectively, in the most improved golfer category. This is testament to their dedication and hard work since April and having lots of fun along the way!

I am enjoying my time at Blackmoor and the opportunity to pass on my extensive knowledge and experience, culminated from six years on the Ladies European Tour. Having played at the highest level, I have a deep understanding of the highs and lows of the, at times, somewhat frustrating game that is golf!

It also brings such joy and happiness to people and that is what I love to deliver and also be a part of - either in group sessions or 1:1 lessons.

Looking ahead, I am planning different coaching options for clients and other exciting opportunities.

As well as coaching, I am also working on my own game as part of my preparations for the upcoming Rose Ladies Series, which starts in April and then AIG Women’s Open Qualifying in July.

I still love to compete at a high level and have seen great progress through hard work in my overall game since October. Competing against top quality players also provides more experience that I can pass on to my clients.

I am going to take this opportunity to mention sponsorship and whether any businesses or companies would be interested in sponsoring me - to help with entry fees and travelling costs. If interested, please contact me at [email protected].

The Junior Academy

Mike and Nathan have done a great job launching the Junior Academy session at Blackmoor. We now have a regular junior coaching program in place which is something that was important to me when joining Blackmoor in April last year.

Spaces available on the junior academy - There are a couple of spaces availabel for the junior academy. The Sunday sessions are pretty well full but Saturday's have some availability. Visit https://www.adamharnettgolf.com/junior-academy for details.

Remember you can book lessons with all our coaches and find out more about how they can help you with your game by visiting https://www.adamharnettgolf.com/other-coaches.

The Scoring Club Golf Day!

I'm excited to announce I will be holding my first ever golf day at Blackmoor Golf Club on 30th March 2026.

The details of the day are as follows:

- Coffee & Bacon roll on arrival

- 18 Holes of golf

- 1 Course meal

- Teams of 4. Best 2 stableford scores to count on each hole.

- Prizes for teams and nearest the pin

Member price £35pp

Visitors £115pp

This is a great value event as the normal greenfee for visitors is £120!

(All surplus money will go towards prizes on the day)

Student Case Study: John Moffatt

This month's student of the month is John. John started having lessons with me after his son, who I was coaching, broke his arm. John decided he would take Archie's lessons to improve his own game - and he has made great strides.

What we have been working on

John was struggling with the following issues with his ball flights:

Hooks
Pushes
Fats
Thins

And general incosistnecy with his ball striking.

After a full evaluation of John's swing we discussed how his tendency was to swing the club too far in-to-out. This means he was swinging his club too far to the right of his target. This issue is consistent with golfers who hit hooks and/or pushes.

You'll see in the image above that John's club was under the plane as he delivered the club and above it as he exited. This shows the clubhead swinging too far to the right. Now in the image below you will see the clubhead more 'on plane' both in the delivery position and exit.