This afternoon, I spoke with Gary Gilchrist, who is one of the most highly regarded golf instructors in the world.  He has teamed up with golf fitness expert Susan Hill (@fitnessforgolf on Twitter) and golf psychology guru Jeff Troesch for the book GGoing for the Green: Prepare Your Body, Mind, and Swing for Winning Golf.  The book is a comprehensive plan for how to improve your golf game from all three major aspects of the sport.

Gary and I talked about the move away from golf instruction to the notion of coaching.  While Gilchrist said it may be bad for repeat business, he agreed that the goal of a golf coach is to get a player to a place where they have strong fundamentals that they can repeat on their own.  Unfortunately, laying the foundation of fundamentals is often overlooked in teaching golfers.

"I can go to a PGA conference and tell instructors that you have to get your students to have a good grip.  But then they say, 'Yeah.  So?'," Gilchrist lamented.  "They skip over the fundamentals."

Having strong essential components of the swing is important, but so are fitness and the mental approach.  The book provides a plan that Gilchrist said can be employed regardless of skill level and age.  The idea is that the book teaches a concept of "periodization" - whereby players first analyze where their game is, then target fixes to their game based upon areas in which they struggle.  That might vary from player to player and by age.

"If you are in your 30s, you may want to focus on a stretching routine, better fitness, losing weight," Gilchrist said.  "Those are things that can improve your game right away."

Gilchrist says that good practice is critical to improvement.  Players need to have a stable of drills that help the simulate the right parts of a golf swing.  Having a club for alignment is a great example.  Or perhaps gripping a finger down the shaft to encourage a square club face at impact.  Learn fundamentals instead of trying to come up with compensation for poor basics.

At the same time, a player has to not become too technically minded.  When it is time to play, Gilchrist notes that players should be practicing for competition, not for technique.  Accept what you have and then play with it.  Before a round, practice the shots that you expect to hit in the round - not components of your swing.

Having a feel for his swing and the shots required to succeeed was what made Tom Watson so successful at Turnberry, Gilchrist says.  At the same time, both Padraig Harrington and Tiger Woods have gotten too technical in competition.  Instead of playing with feel for the swings they have, they are worried too much about swing components.

Korean players on the LPGA Tour are so successful because they have strong fundamentals that allows them focus on being fearless competitors.  Gilchrist said that having a family presence as a coach - to push and to encourage - is very beneficial for all players.

For the amateur, that means finding friends and family to play with, especially for junior golfers.

As for the role of technology, Gilchrist likened it to a car.  "You can't just buy a Ferrari.  You have to learn how to drive it.  If you turned the steering wheel to the left and the car went right, what would you?

"You'd panic.  You'd jump out of the car!"

In other words, a player must have a sound mental, phsyical, and technical base to get better.  Regardless of age, though, Gilchrist pointed out that this book and its techniques are applicable and useful.  "Golf is a game for a lifetime," Gilchrist said.  "You can always improve.  You have to improve."