Game On!

above: The Golf Performance Center 9 acre indoor/outdoor practice facility – Photography by Valery Rudnev

“I was inspired to develop our Five Elements of Success Principles to encourage athletes to follow their passion and desire to improve.”
Roger Knick, Founder

 

There’s a better way to improve one’s game than weekend lessons and patchwork fixes, and you can find it at The Golf Performance Center in Ridgefield, the Northeast’s leading full-time golf academy for athletes of all ages and skill levels seeking to transform their game. At both The Golf Performance Center and their new residential campus for student athletes in grades 9-12 at Ethan Allen Prep, improving golf performance is seen as a science.

Recently, we met up with Ridgefield resident Roger Knick, the founder of The Golf Performance Center and Junior Golf Hub. Knick is a sports performance specialist and entrepreneur who has spent his 20 plus year career refining his knowledge and practical application of coaching, incorporating cutting-edge techniques.

Knick believes that GPC’s success over the years in getting 100 plus athletes into 80+ colleges and universities is due to one thing—creating a plan for getting better and setting goals.

He jokes, “People have the idea that you go to a golf instructor and you can easily be fixed! It’s a terrible model, and why many players have not improved for years. It’s important for coaches to really pay attention and to realize that each individual learns differently, which is what our coaches do best.”

As a former Division One and professional athlete, Knick has a deep personal understanding of his clients’ goals and objectives and how to work with them to make it happen. His diverse client roster includes everyone from aspiring high school and college athletes to professional players with the PGA, LPGA, NHL, MLB and NBA.

Knick recalls, “I was inspired to develop our Five Elements of Success Principles to encourage athletes to follow their passion and desire to improve.” These include: developing good coaching/mentor relationships, understanding that “function dictates form,” mastering mental aspects of the game, learning to deal with failure, striving to have a curious and open mind, and using the right equipment. He notes: “I have applied these elements not only to golf, but to life as well.”

Knick has also developed The Player Development System (PDS) that provides insight into an athlete’s abilities. Knick says, “We use our science-based coaching philosophy to develop a plan for improvement. We analyze a mental profile of each player to understand their learning style, to better connect and engage with the player and we assess the equipment in the bag. The end result is a competitive edge and a vastly improved game.”


824 Ethan Allen Hwy Ridgefield, CT 06877
thegolfperformancecenter.com 203.790.4653

GPC’s Main Campus that houses Ethan Allen Prep’s classrooms, dining hall and dormitories.
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