Dear Harvey,
Cathy and I have recently started a modern golf coaching programme that reminded me of your old truths. Nick Lloyd calls it his “Coaching Development Program,” but what struck me was how much of it would sound familiar to you.
Nick discusses moving beyond quick fixes towards a clear, long-term strategy. It’s not just about tinkering with a grip for the day, but about building a rhythm of practice, feedback, and trust over months. You would have nodded at that — golf as a slow layering of habits, not a one-swing miracle.
Nick Lloyd Coaching Development Plans 2025
What we find interesting is the breadth and depth of the programme. In addition to teaching proper swing skills, we work on the short game, where the rubber meets the road for most golfers, to course strategy, and the art of scoring even on days when the swing isn’t perfect. We delve into the mental side—composure after a bad shot, patience when the round drags, the stamina to stay present for 18 holes. All things you preached, in plainer words.
Of course, Harvey, Nick uses tools you never had, like video reviews, WhatsApp check-ins, and subscription tiers. Imagine a player texting a coach midweek with a swing video instead of just turning up at the range. I think you’d smile at the technology but shrug at the core—the focus remains on steady progress, honest feedback, and the humility to keep showing up.
Not quick fixes, but confidence!
What makes Nick unique as a coach is his gift for spotting the one thing that truly matters in your swing—the small adjustment that builds toward something fundamentally sound. He never overloads you with swing thoughts or jargon; instead, he strips the noise away.
In that sense, he reminds me of you, Harvey—simple truths, delivered with quiet precision. A golfer who trusts the work they’ve done is a golfer who can enjoy the game. You knew that before anyone ever wrote it down.
Below are a couple of video examples from our sessions with Nick that I bet you will enjoy. In the first video, I am working on my preshot routine behind the ball, often referred to as the ‘think box,’ before moving into the ‘play box’ and executing the shot — an approach popularized by renowned coach Pia Nilsson, whose work with Annika Sörenstam helped define one of golf’s most trusted mental frameworks. And the second video is a lovely soft high pitch shot, perfectly executed by Cathy.
Yours,
gPage
P.S. This completes my Dear Harvey: Staying in the Game (Fractals) series.
- Staying in the Game (Fractals) – introduction
- Fractal I: Open Spaces
- Fractal II: The Contest of Years
- Fractal III: The Gift of Restless Striving
- Fractal IV: The Circles of Teaching
This post pairs well with: Dear Harvey: On Journeys, Joy, and the Arrival Fallacy
“Millions of people were charmed by the homespun golf advice dispensed in Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book, a sports classic that became the best-selling sports book of all time. Yet, beyond the Texas golf courses where Penick happily toiled for the better part of eight decades, few people knew the self-made golf pro who coaxed the best out of countless greats — Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Betsy Rawls, Mickey Wright — all champions who considered Penick their coach and lifelong friend.” – Kevin Robbins, author of Harvey Penick: The Life and Wisdom of the Man Who Wrote the Book on Golf.
