Jess Speechley: I Am The Best

Lisa has lined up golf lessons with Jess Speechley (former PGA pro, now WA State Coach for women and girls, and instructor at Joondalup Country Club). What a resume! Jess spoke about the need to encourage more women into the sport, noting that women are often more mature learners on the green. Lisa asked how many lessons she’d need before she could confidently get out on the course and what starter equipment is best. Russell, naturally, suggested Jess invest in a helmet to wear when Lisa is around. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Lisa in your quest to tee off and get yourself
a half decent handicap, bring it, bring it right down
in your golf game.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
I don't even know what that means, really a handicap.
I mean, I know what my handicap is at the moment.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Yeah, thank golf.

Speaker 3 (00:16):
But which is a team one of the many questions
I have.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
So we've got someone in to help you.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yes, Jess Speechley as a former PGA professional golfer and
now WA state coach for women and girls and instructor
at joondle Up Country Club.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
Can she help me? Jess? Good morning?

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Can you Jess?

Speaker 4 (00:35):
Good morning? How are you guys? Yes?

Speaker 1 (00:37):
This is not a bridge too far, is it?

Speaker 3 (00:39):
Can anyone learn golf?

Speaker 4 (00:42):
Oh? Yes, as long as you've got patience and commitments?

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Oh red light flashing, please stop laughing.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Yes, I have patience and commitment when necessary. Jess, how
long have you been teaching for.

Speaker 4 (00:58):
I've been teaching since twenty nineteen, for about yeah, six
years now.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, and you specialize in teaching women and girls. How
is that different to teaching the boys to play golf?

Speaker 4 (01:12):
Yeah? So I think girls and females they lack a
bit of confidence. They need more encouraging. I give more
of a personal approach with them. Guys, they're more they
need more of a challenge, and they just kind of
you know.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
Are arett a bit more gung ho?

Speaker 4 (01:31):
Yeah, I would say so, yeah, but yeah, But ultimately
in the end, I just give them personal tailored what
they need. You know, every individual is different.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
I would I would suggest that probably the ladies, the
girls probably take direction a little better than the blokes
who probably think they yeah, who think they know everything.

Speaker 4 (01:53):
More mature, I would say.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Oh, you could go down that right as well.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
So thus far my experience it is, I've been to
the driving range twice.

Speaker 3 (02:02):
I'm going again tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
How many lessons do you think I will need before
I can actually play on a course without making a
complete idiot of myself?

Speaker 4 (02:10):
Oh? Every individual is different. So what you've been a
couple of times?

Speaker 1 (02:14):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (02:15):
Have you had lessons before?

Speaker 3 (02:16):
No?

Speaker 4 (02:18):
No, less self.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Thought YouTube, No, No, just just some you know, helpful
hints from going with someone who does know his way
around the course.

Speaker 4 (02:29):
Are you sure they do know their way around? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (02:31):
Yeah, yeah, no, he's very good.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
Actually, okay, good good, it's not too late to back out?

Speaker 4 (02:37):
Yes, yeah, no, no, No, I'm definitely, I'm in. I'm ready
to help. Like, every individual is different. You know, some
players five to ten lessons, some more like just really
depends how committed you are. And you know, you're when
you're playing on the golf course, not that you're going
to make a fool out of yourself, but you're gonna
you're going to struggle at the start, and yeah, the

(02:59):
one that bounce back and just continue are the ones
that succeed.

Speaker 3 (03:04):
Look, here's the beauty of getting older.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
You don't care so much anymore if you're you know,
you just go out there and you do it and
like whatever.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
In most I don't know that golf counts.

Speaker 3 (03:18):
That applies to everything. Rulse. It totally does. It absolutely does.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
What I said before that I don't actually understand what
a handicap is.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
I know that's going to sound like.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
A stupid question to a lot of people, but what
is a handicap in golf?

Speaker 4 (03:31):
Our handicap is pretty much what your ability is. So
a par round on a you know some golf courses
that have seventy four or seventy two for the ladies,
So whatever you're shooting over the par Yeah, it's pretty
much your handicap. It's a bit difficult to explain, but
once you get into golf and kind of get out
there to make sense, it's a bit more understanding.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
Yeah, yeah, all right, could be a higher number, the
higher the number it is it is.

Speaker 4 (03:58):
Yeah, well, beginners usually thirty five to forty is a
good handicap to start off with.

Speaker 3 (04:03):
Okay, all right, cool?

Speaker 4 (04:05):
What normal?

Speaker 2 (04:07):
So we're going to do some lessons I'm going to
get today. I'm going to the golf box and I'm
going to get hooked up with, you know, a little
starter things that I need.

Speaker 3 (04:16):
Keeping in mind, I.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
Have a two door car and can't fit a great
big bag of golf clubs in there, So I'm just
going to get a little range bag and.

Speaker 3 (04:24):
A few clubs. What what do you suggest I get, Jess.

Speaker 4 (04:27):
To start a beginner, Yes, start just getting a sand wedge,
a pitching wedge, a sandwich.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
That's what you get from the from the canteen before
you head out on the farewell.

Speaker 4 (04:40):
A sand wedge, pitching wedge. You just want a shorter
iron club because as the club gets longer, it's harder
to hit. Ben start with the shorter clubs, definitely, get
a buttter, yes, and maybe a driver, but I would
not touch drivers and till we get because.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
That's one of the long ones, isn't it. I was
standing so far away from the ball with that thing
the other day. It just was made it much harder.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
And Jess, for you, I might suggest maybe a helmet.

Speaker 4 (05:14):
I'm almost back the head once to the golf for so.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
All right, Jess, well, I really look forward.

Speaker 3 (05:23):
To having some lessons.

Speaker 4 (05:27):
You're looking forward to coaching you. I mean I am
the best.

Speaker 3 (05:32):
There we go.

Speaker 1 (05:33):
I was about to say that you're getting the best,
getting the absolute best.

Speaker 3 (05:38):
All right, well, thank you, Jess. Let's let's see how
we go too easy.

Speaker 4 (05:43):
Thank you for having me. Hope.

Speaker 1 (05:45):
I hope you like a challenge, Jess, because you got
one challenge.

Speaker 4 (05:48):
I've got plenty of patients. Very good.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
All right, well I'll work on mine and we'll get.

Speaker 1 (05:55):
Thank you, Jess.

Speaker 4 (05:56):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (05:57):
Wow, Jess speechly former p G A professional golfer.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
Jeeve not knocking around you.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
No YouTube video?

Speaker 1 (06:09):
All right? Well, all I can say is good luck Lisa,
thank you, and good luck Jess.

Speaker 4 (06:14):
A