Shaler girls golfers playing with with purpose in early-season matches

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 14, 2018 | 12:15 AM

David Lapmarado wanted everything with the Shaler girls golf program to be focused on a purpose. The first-year coach didn’t want going to the putting green before matches to only be part of a routine.

Every chance is an opportunity for improvement. A young Titans team has taken every opportunity and utilized the experience to end a long losing streak. Shaler, which didn’t win a section match last season, has earned two Section 4-AAA victories this season.

The Titans (2-4, 2-4) beat Kiski Area, 200-233, on Aug. 29 and took down Shady Side Academy, 183-205, on Sept. 5. Shaler’s most recent match before this edition’s deadline was a 187-204 loss to Butler on Sept. 7.

“These girls are happy and eager to learn,” Lapmarado said. “They are like big sponges. We’ve been working a lot on their pre-shot routines. Before matches, I want the girls to be marking their shots and looking at the lies before putting. I don’t want them to go through the motions.”

Lapmarado, an assistant golf pro at Wildwood Golf Club, has spent a lot of time discussing the mental part of the game. Addressing how to approach shots and situations has been an important part of the process.

Sophomore Emilee Miller, who shot a career-low 40 against Shady Side Academy, has appreciated some help with the minor details.

“He’s been working with us more individually,” Miller said. “He videotapes our swings and will show us what we’re doing wrong. That helps us a lot. A lot of people are improving their swings.”

Miller, along with Anna Grzegorczyk and Dana Wolf, have consistently been in the top three for the Titans during matches. What Lapmarado wanted to help encourage was for the players to have fun and fit into a team mindset.

Shaler’s enemies aren’t the people they are playing against.

“One of the big things I’ve been lamenting on is that in golf, you play the course and not your opponents,” Lapmarado said.

“It doesn’t matter if one player beats you by 20 or you beat another by 10. At the end of the day, all the scores are added together, and the team with the lowest score wins. You want to play your balls consistently.”

Taking a thinking woman’s approach is what the Titans have been trying to employ. Miller, who is hoping to break 40 by the end of the season, tries to walk through every situation.

All it takes is being able to take her time and know her limits.

“I don’t want to second-guess myself and do what I think is best,” Miller said. “I also need to know how far I can hit a club, which we work on at practice. We’re coming together as a team more and working on improving our scores.”

Josh Rizzo is a freelance writer.

Tags: Shaler