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Shearin brings positive, gentle style to EP course Photo by Jim Craven New Eagle Point Golf Course teaching pro Bill Shearin, right, gives some pointers. By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN EAGLE POINT -- Eagle Point Golf Course General Manager Tony Galpin says new teaching professional Bill Shearin is just what the facility needs to give it the complete package of options for local golfers. "We already have a great golf course, but we've needed a good teacher and professional to promote the game," says Galpin. "We feel we now have that." Bill Shearin, 45, a local golf teacher for nearly 15 years, gives Eagle Point those ingredients, Galpin says. "Bill is a wonderful guy and a great teacher," says Galpin, "He has the combination of talents and experience that we need to promote the game for our course. He knows the swing, and he knows how to teach it to golfers of all levels." Shearin says he will plunge full time into his new job by the end of January, although he has already officially started. He says he will be a teacher, first, and an organizer and consultant for golf activities. "They want me to consult and give my ideas on programs we're planning for the course to improve what we have," says Shearin. "But primarily, I see myself as a teacher." Shearin feels teaching is his strong suit in golf. "I like dealing with people of all ages,but especially kids," he says. "My mother was a teacher and I think I picked that up from her. "I've coached a lot of girls softball and baseball," says Shearin, who is currently the hitting coach for Eagle Point High's girls softball team. Shearin says teaching his students, no matter what the sport, starts with showing patience and understanding, while giving them the confidence to try new approaches. He says he plans to teach golf at Eagle Point positively and gently. But he says he will inject enough of a serious tone to make sure his students improve. Shearin, a former assistant professional at Oak Knoll Golf Course in Ashland, a former teaching professional at Weed Golf Club in Weed, Calif., and long-time teacher at Golf Swing Shop of Medford, currently teaches out of Golf USA of Medford. He's known as an effective teacher through his use of of the video equipment that he uses to analyze swings of his students. "I like to film them swinging and put them alongside a professional swinging on the screen that they might want to emulate," says Shearin. "That's the way I teach best. After filming, we can go over it and talk about things they might need to change." `If I tell the student he needs to make a change because he's doing something wrong, we can see it on the screen," says Shearin. "That way they can see what's happening and there's no doubt about it." That's part of Shearin's gentle approach to teaching. "It makes it easier for me to get them to make changes and not get defensive about it," says Shearin. Shearin has his teaching video equipment at Golf USA. "I'm going to keep my equipment at Eagle Point when I get out there full time, and teach on the lesson tee," says Shearin. "But I'm keeping it inside at Golf USA until the weather gets a little better." Bobby Chilton, an owner of Golf USA, says Shearin has a positive effect on his students. "Bill is an excellent teacher and a great guy," says Chilton. "I'm happy to let him teach in my shop. "I feel we complement each other well in the shop as teachers. He brings his students into our indoor hitting area and teaches. That helps us because it brings more golfers in the shop." Shearin, who is working to gain Class A status as a Professional Golfers' Association club professional, was assistant professional at Oak Knoll golf Course from 1986 until '90, when he became a salesman and teaching professional at Golf Swing Shop in 1990. He was teaching professional at Weed Golf Course in 1997 and '98. Shearin also works with budding baseball and softball players as a hitting instructor in the Rogue Valley. He says he plans to continue to work part-time as sales manager of Homestead Log Homes of Medford when he's not teaching golf, "I think I have enough time to do both and I like the mix of the two," says Shearin. "This is an ideal situation for me. The golf course is close to my house, and it makes it nice. "I plan to have programs for all kinds of golfers and especially juniors. I'm excited about some things we're going to do." Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA