Pingry golf coach Joe Forte earned his 300th career victory on April 14, 2008, in a match against Morris Catholic. This is only the latest accomplishment in Forte’s 23 years of coaching golf at Pingry; his teams have also earned six state prep titles and the 1996 NJSIAA Parochial B Championship. Last year’s team won the Colonial Hills Conference Tournament and had a 17-2 record.

Forte emphasizes fundamentals in practice sessions. “I am a great believer in basics and the short game,” he explains. “We work a lot on grip pressure, stance, posture, and having a relaxed golf swing. We constantly stress a pre-shot routine, visualization, and an intermediate target. Course management has to do partly with selecting the right club for the specific shot that you have to make. The mental part of the game is all about eliminating distractions and being confident in yourself and your golf swing. During our days off, we work on shots around the green, such as chipping and sand play.”

The most important lesson Forte imparts with his athletes, though, concerns character. He says, “My approach to coaching golf and any other sport has been the same over my 34 years of teaching (26 years at Pingry). Coaching is all about making your students a better person—to treat people with respect and work hard in whatever you do. Winning is a bonus.”



© 2008 The Pingry School