Mention rhythm to most golf professionals and right away they’re thinking swing tempo and timing. Rita Slavetskas might be the exception, considering she taught music well before she started teaching golf. A graduate of the Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA, Slavetskas studied music education with a concentration in voice and piano.  

After performing professionally and teaching music for a number of years, Slavetskas went back to school and emerged a computer programmer. Hired as a project manager for the federal government, Slavetskas worked in Information Systems Management until one day she picked up a golf club about as easily as she could pick up a tune. 

“I was invited to play golf by a couple of close friends who promised me a ski trip out west if I would just go to the driving range,” recalls Slavetskas. “It was a Saturday morning and they said, ‘You don’t have to stay long, just try it.” Following a few successful whacks, Slavetskas was hooked. She practiced hard and studied with some of the best teachers of the game: Peggy Kirk Bell and Beverly Fergusson, to name two. Her natural ability coupled with her natural rhythm soon propelled her to a level of excellence in golf strictly reserved for professionals: she earned her LPGA certification in 1995. 

“A couple of people frowned on me going into golf,” says Slavetskas, “They felt I would not be successful, but I just said, ‘Watch me!’” Despite starting much later in life than the average teaching professional, Slavetskas has already earned one of the profession’s highest honors. In 2008, she was named to the LPGA’s Top 50 Teacher list. “I think my students are comfortable with me,” notes Slavetskas. “I am super positive and very energetic and passionate about golf. I make the lessons fun, and I find ways to get the most out of each person’s game.” 

With beginners, Slavetskas finds alignment is the biggest problem. New golfers who have never touched a club will get a putting lesson first from Slavetskas - then it’s on to full swing fundamentals. She hits the course with her more advanced students to find areas for improvement, generally discovering that more work is needed from 100 yards in.  

“I help my students focus on real goals that work with their schedules and willingness to learn,” says Slavetskas, a.k.a. “Real Rita.” She adds that learning how to practice properly is important for amateurs as they do not typically have as much time to devote to the game. “Better, more efficient practice can lead to more enjoyment while playing,” she points out. Her favorite students are open-minded and positive, qualities she, too, demonstrates every day on the lesson tee. 

Always anxious to improve and see others improve also, Slavetskas would only change one thing about the game of golf as it stands today. “I would require ‘ready golf’ everywhere except in tournaments,” she smiles. 

Allegro golf, anyone?