A chance glance from Tauranga Golf Club's players' lounge across to the practice putting green, coupled with a timely prod from his mentors, has convinced PGA coach Jay Carter the time's right to focus on coaching fulltime.
Carter, a high performance coach with New Zealand Golf and who also spearheads Bay of Plenty Golf's elite development, will this week jettison his pro shop duties at Tauranga after realising last month he was spreading himself too thinly to be of maximum use to the players he works with.
It was while talking with renown sports psychologist David Galbraith at the Tauranga club that Carter realised he needed to get more ruthless with his time to make a more lasting impact.
"I looked on the putting green and there were 10 guys practising, all with aspirations of playing on tour as professionals, yet here I was without the time or resource to help them achieve what they want to achieve because I was spending so much time stuck in the pro shop or fulfilling general club duties.
"I probably only have 12 hours available for coaching a week but I'm not even managing that because of all the other stuff. Factor in high performance training camps with NZ Golf or my stuff with Bay Golf and club members often remark that I'm never here or think I've been away on holiday.
"Try telling that to my wife because I'm here 60-70 hours a week [but] mainly it's stuff that isn't time well spent, especially with guys relying on me to further what they want to do."
But it isn't just at the top end where Carter wants to apportion more hours - coaching the average club golfer is a big part of his fulfillment and by cutting ties with the pro shop (although still retaining his financial interest) he'll have time to focus wider.
"In many ways it's throwing myself in the deep end going coaching fulltime. I've probably always seen the shop as a bit of a safety net but David pointed out it was more of a handbrake to me achieving what I really want to be doing."
Carter, a former national rep, is involved with two domestic-based pros, Jared Pender and James Hamilton (who also works with Murray Macklin), and a solid core of elite amateurs through his Fusion Academy, including national Srixon Academy squad member Sam An who drives down from Auckland once a week for coaching.
But it's a misnomer to think he was only interested in the elite players, Carter said.
"I actually want to free myself up to coach more club players because it is that coaching I enjoy the most, not so much giving lessons or fixing technical faults but helping them become better players. Golf's a hard game and there's lots to learn ... I love doing the beginners because although their concepts are sometimes a little bit off the mark a simple change often brings instant results."
Carter has a plan mapped out that will see him working with his elite, mainly Tauranga-based, players for a full day on Mondays, with An travelling down from Auckland and Landyn Edwards and Victor Janin from Rotorua, freeing up the rest of his week.
He also works closely with Galbraith and Tauranga-based physiotherapist Bryce Hamer within the NZ Golf set-up and will incorporate both at all levels, providing a more holistic approach to player development.
"People sometimes see sports psychology as mumbo jumbo but David keeps it real and simple and mental skills are vital, even if you're swinging it well and you think your head's in a good space. It's the same with Bryce, because you see a lot of guys our age going to the gym, walking around in their singlets and in terms of function from a golfing point of view they're not fit at all.
"With a guy like Brad [former national champion Brad Kendall], to make the swing changes I need him to make his body needs to get better, and until that happens those swing changes will be hard. Club members here will benefit massively from Bryce and David's input."
Making wads of money out of golfers frustrated with spending more time in the forest than on the fairways isn't what prompted him refine his working week, Carter said.
"I've spent a lot of money furthering my own golfing education but if I'm not getting to use it then what's the point? Hopefully it [coaching fulltime] works but not trying is failing."