How I Teach

You will find that my approach to teaching is a bit different than more conventional instruction.  The reason for this is that in my experience, conventional instruction is ineffective.  Statistics also bear this out.  In spite of all the technological improvements in golf equipment over the last thirty years, the average handicap for both male and female golfers essentially remains unchanged.

Full Swing Instruction

In regard to the full swing you should know that I am NOT a proponent of the band aid style of teaching that simply seeks to give you a quick fix so that you can hit the ball better for the next week or two.  That style of teaching clearly does not work for long term improvement. 

The first thing I do is watch you hit some balls, first with a 6 or 7 iron, and then with a driver.  I am interested in watching your ball flight to determine if there are any particular shot patterns that show up consistently. 

The next step involves video analysis of your swing.  I use a high speed Casio camera and V1 software in this step.  This allows me to pick up on any minor flaws that are not as visible to the naked eye. 

Between these two analyses I identify your critical ball flight error and look to correct that issue first.  In my mind I am also developing a long term plan for improving your golf swing.  This plan will be conveyed to you during the lesson, and it is required that you write notes during the lesson. 

Next, I will go to work on your golf swing to help you fix the critical ball flight error.  This process may vary, but will typically involve me moving you slowly through the swing with my hands on approach as taught by Hank Haney.  I may also work you through a couple of drills depending on the error.  I will also convey how you should work through the improvements on your own.  This will involve scientifically devised drills and ways for you to measure performance and improvement so that you can learn and improve more quickly. 

Me with student in my old indoor studio

Short Game and Putting

Ideally, I have seen your short game and putting in a full game evaluation, which I highly recommend to all new students.  This will allow me to develop a complete plan for improvement, and it allows me to attack the weakest part of your game first.

While I provide instruction on short game technique, I also go beyond this and provide drills and games, and ways to statistically measure your performance during practice and on the golf course.  These measures help you identify your tendencies and this is how you can learn more quickly. 

In regard to putting, it is my belief that putting is a far more personal part of the game.  As many different types of full swings we see on tour, over the years, we have seen even more putting strokes. Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw are both arguably among the best clutch putters of all time, yet they have wildly different styles and strokes.  With that in mind, my focus is primarily on helping you achieve greater confidence on the short putts, learning how to read the greens, and learn better speed control for your longer putts.

Any student receiving a putting lesson from me will receive my Vital Signs putting evaluation.  This will allow me to focus on your putting weaknesses so I can develop a plan for the most rapid improvement.  This will be followed by specific drills and games to help you gain confidence.