Golf Lessons
J.R.'s Teaching Philosophy
Whether a golfer is a beginner or tour player the most important aspect of a swing is the setup position. This includes the grip, posture, alignment and ball position. All of the desirable movements of the swing are either enhanced because of your setup position or are made next to impossible. The "good" movements of a swing simply will not work if you are not were you should be and you will begin to change to movements that attempt to compensate for bad results.
The Instruction Process
So, shortly after interviewing the student about their history and finding out what they would like to improve most, I have them hit as few as ten to maybe thirty shots. Usually I put them on the video next. If a golfer has never seen their swing it can be a shock. Often what it feels like is happening and what is really occurring is not even close. When we play a swing in slow motion the golfer can see what is occurring and we determine why it is moving the way it is. It will be because of setup issues or effort level. Almost all problems start there. Then it is a matter of establishing a new feel for the proper swing. One great training aid I employ is Explanar. The Explanar strengthens and produces the proper plane for the golfers swing (watch the video of Explanar). I am a big believer in drills for the establishing of new feels and habits. This is critical because golfers can not see themselves which makes it hard to practice effectively without drills. Depending on the swing problems it could take up to 4-6 lessons to make lasting improvement.
Short Game Training
The most important area of potential improvement is the short game, because almost 60% of your score is short game shots. One way to address this area is attending one of our Short Game Schools. We offer four one day schools in the spring of each year. We cover distance wedge shots, lob shots, bunker shots, chipping and putting. If this does not work out schedule wise I would suggest you take a series of lessons on the short game only. One amazing tool I have available is the TOMI Putting Evaluation. This will show you every thing you would want to know about your stroke, face alignment at address, face alignment at impact, path at impact, stroke pattern on backstroke and forward stroke, impact point, speed at impact and tempo of stroke (watch the video of TOMI).
Four Seasons Golf Instruction
Remember I give lessons throughout the year. Ables Golf on Avery has covered heated tees, so rain, shine or snow we can work on your game. Another program that I do in the winter is Maximum Golf. It consists of a series of exercises and swing drills that are designed to strengthen and train the golf muscles. We meet twice a week for nine weeks during late January through the third week of March, think of it as spring training for the golf season. This is the 26th year for Maximum Golf with about 70-80 golfers a year participating.