Committing to Change

There is a saying "keep doing what your doing, and you'll keep getting what you're getting."

As a golf instructor, there is a lot of truth to these words. Students come to us all the time to improve their game (long game, short game, putting, etc) and we have no problem giving help. In every lesson that I give, I see dramatic improvements to ball flight, distance, contact or short game but it is rare to have a follow-up lesson with that same student and be able to pick up right where we left off in the previous lesson.

I understand how hard it is to make a change, I was just like you all when I was learning. I had instructors tell me to make swings and put my body in positions that didn't feel comfortable and didn't feel right to me. But I made myself realize that the reason I came to this professional was to learn and improve. I gave up trying to fix everything on my own, and had to listen and perform what my instructor said no matter what. My golf pro was named Mitch Lowe (PGA), he still teaches to this day in Half Moon Bay, Ca. And to this day, I can attribute my golf swing and a large part of the way I teach to him.

The days of the "quick fix" are fading. Why? Because a quick fix is a temporary solution. As instructors, we would be doing a disservice to you if we gave you a quick fix every time. Our goal is to improve your golf and make you a more consistent and better golfer. All the advise and changes we make are designed to achieve that goal, unless you specify a different goal. That being said, quick fixes are far less awkward when learning, but they are far less effective in producing long term results.

If at anytime during instruction you are confused or don't understand what to do, ASK! If your pro cannot provide a solid reason for why they are making a change, you may want to find a new pro. Its like asking a doctor why he prescribed you a certain medication and he is unable to tell you the reason. That would send a red flag to me for sure! Ask as many questions as you would like, we are there to answer them.

So, if you are looking to get instruction, please see a PGA professional in your area and come in with the right frame of mind. Be willing and committed to change, and you WILL get better.

An example of a great change that resulted in better ball striking immediately. Club was across the line at the top, causing pulls and hooks. He committed to the change and texted me this "74 yesterday with 4 birdies. -1 on the back!" 

Student Success Stories - Melanie

Melanie:
This story is about confidence. Melanie plays on the SMU golf team and was an extremely good junior golfer. She played golf for Baylor before coming to SMU. During her junior year, her play was not up to her standards, she was having trouble getting the ball off the tee and therefore trouble scoring well. When I first played with her she qualified her drives before ever hitting one by saying she has not had confidence in her driver for the past year, hitting drives that are either 180 yard slices or 50 yard smother duck hooks (literally). I didn't really believe her at first, and I laughed the comment off like it was a complete exaggeration. But it wasn't.

I met Melanie while she was working an internship for Century Golf. They manage our property, so she came to help out for a couple months. The first time I watched her swing I was amazed by how much power she created. She hits the ball farther then any woman I have worked with. But she had an obvious (to me) flaw in her swing. For a normal golfer the flaw she had would be manageable, but for a golfer with as much speed as Melanie has the flaw is compounded. For her junior year, her average score was somewhere in the mid-high 80's. She was down on her game and has basically written off her senior year of golf.

We had our first "official lesson" and she told me how many instructors she had gone to that couldn't help her, and most told her it was a mental issue. I didn't think that was true, because I could see the flaw that is causing the shots and knew that if she could fix it her driving would improve. Since her short game was already very good, fixing her driving would change her game completely.

After a few lessons, Melanie started to learn why the golf balls reacts the way it does off the club face, and she started to hit some amazing drives. She practiced very hard for about 6 weeks, working her way through the swing change. After a while, she started putting some great rounds together. Rounds that she said were more like what she used to do (what she expected to do). I could see her confidence rising with each drive that split the fairway.

About a month ago, Melanie qualified to travel for the SMU team. She played amazing golf for three rounds, shooting a combined total of 8-under par including a 65 (course record) in the second round! She won the tournament and beat the previous tournament low total score by 3 strokes. She's now basically guaranteed a travel spot for the rest of the year, and is excited to be competing and hopefully winning more in the rest of her senior year!

She is a prime example of committing to a change in her swing and that change bringing the confidence she needed to play golf like she knows she can. I teach each student the same way, analyzing their game/swing and making and adjustment the the most critical part of the swing that is causing poor performance. It was Melanie who took the change and made it her own. She now has a much better understanding of her golf swing and a lot more confidence when she steps to the tee!

Student Success Stories - Jordan and Ryan

It has been quite a while since my last post, and it has been a great year for me and for my golf academy. And there have been a few really great success stories that I'd like to share with you.

Jordan:
The first one is a tribute to hard work. Jordan is a high school golfer and has really just started to take the game seriously about two or three years ago. She has great natural athletic ability which is very helpful, but the best attributes are her dedication and her attitude.

Jordan first started in my academy about 8 months ago and was shooting scores around 110-115. She wanted to improve and break 100 so she could compete on the JV team. I told her that it would take a lot of work and a lot of swing and practice, and she was OK with that. So, in addition to the 3 times each week that she meets with me, I had her start a practice routine at home each night. It started as hitting 100 chip shots (with whiffle balls) and 100 full swing practice swings (based on what we are working on). On her own, she has added swings and chips that now add up to about 500 swings/chips per night. She also realizes how important short game is, and has decided to give herself a 10 push-up penalty for any 3-putts she makes or any putt she misses under 3 ft.

Its safe to say Jordan has done thousands of extra practice swings/chips, and hundreds of extra push-ups as she tries to better her game. About two weeks ago, she shot a career low 91 in a golf tournament and was in disbelief when the girl keeping her score told her what the final score was.

Ryan:
This story is about determination more than anything. Ryan started playing golf only about 6 months before his high school tryouts. He worked very hard for those 6 months but unfortunately didn't perform as well as he would have liked during tryouts. But immediately after tryouts Ryan told me that he was going to stick with the academy and work all year to make the team next time. This story is special to me because many people would give up and concede to the fact that it just not their sport, or they aren't good enough, but Ryan came back with even more determination to improve.

Currently, Ryan is out practicing 6 days a week, including 3 days a week with me in the academy. He and I can both see the changes in his golf game, and there is no doubt in my mind he will make the team next year an be a great player if he keeps up his current work ethic. He has a great attitude and does not make excuses, just practices hard! Whether or not he becomes a great golfer, he will have a successful future because of his never give up attitude and determination to improve.

I will keep these stories coming. They are the reason I do what I do, and why I love my job!