Golf Instruction

As a Junior I was fortunate enough to be mentored by two of the top golf professionals from Canada, Bill Mawhinney and Alvie Thompson. After having an exceptional junior career, I started my apprenticeship to be a golf professional with Mr. Thompson. I competed over the next several years on the West Coast Golf Tour also competing in Florida and Mexico as well.

Golf instruction can be divided into two approaches. That which constitutes more than 90% of today's golf instruction is body-focused. The central premise of this type of golf instruction is built around the idea that if the golfer learns to correctly move various body parts (hips, legs, shoulders, etc.), the result will be a movement of the golf club that will produce effective golf shots. That which constitutes the other 10% of golf instruction is club-focused. Its central premise is that the golfer should instead focus on learning how the golf club should move during an effective swing.

The difference between these two approaches may seem minor at first consideration. However, any student (or instructor) who has experienced both will immediately appreciate the simplicity of club-focused golf instruction. If the club is moving correctly, there is nothing you can do with your body that produces a poor shot. Conversely, if the club is moving incorrectly, there is nothing you can do with your body that will correct the problem and avoid the poor shot. By way of analogy, regardless of what he does with his body, if the marksman does the right thing with the rifle, the bullet must hit the target. If the golfer does the right thing with the golf club, the ball must go to the target.