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How did you develop Simply Great Golf? |
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  | Early on in my career as a PGA professional there were some signs that I had a gift for teaching golf, this led me to consider changing my pursuit from a club professional career to a teaching professional career. Before becoming a professional instructor I decided to conduct a study of golf teaching techniques, so I contacted several golf professionals and asked to watch them conduct lessons. I found that there were about as many concepts for the “proper” grip, stance, back-swing, etcetera and as many different techniques for instructing as there were instructors.
I’ve always had the trait of being innovative. My teaching study revealed that there was a great opportunity to develop the simplest, most effective concepts for learning and playing the game of golf. My Simply Great Golf approach was born.
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Are all of your students instructed to learn the same fundamentals? |
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No. We treat every student as an individual. This is always the case, even when students are part of a group lesson. Each student has his or her unique characteristics such as learning style, physique and physical strength. Therefore, there are preferences within the SGG model of fundamental techniques and teaching-coaching styles that are matched to each individual student to insure the best results. | |
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How would you summarize the fundamentals of a Simply Great Golf swing? | |
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Most importantly, there is a Pre-Shot Routine that must be consistent to promote the SGG swing. This routine consists partly of G.A.S.P. - Grip, Aim, Stance, Posture - and Key Swing Trigger Thoughts to promote the most effective swinging motion.
In general, the SGG approach involves learning and coordinating two Main Swing Parts for a pitching to full swing - the Arm Swing-Body Rotation and the Hinging Action. Chipping and putting techniques require learning the only the Arm Swing-Body Rotation part. | |
| You are so confident in your SGG approach to helping every golfer play their best that you advertise your lessons as “the best investment a golfer can make in their game - guaranteed”. Do you ever have students that just can't improve? | |
| I can honestly say that I have not had a student that could not improve. As you know, golf is a game of persistence. You constantly strive to make your good shots more consistently and to make your poor shots less penalizing. The SGG approach has become so refined that our students have confidence that they can improve as they practice their Simply Great Golf Instruction Principles and follow their SGG “Golf Time” Management Plan. | |
| You mentioned how excited you are to be teaching golf at Possum Trot Golf Club because of great facilities, location and weather. When and how did you arrive at Possum Trot GC? | |
| I began teaching here in March 2007. The Glens Golf Group conducted a national search through the PGA of America with the goal of hiring a teaching professional and academy director who could make their long-time golf academy the best in Myrtle Beach and one of the top academies in the country. At the time, I was looking to relocate from the north to a southern U.S. climate more conducive to year-round outdoor lessons. My other goal was to find the ideal facilities for conducting lessons, which I found at Possum Trot Golf Club. A bonus was that I landed near the beach in the golf and vacation capital of the world. | |
| I have heard a number of people say that they fear taking lessons because they have heard that they will get worse before they play better. Is this true? | |
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Our approach is designed to help our students improve quickly with constant forward progress. We don't believe it is necessary to take two steps back to move ahead.
We understand that habits need to be broken and developed over time. With this goal in mind, students follow our “Homework Practice Plan” to guarantee that they will only make forward progress. | |
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I know you feel that you have something very unique and special with your Simply Great Golf approach. Would you elaborate? | |
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There is never a day that I don’t enjoy teaching. I know that I am going to be able to help every student improve and that makes teaching fun and exciting. My SGG approach has become so refined that our students regularly comment about how much they enjoy their lessons because of the simplicity and the positive feelings they have about their ability to improve their games. | |
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How did you find the best techniques and instruction for grip, stance, back-swing, etcetera? |
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Finding the best fundamental techniques and teaching-coaching styles for a wide range of golfers is an on-going learning process. I study the fundamental techniques used by the world’s best golfers and I regularly attend and teach PGA seminars to learn from my fellow golf professionals.
Twenty-two years ago I made a commitment to continually research and experiment to find the simplest, most effective concepts for learning and playing the game of golf. Just as the generations of top golfers and top teachers have become better by continually researching and experimenting, I can honestly say that I have become a better teacher each successive year and my Simply Great Golf approach has become more refined.
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Which SGG instruction program do you recommend for beginners, intermediates and low handicappers, or top tournament players? | |
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All of our programs are designed to be beneficial for golfers of all skill levels. My experience shows that in our Group Programs - Schools, Semi-Private Lessons and Clinics - we can mix together beginners all the way to advanced tournament players and all receive great benefits. The Simply Great Golf Academy also offers Specific Schools for “Tournament Players” and “High School and College players”.
In terms of our best value-best instruction investment program, our 3-Day School is tops. Our 2-Day and 1-Day Schools are not far behind. Our Semi-Private Lessons (consisting of your group of 2 or more people) would be next in line followed by our Private Lessons and Clinics. | |
| What’s the difference between your Simply Great Golf Academy and some of the other top academies? | |
| TWe offer the best value - we are much more affordable than the other top-rated academies and I am confident that the SGG Approach is the best because I have proven that we can provide every student with the ability to play their best golf with simplicity. I am often told by my students who have attended other top-rated academies and worked with other top instructors that I have the best concepts and teaching style they have ever experienced. They also mention that our instruction is so simple and sensible while others make it too complex. | |
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You have received the PGA Teacher of the Year award in three different PGA Sections and achieved a ranking of Top 6 PGA Instructor in the U.S. What was the process for achieving these awards? | |
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I was nominated by my peers for each of the PGA Section Awards. I then had to meet the award criteria to be considered a nominee. The nominees are then voted on by the PGA Section Board of Directors. I became ranked as a 2006 Top 6 PGA Teacher in the U.S. when I was nominated by the Indiana Section PGA for the National PGA Teacher of the Year Award and became one of the six finalists from fifty nominees. |
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