Golf Instruction Geared Towards Your Goals...

          Do you want to learn to play, straighten out your slice, or win the club championship? Your needs for playing the game, from instruction to equipment, can be found right here on the Space Coast! You will find some of the most talented instructors in the state for individual, group, or academy learning right here in your own back yard. Listed you will find the names and contact information for an instructor nearest to you. Call them today to discuss your needs.....

This tip is brought to you by Greg Sanders,
Master Teaching Professional

The Pitch Shot

          Probably one of the most valuable and least practiced shots in golf is the pitch shot.The pitch shot from 10-80 yards from the green. Tour Professionals have this shot from 4 to 8 times per round while most amateurs probably have the shot from 10 to 18 times per round. It is the shot you will use to actually get your ball on the green.

          This shot is important due to its frequency and also, because when you learn how to execute it, you have really learned a lot about the swing itself. It is with this shot that you will effectively learn “how to let the club do the work”. We have all heard this but have not been shown how this magical concept works. First and foremost is the grip pressure. You should hold the club like an open tube of toothpaste. Hold it don't squeeze it. Anything requiring touch requires a light grip. You want to swing the club back and just kind of stand the club up with the head pretty much over your hands. Then just let gravity drop it back down.The length of the back swing determines distance. If you are holding it too tight you will hit the shots “fat”, “thin”, or too far. The lighter you hold it the better your contact will be and the softer the shot will land. Once you are making consistent contact you need to begin working on different distances.This is where a variety of wedges can help. You should learn the use of your pitching wedge, sand wedge, and lob wedge for the various shots you will encounter around the greens.

          As you get proficient with this shot your full swing will probably improve as well. If you have difficulty getting the knack of this shot see your
PGA Golf Professional.
 

DURAN GOLF CLUB

Instructor: Wally J. Kuchar, PGA, Duran Director of Instruction - a member of the PGA since 1985, Kurchar's duties at Duran include direction of all instructional programs at the Duran Academy of Golf. Kuchar has combined a competitive golf career as an amateur and a PGA Tour Player with years of experience as a club professional and instructor to hone and perfect his teaching skills. Through the years, Wally has had the opportunity to gain valuable personal instruction and playing knowledge from such notable instructors and professionals as Irv Schloss, Bob Toski, Phil Ritson, and Moe Norman. With his competitive career, club professional career and teaching career, Wally has taught and coached men, women, juniors of all ages and levels, and has great success in conveying his instructional methods about the fundamentals of the game. Not only has he worked, studied and taken lessons to better understand the swing himself, he is able to teach it through years of tournament competition and convey his personal experience and feelings to the student. He had been both the student and the tournament player! Wally believes, "You can reach whatever level you truly want". A native of Indiana, Wally currently resides in Orlando with wife Bonnie. Kuchar played golf and studied at Arizona State University, where he played on the golf team and received his degree in Education.

Instructor: Matt Morrison, PGA, Duran Head Golf Professional. Matt joined the Duran Staff in September of 2011. His background includes over 17 years in the golf industry, and has been a member of the PGA of America since 2002. Matt relocated to Florida from Michigan, where he served as Director of Golf Operations at the Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms, Suttons Bay for the last 9 years. Matt graduated from Ferris State University with a Bachelors Degree in Business Marketing in their Professional Golf Management Program. Matt’s responsibilities as Duran’s Head Golf Professional include direction and management of the Golf Operations, development of tournament programs and events, and supervision of staff. Matt is passionate about teaching, and has developed a strong following of students here on the Space Coast to include men, women and junior golfers. Matt can be reached at 321-504-7776 ext. 7340 or email at mtm@durangolf.com

Philosophy: The instructors at Duran Golf Club realize each and every golfer responds to different educational approaches. Our Golf Professional Staff will develop a curriculum tailored to each individual student, based on athleticism, current level of play, specific goals, and the time available to reach those goals. The staff at Duran believes in providing students with the understanding of Golf's "fundamentals". With that knowledge, students better understand relationships between grip, posture, alignment, and swing motion. Using that, golfers can then make changes to the feelings and sensations of their golf positions and swing motions. We believe this is the students key to creating a more desirable ball flight, therefore, more enjoyment of the game of golf.

SAVANNAHS

Instructor: Greg Sanders, PGA Master Professional and certified PGA Teaching Professional. Greg has been a PGA professional since 1981. He has taught thousands of lessons over those years to players of all abilities. Some of his students have gone on to a professional tour or have won national amateur tournaments (Amateur Athletic Union-AAU). While in Cincinnati, OH; he coached the St. Ursula High School Girls Golf Team to two OH State Championships, two second place and one third place finish. Greg won the conference coach of the year award four years, district coach of the year twice and the Cincinnati Enquirer coach of the year three times. Andrew, Greg's son, won the Cincinnati City Jr. Open at age 14 with a record score of eight under par and went on to receive a full scholarship at the Univ. of Houston where he made Second Team All American twice. Greg has not only attended many national PGA workshops and seminars on teaching and playing but recently completed the rigorous PGA Specialty Certification in Teaching recognizing him as an expert in this field. Greg has studied under many of the top leading names in the industry. He uses many training aids as well as state of the art video equipment to facilitate learning and reinforcing a teaching point. Let Greg show you/your son/daughter how to reach their potential. Single lessons $40. Series of five $170. Series of ten $325.

The Importance of a Routine

Invariability when describing the goals of a new golf student they almost always mention consistency.  I usually tell them that everyone playing the game, including Tiger wants to be more consistent.  Tiger is the best athlete out there so if he were more consistent he would win every time.  I would be on the Senior Tour, not teaching golf. 

Golfers often complain that they cannot take their “range game” to the golf course.  Well, on the range you are hitting the same club about every 30 seconds of so from a perfect level lie.  You develop a “rhythm” while practicing.   On the course you are hitting a shot every 8 – 10 minutes and seldom with the same club or perfect lie.

To help you find a rhythm while playing you need to develop a ore-shot routine. All great athletes attempt to do this in varying sports.  Watch some one serve in tennis.  Watch a basketball player at the free throw line.   Watch a placekicker in football.  All have a routine that they go through.  Professional golfers do the same.  Once you have selected your club and lined up your shot from behind, as you step to your ball, you should be doing the same thing all the time.  Same number of steps, looking at the target the same number of times, waggling your club the same number of times.  All this will help your body know when to “pull the triger”.

As part of this you need to picture your shot when you are standing behind the ball lining up.  See where you want your ball to go.  It is very important to focus on what you want to do.  If you are standing there thinking about avoiding the water, out of bounds, woods, etc. you have almost no chance of pulling off the shot.  Always focus on what you want to do.  After getting a chance to spend the day with David Leadbetter it was easy to see the importance of this.  All swings are different and you must work with what the student brings to you.  However, focusing on the target is the same for all players.

Follow these steps and you will be on your way to greater consistency.  If you need help see your PGA Professional, he is there for you.

Philosophy: The Golf Swing can be natural "if you let it". Greg's philosophy is simple and direct. Usually he reminds the player to"...do as I say... and you will play fine". His underlying thought is that mind control is the key to a good game. Keeping your focus on the task/shot at hand is most important. "Many times when playing well, I let myself get ahead of the play and as a result lose the pace and maybe miss a shot". "Taking that thought to the course is one key that I reinforce to my players" he said. Greg's basics and the use of the many teaching aids focus a players lesson to specific teaching points to accommodate each student's physique, mental attitude an athleticism. You really ought to take at least one lesson from his well qualified professional. Multiple lesson discounts are available.

Facility: The Savannah's Aqua Range is one of very few on the Space Coast. Distances are marked with buoys at standard distances. The two tier putting green has flat areas as well as slopes to allow the player to get a feel of the playing conditions on the course. There is a sand bunker which has a two level green with flags at 20 and 40 yards for players practicing their distance control.
 

WALKABOUT

Instructor: Christa has been playing golf for over 27 years and currently teaches in Central Florida. She has been teaching since 1989 and is a Class A Member of the LPGA. She has successfully competed on the LPGA Tour, the Futures Tour, and the Florida Gold Coast Tour. In 1998, she won the prestigious Golf for Women's LPGA T&CP Division's National Championship. In addition to Christa's teaching responsibilities at Walkabout, Christa is also the women's golf coach at Seminole Community College.

Career Highlights: 1998 LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) National Champion, LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) Division Class A, Competed in 4 LPGA Majors: 1999 LPGA Championship 1991 U. S. Open 1989 DuMaurier 1991 DuMaurier, 1998, 1999, 2000 SE Section Team Champion, 2nd in 1999 SE Section LPGA Tournament, LPGA Tour Player 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, Gold Coast Tour Champion 1994, 1995, 19 Top Ten finishes on Gold Coast Tour 1994, 1995, Future's Golf Tour – 2nd on Money List 1992.

Philosophy:

The Swing

I teach the golf swing by stressing the importance of a strong foundation. That means we start with the short game, focusing on solid fundamentals: grip, posture, alignment, and ball position. Next, my students learn to keep it simple by unleashing the athlete within using drills, visual aids, video analysis, and teaching aids.

The Game

I teach the game by helping my students learn their strengths and weaknesses and then use this insight to make wiser choices. I also help my students become aware of, then address their fears, anxieties and insecurities. Knowledge of this not only encourages better scoring decisions, but enables the student to be more confident and comfortable in any golf course setting.

Facility: Christa may be reached by calling (321) 749-5619 or by emailing her at christateno@hotmail.com. Christa's page on Seminole Community College's web site is: http://www.seminolestate.edu/athletics/wgolf/christa_teno.htm