When to take a lesson

As a PGA Teaching Professional with over 25 years experience I truly understand the frustration and confusion players experience trying to figure out what is causing their shot problems. Other times most everything is going well with a player's game except for one part such as pitching or chipping. Another situation is the novice player that is getting all kinds of advice from well meaning friends and family members.

All the above mentioned are good candidates for taking a golf lesson. Experiencing the same shot problem over and over such as slicing your driver or hitting your wedges fat or thin can quickly take the enjoyment out to the game. An experienced and qualified PGA teaching professional will quickly identify the cause of your problem and demonstrate to you how to correct it.

Any player who is new to the game will benefit greatly by taking lessons early. They will progress much faster by learning proper fundamentals and the correct way to swing a golf club.

The most common reason people give for not taking lessons is they are afraid the instructor will want to change everything about their swing. An instructor that is truly good at what he does will focus only on the primary cause of your shot problem rather than trying to convert you to a rigid method or swing model. "Less is More" is the advice I always give young inspiring teachers. Keeping it simple means the less you're thinking about during the swing.

Choosing to take a golf lesson whether you're a seasoned player or a novice will clear up your confusion, and answer your questions. As a result you'll be hitting better golf shots and having more fun on the course.

Have more fun on the course this year

If your game has been stuck in the same place for the past number of years now is the time do something about it.

Rather than camping out on the range ingraining the same bad habits give yourself the gift or better golf this year.

As an experienced and award winning instructor I will explain the cause of your shot problem, and how to adjust your stroke to cure your faulty shot. Better shots mean lower scores and more fun on the course. Call today to make an appointment.


Golf Rx is a PGA full service facility that offers indoor and outdoor instruction, custom fit golf equipment from Ping, Taylor Made, Callaway and Adams Golf and club repair services. We specialize in personal and professional service for our customers.

Don't neglect 40% of your score

Whether your handicap is 2 or 22 it is a fact that 40% of your strokes during a round of golf are with your putter. Doesn't sound possible does it? To prove my point track your number of putts during your next round of golf and divide it by your total score.

With putting being such a significant part of your score it makes sense to invest in a putter that is custom fit to your stature and stroke type.

Putter designs basically fall into three different categories: Face Balanced, Mid Hang and Toe Down which correlates to one of three stroke types: Straight, Slight Arc and Strong Arc. Results from years of testing prove that golfers putt more consistently when their putter balance matches their stroke type. The goal isn't to change your putting stroke, but to change your putter to a model that helps you be more consistent and make more putts.

Using the new iPing Putter App on our iphone we can now identify your type of stroke. Based on the results we can offer a list of putters matching your stroke type. A face balanced model for a straight stroke, a mid hang model for a slight arc and a toe down model for strong arc. We can also offer recommendations for length, lie and loft.

To schedule your putter fitting call Steve at Golf Rx.

A Simple Fix to a Common Problem

One of the more common faults I see with many of my students is a lack of arm, hand and wrist action, combined with too much body action. The player lacks a gifted player's natural clubhead speed, and tries to make up for it by copying his body action. This invariably leads to a hectic and unbalanced movement. Rather than swinging the clubhead into the ball they are throwing their body at it.

When this occurs the results are a lot of sliced shots and topping or thining others. The player is using too much body action in the downswing, relative to their arm and hand action. The fault generally begins at the moment the player transfers from the backswing to the downswing. It is caused by uncoiling the body too fast almost violently, in relation to their arm and hand action.

The effect of this excessive unwind of the body is to delay your arm and hand swing so the clubface arrives open at impact, and on so steep a plane that it only hits the upper portion of the ball. The player has hit too late with their arms, wrists, hands and clubhead, and too early with their body.

If you are slicing or topping shots, simply slow down your body unwind and increase the use of the clubhead by increasing the speed of your arm swing. In other words hit earlier with the clubhead and later with your body, until the flight of the ball tells you that your timing is better coordinated.

Visualize the motion of swinging the clubhead down and through the ball with your arms before the shoulders unwind. An excellent drill to capture this feeling is to hit balls using a five or six iron with your feet together. Tee the ball up slightly and swing about eighty percent of your normal speed.

With a little practice you'll be amazed how solidly you'll strike the ball and the distance the ball will go.

Attending PGA Merchandise Show

This week I will be attending the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. The week provides a great opportunity for PGA Professionals to see the latest golf equipment, trainng aids and other products for the golf industry.

During the Demo Day at Orange County National Golf Club I will have the opportunity to hit and evaluate all the new clubs from virtually all the major manufacturers.

I have also registered for a number of classes and seminars to increase my knowledge and expertise in the areas of shaft fitting for steel and graphite shafts, club repair and teaching.

The new season is almost here and our new demo clubs are now arriving from Ping, Taylor Made, Callaway and Adams Golf. I will learn more about their new features and improvements at the show.

Keep in mind that our golf simulator is available for rent for you and your friends. You can choose to practice or play your favorite golf course. For more information on any of our products or services please give us a call at (615) 480-7829.

Winter Golf Program

We are offering a Winter Golf Program this year at Golf Rx. This service allows you continue improving your game during the winter months rather than hanging up your clubs until Spring.

For the months of January, February and March you will have full access to our Full Swing Golf Simulator for three hours each week. You can use this time to hit balls on the various practice range modes, or play one of thirty golf courses including Bay Hill, Pinehurst and Firestone. Also included is an initial one hour lesson with Steve and a full club fitting evaluation.
The fee for the entire three month program is $300.00.

This is a great opportunity to keep your momentum going during the off season. Remember too you can rent our simulator for play or practice at $30.00 per hour.

For more information call Steve at Golf Rx or come by anytime.

Observations about the golf swing

Here are some of my thoughts regarding the golf swing that may be of benefit to you as the new golf year approaches.

We call it a golf swing because that's what it is. Regardless of what you may think you swing the club with your arms.

The arm swing is allied to the shoulder windup in the backswing and the hip unwind in the downswing.

The shoulders should turn 90 degrees during the backswing.

In beginning the backswing "One Piece" simply means nothing working independently. It is a correlated movement - The shoulders turn smooth and the arms swing freely.

The two most common faults of the backswing are:

1. Picking the club up by lifting your shoulders.

2. Using independent hand action to either roll the face open or hold it shut.


"Hitting from the top"is a common flaw in the downswing that prevents the arms from working and swinging. It results from one of two faults:

1. Prematurely turning or spinning the shoulders into the shot. Also known as the "shoulder heave".

2. Prematurely uncocking the wrists - A jerking attempt to force the clubhead to the ball with the hands.

Both result from insufficient or "late" arm swing on the way down.


Players suffering from a lack of power or poor balance should have one simple thought at the top of the backswing: "Start down with your arms, make your arms swing the clubhead down and through the ball.."

Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a better golf game in 2012.

Steve K.