Golf has been a central part of my life since my boyhood days on our family farm in Rockford, Michigan.

I was first exposed to coaching when I had the opportunity to join Golf Digest Schools. The schools were just starting as legendary instructor Bob Toski brought together the top teachers in the world. The roster included luminaries such as Peter Kostis, Jim Flick, Bob Rotella, Davis Love, Jack Lumpkin, Chuck Cook, Hank Johnson, Todd Anderson, Mark Wood, and Tim Mahoney to name a few.

Every coach had his own unique approach and style, and I learned a little of the magic each brought to their methodology.

I have been coaching my entire career, and for the last 27 years at Olde Atlanta. As a 30-year PGA Teaching Professional, I prefer teaching students who have measurable goals and a commitment to attain them.

I begin with a written student assessment identifying where each individual needs help: is it full swing, short game, course strategy or the mental side of the game. There are two sides to golf, training and playing. Unfortunately, they are in different areas of the brain and the difficulty is connecting those two parts to play ones best.

Hitting more balls is not necessarily the answer, this is where the real problem is. You don’t have to change your swing to change your score!