SWOG Fundamentals

With this, the opening of my SWOG fundamentals, I want you to know my goal is to cut the learning curve of golf down by seventy-five percent for you, given you are learning all on you own. I have done all the research for you, going through the pain and agony of figuring how one can improve and enjoy the game of golf more than ever.

I can tell you now that there is no secret, and that we shall never find a secret to the game. I am sorry to disappoint you, and realize I may lose some readers at this point, but I want you to come at this game from a place of respect, understanding that this is by far the hardest game or sport ever played. I am always telling my students every time I embark on the journey of helping them that “I have no idea when you will get better and improve, but I do know if you follow what I am teaching you, and practice at it consistently in small amounts of time, you will get a lot better and enjoy the game more.” The reason I make this statement is that every student is an individual, thus every player learns at his or her own pace and abilities. What drove this point home to me so clearly eleven years ago now, was when Jonathan Rustin came to me as an eleven year old for lessons.  After his first lesson, I remember telling his mom in the nicest way possible that I did not see much talent in her son, but I would do all I could to help him since he wanted to be a competitive golfer. Well, to make a long story short, six months went by and I was making no progress in helping Jonathan improve; the really frustrating part was that this kid was really working hard at the game. I was starting to feel disappointed in my self, since I had not been able to help this wonderful and determined kid get better at golf. Then one evening, he showed up for his weekly golf lesson, and all of a sudden the magic appeared!  He was hitting the ball two hundred percent better, and that Sunday when he played with me, he hit fourteen greens in regulation -  he never looked back again to being that kid not able to be a good player.

I will tell you the rest of Jonathan’s story in a profile of fine young players I have had the privilege of teaching in a blog post soon. The concept I realized in this situation was that every player had their own time for getting better.  And, so do you; follow my help and you too will find the magic.

So, your first lesson in improving your golf game is to be honest with yourself on where you are beginning. You must understand and be honest with your true level of skill in order to really improve.

“Keep it in the short grass.”

-Scott