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Golf Instruction: golfdigest.com

Top Teachers' Most Improved Students

What Five Golfers Learned From Their State's No. 1 Instructor

By Ashley Mayo

Illustrations by Quickhoney

August 2009

Whether you're trying to break par or shoot in the 90s, there's no textbook path. We asked a sampling of the teachers who rank No. 1 in their state (see Golf Digest's Best Teachers In Your State) to tell us the story of a student who has really improved during the last two years. We picked our favorite five; if you want to push your game to the next level, you'll find plenty of inspiration here.

Take the Oregon teenager who got a full ride to college after rebuilding her backswing and improving her playing mind-set. Or the retired New York City fire officer who learned how to turn his body, and now he's down to a 1.4 Handicap Index. Then there's the South Dakota state senator who stopped rushing through practice sessions squeezed into her busy schedule. She added some structure to her practice, and her scores starting dropping.

Whatever your goals, begin with an honest assessment of where you stand, and then find the right help. Check out Golf Digest's Make Me Better online improvement program and find a top teacher near you. Maybe you'll see yourself in one of the stories that follow. You might be the next great case study.

Taylor Babcock

Age: 18 | Lives: Lake Oswego, Ore.
Occupation: Freshman, Barry University, Miami Shores, Fla.
Course: Oswego Lake C.C.
Improvement: 3.0 Index to 0.0 in 18 months

Case study: Don't bump the chair

Student: Taylor Babcock
Teacher: Jerry Mowlds (No. 1, Oregon)

"Taylor had a 3-handicap when I met her two years ago, but in tournaments she struggled to break 80. Now, she often breaks par and has earned a four-year scholarship to Barry University.

"Taylor's biggest swing fault was a poor weight shift: She'd stay on her left side during the backswing, creating a reverse pivot. As a result, she couldn't shift forward correctly and transfer power into the ball. We had Taylor set up a chair just off her right leg (right). On her backswing, she had to turn her upper body over the chair without bumping into it. With some practice, she started swinging as if she were throwing a ball, turning her torso back without swaying her lower body.

"Out on the course, Taylor worked on forgetting about mechanics, thinking only about shaping shots. This way, rather than working for her swing, her swing started working for her."

Chad Bogar

Age: 36 Lives | Hummelstown, Pa.
Occupation: Managing partner at a law firm
Course: Hershey Links
Improvement: 30-handicap to 10 in 14 months

Case study: 5 steps to solid shots

Student: Chad Bogar
Teacher: Ted Sheftic: No. 1, Pennsylvania

"Chad's swing was a mess when I started working with him last March. His hands and arms dominated his swing, so he was steep coming into the ball and swung out to in through impact. Both flaws cause major power leaks, so even though Chad is a strong guy, he couldn't drive the ball 180 yards.

"We started Chad on my five-stage drill (right, top). We began with hitting simple, single-lever pitch shots with very little wrist action. Chad tried to hit the ball only 20 yards, feeling the correct impact, with his hands leading the clubhead (1). Then he started to cock his wrists for power (2).

After a while, he added more shoulder turn and focused on creating an in-to-out swing path with longer extension through the hitting area (3). Then he rolled his forearms to increase his power and help the release through impact, which promotes a strong draw (4). Finally, he focused on making a full backswing and powering his hips to the finish (5).

"Chad's swing path and impact position are now spot-on, and he's driving the ball 280 yards."

Sandy Jerstad

Age: 65 | Lives: Sioux Falls, S.D.
Occupation: State senator
Course: Westward Ho C.C.
Improvement: 30-handicap to 11 in 13 months

Case study: Focused practice

Student: Sandy Jerstad
Teacher: Coralee Jorgensen: No. 1, South Dakota

"Sandy and I see each other about twice a month, but she logs many more practice hours -- about four a week. She used to practice without a purpose. She'd hit balls rapid-fire and putt mindlessly on the practice green. I encouraged her to set goals and mimic on-course conditions, like hitting to practice greens on the range.

"Putting was a weak spot, so we got her doing the circle drill, placing 10 balls three feet from a hole (left). Before she left the green, she had to make eight out of 10 three-foot putts to earn a bronze. When that became easy, she had to make eight of 10 from four feet for silver, and eventually eight of 10 five-footers for gold. Then she could handle tension on the course."

Kirk Nunnally

Age: 31| Lives: Albuquerque
Occupation: Operations manager for a steel compnay
Course: Arroyo del Oso G. Cse.
Improvement: Shooting 105 to 85 in 18 months

Case study: Power Stretches

Student: Kirk Nunnally
Teacher: Todd Kersting: No. 1, New Mexico

"I began working with Kirk in May 2007, when he was struggling to shoot 100. We started by changing his two-plane swing (upright) to a one-plane swing (flatter). But Kirk lacked flexibility; he couldn't turn his shoulders past 45 degrees.

"In November 2007, Kirk started on a fitness program. In 15 months he built up his core and became much more flexible. The moving lunge stretch (left) is among his favorites. With his right arm raised, Kirk steps forward with his left leg into a lunge, then bends his torso and reaches his right arm to the left. Then he straightens up, puts his feet together and repeats with his right leg. He's hitting the ball 25 yards farther, and now we're starting on his short game."

John Garland

Age: 52 | Lives: Staten Island, N.Y.
Occupation: Retired New York City fire officer
Course: La Tourette G. Cse.
Improvement: 5.0 Index to 1.4 in two years

Case study: Make a full turn back

Student: John Garland Teacher: David Glenz: No. 1, New Jersey

"John had always been taught to make a big shoulder turn, which is a flawed concept. It encourages you to swing with your arms and hands independently of your body.

"To build a turn that includes the shoulders, chest and hips, John pretended to set up to a ball, without a club. He grabbed his belt buckle with his left hand, placed his right hand across his chest, near his left shoulder, then turned back and through to ingrain the feel of rotating his entire upper body around the axis of his spine.

"After doing this drill between shots, John knows how it feels when his body and arms work together. It helps him transfer more energy into the ball for more predictable shot patterns."