About Me (Original Gooch) & Why and How I Teach

As the Head Golf Professional at Lake Michigan Hills in Benton Harbor, Michigan, I feel one of my most important tasks is to help people enjoy themselves and an important key to enjoying golf is learning to perform better.  I have a few keys to my method.

1. A golfer doesn't have to devote hours every day hitting balls to improve.  If they are willing to spend five to ten minutes daily on a consistent basis repeating drills, they can and will improve.
2. I have two important jobs.  To understand the complexity of the golf swing is number one.  Secondly, to communicate the information in a clear, simple way that a student can understand immediately.
3. As a golf professional, there is no greater joy for me than seeing the smile on a student's face when they improve.

A lot of what I teach is based upon a little yellow book The Golfing Machine by Homer Kelley.  Five years ago, it was hard to find a lot of information to help understand this book, but now with YouTube & Blogger making numerous videos available with just a point and click, the information is right at my fingertips.  In fact, until recently it was hard to find mainstream teachers who taught using the principles of this book.


Now you can find Martin Hall on Golf Channel's School of Golf, Sean Foley who is Tiger's new teacher, Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer of the Stack & Tilt commercials who all having been influenced by the Golfing Machine.  Basically, this book that has terms such as pressure points, power accumulators, and dual horizontal hinges has helped me understand that all athletic motions are similar whether it is baseball, bowling or even my own background as a gymnast. 


Which leads to one of my basic thoughts where "Everyone is capable of making a good swing."  If I can help a student believe that if they can lift their arms, look to their right, look to their left, and hold a 10 ounce golf club in their hands, the student has all the physical ability to play this game well.  All I ask is that they give it ten minutes a day.