Golf Instruction & Practice

Golf Instruction

Lower Your Handicap As Much as 10 Strokes this Summer! 

If you like what you just read, then you are a candidate for instruction. I am extremely confident that a little hard work, quality of practice, and being paired with the right teacher can yield these kind of results. Just ask Tom Glaser, a loyal customer and Royal St. Patrick’s resident. He can testify that he began the season as 31 handicap (sorry Tom for divulging this), and by the end of summer he had worked his way to a 21. Did he have to kill himself to attain this? NO! His remedy was occasional instruction, a round of golf once or twice a week, a bag of balls here and there, and a number of swings in his basement to groove the feeling.

           How can you do what Tom did? Here is the formula:

     1)     Humility

     2)     Find a Credible Partner

     3)     Accepting Reality

     4)     Attainable Goals

Tom Glaser Update - Has Lowered Handicap 16 Strokes in Two Seasons

"Nick fit me for clubs in the spring of 2010. Since turning 55 years old, I felt this was the missing piece to lowering my 26 handicap. Once the season began, my handicap inflated to 31. I finally realized that it was ME, not the equipment. I waved the white flag, and went to Nick for some long overdue lessons. Nick kept it simple, with basic adjustments to my grip, stance and alignment. He warned of potential peaks and valleys, and the need to tough it out. Once the changes had become second nature, we addressed my tempo and created a longer backswing. My lack of patience in the backswing was really hurting my driver and fairway wood play. Long story short, the lessons started clicking at the end of 2010 into 2011. I broke 40 for the first time, and broke 90, a huge hurdle. My handicap is now a 15. Golf was enjoyable again, and Nick and I have developed a great relationship. Call him, he's great."

                                                     - Tom Glaser

 

1) Eating Humble Pie

The first step in getting help is admitting you don’t know it all, and someone else might know more. The bigger problem is, you might know a lot, but you have no idea how to put it together. It’s OK to admit you don’t know the bio mechanics of the swing, or the proper techniques for an array of shots. While you have spent your life focused on your expertise, someone has spent theirs understanding the golf swing. If you are reading this, you may have found that person.

2) Would You Get Lessons From a Guy Running The Local Grocery Store?

One of the huge mistakes people make is a failure to seek out the true golf experts, the PGA Professional. Every course has someone who teaches, but who are these people? What are their backgrounds? What do they know about the swing? How are they going to help you?  As a PGA Professional, I can testify to being an expert player. Why would you learn from someone who cannot fix themselves? As a PGA Professional I am an avid reader of swing theory both past and present. I have watched expert teachers teach. As a PGA Professional I take body health, strength and flexibility very seriously. Do you want to be told to get fitter by a guy who is out of shape? As a PGA Professional I have studied learning behaviors. Sure someone might know about the swing, but how will they convey it to you if they are an auditory teacher, and you are a sensation learner. As a PGA Professional I have worked in depth with the psychology of the game. Is it possible a lot of your problem is between your ears? Do you want someone blowing up your swing when possibly reframing your successes or failures is all you need to play better. As a PGA Professional I consider myself an expert club-fitter. Is it truly a swing flaw or simply a shaft that is too weak or a lie angle that is too upright? The fact is simple, there are very few PGA Professional teachers in our area.  Who do you want to trust your time, money, friendship and most importantly your game to.

3) Do You Hear Only What You Want?

The reality of the lesson situation is this. You come to the lesson and say your wrist is cupped at the top, and you want it flat. A teacher who simply wants your money and knows very little, will spend the entire lesson working on your wrist position. You got what you wanted, but weeks later you have not improved, maybe you got worse. A PGA Professional like myself; has the ability to take more holistic approach. I truly have your improvement in mind, and I understand the path to real results.  I like to think that I have the confidence and the expertise to lead you to your real problem (after all, you don’t realize your swing needs that cupped wrist just to square the face).  When you left the unqualified teacher, all you learned is that you must be pretty good at self diagnosis, because that teacher spent an hour verifying your concern. When you leave a lesson with a PGA Professional you will have learned something new. Will you get better by learning or having your ego stroked?

4) I Want To Add 30 More Yards?

Making a change can be quick or slow. You must be realistic about what you are trying to achieve. If you want to hit it farther, you probably need more speed. I can’t give you speed in a one hour lesson. I can give you the recipe of increasing core strength, increasing flexibility, maximizing arc, etc. You want to be able to break 80, and you get nervous down the stretch. I have no magic sedation pill, but I can help you mentally frame the situation, I can help create routine, I can teach you coping mechanisms. You want to get “up and down” more often. I can’t give you a downloadable disk of the knowledge in my head, but I can teach you to read lies, play to your strengths, vary techniques, etc. The common denominator to all these, is practice and commitment. If you put in the time, armed with the right information, results will come faster. If you don’t have as much time as the next guy, it might take longer and that’s OK. As long as you have realistic, attainable, measurable goals, you will see improvement.

Methodologies / Specialties

Teaching golf since 1994, I’ve had the pleasure to successfully teach varying abilities. A student of the game, avid reader and observer, I’ve been able to integrate multiple teaching styles for the different ways we each learn the game. 

Dynamics of impact have been my focus for a number of years. Understanding that without proper impact position the swing cannot be efficient or accurate. Students looking for one lesson, get a crash course in their weakest dynamic and the drills they need to improve it.  Students looking for a series of lessons are presented all the dynamics and how they effect putting right up through driving. I will convince you that impact is the most important part of the golf swing, and by starting at impact and working out, the student gains a better understanding of the difference between swing styles and swing dynamics.

Over recent years I have become a huge proponent of video taping lessons to help the player learn. I have found going through my own swing changes, that when I see certain moves on video, I can't believe what I see. By being able to see these positons, being able to get someone in different positions, and then once again seeing these new positons, I player can better appreciate that what he is working on is correct. I won't say I use video in 100% of my lessons, sometimes it's not appropriate, but each situation is different.

One of my favorite areas, the short game, is also an area of expertise. I have come to understand that an efficeint short game is an insurance policy for full swing inadequacies, as well as provide the fastest way to lower your handicap. I have given many clinics and private lessons on the art of the short game and I think anyone taking a lesson would be fascinated by the nuances. Learn how "getting it close" is a matter of reading the grass, choosing the club, understanding bounce angles, choosing a trajectory, matching the acceleration, manipulating the spin, and of course lots of practice.

     Individual Lessons - 1 Hour / $60

Need a quick-fix, a better understanding, verification of positives or negatives, an overall assessment, a new focal point, a new swing  thought, a freedom from swing thoughts, etc. Book a Lesson with Nick Stephens, PGA now! For an additional $10 we can videotape some swings for a visual representation of the flaws that need work.

$300 6 Pack Package – 1 Hour

Be able to make changes in a sequential manner. Master one concept before moving on to the next. Receive constant feedback and affirmation. Use this package to touch on all aspects of the game. Develop quality practice habits and goals to master before each lesson.

Bring a Buddy – 1 Hour / $70

Not sure you want to try it alone. For an additional $10, bring a friend along and you both can receive instruction. Great ice breaker, lots of fun.

Pros Pupils – $1400

An extremely unqiue learning and loyalty program. When becoming a Pro's Pupil you are making a commitment to improvement and to RSPGL. By becoming one of my Pupils, I am making a commitment to you and more importantly a friendship. When you become a "Pupil" you will receive a set of custom fit Titleist steel shafted irons 4-PW. You will receive 12 rounds of golf w/ cart. You will receive 4 (1 hour) lessons with PGA Professional Nick Stephens. You will receive a season long driving range membership, and you will receive a dozen Titleist Pro V1 Golf balls. I will be taking a extremely limited amount of Pupils. i want to be totally accessible and I want the program to be exclusive and special. If you are ready to take the next step, contact me at 920-532-4300 or nick@royalstpatricks.com and let's get you signed up.

Nick Stephens, PGA Teaching Professional, at Royal St. Patrick's Golf Links not only offers individual lessons, we offer the Little Linksters Junior Program, beginner clinics, women and senior clinics. I hope to see you on the tee.

Why wait any longer to play the game better?

• Driving

• Putting

• Pitching / Chipping / Sand Play

• Iron Play 

• Course Management

• Methods of Good Practice

• Strength & Flexibility

• Mental Approach

Contact Nick Stephens to schedule instruction:
Email: nick@royalstpatricks.com
Direct Phone: 920-532-0826 Ext. 204

Gift Cards for Lessons Make Great Gifts!!

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Practice Facility

Royal St. Patrick's Golf Links believes there are three ingredients to quality Practice!

Great Balls, Great Turf, and Great Targets

Lacking the time for an entire round of golf? Our comprehensive practice facility affords you the opportunity to play all the shots and still allows you time to pursue your other pleasures. What other practice facility offers all this? 

• 2 Huge Practice Greens
• Chipping Area
• Fairway and Greenside Practice Bunker
• Bent Grass & Blue Grass Double Sided Range Tee
• Private Teaching Area
• 4 Target Greens on Practice Range
• Target Fairways on Practice Range
• Laser Link Range Flags
• On-site Teaching Pro
• Clubfitting
• Practice Range Memberships

If we had lights, no one would ever go home.

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For more information about the golf links, please call 920-532-4300 or toll free at 888-LINKS19 (546-5719)

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