jasonsutton

“THE KURE” Putting Solution: THE LATEST IN THE GURUS ARSENAL OF TRAINING AIDS

October 19, 2010

The Kure putting solution is a new training aid that I discovered from one of my students. I am always trying to find new toys and gadgets that will help my students improve. Putting is one of the most important parts of the game and it is very important that you work efficiently as you practice. No matter what method that you believe in, the number one fundamental is clubface alignment and control. If you can’t aim the putter face consistently, you will not be the best putter that you can be. I feel that this new gadget which is endorsed by two putting instructors that I admire (Todd Sones and Mike Shannon), will help me as an instructor and you as my student, get more out of our time together on the putting green. I placed the order this morning, so you know that I will be doing a video with a review from my findings. In the meantime, here is a short video that demonstrates this fine product.

See you on the lesson tee,

Guru

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704-542-7635 or email me with your question @golfgurutv@gmail.com

Chicago Marathon Recap: God Wins Again

October 12, 2010

015 — Me and Friend Steve.....this guy did a 3:16....what a beast

Trying to collect myself and think back on all of the moments that happened in the last 3 days is overwhelming. I learn something about myself every time I compete in these endurance events. This was definitely an endurance event! There is a good reason that they don’t have too many marathons in the summer (with the exception of ultra events such as Badwater 135), because the heat makes it tough to stay hydrated and keep the muscles from cramping up. For those of you who have been under a rock, kidding, I was running for Team In Training and raising money for Leukemia while honoring my father in law, Butch Worrell who was diagnosed with LS in April. The virtual team is a collection of people from all over the country who have been in touch with the

071 — lunch with the fam on Saturday before the race

coach and mentors (Maureen, Tim and Lisa) through email and facebook but have not ever met. So we had a group run on Saturday where we got to put most of the faces with the names. It was great to share fundraising stories and really come together for the upcoming weekends events. Saturday night we had the TNT banquet and dinner in which i was recognized as the 2nd leading fundraiser in the country (over 20,000 dollars) which was cool and the MC was “the penguin” for those of you who run know him a the back in the packer. He was very entertaining. A girl spoke about how Leukemia had taken her mom and she was running as well, which really hit home in the fact that my father in law was going to beat cancer but many stories don’t end in a happy ending. It really hit me at this time why I was really here. My goals changed. Selfishly my time goal was to break 4 hours but as we approached race day the forecast didn’t look like it was going to allow it. High 60’s at the start and climbing into the high 80’s on the second half. Not good for fast times. I was so grateful that my father in law, mother in law, sister-in-law and wife and 2 kids could come and be a part of this great event.

For those of you who have not run or spectated at a major marathon can’t understand how many people (45,000 runners and 1.5 million spectators) embrace these things. The race started off fine and I was feeling ok as I made it to mile 12 at about 3:50 race pace. I managed to see my family and stopped and gave them all a hug which was cool. I told my wife to expect a very slow second half so she wouldn’t worry if she didn’t see me at the expected 3:45 to 4:00 slot because I wasn’t feeling great and I knew it was getting hot so I went on. I hadn’t got my head around the fact that it is ok to walk a bit in a marathon if needed, because I hadn’t walked in any of my other races (I should have at Marine Corp) for those who saw my last post), so when I started getting cramps in my calf’s at mile 15, I was forced to walk and stretch. A young man named Sean Flanagan, a member of Chicago Team in Training came up beside me and we engaged in conversation. When asked how I was doing, I replied, “not too good.” Come to find he was struggling a bit with the heat as well. It was his first marathon and I think we both needed some companionship and a distraction from the pain so we decided to run the rest of the way together. He pulled me along when I was cramping and I pulled him to the finish. We talked about life and our jobs, families and so forth until we reached the finish. We shared who we were running for and agreed that we were meant to suffer today for the ones who were suffering way more than us. We finished the race side by side and then hooked up at the charity tent for a

marathon finish with sean — finishing with Sean

closing picture. I don’t know if Sean will ever read this post but I hope to tell him how much it meant to me for his friendship and comradrie. At the charity tent I reunited with my family and put the medal around my father in laws neck as he was the champion for his positivity, support and for beating cancer. The running was the easy part. TIME. It was never about the time of my marathon but all about the time spent with the people you love, time spent creating long-lasting relationships with people who you had never met and Time to Reflect. Thank you for being a part of my very memorable Chicago Marathon weekend and allowing me to show you my heart……because without heart, love and faith…….what else is there. Hope did prevail and God Wins Again. Do you trust him, I sure do.

I promise that the golf tips will be coming soon as I can only focus on what is in front of me. There is a lot of the horizon for me in my career in the next few months so hold on and enjoy the ride and I will strive to bring you valuable content and insight on life and golf as I promised.

Humbled Guru

112 — we run for the medal or the t-shirt

Enjoy the pics of our great weekend

106 — back of my running shirt.....had to get the blog plug, right!

GOLF AND RUNNING: HOPE VS. DOUBT…..THE BATTLE PART 2

October 9, 2010

As I sit in my hotel room in Chicago, mentally preparing for the weekend ahead, I felt the need to share a little more about the importance of this upcoming race. As I write this my family (wife, 2 kids) and I just finished a wonderful meal in the hotel in which we got to spend some time with my mother in law, Judy, my sister-in-law, Tammy and the guest of honor, my father in law Butch. For those of you who haven’t followed my blog, I am running the Chicago marathon in his honor. Butch was diagnosed with Leukemia this past April. This led me to compete in another marathon and raise money for LLS with team in training(which I raised over 20000.00) *. So my first priority is to make sure that everyone has an enjoyable time and secondly, finish the race in one piece. This might seem like a given but sometimes things don’t always go as planned. Some of you that know me already know this story so I will give you the cliff notes which will help you understand my mindset as I stand at the starting line, both physically and metaphorically. I am no stranger to running as I have been doing it regularly since about 2005. For those who don’t know, I don’t do anything half way (my wife says I have OCD). I did my first race in 2005 (a 10k) and I was hooked on the whole man vs. race course thing and it is so much more but I don’t have time. It made me feel like an athlete. So I figured if I can do 6.2, whats another 20? Right? So with the help of my coach and now my best friend, Steve, we did the Chicago marathon in 2006. Everything went well for my first time but I needed more. I did a half mary in 07 after recovering from an Achilles rupture. So I was ready for another full. I didn’t get into New York I signed up for the Kiawah Marathon. Training was going fine until I got mononucleosis that summer, I promise I wasn’t kissing anyone but my wife. I ran into one of my students shortly after that was in the shoe business and offered me a free entry into the Marine Corp Marathon which was a couple of months earlier than Kiawah. I thought this would be a great opportunity to take the family to D.C., do some sightseeing and do a very slow marathon and treat it like a training run for KI. Skipping ahead……….At about mile 12, I started to feel really bad as if my body was shutting down for some reason. I was fully trained so I knew that it wasn’t that I wasn’t prepared. By mile 18 (which I don’t remember running), I was spotted bobbing and weaving. I woke up in the back of an ambulance, severely dehydrated and catatonic. I didn’t know it at the time but my heart rate was about 255 (nearly heart attack rate). After a day in the hospital, getting hydrated and back to normal, I saw a heart doc and they found nothing wrong. Several tests and more checkups including a couple of months ago, NOTHING. We think it was the mono, but don’t know for sure. Needless to say, it took my wife and kids a long time to get comfortable with me running another race. Shortly thereafter I started a running streak of 300 days in a row (OCD, nahhh). I set a personal record in the half marathon last December, just to prove that I was alright. It was a very scary deal as I thought I was going to see Jesus a little sooner than I imagined. This is why this is a very important race for me. Obviously I am aware of the symptoms and will have no problem stopping and walking if necessary (which I didn’t do last time, high pain tolerance as well).

This is no different than what Dustin Johnson experienced at the P.G.A. , (with the exception of the life threatening part). We all have bad rounds and make mistakes that we regret. You have to be mentally tough and hang in there. Not to encourage stupidity but sometimes we need to stop running and catch our breath or take a few weeks off and just relax. But I encourage you today, if you believe something and you believe in yourself…. Push yourself past your doubt and fear which is the number one reason Jack Nicklaus says people fail….FEAR! I have always prided myself on being mentally tough and I try to instill this in my students. No excuses and no doubts. What do I do? I sell HOPE EVERYDAY. Hope will win in the end if we stay positive and live everyday as if it our last. Lastly I am such a mindset of thankfulness tonight and I want to send out my list of thank you’s:

1. my wonderful wife, Tiffanie, who puts up with my disorders and drive, thank you for being my rock, my life and soul mate and the reason I push so hard everyday.

2. my kids, Brittanie and Nicklaus….the loves of my life and my biggest fans and supporters.

3. My parents that raised me and taught me work ethic and the willingness to be scared and face my fears

4. My father in law Butch, for never giving up and staying positive while battling this awful disease.

5. My running buddy and friend, Steve Hightower for providing wisdom and clarity through injuries and pain. All the great talks we have on our long runs are priceless. Someone needs to make another “spirit of the marathon and follow our group” It would kill. Golf and Life lessons on the run.

6. To my trainer, Mark Kane and my massage therapist Summer who keeps me healthy and strong. Mark, you are truly the best in the business. kanetraining.com

7. My “shoe pimp” and friend, Steve Sheridan who keeps in great shoes and gu. Awesome.

8. To my marathon and ultra running friends and students, Hal “Dean Kanazes jr.” Hawisher and Darryl Dewberry….spending time with you guys makes me a better person. I have learned more from you than I can ever teach you.

9. To all my students that are so faithful and make my job the best in the world. I am so lucky to have met all of you.

10. And lastly but not least important, All of you that donated your hard-earned dollars in the likes of this down economy….Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are so giving and generous.

Thank you for letting me dump and vent but I wanted you all to know what I was taking to the starting line this Sunday. I will be running with all of you on my mind as I guarantee that (Just like Dustin Johnson winning the BMW Championship) the HOPE WILL PREVAIL and I will give GOD All The Glory.

See you on the lesson tee,

Jason

The Four Corners of Social Media: Dean Smith (Or Guru) style

September 29, 2010

In this current economy, many businesses are looking for ways to cut costs, yet still get the most out of their marketing dollar. Advertising budgets are being cut and people are being laid off as to just keep the business afloat. It is no different in my business as a golf instructor working for a top 25 golf school. We are a small business trying to maintain our piece of the instruction pie while maintaining our brand recognition as well as our current standards of service and golf instruction to our customers. I don’t care how good you think you are at your craft, if you don’t get yourself in front of and stay in touch with your customer, they will find somewhere else to spend their discretionary income. The days of waiting for the phone to ring and setting back and doing what you used to do to drive business is over. The way I look at it as we enter the second year of this recession, is you can choose to be in one or two camps. 1)continue to do what you did the last 10 years and get walked on or 2)grow and move with the latest and most efficient way to market/advertise and communicate with your customer……...SOCIAL MEDIA/MARKETING!

A year and a half ago as we started this downturn, I knew very little on this subject. I look at every adverse situation as a time to grow, learn and get out of my comfort zone. You know me, I am always uncomfortable with complacency and am always looking for the next big thing to learn and grow as a person and a professional. So I went on a quest to figure this stuff out and see how it can help myself and my golf school. So I did what I always do when I don’t understand something…..I bought some books to read and started scouring the internet. The first book I bought was “Crush It” by Gary Vaynerchuck which got me fired up to try some of this stuff. So here is a small synopsis on what I call the four corners of social media and how I think it can help you in whatever business that you are in.

YOUTUBE.COM – This is where It all started for me as I encourage you to always listen to your customer. I used to send out a weekly newsletter with a golf tip to my students. I then started taking pictures of me doing the tip. This evolved into me linking up a professionals swing demonstrating what I was talking about. One of my students commented, “I think the video is great but it would be better if you were doing the tip,”….AHA! So I bought a flip cam, created a TV show called Guru TV. I currently have about 50 videos that I have filmed in the last 10 months. One of my videos “How to drive a golf ball straight” just went viral and youtube is now paying me for the video (very unexpected). Create an account, which is very easy and start filming. You can use your vids as an advertising tool or just a way to get information to your customers or future customers. the main thing is to connect with people. People will subscribe to your channel and you can link it to the next 3 corners that I will discuss.

FACEBOOK – probably leads the way in connecting friends and/or people who don’t know each other. Great way to keep up with customers or post updates on specials that are going on at your company. If you are using it for strictly business, I would recommend starting a fan page. Drive customers to your page through your email marketing or twitter, youtube or word of mouth etc. The more fans you create, the more eyeballs that get to see what you are doing in your business. The more eyeballs, the more chance to cultivate new customers. Using the direct message or the IM feature allows you to communicate with people in a private setting.

TWITTER .twitter.com is the newest craze, even though it about 5 years old. Most people who know about twitter get the wrong idea of how to use it for business. Even though you can only type messages of 140 characters or less, there is great opportunity to reach out to people and communicate ideas. I have met so many outstanding golf professionals and people who just love the game, by using twitter. You can post messages that you want everyone to see (your followers), or you can send a direct message that is just between you and the other participant (similar to a short email). The key is to get followers so more people can see your posts. This is a great way to promote your website or notify your followers of a new blog post…..which is my 4th corner of social media.

WORDPRESS BLOG – This is the biggest reason for the other three avenues…..DRIVING PEOPLE TO YOUR BLOG OR WEBSITE. A blog is another way to promote your business and share information through text or hook up your videos that you have shot on youtube.com. Blogging has become a great venue for many people to share information about a subject of their choice. I use my blog site to share information that I think will help my students and also to create more opportunities for golfers that don’t know me or the golf school to learn more about me. There are many other blog softwares to choose from. WordPress is very well-known, easy to use and had all of the functions that interested me. I would suggest doing your homework, reading other blogs on subjects that interest you and start writing. The cool thing about blogging is you don’t have to be perfect, just write whats on your mind or vlog (video blog) and be prepared for comments. Again, you can link up youtube, facebook and twitter to notify people who you have a blog or have a new blog post.

Click on the links to view my personal facebook, youtube or twitter pages. Friend me up or follow me if you would like. There is plenty of room in Guru Nation. This is just an overview as if I went into detail we would be here all day. The coolest thing is that all of this stuff is FREE!!!!!!!! All it will cost you is your time. If you are willing to put in the work and the hours as I have, I can promise you it will pay off in the long run. Most of the people who criticize Social Media, 1) are too closed-minded to learn something new or 2) Don’t understand it so they bash it.

All I can tell you is that if you aren’t using it (and there are plenty more tools out there), You will be left behind.

So this is the Guru signing off and I AM LOOKING FOR THE NEXT TWITTER……WHOS COMING WITH ME?

Stay humble and stay nervous,

Guru

Green Reading 101 :What Time Is It?

September 22, 2010

BMW Championship - Final Round — Spider Man

How is your green reading ability? Do you hit putts on the line that you perceive as the one you are aiming at only to look up and the ball breaks a lot more than you imagined? You are not alone. When I give a putting lesson, there are 2 parts to successful putting. 1)Proper Mechanics that allow you to start the ball on the line that you are aiming and 2) Reading enough break to allow the putt to have a chance to go in. For a sake of this post, I am going to assume that you can start the ball on your intended line most of the time but are having trouble with reading breaks. I am going to give you some ideas and a process that will help you make more putts and lower your scores.

In 2004, I was fortunate enough to work with and spend some time with Sea Islands’ putting expert, Mike Shannon. A lot of what I teach I stole (or borrowed) from him. Mike has worked with many of the players on the P.G.A. tour so this information has been tested and it works. The first thing that you have to do is discover how you process information and how your vision works. There are two types of putters: LINEAR AND NON-LINEAR.

I don’t have enough time to go extensively into each but I will tell you that 85% of all tour players are Non-Linear. In simplest terms…….Linear putters (left brain) see straight lines and putt to spots. Non-Linear putters see breaks and curves (right brain)

To start my green reading lesson I always start with: 90 PERCENT OF ALL AMATEUR GOLFERS UNDER READ PUTTS (MISS ON THE LOW SIDE)

Lets see if we can get that more like 50/50. So here is the process that I want you to try the next time you read a putt.

1. Start reading the putt from a big picture perspective as soon as you get out of the cart. Visualize where the water would drain, highest side/low side.

2. Once you have an idea of the direction the ball is going to break, walk to the low side of the putt about halfway in between the ball and the hole. (ex. right to left putt, walk to the left side)….This will give your eyes a great look at the true distance of the putt. Key: It will allow you to achieve your first objective…..see if the putt is uphill or downhill or both (speed elements)

3. Go to the back of the hole for a quick look (this is the most accurate view)

4. You should by now have an idea of the break. Now To The Time Part

5. INSTEAD OF PICKING A SPOT ON YOUR LINE OF PUTT….TRY THIS. IMAGINE THE THE HOLE IS A CLOCK. THE FRONT OF THE HOLE IS 6 OCLOCK. (get the picture). On a right to left putt, if the ball will enter the cup at 4 Oclock…..Instead of picking a spot on the line of your putt, USE YOUR INSTINCTS AND EYES TO ADJUST YOUR AIM TO start the ball enough to the right to make the ball go in at 4 oclock. I am telling you, the first time you do this it will be a freeing experience. No more getting locked in to a spot that has nothing to do with the target. Your speed has to come first and I guarantee it will improve. Start playing enough break and work on your speed and you will be holing big 40 foot snakes before you know it. See my putting archives (putting boot camp) for additional drills to help you with your speed.

****Incorporate some rehearsal strokes while looking at the entry point. This will enhance your spacial awareness and depth perception.

See you on the lesson tee,

Guru

GURU TV – THE GOLF CHANNEL NEXT INSTRUCTOR SEARCH VIDEO

September 16, 2010

Here is the final copy of the video that I submitted to the Golf Channel. Lets see how many likes we can get in the next two days. I want facebook, twitter and Guru Nation to blow up. Time for Guru Nation to flex your muscles. Thank you for your support and I hope you like the video. Let me know what you think.

Guru

Mattie Tobey signs with Texas Tech: The coming of age for a Junior Golf Champion

September 13, 2010

I work with golfers of all levels including some Mini-Tour Players but one of my greatest joys in the world is coaching junior golfers that progress to a level to play in college. I have had several junior boys to go on to play college golf but my first girl junior just committed to play for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Bill and Deb Tobey brought Mattie to see me when she was 12 years old and after working with her the first time, I knew that she was something special. Even at a young age, Mattie could hit the ball over 200 yards. Now she drives it distances over 280 yards at times which is something that sets her apart from most young women. You look at her golf swing today and you think,”She makes it look so easy, but it wasn’t always that way.” Mattie has worked extremely hard on her golf game and has earned everything that she has accomplished. Her parents, Bill and Debbie have done a great job of instilling a sound work ethic and a great balance of the importance of academics as she is an “A” student as well. It takes such a commitment from the entire family (Ben, her brother…whom I coach plays at Pfeiffer University and is a fine player himself), with all the travel to tournaments, the lessons and the entry fees paid. The family support is a huge key for a junior to reach their full potential and Mattie has a great team around her. Mattie was starting to climb the state rankings in the last couple of years but really broke out this summer when she won the AJGA Palmetto Classic, finished runner-up in the N.C. Junior Girls match play and then qualified for the very prestigious Big I Youth classic Nationals. There were a few colleges interested before that stretch but then the phone and emails started buzzing. Coaching these elite juniors has been a big learning experience for me as I have been fortunate enough to be involved by the parents in the recruiting process. One coach came out the school and watched Mattie and I work together and several others were calling me on the phone to get my take on this outstanding young golfer. At the very end, Texas Techs (we are all family mentality) and the fact that the coach was willing to work with me through the magic of v1 video including their outstanding practice facility…..made her decision very easy and myself and her parents felt comfortable sending her off to Texas Tech to play big time Big 12 golf. As you can tell, I am so proud of what Mattie has accomplished (like she was one of my own) and expect her to get better and better as she embarks on her college career. I will keep you posted on her progress and with any luck we will see her on TV in a few years (LPGA Tour) because (You can’t teach 280), but at worst Mattie will be a doctor (or whatever she chooses to do in her career) that plays pretty good golf which is alright too!

cwvDm9asA3Lw9bM2Abl5etGLkg — Mattie Tobey Killing It

I want to thank Bill and Deb for allowing me to be Mattie’s coach and to think I might have had some positive influence on her life is simply what makes my job so great and why I enjoy getting out of bed in the morning. Best of luck Mattie Tobey and always remember, “I will always be here for you and I am always a phone call or text away, Go Lady Red Raiders!”

See you on the lesson tee,

Guru

Web Tip For Golf Channel Contest

September 9, 2010

Here is the webtip that will go on the end of the first topic video. It is a little long for the guidelines but I will cut it down to make it legal. My driving video that I did in April is my most viewed show with over 12000 views.

Thanks for all of the comments. Keep them coming and I will let you know how it goes.

See you on the lesson tee,

Guru

Golf Channel Instructor Search: I Need Your Help

September 8, 2010

The Golf Channel is holding a contest in attempt to find “The Next Golf Channel Instructor.” I am going to submit a video and see if I can make the top 4 in which we would host our own 30 minute show. The show will be voted on by the general public to see who is the next Golf Channel Instructor. I need your help in choosing a topic that would appeal to the golfing public and also be a good representation of my instructional skills. I am filming the real video on Monday with some help from a good friend and student with better equipment than I can afford so I will have no excuses if I am not chosen. Here is what I need from you all in the meantime. I have shot two trial videos of two different topics that I would like for you to watch. Leave a comment and let me know which one that you think I should reshoot. I have been shooting videos for that past year so I am hopefully prepared to stand out from the crowd. I will do my best to represent Guru Nation. Thank you for your help and let’s see what happens. Check out my two videos below and vote on which one I should use.

VIDEO #1 ” The 3 Absolutes”

VIDEO #2 “Fixing The Over The Top”

Remember: This is not the actual video that I will submit, this was just a trial run

Thanks for Your Help,

Guru

Sean Foley Article: Is He right for Tiger?

September 5, 2010

I apologize for the last post. I hooked up the link and it didn’t work. Here is a little insight on Sean Foley and his potential work with Tiger. Let me know what you think. I look forward to your feedback on world number 1. Have a great Labor Day weekend and I will be back soon, hopefully with my golf channel video.

http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/Sean-Foley-enjoying-challenge-of-coaching-Tiger-Woods-090210

See you on the lesson tee,

Guru