Author: jasonsutton

I am a P.G.A . Director of Instruction at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. 2013 Carolinas PGA Teacher of the Year. I am an AimPoint Green Reading Certified Instructior, K-Vest certified, A certified Coutour Putter fitter, D-Plane certified. I am a christian, married with 2 children. I love to flyfish and am an avid runner

A Time to Reflect and a Time to Look Ahead

December 30, 2009

As we come to the end of another year, I think it is beneficial to do two things. 1)reflect on the past year (what you did well and what mistakes can we learn from) 2. Set goals and look ahead to 2010 (what do you want to accomplish and more importantly do different and improve on). I enjoy looking at my goals that I had set to see which ones I accomplished and which ones that I didn’t and may want to carry over to next year. I encourage you all to do these things as well. Break them down into different categories (golf, spiritual, career, fitness etc.). I am not going to bore you with all my goals and aspirations but I will share with you a few things that I think might spark some interest in your growth as a golfer and as a person. One of the traits that we live by at the Dana Rader Golf School is being a continuous learner in all aspects of life. I work with a group of go getters that will not let you rest on your success and that keeps me on my toes when it comes to growth as a teacher/coach and as an individual which I like. We all enjoy sharing our knowledge gained from the books we read in our book club sessions or on our own and our best practice trips from other golf schools or facilities. I am a veracious reader and always have 3 to 4 books going at one time. If someone recommends a book I usually find a way to get it and read it. I often get the question from students or people that I meet. “What are you reading?” or “what are your favorite golf books”.  I would guess that I have read hundreds of golf books and you might be surprised that I do read about other things that I find interesting and might help me in life or my career.  So I made a list of the books that I read in 2009 (the ones that I could remember) and also a short list of my favorite golf books that I would recommend having in your library. Although I do think it is difficult to learn everything about golf from a book, it is a great place to start.  One of my idols, Mr. Jim Rohn said,”There is no coincidence why there is always a library in houses of $250,000 or more.” So here is some food for thought or bread for the head. I encourage you all to take some time to write down your goals for the upcoming year and reflect (good or bad) on the past year.  I hope you enjoy my list and would love to hear about some books that inspired you in your life.

Guru’s 2009 Book List :

1.The Power of Nice by Kaplan, Koval

2.Your 15th Club The Inner Secret to Golf by Rotella

3. The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

4. The Power of Who by Bob Beudine

5. Take your performance to the next level, 50/50, secrets I learned from running 50 marathons in 50 days  by Dean Karnazes

6.Going  The Extra Mile by Pam Reed

7. Mind Over Golf by Dick Coop

8. Instinct Putting by Alpenfels

9. The Seven Principles of Golf  by Darrin Gee

10. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

11. Influencer- the power to change anything by Patterson

12. The impact Zone by Bobby Clampett

13. 25 ways to win with people by John Maxwell

14. Breaking the Slump by Jimmy Roberts

15. What happy people know by Dan Baker

Some of my favorite golf books:

1. Rock Solid Golf by Dana Rader

2. Swing Secrets and Lies by Mike Hebron

3. Perfectly Balanced Golf by Chuck Cook

4. Ben Hogan’s 5 lessons

5. the 30 second golf swing by T.J. Tomassi

6. Golf My Way by Jack Nicklaus

7 Flick on Golf by Jim Flick

8. On learning Golf by Percy Boomer

9. The Golfing Machine by Homer Kelly

10.Golfs Sacred Journey- seven days at  the links of utopia by David L. Cook

 

What I am currently reading:

Homer Kelleys Golfing Machine, the curious quest that solved golf by Scott Gummer

Sole Purpose- shoes of hope from the feet of a samariatan by Manny Ohonme.

Let me know of  some of your goals and I hope it includes the help from the GURU and the Dana Rader Golf School.

Happy New Year  and God Bless,

Guru

The Perfect Golfer and Stocking Stuffers

December 19, 2009

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and  Happy New Year even though I plan on blogging before the end of the year. I am often asked from students or golfers, “What is your favorite golf swing on tour?” Although I do have my favorites, I tend to look at parts of golf swings and individuals that I  tend to favor. When I give a lesson, I use a variety of swing models to show whatever part of the swing that I am trying to work on with my student…such as the takeaway or an arm position or spine angle.  So I came up with my perfect golf swing comprised by the different parts of the swing that I admire from the top players. Here is my version of the golf swing Christmas List:

1.  I want Adam Scott’s physique and perfect golfing frame

2. Y.E. Yang’s new grip and fundamentals (the one he beat TW with not the 4 knuckle 08 version.)

3.  Steve Strickers’ one piece takeaway

4. Bubba Watson’s large arc at the top of his backswing

5.  Trevor Immelmans’ top of swing position (compact/square club face)

6. Lucas Glovers double downcock lagging motion and his great hands around the green.

7. Zach Johnson’s impact position and body rotation

8. Ernie Els balanced finish and overall tempo

9.  Give me Padraig Harrington’s work ethic

10. Give me Tom Watson’s longevity and

12. Brian Gay’s putting stroke

11. I will take Rocco Mediate’s attitude and we have the perfect golfer.

All together we have a player with incredible length off the tee, a sound iron game, great touch around the greens and the best putter on tour and we can also do some modeling on the side, just kidding. The point is that there is no perfect golf swing out there but there are a lot of different looking swings that work. So here are your keys to improvement for 2010.  We will call it the Guru Plan for improvement:

1. Take a lesson from a reputable teaching professional that is proficient with video. This will give you a clear idea of what you have to work on and put them in order of importance.  Know your errors!1

2.  PAY ATTENTION: WRITE IT DOWN. This is why I do video emails or I take notes for my students after each lesson if they need it. Serious students keep a journal, will you.

3. GET TO WORK ON YOUR BODY AND YOUR SWING; If you can’t make the swing changes because of physical limitations or you are out of shape, work on it.  Changing your golf swing is hard work and takes time. If it was easy, everyone would be scratch. I have worked very hard on my golf swing over the years to get it where it is today and I have no sympathy for those that think it should come easy. You can’t fool golf.

4. Learn to rehearse your perfect swing in a mirror…..IN SLOW MOTION (KEY)..Especially if you are dealing with cold weather, don’t let that keep you from improving your swing. Get in front of a mirror with a weighted club or a regular club and work on your swing errors slowly so you can feel it.  You have to feel it first, then see it.

5.  Have a drill.  When you are able to get outside and work on your game, do some drills that will help you to feel the opposite of the error.
What you find in the golf swing is that you have to” feel like you change the swing a mile in order to change it an inch”, this is why we use video. Either you are making the change or you are not.

6. Work on your short game (including putting) at least 60 percent of the time. Most of you are trying to find the perfect swing and neglect this part.

7. Then use John Woodens 8 keys to consistency: practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice.

Stocking stuffers: a range finder, a club fitting and a new set (time to get rid of those Ping Eye 2’s and that bubble shafted driver), a momentus weighted club, a T.P.I. assessment, A dozen Callaway tour (i)s balls, a flip cam,Oh! and a lesson series from the GURU.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

GURU

Golf and Running and Our Brain on Doubt (the athletes drug)

December 13, 2009

There are so many similarities between running and golf. This morning I  ran the Thunder Road half marathon  in Charlotte. Just like a round of golf, every race or long run is always different. Some days your swing feels so smooth and you can’t miss a shot or your body feels great and your legs seem to glide with ease. Other days you can’t find the club face and your legs feel like two ton weights that don’t want to move. Today was a pretty good day in the fact that I ran my fastest time in the half although I hadn’t trained to the fullest due to an injury that I had.  I had very low expectations, which is why I probably ran so well. How many times have you had a terrible range session or warmup before the round, expecting to play poorly, only to go out and shoot a career low.  We have all done it. The opposite tends to happen more often. You are striping it on the range only to get out on the course and can’t find your swing. Which leads me to what I think is the missing link, “The Brain.” In both running and in golf our minds get in the way of what our body already knows how to do.  When I was running this morning, I was constantly assessing how my legs and my body felt as my brain was trying to sabotage it all by telling me to  slow down or walk…..which I am happy to say that I did not give in to this easy way out. Just like in a golf round, many of us want to give up when we are playing poorly instead of gutting it out and getting the most of a bad round. Pam Reed is an elite ultramarathoner. In her book “The Extra Mile”, she states that you can always run twice as far as you think you can, you just have to believe it in your mind. Don’t let your mind keep you from achieving your golfing goals by getting in the way of a good round or better yet a good golf swing. Trust your training as you would a marathoner training for a race. I am the last person that you would ever thought would be become an avid runner much less a long distance athlete. Although I was a better than average athlete, I was never a fast runner and I am definitely not built like your typical runner (tall and thin). The true measure of a man or player is not just talent (because talent alone will make you lazy), but the size of your Heart, Passion, Faith, Drive and Persistence. These things show up when the going gets tough, in the middle of a big match when its easy to give up or running a long race when your brain is telling your body that you can’t run a step farther, but somehow you do.  There is one more similarity in Golf and Running (then I will stop I promise) and that is the way of instruction or training. Everyone thinks that ther training program is the best or the only way.Here is my advice to you. Are you ready, pay attention.  Every one is different……….So when you find the program or teacher that works for you, STICK TO IT AND TRUST IT.  The drill or tip that works for your buddy, may not work for you.  I hope this makes some sense and would love to hear about you overcoming odds or great triumphs in whatever realm that you choose. I look forward to hearing from you and please……..Never Give up, no matter what your brain says.

See you on the lesson tee,

God Bless……..GURU

What We Can Learn From Ricky’s Swing

December 11, 2009

Periodically I will post a tour players swing that i think will allow us to learn something that will help my viewers and also give you a better idea of how I break down and look at a golf swing.  I have commented several times at how I am impressed with Ricky Fowlers overall game and his swing is a classic example of a player that knows his swing and is comfortable with it. It hs a few unusual things that many would call swing flaws but I call them individual trademarks that all great players have.  Examples would be: Trevinos open stance, shut club face and figure eight move through the ball, Furyks dramatic vertical left arm at the top and reroute to find the slot and Nicklaus’ flying right elbow and leg drive. I could go on and on but let’s get to the analysis of Ricky’s driver swing.

The first thing that you notice is that Ricky is not a very big guy, he weighs a mere 135 pounds which dispels the myth that you have to be big to hit the ball long. 

First things first: His setup and posture match beautifully to his very flat arm plane. Tip #1 – If you are a one planer (low arms swinger, you better be bent over at address to ensure a consistent trough to your swing circle. If not you will hit thin shots.) Ricky’s spine angle is approximately 90 degrees to the angle of the golf shaft at address.

Takeaway: His clubhead stay outside his hands as his arms swing across his body. Notice how his left arm is slightly lower than his shoulder plane at the top. (Very much like Mr. Hogan)

Swing flaw #1 : At the top of his swing, the club is pointing to the left of the target (often called laid off). Many teachers would change this but I wouldn’t and this is why.  The golf swing is a balancing act.  You have steep moves and shallow moves. The laid off position is a steep move that counterbalance his flat arm plane which is a shallow move. I hope this makes sense. If the club was on-line at the top or across the line, it would cause his swing to get too shallow or swing too much to the right.

His downswing: This is where he gets his power. Ricky gets incredible separation between his hips and shoulders which is a great power move. Stop the video half way down and notice how open his hips are as his shoulders are perfectly square to the target line. The laid off position that I talked about allows the club to stay in front of him on the way down and square the face at the bottom. Huge key: Notice how his spine angle is exactly the same at impact as it started at address. This allows the impact position to be very consistent. Copy this move if possible

Copy this finish: His finish is free and is result of the incredible sequencing that makes it look so easy. He is a great driver of the ball because he has the ability and confidence to let go. There is no hang on in this swing almost as he was “hitting balls into the OCEAN” – a great driving image.

So I think this swing is very functional and will stand the test of time. Coupled with his brilliant short game and putting stroke and I think you will see young Mr. Fowler have a great rookie season on the P.G.A Tour. Only time will tell.

Let me know if this is helpful and I will do more of this in the future including videos of me demonstrating the moves that I have discussed.

Until next time,

Guru

Q School wins and Losses

December 9, 2009

As a young man, I mean younger man….I always dreamed of playing the PGA Tour. Playing golf on television and against the best in the world. I often get the question from students that don’t know me, “Did you ever play the tour”. Even though I was an accomplished junior and college player and have currently 4 major victories on my resume  which include (Wva. chapter assistants championship, The Kannapolis Pro-Lady, The North Augusta Pro-Am), I was not even close to being good enough to play with these guys. Most people don’t realize how good these guys really are. So I have found my niche, teaching the game. The innate ability to communicate the game to the masses, students of all levels and even guys that play at the highest level, rely on my for advice and that feels pretty good.  On a previous post I called Q School the hardest golf tournament in the world and this year didn’t disappoint. There were new faces like Troy Merit (the winner) and wiley vets like JP Hayes  and Jay Williamson, and Jeff Maggert that made it through. The interesting part is always the ones that are on the bubble coming down the stretch. The magic number this year was 9 under for 6 rounds. For the good players out there, this doesn’t seem so daunting. You could probalby do this on a weekly basis but the pressure is unlike any golf tournament you will ever play in.  So here is my highlights that were of interest, the good and the bad.

1. The biggest last hole disappointments: James Hahn is on the number playing the 18th only needing a par.  He hits it 60 feet and 4 putts for double bogey. He was actually talking to himself out loud walking up to the green, this tells you how hard it is to control your emotions in this enviroment.

2.  Tour veteran and recent champions tour winner, Tom Pernice Jr. drives it in the water on the last to make double and miss by 1.

3.  Best reaction goes to Brad Delahoussaye. During his interview he tears up saying” I have been trying for so long”, talking to his fiance on the phone. He had to change his honeymoon plans to Hawaii, I think she will get over it.

4. Some notables that didn’t make it were: David Duval, Tim Herron, Jesper Parnevik, Paul Stankowski and Ken Duke.

5. Best Charlotte player, via Zimbabwe, is Brendon De Jonge which finished a solid 4th place and should get into plenty of west coast tournaments.

6.  Lastly, the best after round interview goes to Joe Ogilvie. Ogilvie talked about how Shakespeare would never write this book and how he couldn’t understand why more people wouldn’t watch this tournament because it is the greatest in the world. He made an apprentice reference that was very funny…..if anyone can find this video please post as I feel he has a very good future in tv. This guy is very funny and obviously a great player.

Young phenom, Ricky Fowler who is slowly becoming one of my favorite players to watch, made it look easy and made it through. It helps when you have plenty of sponsors exemptions waiting for you if you don’t make it. I just can’t get used to the dutch boy painter hat and the long hair but I know the kids are digging it. His short game and putting is just ridiculous and is world-class. Check out his putting setup and stroke as its exactly like what I teach.

Next weeks Guru TV will be on putting: The arc stroke vs. Straight line putting………..so stay tuned

Don’t forget to breathe when you are nervous and I will see you on the lesson tee

Guru

The hardest golf tournament in the world and the falling of a hero

December 3, 2009

I am looking forward to watching the final round of one of my favorite tournaments of the year. The Masters, no, the Open, not even close. This week is Q School week. The toughest, most grueling, gut wrenching six rounds of golf in the world. Even tour veterans are not exempt this year, including David Duval, Jeff Maggert, Jesper Parnevik, Robert Damron and one of my favorite one plane golf swings, Clemson grad, Charles Warren. Charlottean Brenden Dejonge (who I almost worked with) is there and Joe Ogilvie. Keep an eye on upcoming star and my pick as rookie of the year, Ricky Fowler is playing.  If you want to see some great golfers get out of there comfort zones, putting their golf swings to the ultimate test, watch the last round on Monday.  The golf channel will air it and always tend to highlight the players that are close to the top 30 cut line. This is a great opportunity to see how consistent the players pre-shot  routines are and do they change under extreme pressure.  Things to watch for: 1)Do the number of practice swings increase. 2) Does their pace of play change, slower or faster 3)Do they start to hit shots that they wouldn’t normally hit in a typical round of golf 4) How do they handle the last nine holes of the toughest test in their golfing careers. 5)and do they Breathe, yes, someone always manages to forget to this…………We call this choking. It is kind of like a car crash, everyone slows down to see what happened. Stay tuned to see who this years victime is.

Now for my take on the Tiger situation. First of all, for those of  you who know me know that there is not a bigger Tiger fan on the planet. In the wake of his confession of infidelity (voice mail and text messages to prove it) I am in a state of shock and disbelief. I know that we all put Tiger up on a pedestal because of his golfing prowess but I also admired how I thought he lived his life. I am very disappointed in the news and am grieving because I don’t think that I will ever view one of my golfing heroes and someone who I looked up to, the same again. I am sure over time it will pass and I hope he and Elin can keep their marriage together for their kids sake at least.  I will pray for their family and that is all we can do.  I am sure we will never know exactly what happened the night of the crash (even though I think I know but won’t write), but this is a time when I think trying to keep his private life private definitely made things worse for him.  Maybe he will come out with the truth but my guess is that we will never know. 

Keep an eye on Q School by logging on to www.thegolfchannel.com

God Bless and don’t forget to breathe when you are nervous,

Guru