At GOLF.com, we live and breathe golf, but it still leaves us perplexed. So we sent eight staffers on a game-improvement journey, courtesy of GOLFTEC.
My golf swing is as homegrown as they come. I never took lessons growing up, and my game is much more feel-based than concerned with perfect technique. This strategy got my game into pretty solid shape over the years. As of spring of 2021, my handicap index was in the mid-single digits, and I was confident in what I could do on the course.
But as good as my homegrown swing was, I knew the ceiling was nearing. Being a 5 handicap is fun, but I aspire to get my game down to scratch. And for that, I knew I needed some help. So, I got in touch with our friends at GOLFTEC.
Swing Evaluation for GOLF.com Readers!
They hooked with me up with Nick Schiavo at their Englewood, N.J. location, and from the very first lesson, I knew this was the coach for me. Nick knows the swing well, and his style of communication is perfect for my personality. The improvement was apparent after the very first lesson.
Nick pointed out that my hand path was a little too far inside on the takeaway, and my arms were too high at the top of the swing. This made my downswing far too steep, and sapped me of much-needed power.
To fix these issues, Nick and I used a pool noodle as a training aid. He would stand behind me and hold the noodle out, forcing me to get my swing plane underneath it on the downswing. It felt awkward at first, but as we continued with the drill, it became easier and easier for me to shallow out my swing.
To see my full journey, watch the video above!