Reynolds Golf Academy in Greensboro shows how to make 'your' swing effective
GREENSBORO, Ga. - The Reynolds Golf Academy team believes in teaching golf your way. That is, instructors there will accept your swing, however odd, and just refine it a wee bit, so you can hit 'em long and straight.
There's none of that "do it my way, darn it," from the teaching staff, led by PGA Professional Charlie King, one of the top 100 golf instructors in the country and the author of "You're Not Lifting Your Head," and "Golf's Red Zone Challenge: A Breakthrough System to Track and Improve Your Short Game and Significantly Lower Your Score."
The most important part of the Reynold Golf Academy's philosophy, however, is that once a golfer goes through instruction, he or she isn't left on their own to practice it. Most people don't or won't, or they practice in a way that cements bad habits. Included in every lesson are follow-up coaching sessions.
Lessons start with some time in one of the academy's studios, where six cameras capture your swing, and Vertex Golf software analyzes every movement.
Then it's up to the instructors' skilled eye to determine what to focus on. Instructors judiciously concentrate on the part where the rubber meets the road, so to speak - contact with the ball. Everything that happens before is yours to keep.
"There are so many swings in the game of golf," said Ben Austin, assistant teaching professional at the academy. "Your swing is your swing. It's like your fingerprint."
Reynolds Golf Academy lesson packages
There are a multitude of golf instruction packages at Reynolds Golf Academy, from one-hour lessons to an entire day with Charlie King.
But the academy's bread and butter is its three-day golf school, primarily for residents of Reynolds Plantation. The Essentials of Golf Total Game Improvement School comes with a series of weekly coaching sessions to reinforce what one learned and supervised practice to make it effective.
"The golf swing is not natural. It's a learned movement," explained Austin.
At the students' disposal is an extensive "red zone" practice facility, which drills them on shots of less than 100 yards - the scoring shots.
In addition to the full swing, sessions also examine the student's fitness and strategy, while attitude adjustment is infused throughout.
In the end, Reynolds Golf Academy graduates leave with heightened confidence and a better golf game.
November 12, 2009
Lisa Allen, Contributor
Lisa Allen is a golf, travel and business writer based in Beaufort, S.C. She has edited newspapers, magazines and books in Michigan, Indiana and South Carolina. Follow her on Twitter @LAllenSC.