Watch Michael’s first lesson unfold — from identifying the root cause of his miss-hits, to breaking it down step by step, to the exact drills that turned his hybrid into a reliable 200-yard club.
👉 Full lesson video below, with screenshots, analysis, and timestamped drills further down the page.
This was Michael’s first lesson with me. His 3-hybrid used to be his favorite club when he was breaking 80, but over the last year it turned into golf roulette. One swing might be a top, the next a block, sometimes a shank — and every now and then he’d flush one. He never knew what was coming, and it was costing him shots every round.
We found that his ball position had crept too far forward. That affected his low point and opened up his shoulders, which in turn affected his club path and created the potential for an out-to-in swing.
To fix it, we built a clear framework with the 8-Ball Drill and then worked through three feels that helped him square the face earlier: the Topspin Forehand Drill, the Resistance Turn Drill, and the Steering Wheel Drill.
By the end of the lesson, the difference was obvious. Instead of avoiding his hybrid, Michael was hitting controlled draws between 190 and 202 yards. Even his misses were 170–180 and straight. No more roulette.
With the ball too far forward, his swing became a timing game. The forward position compromised face angle, club path, low point control, and contact—leading to chunks, tops, or the occasional solid strike depending on the compensation.
Ball position crept well forward, setting everything up for trouble.
With the ball forward, the shoulders aim left before the swing even starts.
Impact with the hybrid mirrors driver — not what we want for this club.
To save contact, the lead arm collapses, otherwise the club would hit the ground first.
Blue line shows the ball nearly outside the lead foot — even more forward than driver.
Yellow line marks where the ball should be: 5–6 inches back from his current setup.
On the right, you see Michael’s original setup — ball far forward, shoulders open, and low point compromised. On the left is the corrected setup using my 8-Ball System for ball position. Job number one was moving the ball into the right spot so contact and low point could improve.
👉 You’ll find the full 8-Ball Drill breakdown in the drills section below.
With the ball position corrected, contact improved — but the club face was left wide open. These three drills helped Michael learn to square it up.
Creates the feel of rotating the forearms earlier, to get the club face closing.
Same motion as the topspin forehand, but with imagined resistance trying to hold the club face open.
Hands out like a steering wheel — exaggerate turning left through impact to feel the club face closing.
👉 All three drills are broken down step-by-step in the section below.
You can see how Michael’s setup issues were holding him back until we fixed them step by step. But what about you?
If you’ve been stuck at the same scoring level for 6 months, a year, or even longer… take the free 10-question assessment. In just a couple of minutes, you’ll discover what’s holding you back and the exact lever you need to pull to get moving again.
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About
I used to pound balls for hours, thinking I was making progress, only to feel like I was sinking deeper into a pit of frustration. What was the game-changer? Learning the right way to practice and zoning in on the real essentials. Once that clicked, everything else fell into place.
In just 4 months I’ve went from a 3.6 to a +.5 with commitment to the lessons and practice! My misses and mistakes have gotten so much better as well.
Mike’s effectiveness in communication breaking down the game /technique to your skill level is rare. My biggest fear with a swing coach was them being too aggressive and changing everything to fit their template golf swing.
I started working with Mike a year and a half ago. I was a 40 handicap and now am under 20. I had gone through 3+ coaches that I didn’t love until I met Mike. His data-driven approach to instruction is unique and refreshing.
