Shannon Daniel and
Courtney Dotherow
 

Lessons

Time on the Lesson Tee

A typical lesson at Donna Helms School of Golf consists of the student hitting a few practice balls just to warm up. From this point the student is video taped and brought before a monitor to compare his swing with that of the professionals. A stop-action, slow motion camera is used to allow the student to see each frame and position before going back to the tee. As the student and teacher discuss what they saw on the monitor, the actual lesson begins with a short check list. Grip, set up and alignment are foremost in the lesson. Basics and fundamentals are reviewed at the beginning of each session. As each student is told at the first lesson, “the golf swing is the teacher’s idea until the student’s muscles respond and the mind gets out of the way. When muscle memory kicks in, the student can take the swing to the course and be competitive.” The lessons at Donna Helms School of Golf are light and fun. Life is a reality, golf is a game…let’s enjoy the time we have in both.

Donna's Tip #167

A golf club cannot be swung too slowly. Harvey Penick, one of the great teachers of modern golf, would tell his students to take the club back to the top as slowly as possible. When they, including Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw, had slowed down, he told them to go even slower. Pace is important, very important.

Picture of a golfer swinging.