About
The McCord Golf Academy teaching philosophy has evolved in the 40 plus years that I have been teaching this great game. In that time we have become aware that when a student plays well or not so well they are not really sure why. The golf swing is a very intricate movement of the joints and muscles of the body which happens in a very short period of time. When someone plays well their experience is a very free effortless motion that is devoid of swing thoughts, and happens at a pace that feels as if they are not being rushed to the conclusion. The opposite is true when we play bad, the swing lacks rhythm, coordination and is experienced as being too quick.
In our golf academy we teach our students how to make a good golf swing but more importantly we give them a formula on how to repeat it. Whether we know it or not, what we are all striving to do is to hit our best shots more often, and when we do we become more free which allows us to experience more efficient motion.
Once we get our students to realize that they do not have to be consciously engaged in all the physical movements of the golf swing, they can play golf from a subconscious level which is the most powerful and efficient way to play. Learning how to play and how to practice is one in the same, we teach our students how to do this so when they take the step from the Practice tee to the First Tee there is an equal sense of confidence.
About Rick McCord:
Rick McCord has been golf professional for 41 years and is a member of the North Florida section of the Professional Golfer's Association of America. Rick has been Orange Lake's Golf Director and the Director of The McCord Golf Academy at Orange Lake since its inception in 1982. In that time, he has conducted a number of private lessons, clinics, and golf schools for the owners and guests of Orange Lake. He was hired by Holiday Inn and Orange Lake founder Kemmons Wilson to coordinate and build the original 27-hole resort golf course and direct the golf operation; which has presently grown to a 54-hole golf destination resort.
McCord is widely recognized for his reputation as a golf instructor. In 1991, he was recognized on Golf Magazine's original "Top 100" Teacher in America list and has been a fixture on that list for 25 years. Rick was recently inducted in the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and Golf Digest magazine also recognizes him on their best teachers list. He has also been distinguished as North Florida PGA's Teacher of the Year three times. Rick has directed and recorded numerous instructional videos, appeared on the Golf Channel Academy Live show and has been featured in a weekly instructional series by the Japanese television network NHK reaching over a million Japanese households.
The Swing's the Thing golf show, hosted by Rick McCord is an entertaining exhibition with an instructional theme performed by the The McCord Golf Academy instructional staff. Rick has been recruited to teach, conduct golf schools and lecture on his teaching philosophy throughout the world. During the summer season, for the past 17 years, he has served as the Director of Instruction at Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland, Ohio.