Van Schaick Island Country Club
Services offered
About
All of my individual lessons are customized to each player's ability and needs. I have worked with brand new beginners to club champions and even a few tour players over my career. I make information easy to understand in a peaceful setting on our driving range or golf course. I use the latest teaching methods including video, launch monitor if needed and a mix of training aids to form consistent swing habits as well as making the swing & short game easier to understand and execute. The first lesson always takes the longest to find out goals and assess your swing so we can develop a plan for improvement. Whether it's long game, short game or somewhere in between, your game will dramatically improve!!
I have had the pleasure of learning from world renowned teachers including the National PGA Teacher of the Year, Mike Adams. During my time working at PGA National Resort in the mid-1990's, I learned from Mr. Adams as well as other world class instructors who have helped me to be successful in teaching other golfers to continually improve.
I have been the Director of Golf/Head Golf Professional at the historic Van Schaick Island Country Club or Mohawk Golf Club since 2009. To give you a brief history of some of my accomplishments as a PGA Professional, I have won Player of the Year for the Northeastern PGA Section (2003), two time Senior Player of the Year (2023,2024), I won Assistant Player of the Year three times, and was voted by Golf World as one of the Top 25 Assistants in the United States by my peers.
I bring all this experience together to make you a better player and help you gain an understanding of how your body & swing work together.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
The first lesson is always about assessing ability and goals. The first question, after we've had a chance to get to know each other a little, is to find out about any physical limitations there might be. Surgeries, conditions, flexibility and strength are all areas that will affect what can be done to improve ball contact, ball flight and direction. First assessment is to look at set-up, the how the body moves during the swing, and then if need be, work on the swing itself. Many areas can be improved between set-up and how to move the big muscles before working on how the club moves.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have been fortunate to work with PGA Professionals to club champions to juniors and beginners. Across the board I enjoy watching everyone improve. Men, women and juniors, who all enjoy playing well also enjoy playing better when they have the tools to do so. Because my information is easy to understand, it's easy to implement and therfore helps a wide variety of students improve at every level over time.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
It's important to find a teacher that can relate on your level. Personality and how information is presented is essential for the fit between the two. Find someone who you get along with first, see what he or she has for a plan for improvement and then give enough time for results to happen. 3-6 lessons should be enough time to decide if the two of you will work well together.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
1. What do you want to accomplish? Straighter, longer, better ball contact, able to play with other people and hit a few decent shots, just get the ball in the air? They are all relevant goals.
2. How do you learn? Are you visual (see it and copy it), are you verbal (say it and I'll do it), or are you physical (put me in the right position so I can feel it)? Most are a combination of the three.