3 Day Premier School

Just wanted to let you guys know that thanks to your hard work my swing is finally
coming around.
I just shot 65 on a par 72 course. I was 29-36, a total of 9 birdies and 2 bogeys.
It wasn’t my best score that I have every shot but it was by far the simplest round that I have played.
Thanks again for all your help.

Matt R.

I feel compelled to give you all the highest praise for this weekend’s three-day school. I could not be either more satisfied with the experience or the thought that I now have a realistic road map necessary to develop a much stronger game of golf than I came into the weekend with. Every one of each of you provided critical assistance in what definitely feels like steps in the right direction.

I feel that a very large door has been opened to my overall golfing development, and, most importantly, in many aspects of the game. It is obvious to me that you have worked extremely hard to create a finely-tuned machine, and I appreciate your efforts.

Ken O.

Hi
Hopefully if this isn’t Todd or Tim’s email you could see that they see this. I was in the golf camp in OKC in May and learned so much. I had the misfortune of having to have eye surgery after I got home and didn’t get to play for over a month. The weather has been so hot that I really haven’t played much at all even our league only plays 9 holes when the temps are in the 3 digits. This week is the first time I have played 18 holes since June so was really pleased when I had a 99. I know that doesn’t sound like a great score but for me who usually is between 110 and 120 it was GREAT. I have those new clubs and they are wonderful but my skills have improved so much especially my short game. I can now get on the green in only one shot instead of the 3 or 4 that it used to take me and my putting is getting so much better.

I just wanted you all to know how much I enjoyed camp and think I may have to come again next year just so that I can remember all you taught. Be sure to tell Rhett hello for me.

Thanks
Evelyn

Evelyn Adkins

Good Afternoon Scott, Todd & Tim;

I wanted to thank the three of you (and Clay too) for the experience I had at your instruction school a few weeks ago. I enjoyed your collective approach and look forward to working with you.

Work & life move pretty quickly so this is the first moment I’ve had to write and thank you.

I’ve been a reasonably decent golfer since I took up the game in my early teens. I am usually one of the better golfers in my ‘social’ group. However, I’ve never been really happy with my game. I want to be a scratch golfer (or better). My drive and passion is to play against the course & the elements on the course on a given day and feel like I’ve won. To me, that means I need to play scratch. Like Tim, I enjoy playing alone on a Sunday afternoon. My enjoyment comes from playing a good round. I don’t have to beat anyone. In fact, nothing is better than playing with someone who is having a great round (as long as I am too!).

I turn 50 in August 2012. My college roommate is turning 50 as well. He and I and 2 other good friends are going to Scotland on a 7 day golf trip to celebrate. My goal: Shoot in the 70’s…hopefully around par each round. Before coming to your school, I would normally shoot in the low 80’s, with an occasional high 70 or high 80. I have hope that this new swing can help be break the 80 to 85 range that I’ve been stuck in most of my life. I’ve got about 9 months to get there.

Since leaving your school, I have been working on grip, set-up, getting hip rotation and getting the club on an inside path. I’ve been doing a lot of work with PVC pipe and only hit balls once. I’ve been able to do about 15 minutes a day in the back yard each day. I hit balls for the first time this past Sunday & liked the result.

The ‘in your face’ smart phone holder device came in yesterday, so I will be sending you a video sometime in the next few days.

Thanks again gents.

Michael C

Michael C

I would like to once again thank everyone for my great school experience at Barona Creek Golf Resort in San Diego, Ca recently. I really appreciated the organization, professionalism and dedication that Todd, Tim, Scott and all the staff showed me and all the participants during the three days of instruction.

Even when the weather wasn’t cooperating and I thought my personalized instruction was about to be compromised; never once did anyone say: “let’s go in out of the rain and talk instead”; but instead soldiered on and continued to help me and the other students on the practice tee to find “our inner Moe”!

I couldn’t have found a better group of dedicated professionals to help me with my game. I only wished there could have been a small social get together during the three days in order to get to know everyone a little better!

All continued success and best wishes to your fine organization!

David S.

I attended the May 2010 school at Coffee Creek and played in my first tournament yesterday. I was the A Player and we won the scramble tournament. I continue to be excited with the progression of my golf game. Continue to do the drills-impact bag –PVC rod–watch the instructional DVD’s–Webinars–deep practice–reading the Talent Code book again—etc. Finally broke away from the “Ball Beating Syndrome”. Feels good for my golf to be headed in the right direction and gaining confidence. Still have a ways to go. Just wanted to pass the information along. Thanks again for all the help from everyone at the Graves Academy.

Jim

Jim G.

Scott:
It’s going great. Shot an 87 from the women’s tees at our cc on Friday. That’s my personal best from that set of tees. Hit almost every fairway on the drives, which were all straight.
Have been using board a couple of times a week in our simulator’s driving range to coach my muscles into remembering the stance widths. A very happy camper after going to your Orlando school. Please thank Todd for all of the time he put into my swing.

A.T.

I just returned home from your recent 3 day school in Edmond, OK and would like to say that your school far exceeded my expectations. You guys are without a doubt the best instructors I have ever seen. I really appreciated the one-on-one assistance and your video training. Your whole team kept a close watch on each student, offered constructive advice, and rewarded our results with a high five, knuckles, and a big smile.
My thanks to all of you; Todd, Tim, Scott, Rhett and Trent for making my “Bucket List” event a totally memorable and rewarding event.
Now, back to the impact bag and PVC drill for me. I will keep in touch. Thanks again.
Ed

Ed H.

You can’t imagine how surprised I was to receive this analysis and the tips for correcting my over swing. The customer service model you have developed with the emphasis on “After Care” will, I predict, make your customers extremely successful and you very wealthy.

I grew up when everyone was emphasizing the inside out swing. Like most golfers, I have exaggerated this movement to my own detriment. The concept of keeping the lead arm above the trail arm throughout the swing will help me not only with the full swing but also with chipping and pitching.

It is refreshing to meet a team of people who are committed to the long term improvement of their customers.
I look forward to a long lasting relationship with the Graves’ Golf Academy!

Sincerely, Kurt

Kurt C.

Todd, thanks again from Scott and myself to you and Tim, and your staff for an excellent three days of golf instruction. We were already sold on the Moe Norman method, and your webinars had convinced us the instruction would be great. Icing on the cake was your approach to learning and improvement, and the way your program was organized.

Art

Art

GGA

Thanks so much for the effort you put into this past weekend’s school. I had no expectations as to where it would lead for me as a golfer but was really blown away by the personel instruction and time you spent to help me and the rest of us. It was tailored for the ability level of each student, how that worked is still a mystery to me but you all made it work. I’ve never had a good mechanics lesson and your teaching method and Moe’s legacy made it very easy for me to understand, hard to perform but easy to understand. I really liked the more technical reasons on why things are done the way they are, I’ve been without formal training for a long time and just getting back into golf after a short season 3 years ago and good play 20 years before that. I wanted to come to school to basically start over and you all have really opened my eyes to where I need to go to get a solid foundation built once again. My long term goal is to play well again and start shooting my age in 6-7 years, not asking much am I?

Really enjoyed the weekend, pass my thanks to Jared, Brent and Clay.

Rick

I can’t thank you enough for the enjoyable and educational three days. It is always good to see you all (I’m starting to talk like I’m from Oklahoma). I had a great time. I have lots of things to work on. Next time you see my swing, it will be better and a step closer to Moe’s.

It is interesting to work through the process of learning a new swing. I like change, because change is always good. I like Tim’s concept of establishing new habits versus changing old habits. It amazes me how much there is to learn about Moe’s swing. I am a student and I am always learning.

I have noticed over the last three years of attending camps and schools and owning and studying all of your DVDs; you are getting better at teaching the swing. You were/are always very good at teaching the swing, but every time I attend a school you are better. I believe that is because of two things; I am becoming a better student and you are becoming better teachers. I want to emphasize and be clear, you were very good teachers before, but you still are getting better.

The DVDs are very helpful but there is no substitution for hands on/in person instruction. I feel very fortunate that I have the resources to get the instruction. I always leave school with a clearer understanding of Moe’s swing concepts. I return home and work through all of the DVDs with the new understanding and I recover more treasures from them. I was obviously naïve when I went to my first 5-day camp in 2005. I can remember thinking that this was my one and only chance to get the swing down. I felt a lot of pressure to grasp it all. No way did that happen, or could it happen. I remember Tim telling us to keep an open mind. The last two times I have attended school I arrived with a list of questions, but I came with an open mind and told myself I am a sponge and I am here to absorb as much as possible. I have learned concepts this year and last that would have been impossible for me to grasp two years ago.

Initially when I decided to make changes to my swing I set a five year time limit. I took up golf when I was 14 years old. I played on a high school team and was fortunate enough to play on a college team. The swing I had by the time I went to college took three years to create. So I thought five years was a fair time frame. I no longer have a time limit. Todd’s response to a June 10th message about “how long does it take” was “magical” for me. As Todd said, attitude is the key (“Do whatever it takes, as long as it takes”, enjoy the journey). I am committed and I know it will be hard, but it’s not worth it if it isn’t (If it wasn’t hard, then everyone would be doing it). I keep that forum reply in my pocket at all times (I will have to print it off again, as the original is tattered and torn).

Bill A., Anchorage, AK

Tim, Todd, Scott and staff: First a belated thank you for the 3 day school at Whistle Bear. Like most who attend your golf school there is a story behind our attendance here’s mine.

I had golfed occasionally as a teenager and as a young adult, with indifferent results. Then with a job transfer etc I stopped playing until I took it up again 5 years ago after I retired.

My introduction into Moe Norman and Natural golf occurred while vacationing in Myrtle Beach. I happened to pick up a local golf paper that was featuring Moe’s swing. There also was a feature on Natural golf in the same Issue. I decided to give this method a try and picked up a copy of the Natural golf Manual which was available at Martin’s a major golf retailer in the Myrtle Beach area.

At the time I was a chronic slicer and for a while my game did improve somewhat. I’m not sure exactly when, but somewhere in the next year or so I became aware of the Graves academy. I religiously read the chat forum and eventually purchased all the DVD’s and the feeling of greatness training club. I tried to copy the set up and swing but found that my game was not improving. I keep reading the positive reviews of those that had attended the various schools & longed to attend but the expense was a major hurdle on a pensioner’s income. In the last year I purchased other conventional instructors material all in an attempt to hit the damn ball straight. By now my slice was back big time. Fortunately my short game while not great was sufficient to keep me from quitting.

This July while driving home after a particularly frustrating round of golf and weighing my options I decided that if there was a cancellation in the Kitchener school, which was only 10 days away, I would scrape the money together & attend. (Kitchener being only 3 hours away and having relatives that I could stay at in Mississauga a 1 hour drive to Kitchener).

When I opened my E-mail that same night there was a message from Scott advising that 1 opening still remained for the Kitchener school and I filled the spot.

Was it worth it …..oh yes. Despite having all the video instruction and the training club, despite video taping my swing and analyzing my errors I was unable to catch the subtle little things that make the difference. Of course I had my trail arm ‘sunny side up” –but not enough. My shoulder line was not closed. My vertical tilt was insufficient etc.

Did these changes make a difference? At the school I hit the straightest, longest drives of my life. In fact the chronic slicer was getting instruction from Brent on how to cut back my draw. Is my slice gone forever, definitely not, learning new habits take time, but I now have the tools and knowledge to continue improving.

Graves’s academy is more than a swing school. You are introduced to all aspects of the game. Warm up, practice, shot making, mental attitude, course management etc.

Purchasing the Grave’s DVD’s et al is a great first step and excellent resource material but if you game has stalled then please, please do yourself a favor and go to school. You won’t regret it.

PS. I now know why so many of the school students were alumni. Now if I could just swing a 5 day build you game session.

Wayne C., Britt, Ontario, Canada

As of 1 Aug my index dropped to 7.5 when I posted the score representing my (former) final goal in golf. Shooting my age was something I thought might take a little more time, but yesterday I had a 70 (matching my age) and was the first ever sub-par round in my golfing “career”. Now I have to make up some new goals. Shooting in the 60’s comes to mind.

Anyway, call me a walking advertisement to Swing Like Moe and the Graves Golf Academy. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Actually, Going to the three day school did a great job of confirming the things that I had gotten right from the “Seven Principles” and the “Troubles & Solutions” and then tweaking the things I needed a little help with. It has paid off much greater than I could have expected.

Thanks again to you, Todd and Tim.

Charlie F., Colonial Heights, VA

Just want to pass along my progress since attending your 3-day school in April. As I’ve mentioned to you, I’ve attended a number of conventional and single-axis golf schools since I started charting the progress of my handicap back in 1999. The sad truth of the matter is that after getting my USGA index down to a 9.6 in mid-2005, I saw it steadily climb to almost a 12 by the beginning of 2007. My scoring average has been sitting at 89 strokes per round for as long as I can remember. And, while I could occasionally shoot in the low 80’s, it’s was not uncommon for me to follow it up with a round in the high 90’s. It was extremely frustrating!

By the beginning of this year I was totally demoralized. I had no idea which direction any shot I hit was going. It wasn’t unusual for me to play a round and not hit a single fairway or green in regulation. To make matters even worse, my lower back was starting to kill me after playing 18 holes. I had pretty much decided that as I approached my 50th birthday this year, I was going to have to give up the game I had loved, but had eluded me since I was a kid. Strangely enough, that was about the time I re-read Turk Pipkin’s “The Old Man And The Tee” and it inspired me to give the game one more chance.

I had some limited success with other single-axis methods in the past, so after much research I decided that given Todd’s reputation, the Graves Golf Academy was going to be my last hope. The school this April in Oklahoma City was awesome despite the bad weather. But more importantly, the depth and breath of the information provided by the GGA on the website and on the DVD’s is head-and-shoulders above any other single-axis method being taught.

To try to make a long story short, I struggled a bit after the school. My USGA index climbed to just over a 15. I wasn’t concerned because I fully expected things to get worse before they got better. In the last few weeks, things have really started to click. I attribute it mainly to:

. A lot of video analysis.

. Watching Todd on the DVD’s over and over.

. Feedback Todd & Tim provide on the forum.

. Tim’s short game instruction during the 3-day school.

. Ordering clubs from Tim that fit!!

Last week, after an epiphany around the non-rotational movement of the trail arm, I really started hitting the ball solid and straight. Today, I played my home course from the back tees where my scoring average over the last year and a half has been almost 88 strokes. I shot a solid: 78

. Out 38/ In 40

. 8 fairways, 8 greens in regulation, 31 putts.

. 12 pars, 6 bogeys, up and down almost 50%.

I got so nervous as I realized the round I was shooting I could barely hold the putter, I was shaking so bad.. I missed 4 putts inside of 3 feet coming in. This is only the second time in my life I’ve broken 80, and the first time since 2003. I can’t thank you guys enough for restoring my love for this game and introducing me to Moe’s swing that I firmly believe is a swing that will hold up for the rest of my life. Plus, no back pain since switching from conventional golf.

Keep up the good work and I can’t wait to attend my first alumni class.

Frank R., San Antonio, TX

I wanted to pass along that the most recent school here in Chicago was a great experience, as always, and I’d also like to tell everyone who has yet to attend a GGA school how much they are missing. I have been to a total of four different schools including two of the three-day schools, one build-your-game camp and an alumni school in the last two years. I can honestly say that not only am I playing better golf, I’m having more fun playing (and practicing, too) because I understand the game so much better. I learn more and more each time I attend and that’s why I’ll continue to come back.
The other great thing is that all the schools have been a lot of fun. What could be better? The reason the schools are such an all around success is without question the staff of instructors. In addition to Todd and Tim, Brent has really proven to be a quality instructor with a great eye for the swing and a great personality and attitude. Most recently Clayton was on board for the Chicago school and he was also a really good instructor and a great person to be around. Not only are all the instructors knowledgeable, they are really good teachers. I’d encourage anyone who has not attended a school to make an effort to do so. I’m already looking forward to my next one. Thanks again to everyone at the GGA for another great time and I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Ben P., Chicago, IL