Author: Sarah Chen

Building a Body That Swings: Why Your Offseason Matters More Than You Think I have a confession: the best golf instruction I ever give doesn’t happen on the range. It happens in a conversation about what golfers do between rounds. Over my 15 years teaching, I’ve noticed something that separates golfers who plateau from those who keep improving. It’s not talent. It’s not even practice volume. It’s consistency—the kind that compounds over months and years. The golfers who see real progress are the ones who understand that golf is a whole-body endeavor, and that February matters just as much as…

Two Drills That Will Transform Your Ball-Striking Under Pressure When Chris Gotterup closed out the 2026 WM Phoenix Open with a strong final round, he wasn’t relying on luck or raw power alone. Instead, he credited something far more reliable: consistency and control. And here’s what struck me about his post-round comments—he understood something that separates good golfers from great ones. Power without control is a gamble you’ll lose more often than you’ll win. In my fifteen years of teaching, I’ve watched this pattern repeat countless times. A student comes to me frustrated because they hit the ball far but…

Build a Pre-Shot Routine You Can Trust When Everything’s on the Line Last week at Q-School, A.J. Ewart shot four consecutive rounds in the 60s to earn his PGA TOUR card. At 26, with everything on the line, he could have started experimenting with new swing thoughts or trying hero shots he’d never practiced. Instead, he did something far more powerful: he trusted his process. In my 15 years of teaching, I’ve watched golfers at every level make the same mistake when pressure arrives. They abandon what got them there. Their hands get shaky, their breathing quickens, and suddenly they’re…

Turn Data Into Lower Scores: How Launch Monitors Transform Your Practice Sessions One of the biggest mistakes I see golfers make isn’t in their swing itself—it’s in how they practice. They spend hours at the range hitting balls without any real feedback about what’s actually happening. They feel good about a shot, assume it was solid, and move on. But here’s the truth: your perception of a good swing and your actual performance data are often worlds apart. That’s where modern launch monitors change everything. I’ve worked with students ranging from tour professionals to weekend golfers, and the ones who…

Playing Your Best in Signature Events: What the Pros Know About High-Pressure Golf When I watch elite golfers compete in major tournaments—especially Signature Events where the pressure intensifies and the field includes the absolute best players in the world—I notice something consistent: their fundamentals don’t change. What changes is their commitment to process over outcome. This week at Pebble Beach, we’re seeing World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Rory McIlroy face off in what promises to be one of the tour’s most competitive events of the season. “McIlroy will face his toughest competition yet at Pebble Beach. Eighty…

The Long Putt That Isn’t: Master Chipping with a Simpler Mindset If I had a dollar for every golfer who told me, “I just can’t chip,” I could probably fund a new clubhouse. After 15 years of teaching, I can tell you with confidence: chipping struggles aren’t about talent. They’re about understanding one simple truth that changes everything. Here it is: stop thinking of chipping as a “mini-swing.” That mental shift alone will improve your short game faster than any technical fix. Reframe Your Thinking When you stand over a chip shot, your brain is likely conjuring images of a…

Understanding Course Design: How Knowing Your Architect’s Mind Improves Your Game You know what I’ve noticed after 15 years of teaching golf? The golfers who improve fastest aren’t always the ones with the most natural swing. They’re the ones who understand the course itself. They read the architect’s intentions the way a chess player reads their opponent’s strategy. And here’s the thing—you don’t need to be a course designer to benefit from this knowledge. Understanding how your course was built, and why, fundamentally changes how you approach every shot. Think about it: every fairway width, every bunker placement, every green…

How to Use Launch Monitor Data to Transform Your Putting Stroke I’ve taught thousands of golfers over my fifteen years, and here’s what I’ve discovered: most players obsess over their full swing while completely neglecting the stroke that accounts for nearly 40% of their score. Your putting deserves the same data-driven attention you give your driver. The good news? Modern technology has finally caught up, and you can now measure metrics on the putting green that were previously invisible to you. Let me show you how to use this feedback to build a more consistent, confident stroke. When I work…