Instruction
The Golfing Machine: Homer Kelley’s quotes explained
As I’ve maturate through this game for life, I, like most golfers, have worked hard to improve my golf game.
Just like many of you, I’ve taken lessons and or listened to someone who I believed could help me better my ball striking. But like most golfers, I have sometimes tried accomplish more than I actually needed to at times. And I’ve been guilty of doing the same in my teaching as well.
I know very early in my teaching career, I tried to force most people into a model swing. It was one that was way too complex for some levels of players to understand, yet alone achieve, without hitting balls for several months.
I have maturated in my teaching style over the years, and now espouse the fundamentals below as quoted from Homer Kelley’s great work “The Golfing Machine,” which allows instructors to teach over 446 quad-trillion swinging motions — one of which will work for someone.
The book does anything but force people into a model swing. Rather, it allows the student and instructor to work together in producing a stroke pattern that is simplest for the student to achieve without too much work. This is the reason why Corey Pavin’s swing and Tiger Woods’ swings both work, yet look totally different. There is no one way to swing a club, but each person has THEIR own best way to move their body and club throughout the swing.
There is little excuse for forcing the average weekend golfer, who has some strong tendency or other, to adopt any procedure or stroke pattern that calls for the elimination of that tendency. It is far easier to develop a stroke pattern that properly compensates for it. Change the factors that are easily controlled to fit those that are difficult to change. There is no effort to classify any stroke pattern as best or worst, but there is undoubtedly a best “central” stroke pattern for each individual.
What does this say to me? Obviously, each of us have some type of idiosyncratic motion in our swings — Tiger’s hips, Nicklaus’ flying right elbow and Trevino’s loop — but the truth remains that there is no one way to swing. But there are certain fundamentals must apply to everyone.
We only need to compensate for major swing flaws that just can’t be overcome through normal practice. Ray Floyd will never work the club on plane to the top — sure he can move more in that direction, but he will never be there naturally, so what does he do? He just makes sure he re-routes the club with the proper plane-angle shift from the top. The major flaw is the off-plane backstroke, because it can’t be fixed without changing the player’s natural swing. Thus the solution is to compensate with the correct plane angle shift, which is easily corrected.
The students need to know only the factors and components of their particular stroke patterns as recommended and assembled by the instructor. The student who can play and practice only occasionally should not be induced to proceed on the lines of detail and precision that a prospective champion would need.
If golfers only play and practice once a week, there is no reason from them to try and overhaul their golf swing. Yes, there are certain things that they must do from day 1 to be more fundamentally correct, but golfers who don’t play or practice often limit an instructor’s plan of action. This is the reason why I ask all my students up front how much time the can realistically play and practice — it gives me a direction to go in instructionally.
I also tell my students that their scores and consistency will be totally correlated to the amount of play and practice they do. I can’t move mountains, and there are only a few non-practicing good players. Don’t try and beat the odds — take baby steps.
The student must approach instruction as a step-by-step process. The only real short cuts are more and more know-how. A careless beginning can be disastrous. It’s premature to expect the complete results of instruction before the last factor is fitted in, understood, and mastered.
The golf swing is like a ladder or plywood; everything preceding the position a golfer is in directly affects what is going on currently. If a golfer is out of position at address, then his or her takeaway will be faulty unless a compensation is made at the start (which leads to another compensation if a golfer is not careful).
For that reason, the people who come to me for lessons and have tried to “do it themselves off the start” are usually so fouled up that it will take three lessons for me just to put them into a position in which they can actually affect their consistency in the positive.
And finally, the Type-A personalities that come through the door who are interested in “instant gratification” must forget this concept or forever be frustrated with teaching and instructors. I know many students who have walked into my door coming from other teachers complaining about not getting any better and it takes me about three minutes to understand why — it is not the former instructor’s fault, but the attitude of the student himself.
Don’t be this type of lesson taker — all you’re doing is wasting your money, your time and ruining the instructor’s reputation because of your desire for instant results. Nothing in life works that way. Why should golf?
The instructor can only inform and explain — the student must absorb and apply.
I cannot do anything more than help my students understand in simple terms why their swing is not producing the shots they currently want. There are some flaws that require constant touch ups to overcome for good, and it is these times that students must be patient and understand that we as teachers are doing all we can to help them improve as quickly as possible.
Teachers are hindered by student’s attitudes, physiology, practice time and desire — it is up to the student to listen, absorb and apply the information given in the classroom (the lesson tee) in the best way for them personally. Sometimes this take two seconds, two minutes or two weeks, but if students review the lesson tape they are given they will see what the instructor is trying to do over the long haul. And if they have questions, they need to ask! That is what teachers are there for in the first place!
No one, especially beginners, should ever trust Feel alone.
How can someone who has no physiological understanding of the game stand on the practice tee and actually try to feel what they are doing biomechanically? I don’t know the first thing about throwing a shot-put physically, so why would I try to go to the practice shot-putting field and try to trust what I “feel?” Give your “feel” to a competent instructor and then you can trust what feels right versus wrong.
Eons of man-hours are lost trying to substitute effort for technique and trying to eliminate effect instead of cause.
Enough said — the golf swing is cause and effect. Ninety-nine percent of the time when an untrained teacher or one of your playing partners tells you to work on something in your swing it is to correct the effect of a prior cause.
How many times has someone told you how not to come over the top during the transition by dropping your right elbow, looping the club, etc., when in fact the root of the problem is a faulty backstroke plane and/or a faulty pivot motion to the top causing the over-the-top motion. This is why these Band-Aids never work, because they are trying to fix the effect and not working on the fundamental cause.
Think of the overswing and how hard it is to get out of — why? It’s because just stopping at the top is not the answer. It lies in fixing the disconnection that causes the arms to overswing. Take the time to understand why you do the things you do and why they happen before you try and alter something.
I hope this article has shed some light on what you do and how you go about changing your swing. Take your time and listen intently, for these are the keys to improving your ball striking as soon as possible.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Billy
Jun 22, 2016 at 9:52 pm
Because you are over swinging and it’s collapsing your elbow. Next question please. It’s like I’m the new homer kelley
Freddy
Aug 16, 2013 at 9:32 am
Excellent article. It’s not just applicable to TGM, but coaching as a whole
Stevenw
Aug 15, 2013 at 4:20 pm
Mr. Stickneky. I think I improperly applied most of the 446 quad-trillion swing motions last Sunday. But I’m still in love with this silly game. Seriously, I have not read but have heard that TGM is a complex golf book. Would it be a smart investment for a weekend warrior with a low teens handicap to read TGM? Or should I just study you series, The Swing in Pictures along with the dozens of other golf books on my shelf. Thank you for your posts. I’m a fan of your writings here at golfwrx.
Tom Stickney
Aug 16, 2013 at 3:07 am
Start with the swings in photos. Find a good teacher in your area next. Thx for the note sir.
Stevenw
Aug 16, 2013 at 5:24 pm
Thank you for the reply. I’ll digest and attempt to implement the Swing in Photos, the mountain of golf books I have at home, and then tackle TGM. I am working with my local PGA pro, who is fantastic and a much better instructor than I am a student. He’s leading me on a fun journey to upper half of my foursome. P.S. Sorry for misspelling your name. Typing yips maybe?
Tom Stickney
Aug 14, 2013 at 5:43 pm
TGM is a catalog of motion…the reason why there are so many swings is bc there are many variations of the basic 24 motions we all go through in the golf swing. The number only states the fact that there are many ways to get it done and there is a swing motion out there for you if you need something unique…due to an old injury etc. Most teachers can teach a few different swing models- 90% of the time students fit into them without issue…but the others are there if I need them.
Von Boss
Aug 14, 2013 at 2:08 pm
you lost my trust at 446 quad-trillion swing motions?? how long did it take to distinguish all 446 quad-trillion swing motions well enough to be able to teach another?
Tom Stickney
Aug 14, 2013 at 5:41 pm
TGM is a catalog of motion…the reason why there are so many swings is bc there are many variations of the basic 24 motions we all go through in the golf swing. The number only states the fact that there are many ways to get it done and their is a swing motion out there for you if you need something unique…due to an old injury etc. Most teachers can teach a few different swing models- 90% of the time students fit into them without issue…but the others are there if I need them.
Jack
Aug 14, 2013 at 10:42 am
I’m not sure what I, as a student, am supposed to agree with in reading this article. I suppose the ideal student, from the teacher’s perspective, would commit fully to the teacher’s program without evaluation, but not everyone with PGA on his or her card is Harvey Penick. A teacher and student must work together, and if a good fit isn’t achieved it’s not always the student’s attitude that is the cause.
Tom Stickney
Aug 14, 2013 at 5:50 pm
It never has been nor will it ever be a dictatorship on my end…it’s your swing and your goals. I just facilitate.
Jack
Aug 21, 2013 at 3:50 pm
I think of the parable of the blind men examining an elephant. One of them feels the tail and says, “An elephant is like a rope.” Another feels a leg and says, “An elephant is like a tree.” Another feels the trunk and says, “An elephant is a type of snake.” Or the saying, that when your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. That’s how I’ve felt trying to find a teacher among the local pros. I don’t think teachers who are really able to get inside a student’s swing with him and find THE PROBLEM are all that common. Many are bound by their prejudice of what “the” golf swing should look like, or stuck in the routine of dispensing the same advice over and over.
Scott Shields
Aug 13, 2013 at 3:32 pm
Over swing and collapse your elbow? Loss of extensor action.
I’m a huge fan of the TGM, been getting lessons from a certified instructor here in SE Michigan for 3 years now. His ability to communicate the information, and educate have enabled me to constantly improve. TGM is complicated, and needs to be applied with diligence, and trust. But through hard work, the curtain can be pulled back and the golf swing does become understandable, not just guessing and applying the latest tips from Golf Digest.
paul
Aug 12, 2013 at 7:36 pm
So why do i over swing and collapse my elbow?