Instruction
Q&A with Martin Chuck, inventor of the Tour Striker training aid
Every invention is born out of a problem, which rings especially true when it comes to training aids for golfers. Nearly every training aid was made to correct a specific problem — whether it be an inside takeaway, a slice, topping the ball, etc. — and golf instructors will use these products to help translate a feeling into a reality for their students.
For some, learning through training aids is the only answer.
Recently I spoke to Martin Chuck, the inventor of the Tour Striker training aid, about the origin of his training aids and how he uses them to help students achieve a desired result. Chuck is no slouch as an instructor, either; he was recently named a Top-100 golf instructor by Golf Magazine.
Chuck teaches out of his academy in Scottsdale, Arizona, and he’s one of the lead instructors with Revolution Golf, an online game-improvement program. Enjoy my Q&A with him below.
1) Let’s start by discussing your thoughts and experiences that went into creating The Tour Striker.
I’ve been teaching for 32 of my 48 years. I started as a range assistant for Canadian Legend, George Knudson. I was always amazed at the intent of the player. We’ve all been told to “let the club do the work,” but that means different things to different people. One day in 2006 while coaching a really intelligent, retired new golfer, it dawned on me that no matter what I said to him about typical impact alignments and allowing his weight to rotate and relocate to his lead foot, he was going to try and hoist the ball off of the ground and arrive on his trail foot. My instruction couldn’t overwhelm his instinct. Between fat and thin shots, he could actually hit a “decent” shot from time to time, while prying it off the grass with the bottom of the club.
That lesson inspired me to go to my cart barn where we had a work bench with modest tools. I took an old Jerry Barber “Shankless” 7 iron that had lived in the lost and found barrel for longer than my time at that golf course. I began grinding. I ground off the bottom grooves of that iron, occasionally hitting a few shots to make sure I could still get it airborne with a decent swing. The following week when it was time for our lesson together, I handed him the club and asked him to hit it. He said, “I can’t hit that?!” as he looked at the oddly shaped club. I calmly took it back out of his hands and hit a normal-looking 7 iron. At that moment, I could see the light go on for him. I explained that effective strikers have figured out a way, their way, to get the club swinging through a forward-leaning condition during the moment of the strike. I wish I could tell you that he now shoots par, but that’s not the case. He did immediately change his intent and start hitting more powerful shots. His body dynamics improved as well. Once he had a better understanding of impact, his game improved.
2) Why is there a need for this training aid?
Most of the thousands of golfers I’ve coached over the years lack body awareness in some way or another and I’m at the top of that list. Golfers go into a “black out” mode during their swing. It’s hard to feel what is going on during the 1-1.3 seconds of a decent swing.
As a coach, I use “awareness aids” so golfers can have certainty in their practice goals. The Tour Striker Smart Ball has been a well-received product by some of the best players in the world. Marc Warren, a Scottish Tour Professional and member of the European Tour, gave it credit for righting his game at a critical time during the end of the year, allowing him to retain his Tour Card. British Open Champion, Darren Clarke, uses the Smart Ball regularly during practice to avoid getting his trail arm stuck behind him. I can’t begin to tell you how much it helps beginners and those who struggle with intermediate wedge shots. It almost guarantees that your arms and body work together allowing for a more reliable impact. Some of my more limber students can mash full drivers with the Smart Ball. Best of all, I don’t need to be with them and they can practice effectively on their own.
3) Does this apply to all players? What about the ones who have too much lag?
I think it is impossible to have “too much lag” if the body is working properly. The modern phrase “handle dragging” is all but impossible if the player’s lead shoulder is raising and working behind them as a result of effective use of the large muscles. I do see some people try and stay down too long and force the handle awkwardly “down the line.” If they hit it too low, I’ll encourage them to let the club “overtake” the hands during the swing, but that overtaking progression includes some forward lean during the impact interval. After the strike, the club should free-wheel and the hands/wrists can go where the physiology of their body takes them. Thankfully the army of coaches out there these days aren’t telling people to keep their head down to a fault any longer.
4) How has the “business side” of the instructional business shaped your future?
Being a teaching pro isn’t for sissies! I’ve always loved being a teacher, but it isn’t that easy to earn a great living. After my playing days, I became a Head Professional. I had the security of a day job and could teach for the love of it. A stand-alone teaching pro is a tricky gig! You either work at a country club with an audience, a public range where you kill what you eat, train a young player who becomes a world beater… you get the idea. You have to absolutely love it and be prepared to starve.
I was very lucky. I had a great intro to the teaching world when I was young and never lost my love for it. Through my good fortune with Tour Striker Training Products, I was able break away from the “day job,” guaranteed to feed my family and through the urging of Momma Striker, my wife Stacey, I left the club management role and started a Golf Academy six years ago. It has been a blast and I’ve been very fortunate.
At around the same time, I started on as a Faculty Coach for an online platform called Revolution Golf. They have done a wonderful job attracting viewers, so a lot of people around the world are exposed to my teaching style. It’s been the catalyst for my successful golf school. I’ve learned that to be a sought after coach, you have to put yourself out there. Meaning you can’t be afraid of success or criticism. If people don’t like you, grow a thicker skin. If you are genuine and care about the journey of the golfer, you’ll do great.
5) What other issues needing training aids do you see in the future?
I’m not a rocket scientist, so my training aids are very simple. To this date, no batteries required! My studio is pretty “tech’d” out with Trackman, Gears, BodiTrak, JC Video and other gadgetry. I am excited to see what happens with the breakthroughs in “virtual” golf. I think there will be some cool awarenesses occurring by looking at yourself virtually in real time from different angles. Almost like being your own coach. At worst, you might choose to not wear a certain shirt/short combo down the road.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
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” on RG.org 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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John O
Mar 13, 2017 at 10:40 am
Fantastic guy and still one of the best and most popular in the Revolution Golf line-up. I have some of his videos and would love to participate in one of his in-person coaching weeks. I heard he has made the Top 100 coaches list, totally deserved.
Ross Freedman
Mar 13, 2017 at 10:08 am
Martin is a phenomenal teacher of golf. He uses aids as a tool to help students understand what he is trying to convey. Martin helped me recover after three years of horrendous golf. I cannot thank him enough.
Chris
Mar 13, 2017 at 9:47 am
Always liked his approach to things. Wish he would have gotten the Golf Channel gig a few years back. The Tour Striker got me started on my path to better golf. Thanks Mr. Chuck!