The game of golf is a learned skill.
There are no shortcuts.
A person may develop some degree of proficiency on his or her own accord but that is the exception, not the rule. And even then, without an understanding of the mechanics and principles that every good player needs to know and understand, that person who learned the game on his or her own will never know the cause and effect that governs how you play the game. As a consequence, the self-taught player is often inconsistent and never really knows what’s going to happen when they swing a golf club or how they are going to play on that particular day.
The player will hit the golf ball and hope and pray.
That’s because every level that is achieved in golf has to be gained on top of the knowledge gained from the level below. The learning process must go from A to B to C and so on. To fully gain the knowledge necessary to develop to a higher level you cannot skip from level A to level D and so forth. Without understanding the principles at the level you are at, it is almost impossible to go to the next level without slipping back to old habits and faults.
Golf is a difficult game to learn by yourself, but with the proper fundamentals learned from a good instructor, the student can avoid the pitfalls that have ruined so many golf swings.
In order to be successful in golf you must develop proficiency in the following areas:
MECHANICS are the physical principles of the swing.
PRACTICE is the programming of your kinesthetic senses through repetition.
PSYCHOLOGY is emotional involvement during play.
KNOWLEDGE is information, which allows you to cope with the great variety of playing conditions and circumstances encountered in the game, plus an understanding of the rules and etiquette.
FITNESS is the ability of the human body to correctly and efficiently perform the physical mechanics of the golf swing.
Instructors of the game of golf should always use a two-pronged approach to teaching that will ensure the student will gain the most out of the instruction experience. By utilizing the practice range and the golf course as classrooms, the instructor can guide the student through the five areas that are necessary to improve at the game of golf. Hitting golf balls is not enough, you must learn to play the game on the course.
Most of the time spent on the practice range will be used to increase the student’s understanding of FITNESS and MECHANICS. Time spent on the golf course will be used to help the student with PSYCHOLOGY and the KNOWLEDGE it takes to produce the lowest possible score.
During both of these sessions, the student should be given drills to help them PRACTICE.
Only by combining all five of these principles will the student be able to maximize the opportunities and achieve their goals in golf.
This then is one of the challenges Golf Professionals have when they teach students the fundamentals of golf.
Most students are concerned only with MECHANICS.
And while striking the ball with a golf club is the essence of the game, it is only through study and gaining knowledge of all the principles involved, that these mechanics will produce the desired results. When the student comes to realize that the mechanical part of the golf swing is just a part of the whole then the student can progress to the next level of proficiency.
And in reality, there are only two mechanical problems, which face a golfer: Distance and Direction.
Regardless of the nature of the shot required, whether it be a chip shot, putt, drive, or short iron, the challenge of the MECHANICS will be answered by solving those two concerns. To understand the mechanics of the golf swing you have to understand what factors influence these two mechanical problems.
Distance is determined by the clubhead speed at impact and the squareness of contact with the ball in relation to the center of the clubface and the target line.
Direction is determined by the position of the clubface at impact relative to the target: Open, Square, or Closed and the path on which the clubhead is traveling, inside out, outside in, or straight down the target line.
These then are the challenges of golf.
Trying to get the clubface square to the intended line of flight while swinging the club as fast as possible. The problem is these two challenges must be done in sequence.
For beginners, the first instinctive approach in making a golf shot will be to “hit the ball” with a striking action using their dominant hand.
This is a natural effort and one that has been ingrained in the subconscious since childhood. Students must learn the most efficient technique in hitting a golf ball is employed when the golf swing is produced by a backhanded, pulling, big muscle action, which relies on the centrifugal force for power while maintaining balance and shifting their weight from one side to the other.
There is an underlying philosophy I incorporate in all my teaching regardless of the level of the student.
And that is this: Once you learn the basic fundamentals of grip, stance, posture, alignment, and ball position; which constitute the address position; and learn to understand the dynamics of the three physical variables which are: Motion, Weight Transfer, and Lever, then drills and exercises are the best way to practice and prepare to play the game. The “Ten 
Commandments of Golf” will teach you these fundamentals.
Principles and Commandments are interchangeable. Principles are cause and effect, if you do this and then this will happen, typically ball flight. I believe that there are certain principles in the golf swing that are common to all good players. “The Ten Commandments” define those principles.
Exercises are needed to strengthen the core muscles needed to perform the principles.
And Drills reinforce the components, or movements, needed to execute the principles. Participation in any of the formats at the Rocky Mountain Golf Academy will teach you these principles.
Golf is a great game but it becomes increasingly more difficult as you progress through the different levels. What makes it difficult is that not only do you have to be physically fit; you must be mentally prepared and emotionally ready to play each and every day. In order to learn the game of golf, you must combine the basic fundamentals with sound mechanics and employ the correct principles if you want to become a better player.
Your participation in golf instruction developed by the Rocky Mountain Golf Academy will help you accomplish those goals. That is our promise.
Sincerely, The Golf Guy,
Jeff Waters