Golf instruction

The Perfect Student

June 14, 2026 by Tim Graves PGA

By: Tim Graves, PGA

With all the students signing up for the schools lately, I like to review an article I wrote what makes a “perfect student”.

In this instructional article I want to write about the student … What do we expect / “hope” from our students. This includes students of our schools, camps, our Single Plane Academy Members, or maybe just students who are studying our video instruction and/or watching our webinars or maybe just reading these practice tips.

The first morning of our camps, I like to go around the room and ask our students what they want out of the week, the next 6 months of their golf game, and maybe the next year. What are their goals? What are their expectations?

We typically get the same responses… Wanting to improve their scores, cut their handicaps in half, learn fundamentals better, not have so many “blow up holes”, work on short game, etc.. etc…

After hearing their responses – it typically falls into about 3 catagories (all related):

They want to learn how to improve (score better).
They want to learn how to make less mistakes on the golf course.
They want to be more consistent when they play golf.

What I hear is them saying “I want to learn how to practice and become a better student.”

With that being said – I want to describe the “perfect student” … or someone we believe has the best chance for improvement. The closer the student is to the “perfect student” the faster he/she will improve. There is no question there is a direct correlation in this area.

1. The student is open to EVERYTHING being said.

In other words, everything being taught, he/she is receptive too. Too many times, students have heard (or learned) things different before and they put up a mental “road block” when hearing something new. Playing good golf starts by understanding a method of solid fundamentals. The fundamentals don’t have to be complicated or difficult, but the student must learn the fundamentals within the method. Mixing and matching fundamentals of different methods does not work.

2. The student understands is takes TIME to make changes.

This is a big one… To many want things too fast (me included). I once heard a saying, “If you get something fast, you’ll probably lose if fast”. Cannot be more true when learning a new move, a new fundamental, etc… If you have patience, give it time, understand it will take a little while to figure out, etc. the change will “stick” and most of the time will be something you won’t have to consistently work on again and again. Rushing the process never works, or at least work for a period of time… Quick fixes are just those…. here today, gone tomorrow.

3. The student understands you can not break a bad habit, but rather you CREATE a new habit.

This is a big one. I guarantee you if I interviewed golfers and asked them what they thought they needed to work on in their golf swing, a majority would say they need to break this habit, or that habit, etc… To start, it is basically impossible to “break” anything when it comes to a physical movement you have learned or acquired from the past. What is needed, is to determine what you need to work on and then work on doing it perfect (or as close to perfect) every time you practice. In other words, your body and brain are working together to create something that is good, it is not working “against” each other. How many times have you heard (or maybe said to yourself), “My brain says to do one thing, but my body does another”. We need to work on creating new/perfect habits that are much stronger than the old/bad habits which will in essence get our “body and brain to work together”.

4. The “perfect” student will ASK questions.

This sounds like something you heard in school doesn’t it. But, you’d be surprised how many students will sit in a group, nod their head like they understand everything being said, and then after the presentation is over, will come up to the instructor and ask a “ton” of questions. We love the questions, problem is, if one student has a question, chances are, so do a majority of the other students. So, if you are sitting in one of our schools or camps, please don’t hesitate to ask any question ANY time. If you are watching our videos, webinars, reading e-tips, etc. email us with questions any time. We promise we will do our best to get back to you with answers asap. Please don’t go forward not knowing the answer or “confused” about something.

5. The student understands learning, especially an athletic move / moves, is a PROCESS.

It can be a fun process and the process can be sped up with proper practice, etc. but it is always a “process”. Enjoying the process is the key! Looking forward to making changes and working on those changes is a key! Ultimately understanding there really isn’t anything that is a “quick fix” (as stated before), but rather a process to change and a process to good and eventually, great golf. Understanding the process, looking forward to working through the process, getting help when necessary, will ultimately lead to the golf game the student wants.

Again – As the golf school season begins again (as many of you read this, my staff will be teaching at our academy in Orlando) – thought it would be a good time to list what we would love to see from every one of our students in order that they can improve their golf games to levels they can only imagine now.

Remember – A little improvement every day, will lead to a lot of improvement over time.

Please reply to timg@gravesgolf.com and let me know what you think of this article

Tim Graves, PGA

Playfullness

June 14, 2026 by Tim Graves PGA

By Paul Monahan, Graves Golf Mental Game Coach

The reflection below is Chapter 2 from my book: The Most Important Game: Play Better. Struggle Less. Enjoy More.

I thought I’d spiral back to it now as more and more golfers – especially in the more northern climates – begin to step back into regular practice and play.

I love this chapter for a couple reasons. First, it is a simple story reminding us to reconnect with the joy and playfulness we brought to our experiences when we were kids. Second, two terrific characters are involved. Tom Lagos was a fellow Ohioan who attended many GGA schools over the years and was a joy to golf with. Sadly, he passed away a year or so after this article was published. Gary Gustafson—another perennial GGA 5-Day school guy—has a great attitude and an incredible work ethic.

Playfulness

Recently, I heard a celebrity speaking about golfing with his buddies. He mentioned one person in his circle of golf friends whom he particularly admired because of the playfulness the person brought to the course.

The celebrity said his buddies wished they could be more playful, especially on the golf course. He said that the guy he admired almost always played well, seemingly without a lot of effort.

Playfulness is one of those things that eludes most adults.

If you think about it, it’s not anyone’s fault; it’s a product of the society and culture in which we grew up, which rewards serious, adult-like, responsible behavior.

But studies show that the more we can tap into our childlike playfulness, the better we perform—particularly when it comes to skills-based, physical endeavors.

Last spring, Tim Graves invited me to teach at a 5-Day Build Your Game Alumni Camp in Orlando. If you ever get a chance to visit a 5-day camp, do it. The camps offer a fantastic experience. Teaching at one of the camps allowed me to teach performance mindset concepts to the attendees and work on my Single Plane Swing.

Among the many fantastic learning dynamics Todd and Tim create in the 5-day camps are live scenarios designed to replicate competitive situations and related pressure we may encounter in our weekly games at home.

One of the scenarios is a bracketed putting contest called “21” that lasts from Wednesday to Friday. The winner earns lots of cool swag and bragging rights for a whole year.

I played in the contest that week, facing the eventual winner in the semi-final round, the virtual putting buzzsaw, Gary Gustafson.

After an incredible hour-long quarterfinal match against Tom Lagos, an excellent competitor, Gary crushed me, 25–2 in about fifteen minutes!

After our match, I asked him about the secret to such a fantastic performance. Gary shared that, while watching the game between Tom and me, he noticed a five-year-old boy putting on the other end of the practice green. The boy was with his mom, goofing around on the putting green. We had seen him, too. He was a pretty cute kid and a tremendous little putter!

Gary noticed two things about the boy’s putting. First, he was putting remarkably well for his age, and second, he was putting rather quickly.

Gary equated the boy’s speed with playfulness. In other words, the boy didn’t overthink each putt. Gary noticed the boy’s joy and ease each time he stepped up to the ball, took a look at the hole, and pulled the trigger.

So, Gary approached his upcoming match in a spirit of playfulness akin to the little boy’s. He stepped into his putts carefully and deliberately, trusted his line, and pulled the trigger, resisting the urge to overthink the setup.

Man, did his strategy work. His putting was amazing!

Throughout our (very short) match, Gary made a bunch of long putts and plenty of shorter ones. When he wasn’t making putts, he came super close, so he picked up points. His strategy was impressive. I had a pretty good seat for that show.

I think Gary’s approach is a good lesson for all of us, regardless of the level of competition or the situation. The strategy is good whether playing golf, in critical leadership moments or negotiating a sale.

We nearly always perform better when we trust our ability to do the thing and step into it without much overthinking. Todd Graves calls it “playing empty.”

While multiple dynamics determine success in a skills-based performance such as golf, a spirit of fun and playfulness goes a long way to enhance one’s performance.

So, try this the next round you play or the next time you practice. Be intentional about not overthinking. Adopt a playful mindset and step into your shots.

Play the game. Have fun. Don’t overthink it.

There’s a reason we call it playing golf, right?

Paul Monahan, an author, speaker and Peak-Performance coach. He recently published: The Most Important Game. Play Better. Struggle Less. Enjoy More … a collection of essays designed to inspire fresh thinking and more fun playing the game you love. He resides in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Paula and is the proud dad to three young men.

Take Off Your Watch – Tips for Improving

June 14, 2026 by Tim Graves PGA

By Tim Graves, PGA

Wanted to go over a few suggestions to help you practice more efficiently and effectively.

(Excerpts taken from the Talent Code by Dan Coyle)

Take Off Your Watch

Practice (Deep Practice) should not be measured in minutes or hours, but in the number of high-quality repetitions you make.

Instead of counting minutes or hours, count the number of “perfect” repetitions you make (drills you perform).

Example – instead of planning on hitting golf balls for an hours, plan on making 25 quality swing with each club.

Ignore the clock and get to your sweet spot zone, even if it’s only for a few minutes, and measure your progress by what counts – number of times doing drill correct or number of correct repetitions.

2. Break Every Move (Golf Swing) Down Into Chunks

Every skill/habit is built out of smaller pieces – what scientists call chunks.

Chunks are to skill what letters of the alphabet are to language. Individually, don’t mean much, put together forms sentences, paragraphs, etc…

To begin “chunking”, first engrave the blueprint of the skill on your mind – then ask yourself:

1. What is the smallest single element of this skill I can master/or in the golf swing, what is the most important element I need to learn.

– The Grip

2. Practice one chunk by itself until you’ve mastered it, then connect more chunks, one by one. Second “chunk” of the golf swing –

– The Set Up

3. No matter what skill you set out to learn, the pattern is always the same. See the whole thing. Break it down to its simplest elements. Put it back together, repeat.

Next chunks:

– The Backswing

– Top of swing/Transition

– The Downswing

– Leverage

– Impact

– Release

Work on each “chunk” individually – one at a time. Working to master/perfect before going on or working on another. This will save you a lot of time and frustration in the “long run” …

Remember as stated many times – learning the golf swing/making changes is NOT a sprint, but rather a marathon. And if treated that way, your changes/new habits you create, will be there for the “long run”.

Watch upcoming newsletters for additional practice tips for improvement.

Questions or comments please email Tim at timg@gravesgolf.com

LOWERING SCORES USING GRAVES GOLF BY DESIGN (Putting)

April 6, 2026 by Tim Graves PGA

By Tim Graves, PGA

I’m not gonna preach at you today about how important your putting stroke is.

If you’ve been around for a bit, you know that I’m VERY passionate about putting!

When it comes to creative and simple ways to check each aspect of your putting stroke away from the golf course, I’ve tried them all.

It was through many years of trial and error that I developed what I consider a great, as well as simple way, to check each aspect of your putting stroke away from the golf course.

You see, to practice efficiently, you must check a couple key areas:

Squareness of putter face
Eyes over the ball (target line)
Squareness of shoulders at address
The path of the putter head during the stroke

Being able to check these fundamental positions each and every stroke is key to having productive practice sessions.

With the development of the H3 Putting Mirror, I now have a way to ensure each fundamental of my putting stroke is perfect.

Simply put, this is a vital tool during my off season practice.

If you aren’t using an H3 Putting Mirror, I have to ask you, bluntly,

“Why?”

Even a 3-5 minute practice session in your living room with the H3 Putting Mirror will ensure:

Your eyes are over the ball (target line), which will help you see the line, as well as create an ideal stroke.
Ideal shoulder alignment that you can check in the mirrored surface. Square shoulders produce an ideal stroke.
You’ll see a perfectly square club face, as well as the ideal stroke with the guidelines on the H3.
Raised edges will make you catch the ball on the upstroke, creating a perfect roll every time.
CNC milled holes to develop a putting gate to further hone the perfect stroke each and every time.

THE 3 Ps OF PUTTING AND USING THE H3 PUTTING TRAINER

What are the 3 Ps of putting?… simply stated, it is “Practicing your Putting with a Purpose”

Folks, it is actually pretty simple and painless, you just have to DO IT RIGHT!!!

Now, before you think to yourself, “Yeah, I know, Tim always says how important putting is, but I really need to work on my full swing first”, please read the following stats and “studies” that have been conducted and then I will explain how you can literally improve your game overnight…

First – You must first realize the importance of putting. 43% of scoring occurs on the putting green for the average player (male shooting 97, female shooting 107). As the scoring increases, so does the % of putts. For a scratch golfer, the percentage lowers to about 40%, but no lower.

Graves Golf By Design statistics are as follows:

30 handicap golfer (aver score of 100) – average 45 putts per round

20 handicap golfer (aver 90) – 40 putts per round

10 handicap golfer (aver 80) – 35 putts per round

Scratch golfer (aver 70) – 30 putts per round

Professional golfer – 28 putts per round

Second – You would think “that only makes sense” as the 30 handicap golfer will hit it further from the hole than the 20 handicap golfer, thus have more putts…. but you would be wrong. If you think of the way golf is played and the way putting stats are kept (just add up how many putts you have once the ball is on the green) – the 20 handicap golfer actually will hit more greens in regulation than the 30 handicap golfer (the 30 handicap golfer will be chipping from the side of the green, etc..). Meaning, if you take the average distance to the hole once the player hits the green, typically the 20 handicap golfer will be further than the 30 handicap golfer… in theory if both had equivalent mid/short games – but here lies the problem.

Third – There are only 3 areas that matter in putting (or any part of the golf swing) – Path, Face Angle, and Speed. Putting is affected by these 3 areas and only these 3 areas. Meaning, everything you work on in putting (for example the grip, set up, etc..) affects either path, face angle and/or speed. The better your path, the better your putting, the better your face angle at impact, the better your putting, the better your speed, the better your putting.

Fourth – READ THIS VERY CAREFULLY: Studies have shown that of 10 golfers who practice their putting, 5 will get no better, 4 will actually get worse, ONLY 1 will improve after practice. Please read this again – of those who practice their putting, 10% will improve after the practice, 50% will not, and 40% will ACTUALLY MAKE THEMSELVES WORSE. (This study was performed numerous times testing golfer’s putting prior to their practice session and after.) As is said by the individuals who performed these studies, “Golfers can add, subtract, multiply and divide, and they DON’T like these odds.” I don’t know about you, but if I have a 90% chance of not improving when I practice, “I ain’t practicing” (as they say in Oklahoma…)

Okay – now that everyone is on a “downer” about their putting practice, we’re here to fix that.

Over the years of playing and practicing with some of the best players in the world (including Moe, Tiger and many others), competing against many of these players, studying numerous techniques of the short game, etc… etc. we have created/perfected a method to improve your putting.

H3 Putting Trainer – How to Practice Your Putting with a Purpose EVERY TIME you practice. (In other words, every time you practice, you will one of the 10% who improves!!)

This is a Putting Trainer that works – WE GUARANTEE IT!!! This is how you (and most professionals) improve your putting. The system is not hard – in fact, it is very simple and doesn’t take that much time. Every minute you practice using the H3 Putting Trainer, it will improve your putting… which in turn will improve your scoring and decrease your handicap – SIGNIFICANTLY!!

Here are highlights of the H3 Putting Trainer:

* Mirror for proper eye and shoulder alignment

* Beveled leading edge for easy ball placement

* Easy to see red line for proper path and face alignment

* Red line to check ball under eye line and head still during putting stroke

* Blue alignment lines to help the putter go back square

* Blue alignment lines to square your shoulders

* Putting gate holes to use tees to get path correct in back stroke (set up for different sized putters)

* Putting gate holes to use tees to get path correct in through stroke (set up for different sized putters)

* Raised edges for proper stroke. Upstroke at impact, and proper back stroke

Here is what the H3 Putting Trainer checks (check points) every time you use it:

Square putter face at set up
Eyes over the golf ball (ball under eye line)
Golf Ball is forward of center at set up (creates overspin)
Golf Ball is set up in the middle of the putter (sweet spot)
Shoulders are square at set up
Only the shoulders move / rock in putting stroke. Remainder of body still.
Hands lead maintaining shaft lean through impact
Golf ball is impacted at center with no side spin (only overspin) and on center of putter
Golf ball is hit on an upward blow
Hand are leading (H1)
Hands down the line (H2)
Hip check reminder (H3)

Everyone – no matter where you game is now – needs to improve their putting. You need to create more consistency in your putting. As shown, it is absolutely the faster way to lowering your scoring.

Remember the 3 Ps of Putting – Always Practice Your Putting with a Purpose and the best way to practice with your putting with a purpose is to use the H3 Putting Trainer.

H3 Training Aid: CLICK HERE

Expectations (Replay)

April 6, 2026 by Tim Graves PGA

By Paul Monahan, Graves Golf Mental Game Coach

Replay:

It is fascinating to me how MUCH our expectations can negatively impact our experiences…as well as our ability to perform at our best.

While watching the last round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, I heard one of the CBS announcers – I think it was Peter Kostis – comment on the challenging day that John Rahm was having.

After three solid rounds, Rahm began his final series in second place, with a chance to win another event this year after a phenomenal previous year in which he earned his first victory as well as ten top ten finishes.

But after 16 holes, Rahm was at two-over par when he probably needed to be a 3 or 4 under parto be in contention to win. Rahm’s frustration was pretty evident.

At that point, Kostis commented that he thought Rahm’s biggest challenge would be managing his expectations.

What did he mean? Simply that Rahm had such an incredible previous year, that he would have to be careful not to create expectations in his mind about the results he would be able to achieve in any given week.

We perform best when we drop our expectations when we metaphorically leave our expectations in the car. These allow us to see our reality (the game, the shots, the putts…etc.) more objectively…and not have our perspective clouded by our stories.

A little over a week ago I had the chance to attend the Graves Golf Academy 3-Day School in Orlando…

During this first day of the school, Tim Graves and his staff emphasize the importance of starting the Single Plane Swing process with the shortest of golf moves possible – the putt – by leading a putting lesson.

As I interacted with some students during the putting lesson, I noticed how many were struggling with their mental game. And I know it sounds strange…we were practicing putting.

The guidance from Tim was this: work on matching the putting stroke model and don’t worry about sinking putts. We don’t care about sinking putts; we want to make sure that we are hitting “checkpoints.” If we get good at executing the checkpoints, we will make putts, for sure.

But here’s what I saw: guys were getting frustrated because they weren’t sinking putts. (And some guys were extremely frustrated.)

These were brilliant, accomplished people. They know how to listen and follow direction. But …they were stuck in their expectations.

When we get stuck in our expectations, when we view reality through the lens of hope, the only way we can be satisfied is if those expectations are met. (Makes sense…right?)

But if our expectations are not met then what happens? You guessed it: disappointment – or even worse: apparent frustration.

The guys on the putting green were missing putts they expected to make. And so, they experienced those misses as disappointment and frustration. (They even forgot about the purpose of the practice, to begin with.)

But what if they had been able to set their expectations aside?

They likely would have been able to perform better throughout the exercise and would have:

Remembered the purpose of the practice session
Not worried about the result
Focused on process
Worked on matching the putting model
Enjoyed the experience
Learned
…and maybe even been a little more fun to be around

I often tell my clients, the tighter your grip on your stories or expectations about what should happen, the more difficult it is to experience your reality in productive ways…especially when things don’t go as you think they should.

If you want to get better at this game, (or anything) you must learn to drop your attachment to results and instead, stay focused on the elements that produce the desired results. Like; gripping the club correctly, starting with a proper address, and matching the swing model.

When you miss a putt or hit a ball poorly, remember: that is a neutral event. It is neither good nor bad…it is. Learn to see the things that happen in your environment as they are…and not worse than they are. Learn to see them as a chance to learn something and master a new skill. No matter what happens.

Like John Rahm or the participants of our GGA Schools, we all would benefit by loosening our grip on our expectations…or dropping them altogether.

Paul Monahan, PCC is a Peak-Performance coach, member of the International Coach Federation and a certified COR.E Performance Dynamicsä Specialist. He resides in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Paula and is the proud dad to three young men. He works with elite-level performers and leaders, helping them to expand their awareness so that they perform at their best more consistently.

Miss It Fast

March 15, 2026 by Tim Graves PGA

Moe Norman – through his brilliance, his pursuit of excellence, and his perspective on life and golf – said a lot of memorable things the course of his life.

One of my favorites is: “Miss it fast.”

What does it mean? And how does it relate to your golf game?

Turns out that the concept: Miss it Fast is amazingly simple, and yet rooted in the complex dynamics of the human brain. You see, even if Moe was not aware of it, the knowledge of what “Miss if Fast” yields for athletes like golfers is supported by the latest research and science in human performance.

And it has surprising implications for your mental game.

Last weekend, at the 2-Day Mental Game Playing School at Prairie Landing Golf Club in West Chicago a whole group of Single Plane Swing golfers had the opportunity to gain a much deeper understanding of what Moe meant by Miss it fast.

One of the key concepts we spent a lot of time on was this: The golf swing is a physical movement. There is a part of your brain that is dedicated to replicating the physical movements you repeat over and over again …it’s called procedural memory.

When you rely on procedural memory to execute a golf shot you give yourself the best chance of pulling off the shot the way you intend to. However, when another important part of your brain – the thinking and analytical part – gets involved, you can often struggle to create high-quality shots.

What to do?

Create routines or distractions so that you prevent too much thinking and analysis (… produced in the part of the brain associated with Working Memory.) Hitting the ball relatively quickly is a perfect example of this kind of distraction.

One super-effective portion of the instruction last weekend was dedicated to teaching a tightly-rehearsed 5-7 second pre-shot routine based on the fundamental concept that dwelling over your shot for 10-15 seconds is a sure-fire way to take you out of Procedural Memory and into Working Memory (where analysis, fear and anxiety lurk.)

Tim Graves led the group through an exercise that allowed the guys at the school to see first-hand how much a short, crisp pre-shot routine can impact the mental game.

Elite-level golfers know that a routine like this supports great shots – but they may not know exactly why.

The reason is that when you keep your pre-shot routine short and structured you prevent the over-analysis, anxiety and resulting tightness in the swing that comes from THINKING TOO MUCH about the shot you are about to hit.

When Tim talks about “playing empty” they are talking about hitting shots when you are operating from Procedural Memory…and not Working Memory. They know – as did Moe – that if you dwell and linger over shots before you hit them – your capacity to hit great shots is significantly diminished.

So if you want to enhance your mental game, consider practicing your pre-shot routine. See if you can build a deliberate – but not rushed – routine that allows you to step into the ball and pull the trigger within 5-7 seconds. I think what you will find is that you won’t get “stuck” in your thinking nearly as often as you may be getting stuck today.

Miss it fast!

-Paul

Paul Monahan, Graves Golf Mental Game Coach

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