Graves Golf

Smooth Authority

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By Tim Graves, PGA

Mark W. (East Saint Louis, MO)

To: Timg@Gravesgolf.com

Hey Tim;

I just wanted to say thank-you and to share my experience playing yesterday due to some freakishly warm weather in St. Louis.

This month I have been working on my putting, chipping and pitching (into a tarp) in the basement for a few minutes daily and tracking the time spent. It’s amazing how spending 7 to 12 minutes a day per discipline can add up – so far this month I’ve practiced my putting stroke alone for 3 hours plus (23 of 27 days). I have incorporated your teachings on ball position, shaft lean and hands down the line and continue to work to ingrain them.

Your tips during the FF <Fast Forward> presentation – specifically the single trail hand drill that Tiger used, and the short backstroke to promote acceleration – were golden. Yesterday – the first real round in over 6 weeks – I had 30 total putts with no three putts. What’s more – I had several 4-6 footers that due to your acceleration drill went in the hole with smooth authority!

Thank-you for all that you do to share your insights – very grateful for you and the GG team.

Mark

Enjoy your day – “The Best Is Yet To Come”

Fast Forward Information:

http://gravesgolf.com/fast

Mental Game Skills Must Be Cultivated

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By Paul Monahan, Graves Golf Mental Game Coach

What are you doing to cultivate productive mental game skills in your golf game?

Coaches don’t really DO anything. If we are doing our job right, we engage with our clients about what they really want…and then help them to gain the insights and passion necessary to take meaningful action toward their goals.

But that action is up to them. The client. It’s not up to us. If the client doesn’t do anything with this information, nothing changes for them.

Last week’s story from Bob about winning his club’s opening  tournament is a great reminder that you must be intentional about applying mental game strategies and concepts.That you must have to have an on-purpose strategy and action plan to cultivate these skills…the same the way you build your short-game or putting skills.

In a phone conversation with him earlier this week, Bob told me that he hadn’t really given a lot of thought to building a mental game strategy. Though, he had spent a considerable amount of time working on Single Plane Swing mechanics the past two years – attending a number of schools, working with GGA coaches through video and other programs, and dedicating numerous hours on the driving range.

But that changed for Bob when he watched the webinar that Tim Graves and I did on the Alert Attitude of Indifference…and it piqued his interest. More than that, it inspired him to act. As a result, he committed to cultivating the key mental game concepts Tim and I talked about…and to making them a part of his playing strategy.

For example, he committed to playing faster. He modified his own pre-shot routine so that he could hit shots inside the “play box” within 5-7 seconds. This would prevent the kind of over-analysis and over-thinking that shows up when we hover over our shots too long. (He believes that he hit a lot more high-quality shots as a result!)

And he decided that, considering the course conditions (very wet) and that they were playing lift, clean and place, he would do whatever it took to be in the fairway. So while other players were bombing it into the rough, Bob played conservatively off the tee and hit lots of shots from the fairway that day. (His discipline to creating a strategy and sticking to it was key.)

He also tuned-in to and monitored is own energy dynamics during his round– and was able to stay positive on the occasions when things didn’t turn out perfect: when he hit it into the rough on the playoff hole, he took notice of the situation, reminded himself that he had the option to stay positive, hit a clean recovery shot into the fairway, and was on the green on the next shot. (His opponent was not able to stay calm and measured when encountering challenges on that hole – and it cost him the tournament.)

It will always be the case that practice and skill development are an important part this game we play. But being intentional about cultivating your mental game skills – how you show up, how you respond to the game as it comes at you –  is also a critical element of lowering your scores.

-Paul

(If you want to really learn how to cultivate productive mental game skills, join us at our two-day Mental Game / Alert Attitude of Indifference School in the near future.)

“Mind Boggling” – Holy Crap / Brighten Your Day Email Part 2

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By Tim Graves, PGA

From: D A JENSON <jenson*****>
Date: Mon, Dec 8, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Subject: Follow-up
To: Tim Graves <timg@gravesgolf.com>

Hey Tim, 

This is Dean Jenson again.  I just got the email with your video about my email.  I was chuckling when you described what I was likely doing in my swing.   You nailed everything, of course. 

Just to fill in some blanks, I had the body damage mentioned from my sports activities earlier in my life.  Boys will be boys.

I spent one winter looking at different golf swings and settled on the single plane because of the reduced strain on the back and lead knee.    

My ACL damage was significant.  If I slipped a little shoveling snow, I would be down on the ground instantly.  I had to be very conscious of foot placement. I got the ACL replacement when pro athletes started returning to their sport after having the procedure done.  The problem for golf was 15 years of conscious and subconscious knee protection.  Correct lead knee movement and trail hip motion took years to override the self-protection mechanisms. 

I am not going to get into my shoulder and arm issues.  However, after talking with other students at your schools that I have been to, I feel relatively unscathed.  I suspect overcoming self-protection mechanisms might be slowing down other students’ learning processes as well.  I first had to slowly hit each position and hold it and tell myself that it was a safe position for me to be in. I had to repeat those slow movements a lot before I could speed up my swing.  Your comments about the 25, 50, 75 then full swing are great practice methods for the swing.   But they were also very helpful for tip toing in to find out my body parts could perform the movements safely. 

I decided last Thanksgiving that bike riding indoors and outdoors would be my main source of exercise for life.  Watching pro bike races got me interested in training.  Training harder got me into the pro rider’s health habits.  That got me and my wife into better nutrition, which was already good thanks to my wife.   I started getting into joint mobility and stretching after seeing and listening to you and Chris.  My wife made stretching a little competitive as she would ask me if I could do some of her Yoga poses.  I couldn’t, and my hips would actually cramp up just from sitting on the floor and spreading my legs out.   That was freaky.   I have been working on hip flexibility regularly for the last year and will continue whole body mobility as long as I breathe.   I am conscious of and work towards keeping full shoulder range of motion.  The golf swing itself helps with that.  The golf exercises from Chris, of course, are tremendous.  I may not get stronger, but flexibility will help maintain my golf swing’s range of motion.  It appears to me that range of motion is most important for the proper swing positions to take place and create the effortless power you talk about regularly.    

In the last month I have begun to feel effortless power.   I actually feel I need to slow the swing down.  I was always trying to swing hard to make up for a less than perfect swing.   Maybe it is not slowing things down but just using less tight muscled-up force.  I have reached a connectedness in the swing where I can feel I am hitting the ball hard; it sounds different as well.   The ease of the swing now makes me feel I could easily do 36 holes a day if I wanted to.   It is just mind boggling seeing the changes in the last 2 months.  

This is getting a little long again, sorry.  Apparently, I don’t do short emails.    

Thanks Again,

Dean Jenson 

FWPC … Fundamental / Why / Practice / Check

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By Tim Graves, PGA

The first morning of our schools and camps I (Tim) talk to the students about what they are about to go through. One of the topics is the process of learning and how to get the most out of the school. This process is the same we all need to go through to create new habits – I wanted to discuss a little in this e-tip. Here is what all need to do to create new habits:

1.  Learn the Fundamental

You must first learn the fundamental(s) that you need to work on. Whether a long game, short game, mid game, etc… fundamental such as the grip, set up, etc…  you need to study the fundamental you want to work on. Learning doesn’t mean doing at first, it means understanding what is correct and what is not. You are trying to create a new habit with a good fundamental foundation.

2.  Learn the Why

As you are working on creating a new habit, you need to know the why of the fundamental. More than, because we said so, but rather, why the fundamental is important. As you are making the change(s), you will feel uncomfortable at first. If you don’t know the specifics of why you need to make the change, your brain will “give up” when it becomes uncomfortable. (Very common). If you know why – you will be more likely to get through the uncomfortable stage. This is the conscious thought eventually transforming to the unconscious thought. It takes time, but your conscious thought must know the “whys” at first to continue with the change.

3.  Learn How to Practice to Create the New Habit

You can know what fundamental you need to work on, you can know the whys… but if you don’t know how to practice toward creating the new habit, your improvement will be limited, or at least slowed considerably. Whether performing drills, using training aids, or both, it is absolutely critical you learn how to practice toward creating the new habit.

4.  Check Points

During your practice, you must have check points. The check points are set up so you can make sure you are creating the fundamentals correct. The more check points you have, the better. Check many, check often, don’t forget to check. As many already realize, it is much easier to make yourself worse than better – you can prevent this by having check points and checking often while practicing and working toward the new habits.

Always Remember:

  1. Fundamental (What do I need to work on?)
  2. Whys of the fundamental (Why is that fundamental important?)
  3. How to practice the fundamental
  4. Check points to make sure practicing correct

Brighten Our Day – “Holy Crap” Email

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By Tim Graves, PGA

From: D A J. <j…..40@msn.com>
Date: Mon, Nov 17, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Subject: Progress
To: Tim Graves <timg@gravesgolf.com>

Level 3 member here.  I was energized about my game after attending the Short Game and Mental Game Schools this past June.  As I worked on my game this summer, my subconscious brain told me to move on to the next part of the swing twice.  It was interesting that I was working on one part of the swing but my brain just yelled at me to move on.    I remember you saying more than once that a person may not be ready to move on for any number  of reasons.  I have had instructors move my hips into the correct position during a few schools that I have been to over the last few years.  The importance of this help finally hit me at the Short Game School this year.  When I began grooving this part of the swing, I began to take appropriate divots without thinking about it.  Ball striking became more consistent throughout the bag all summer and fall.  

Recently, as I was working on my trail hip movement, my brain told me to work on a little more wrist hinge at the top of the backswing.  Again, the brain was saying, “ok time to move on”.  Holy crap.  Ball striking just jumped to a whole new level.  Over the last two years I decided to golf more.   My driving distances moved from 220yds to 230-240.  In my last round this year, using the correct hip turn with a little more wrist leverage angle, I was driving the ball 270 yds the whole round.  My seven iron which was my 145-150 yd club went 165 yds every time.  My 100-105 yd gap wedge went 115 yds multiple times.  

I selected the single plane swing because I have had lead knee ACL reconstruction surgery, am living with a lead knee torn MCL and have had a compression fracture in my lower spine.  I have not had any knee or back issues using the Single Plane Swing.  I have been working on flexibility for range of motion this year as you talk about regularly.  

I was so excited after the last round that I had to write to you.  Graves Golf does a fantastic job of coaching people up.   Some people like me might be a little slow on the uptake, but tremendous progress is possible.  I will be 72 next spring and plan on my best season yet with more to come.

I hope that hearing from one of your students with positive results brightens your day a little. 

Many Thanks,

Dean J.

Reminder From Fellow Single Plane Member / Full Swing Practice Tip

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By Tim Graves, PGA

Good morning Gentlemen,

I’ve recently been struggling with making solid contact, over the top move, double cross etc. I was so lost! Video didn’t even work! What was I going to do? Then it hit me, maybe I should review the Graves golf on demand app!

I typed key words into the search bar, reviewed several videos, most with Tim because he has a blunt way of describing different aspects of the swing that really connect with me. Then I came across one with Todd where he was wearing those glasses with the camera! He broke down from position 2 through position 3 from the view of what he sees. He was describing transition and said and I quote “my arms are moving but I’m not moving my arms” I repeat,”my arms are moving but I’m not moving my arms” boom!

That’s exactly what I was missing, rotation moves the arms through the vertical drop! Holy sh*t, I went back to the range, setup the training tools, yard stick etc did Tim’s pump drill, went through position 2 and 3 slowly then setup a ball 6 iron training club, first ball went high and deep!

Wow I wish more members would take the time to review the videos and resources available to them!

I truly appreciate Graves golf, I don’t always find submitting videos that helpful for me but your resources On Demand are always so helpful!

Regards,

Jack Tinney
Level 3 Member

(To See More Information About Graves Golf Single Plane On Demand: CLICK HERE )

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