Teaching Professional – Greenhaven Golf Club – Anoka Minnesota
Lynn Blake Certified Associate

What a journey to LynnBlakeGolf!

I have been a professional since graduating from High School, and a PGA Member from 1984 to 2011. Almost 5 years ago, I left my job as Head Professional/General Manager after 25 years of loyal service to my club. The economy had gone south, and the club had to make some tough decisions to survive. I decided I had had enough of sitting behind a desk, doing budgets, and wanted to take a stab at teaching. While I had some success as a coach, I really had not studied or taught the golf swing during that 25 years. My main interest had been the study and officiating the rules of golf.

Professional Accomplishments:

• 1978 Served on the Rules Committee for the National PGA Junior Championship
• 1983 & 1984 Minnesota PGA Apprentice Chairman
• 1987 Minnesota PGA Four Ball Champion with Don Waryan
• 1995 Minnesota PGA Stroke Play Champion at The Pines GC
• 1995 Played in the National Club Pro Championship
• 1997 6th Place Minnesota Golf Champions - zero 3 putts in 54 holes!
• 1998 Jay Moore Pro Am Champion Bunker Hills GC
• 1999 Professional's Cup Champion North Oaks CC
• 1999 Rules Workshop — Kansas City, Missouri Scored 92
• 2001 Rules Workshop — USGA Golf House Scored 91

During this entire time, I was what I consider to be a “natural” player. In other words, I had no idea what I was doing. In 2001, the putting yips started. In 2003, I began a case of the chip yips, luckily I still hit a lot of greens. In 2007 I developed a case of the driver yips. I could even peg it up on the driving range. My desire to play was gone, and I had no idea how to solve my swing problems.

About this time I accepted a position as one of the teaching professionals at a prestigious private club. What a disaster. I quickly realized I had NO IDEA how to teach. I remember standing on the lesson tee praying Mrs. Boyd would get one airborne so we could go home.

I still had to make a living and golf was all I knew. I started studying. Thank GOD for the internet. There is a TON of great information out there, but there is also a TON of bad information. Even worse, I learned my tight little community of Club Professionals was not so close after all. When it came to the golf swing, it was pretty much ego driven. Hooray for me, and screw you. I’m right, you are wrong. WOW! Did I really want to be a part of this? I still couldn’t imagine starting over in another field.

The turning point for me? My good friend Jerry Gruepner gave me two books. The Impact Zone by Bobby Clampett, and Golf Swing Secrets and Lies by Michael Hebron. Mr. Clampett’s book finally gave me a way to attack my chip yips and I was hooked. I finally got to the back of Hebron’s book where there was a tutorial on The Golfing Machine by Homer Kelley. I knew Clampett’s theories were TGM based as well. About this time I started learning about Stack and tilt and the importance of a centered pivot. Hmmm, that makes sense. I quickly learned that the structure of S&T was also based upon TGM. I had bought TGM in 1984, read it for 5 minutes, and threw it away. The dumbest book on golf I had ever seen. What does this Homer dude think I am, a scientist?

Now I decided that TGM was what I needed to learn. I quickly found out that Homer Kelley believed there were many ways to skin a cat, and he could help put the pieces together. Just 3 things we all had to be mindful of, you all know those by heart!

The more I studied professionals involved in S&T and TGM, the more I saw the name Lynn Blake. While most top flight teachers were slow to say positive things about others, there was only one who ever said an unkind thing about Lynn, and I already knew that guy was someone to avoid. One of the most respected teachers of S&T told me that if I wanted to learn about TGM, I couldn’t do it with the book only, I HAD to buy ALIGNMENT GOLF by Lynn Blake. I was flat broke by now, but I scraped together the money to buy it. I shared it with my friend Jerry and we both became hooked on TGM. We knew it would become our G.O.L.F. structure for the rest of our lives.

The next turning point came in 2009 when the PGA Championship came to town. I had to spend time with Lynn Blake. This was my chance as I knew he would be in town with my new hero Brian Gay. Jerry, myself, and two other friends were able to bring Lynn to my club to spend the day with us. I had never met a man who knew so much about the golf swing, or who had so much energy and enthusiasm. Lynn taught us non-stop from early morning through the end of dinner. It was infectious.

We had Lynn spend the day with us to learn TGM. The only mistake we made was not paying closer attention to Lynn’s other theories. The structure of LBG is The Golfing Machine, but it is also so much more. The past 2 years I have learned the importance of tying Lynn’s ideas on the pivot with TGM. The structure is complete, but Mr. Kelley left us plenty of room to grow, and Lynn Blake has developed a system to cover the entire package that works. It works for us as players, and it gives us a chance to use it to help our students.

Finally, this year I get it. My lesson business has grown by leaps and bounds. No advertising, just word of mouth from my students. I have also conquered all my demons with the information. I have some physical problems and can’t play much anymore, but I can chip like a mad man, and when my back is working I can stripe drivers at will using the Magic of the Right Forearm. Golf is fun again, and I can now move forward in my chosen profession.

I am extremely proud of the fact I am being trusted with the status of Lynn Blake Certified Associate. Next step, Lynn Blake Certified Master Instructor. Someday…