2009 & 2010 Nebraska PGA
Player of the Year
A Member of the PGA
of America for 16 years, and more than 20 years of professional experience in the golf industry. I was named
2009 & 2010 Nebraska PGA Player of the Year, and am a PGA Teaching Professional at Miracle Hill Golf &
Tennis Center. Prior to Miracle Hill, I held two different four year Head Golf Professional tenures. My collegiate
experience included playing Division I Golf at Iowa State University where I was a top ten amateur in the state
of Iowa in the late 1980's.
I have worked alongside Dr. Jim Meier (Sports Psychologist)
on a national internet radio broadcast dealing with the Ryder Cup and how to handle nerves and jitters on the course, as well as testing
my caddying abilities for Brandon Crick at PGA Tour School. I take my experiences and help young men and women
improve their game and deal with golf adversities.
In addition to teaching adults of all levels from complete beginner to advanced, I also work with over 50 high school
and college varsity players who have attained many great accomplishments. At JP Golf Academy, the work ethic is equal
to the goals that are set.
Some
of my young Students Include: Drew Taylor, Carson Schaake, Mark Stovie, Kevin Stanek, Jake Hirz, RJ McKeever,
Mike Muller, Stephen Pfeffer, Sarah Pravecek, Greg Stanek, Kyle Stanek, Sam
Sullivan, Andrew Moorse, and Jonathon Kurylo to name a few. Of my high school students, three boys finished
in the top six of the Class A 2010 State Tournament (Taylor, G. Stanek, Moorse) and Sarah Pravecek finished fourth in
the Class A Girls 2010 State Tournament. Two boys (Kevin Stanek, Mark Stovie) qualified for the 2010 NJCAA National Championship.
2011 Top Results of current students: High Schoolers: Drew Taylor in eight
starts has three 1st place finishes at Beatrice CC 73, Johnny Goodman 72, & a 74 at the Knolls, a third at Platteview
CC 76, a sixth at Champions Run 73, and three other top 10's. Gregg Stanek in seven starts has two
first place finishes at Tregaron 69 & Shoreline 75, a fourth at Willow
Lakes with a 78, and 3 other top ten finishes. Carson Schaake in seven starts has a first at Champions Run
70, a third at Beatrice CC 74 and at Holmes Golf Course 73, a fifth at Jackrabbitt Run 74, and two other top tens.
Stephen Pfeffer in seven starts has a 5th at Johnny Goodman 76, a sixth at Beatrice 78, a tie for 6th at Holmes
74, and a 7th at Champions Run 74, and a tie for 10th at Arbor Links. Miles Ruseell in eight starts
has one win a 73 at Benson and two other top tens, R J McKeever in seven starts has a second place at Willow Lakes
77, and Jonathon Kurylo in eight starts has a tie for 2nd at Arbor Links 73, a 7th at Beatrice 78, an 8th at Plattevew
CC 78 and a 10th at Champions Run with a 75. Currently I teach 20 High school boys varsity players, 8 junior varsity
players, and 7 high school girl varsity and 2 junior varsity players.
For the College Boys, Mike Muller is the number one man on the Hutchinson Junior College
golf team and had six top ten finishes (1 third place finish and 3 fourth place finishes) and finished 3rd at Districts
and 1st at the Region IV regionals, while leading his team to the Jayhawk Conference Championship. Kevin Stanek
is playing the number two man on Creighton's golf team, and finished tied for 7th in the Missouri Valley Conference Golf Tournament.
Jake Hirz (Wayne State) had a third place finish in Conference meet with a 73-69-72, and a fifth at the Wayne
State Invite with a 76-74. Mark Stovie is playing the number one man on Iowa Western Junior College, and qualified
for Junior College Nationals. Kyle Stanek is playing the number three man at Northwestern golf team (Orange
City, IA). Andrew Moorse shot the lowest score in the UNL PGM program PAT (playing ability test) history, and
Sam Sullivan is on the Nebraska Weslyan team. I am extremely proud of the accomplishments that these quality
young men have acheived in the last year. Teaching for over 21 years and winning more than 70 PGA section tournaments
along with my Head Professional tenures shows my passion for the game of golf.
My preferred teaching
philosophy looks at the rotary/one plane swing. There are so many different body types that no one swing fits all. I
firmly believe that the rotary swing is the most efficient way to get the clubface square at impact, which is our ultimate
goal. Video analysis helps the student visually see his/her swing seconds after the last swing was taken. If
used correctly, video analysis can be a very useful tool for the always improving golfer.
I have a passion and drive to see every golfer improve, but I also know that it comes with hard
work from both the student and myself. Whether an advanced player, a weekly walk on the links or a complete beginner
I can improve your game in all aspects.
Golf Tidbits:
Did you Know:
Ricky Fowler doesn't use video. Ricky is the next up and coming young star out of Oklahoma
St. who is 22 on the PGA tour.
Mental Approach: Experience
is priceless. Improvement, which we are all looking for, is needed mentally as much as physically. We
learn from our past successes, as well as failures. To be able to hit that shot, under pressure, you must
be able to lean on your practicing, but more so on your experiences. Drawing a positive from your past and the
confidence that you can hit the shot is a practice that very few golfers use. Distractions! How do you handle them? When was the last time you practiced handling
mental distractions? Try it, and see how you execute your shot.