Byron Nelson and I

When I first began teaching golf, like any new teacher, I only taught beginners. I noticed that there wasn’t a step-by-step process for new-to-intermediate players to learn. Every other activity out there has some sort of standard process for teaching. So why didn’t golf?

In 1988, I began breaking the golf swing into steps and started teaching students my Two Step Process. I was working for Eldrige Miles at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas. He is the one who gave me my first pro job and taught me the club business. The years went on, and I refined and honed the Two Step process into a solid system for teaching the game of golf. When I was the director of instruction at Carmel Valley Ranch in the 90s, I could line up as many as 50 people and teach them the Two Step Process all at once. It would blow your mind the impact and results I was getting. It was so cool!

People would watch my clinics, scratch their heads and say, “I have never seen anything like this before in my life.”

In 1998, I began working for Byron Nelson as the director of his golf schools. We would produce over 25 schools a year in a 6 month span. I introduced Byron to the Two Step Process, and he loved it so much that he wrote the forward to my best-selling book. Byron also wrote a recommendation letter for me to become a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher.

This is the same process I taught Troy Aikman and the legendary coach Bill Parcells. Troy liked it so much he wrote a second forward to the book. Bill endorsed the book as well with a nice quote on the back cover. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have these kinds of endorsements for such a simple process. It truly reassures me that I’m on the right track when it comes to teaching.

To help you get ready for spring, I’ve lowered the price for my Two Steps to a Perfect Golf Swing DVD and book. Save 32% off retail price and CLICK HERE to discover why Byron Nelson, Troy Aikman and Bill Parcells endorsed this revolutionary process. But you’ll have to hurry because the sale ends on 2/29/12.

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He replied, “ I would hit balls on a regular basis working on timing and balance.

I was very curious, so I asked, “Byron how often did you hit balls after your tournament rounds?

He replied, “ Shawn I never hit balls after my tournament rounds.”

I shook my head with disbelief and asked why.

He said, “Shawn when you’ve got it you’ve got it”.

I replied, “Enough said, Lord Byron.”

One of the accomplishments in my career was working alongside Byron Nelson as the director of his golf schools. To this day, it’s still one of those things I cherish the most. One day our school was in session. Byron would always have lunch with us around 12-noon. During lunch, he always had photos made with each golf school participant in front of the fireplace and signed books for everyone.

On this particular day, Bryon was ready to hit balls. You see—this was a few weeks before the Masters, and he was getting ready to hit his opening tee shot at Augusta.

So he motioned at me and said, “Shawn I think I would like to hit some drivers” and in a blink of the eye we were ready. Byron was on fire. He was striping every shot with a slight draw. That was his signature shot. He would take a break, answer a few questions and hit a few more drives.

He was just about to finish and ask if anyone had one last question. One of the golf school guests raised his hand and politely asked, “Byron—as recreational golfers we always have a tendency to slice and your team of instructors are doing a wonderful job of helping us understand why we slice and more importantly learn to coach ourselves. I’m curious—when you were playing on the tour and sliced the ball— what did you do when you had troubles slicing the ball?”

Bryon looked at me—that was the sign to put a ball on the tee for him to hit. He rared back and smoked one right to left (slight draw) and turn around to the school attendees and said, “Let’s get something straight – I never sliced”.

Everyone roared and cheered. I looked at Byron, and with that million-dollar smile he said, “I think that’s enough Shawn”. What a great day that was.

On one particular day, he came out to hit balls. Unfortunately, he was struggling with his ball striking and asked me to watch him hit a few balls. You see all he was hitting was his driver—because that’s the shot he had to hit at Augusta. He turned to me and asked what I thought he needed to do. His ball flight was a little weak fade. You have to understand that at that time Byron had gone through a series of surgeries in previous years with two hip replacements and his body had a tough time accepting the hip replacements. However, this didn’t keep Byron from doing his duty to Augusta National and hitting the ceremonial tee shot at the Masters.

So there I am with Byron Nelson asking me for advice to help him get the ball flight on track. I walked around in front of Byron (face on) and noticed his ball position was positioned well forward of his left toe. I asked Byron if I could be excused. I ran into the office and grabbed his famous book Byron Nelson’s Winning Golf and flipped to page 38 (stance & address). This is where Byron is setting up to his driver. I asked Bryon about the picture and his ball position. He immediately replied, “My ball position is too far forward, and I can’t hit the inside portion of the golf ball.” He shook his head with disgust–proceeded to move his ball position back like the picture in his book and began striping the ball.

He turned to me and said, “Shawn, sometimes we get off track and don’t even know it, and I guess that’s the way life is. We hit balls every spring before he went to the Masters. He would hit balls as long as his legs and hips would hold him up. Byron was committed to perfection—even if it was just to hit one tee shot at Augusta. What a lesson that was.

2010 Junior Golf

This month: SHGP is off to a red hot start on the Junior Tournament Circuits.

This past week several SHGP kids competed at the Southwest Junior Championship– The Retreat Golf Club. Colony, TX.  Ben Baxter came in 3rd place in the 14-15 year old division.  In the 12-13 year old division Sam Burns came storming back with a final round 68 in the 103 July heat to take home the 2nd place honors.  In the girls 14-15 year old division Taylor Icenberger took home first place honors in a decisive 16 shot victory topped off with a 77 in the final round.

SHGP is putting its mark all over the country, Philip Barbaree competed at the Callaway Junior World Championship at The Country Club of Rancho Bernado, CA.  Barabaree fired 71, 73, 75 to finish 14th in the 11-12 year old division.

We also had a representative in the Chesapeake Energy Texas State Open at The Cascades Golf Club, Tyler, TX.  As an amateur, Jeremy LeGuen shot 71-69-70-71 (+1) Total 281 to finish T-43. There were a total of 4 amateurs who made the cut on the weekend.  Jeremy is a graduating Sr at Marcus High school and will be a freshman at Midwestern State University this fall.

We look forward to posting more tournament finishes as the summer moves on and the victories start to pile up.

“Each month, I’ll update you on our instruction, schools and training, the latest golf equipment and recent golf articles. I’ll review a book, inspire you and take you places as you’ll experience first-hand entries from my travel journal and learn about premier golf destinations, schools, camps and golf events from around the country and around the world. It will be a fun, entertaining and very candid look around the golf world and who knows, you might even learn something!”

–Shawn Humphries

This month: Train Your Mind change Your Brain by Sharon Begley

Train Your Mind change Your Brain by Sharon Begley. Copyright by Mind and Life Institute. Ballantine Books, 2007

In this fascinating and far-reaching book, Newsweek science writer Sharon Begley reports on how cutting-edge science and the ancient wisdom of Buddhism have come together to reveal that, contrary to popular belief, we have the power to literally change our brains by changing our minds. Recent pioneering experiments in neuroplasticity–the ability of the brain to change in response to experience–reveal that the brain is capable of altering its structure and function, and even of generating new neurons, a power we retain well into old age. The brain can adapt, heal, renew itself after trauma, compensate for disabilities, rewire itself to overcome dyslexia, and break cycles of depression and OCD. And as scientists are learning from studies performed on Buddhist monks, it is not only the outside world that can change the brain, so can the mind and, in particular, focused attention through the classic Buddhist practice of mindfulness.

With her gift for making science accessible, meaningful, and compelling, Sharon Begley illuminates a profound shift in our understanding of how the brain and the mind interact and takes us to the leading edge of a revolution in what it means to be human.

at Sunriver Resort, executive schools/programs and our junior golf programs.

This year we launched a new school format (Club Schools) for private clubs.  Our schools are designed to work with the head professionals and director of golf in brining our Performance Schools to their own backyard.  The program gives the professionals as well as the members and opportunity to receive elite instruction and training without leaving home. 

Schools are highlighted with our Mobile Performance Academy.  Our mobile studio allows the student access to the latest technology available today. 

V1 Motion Video Analysis

Flight Scope –

SAM Putting Lab

Complete Equipment Evaluation

Custom Club Fitting & Analysis

Custom Putting Fitting & Analysis

Our last trip took us to Indian Springs in Broken Arrow Oklahoma.  Our host professional and director of golf Michael Boyd rolled out the red carpet for our team.  We had an awesome weekend in the Tulsa area. They have an incredible practice facility with two 18 hole golf courses. This is one of the most active golf clubs I have seen.  Michael and his team do an incredible job.

Leaving Tulsa we headed to Oklahoma City to see Brent Cryer director of golf at the Greens Country Club.   They have a new short game course that is the ultimate in short-game training.  Our team took the opportunity and spent plenty of time with the students on the short game.  Brent is a master with his members and true ambassador to the game.

Here are a couple photos from our two weeks on the road.

Hope to see you at a Club School.