These Golfers Attended GMS Because They Wanted To Break 90

(And They Did It In 2006!)

Below are just a sampling of Golfer Testimonials we received in 2006 from Golfers whose goals were to Break 90. To see Testimonials from Golfers looking to break 100 or 80 - click on the corresponding number below.

Golfers Looking To Break 100 | Golfers Looking To Break 80

"I Shot 86!"

Jeff,

I broke 90 at Mill Creek today. I shot an 86 (43/43). The Tick-Tock keeps all the other swing thoughts out of my head once I have addressed the ball. It allows me to swing much more smoothly, which really makes a difference on accuracy and distance.

Rusty W - Ohio - December 13th, 2006

Attended Amelia Island Location on October 6th to 8th, 2006

"I'm More Consistent!"

Hello Hayden,

I had a real good time playing with the girls on Sun. I played pretty well. It was different because I was having more fun than focusing on my score. I shot a 94 with one blow up hole. I was real proud of myself on the 9th hole. My second bad shot of the day. I pulled my drive(overswinging) and the ball hit the cart path and bounced over the bushes into the parking lot. I dropped and was able to save bogie with a terrific 1 putt about 30 ft from the hole.

Overall I was able to keep control of the clubhead and was able to make some terrific shots. I feel my game is getting more consistant. I had 12 bogies, 2 pars, 3 double bogies and 1 other. 3-3 putts, 13- 2 putts, 2-1 putts.

Anyhow - Thought I would keep in touch and let you know what's going on.

Regards,

Linda K - Mandarin, Florida - November 18th, 2006

Attended St. Augustine Location on November 10th, 11th and 12th, 2006

"I Went From 105 to 91!!"

Hayden,

Let's get to the nitty gritty. My first golf game after I came back home was pretty much the same kind of score I had been getting before I went to GMS. I shot a 105. But the strange thing about it was that I felt like I had played better golf than before.

Then I shot a 95 the next time I went golfing (cool!!! I had gone below 100). But get this, I shot a 91 the next game after that. I had taken my time. I hadn't rushed my shots. I felt I had control over my game. It was awesome. But here comes the coolest part, Hayden. Yesterday, I went golfing again and I shot a 91 again. And this time, I beat my playmates. HA!!!! It took me three weeks to achieve my goal. Can you believe it?

Your Grateful Student,

Rosita N - Orlando, Florida - Sent October 22nd, 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple in St. Augustine, Florida on September 29th to October 1st, 2006

"I Made A Hole-In-One In My First Round After GMS!"

Jeff,

As you taught me, I did not aim at the pin. The cup was approximately ten feet from the water side of the green. I aimed ten feet past the pin toward the center of the green, but my 7-iron let me down and the ball went straight into the cup. I hope this does not bring shame to the Golf Made Simple and I promise not to do it again. This was my first game after returning from GMS and I shot a 92. Will let you know when I break 90.

Tom L - Vero Beach, Florida - Sent October 23rd, 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple in Amelia Island, Florida on October 13th to 15, 2006

"I'm Confident I'll Be In The 80's"

Marc - My son Chris and I attended GMS in July 2006. We are both playing better than we ever have. Chris is consistently hitting the ball straight. He just needs to develop a feel around the green, he hits it too far. After re-reading the golfer notes I'm going to have him do backswing drills in the mirror.

Directly after the school my short game improved drastically. I almost always hit the green from inside 150 yards. Greenside, I leave the ball within 2-3 feet every time and often I rim the cup and occasionally hole it. I then started working on my Tee shots, they have now improved dramatically, I now even own a driver and 75% of the time I keep the ball. I constantly do the modified belly swing drill with my driver which helps my Tee shot.

Now, a bad day is a 103, my lowest score is a 93, I am confident I'll be in the 80's.

Thank you for your help.

Ron G - New Jersey - Sent October 17th, 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple in Amelia Island on July 14th to 16th, 2006

"87 to an 82 After Seeing You!"

Marc,

Just to give you a little info on my game. I was able to reduce my best score from last year of an 87 to an 82 shortly after returning from your school. I still need to work on my ball striking, but by having a PLAN I am able to post good numbers for my abilities. Hopefully by this time next year I will have dropped that low score number by another 5 strokes.

Thanks,

Sylvester J. - Sunnyvale, California - Sent October 9th, 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple in San Diego, California on March 6th to 8th, 2006

"The Drills I Learned at GMS Improved My Driver!"

Wataru,

Just wanted to let you know that I am hitting my Driver much better. The adjustment I needed to make was my Tick - Tock. The funny thing is I started to hit the ball better with all my clubs not only my Driver. The Tick - Tock seemed to automatically correct the mechanical problems I was having.

My scores have been coming down since I spoke with you on the phone. The last six times I have played my scores have ranged from 90-96 compared to 97-107 before I attended Golf Made Simple. I could have broken 90 two weeks ago, but could not finish the last two holes due to a dinner commitment. If I had just bogeyed the last two holes I would have shot an 87. All the drills I learned at GMS have improved my ball striking. Thanks for your help.

Aloha,

Michael N - Honolulu, Hawaii - Sent October 3rd 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple in San Diego on August 4th to 6th, 2006

"From a 28 to a 21"

Dear Wat,

My game is becoming more consistent and I generally play in the 90's. I have been playing to a 21 handicap, I was a 28 handicap when I saw you in January.

I have focused on practicing my short game and have really seen a big improvement in my score. I am loyal to "Tick Tock"!

Hope you are well.

Vicki M - Savannah, Georgia - Sent October 2nd, 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple in Amelia Island in January 2006

"My Handicap Has Improved From a 19 to a 12"

Dear Wat,

I wanted to email you out of appreciation of the GMS school. Mary and I attended the GMS school on Amelia Island in April 2006 and it was the second best money we have ever spent on golf.

Some further information on our improvement: Mary has broken 100 six times and a bad game for her is now 105 (as opposed to what used to be much higher).

I have now shot 39 for nine holes twice in the past week, the first being on 9/11 so that has been a symbolic day. My handicap for our mixed league has improved from a 19 to a 12, so I have made significant strides since GMS school in April. We are working hard to improve even more and will appreciate any further pointers or reminders of useful drills.

The lessons learned have been very worthwhile. The school was excellent and you as an individual were outstanding. We thoroughly enjoyed it and will return again.

Yours truly,

Lawrie and Mary Garnett - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - Sent September 10th, 2006

Attended Amelia Island location on April 10th to 13th, 2006

"I Shot 86 With No Mulligans!"

Hayden,

You won't believe this, but I shot an 86 on Labor Day with NO mulligans! I followed it up today with an 88. Things you taught me have kicked in. After only one year of playing golf and going to GMS twice, my scores have dropped from 110+ (including mulligans) to the upper 80's.

I am striking the ball well, with much more consistency. You won't believe how well I'm now hitting my driver! And when I hit a bad shot, I now have confidence that I can recover and it won't be a disaster hole.

Thanks for your patience... it paid off!

John H - Hattiesburg, MS - Sent September 7th, 2006

Attended St. Augustine location for the second time on June 16th to 18th, 2006

"I Shot 86 With No Mulligans!"

Hayden,

You won't believe this, but I shot an 86 on Labor Day with NO mulligans! I followed it up today with an 88. Things you taught me have kicked in. After only one year of playing golf and going to GMS twice, my scores have dropped from 110+ (including mulligans) to the upper 80's.

I am striking the ball well, with much more consistency. You won't believe how well I'm now hitting my driver! And when I hit a bad shot, I now have confidence that I can recover and it won't be a disaster hole.

Thanks for your patience... it paid off!

John H - Hattiesburg, MS - Sent September 7th, 2006

Attended St. Augustine location for the second time on June 16th to 18th, 2006

"From a 26 To A 21 And An 88!"

Good Morning Hayden,

You might remember that when I was with you in January, one of my goals was to able to play bogie golf with some frequency. Since taking the course with you, I've seen my handicap index improve from a 26 to a 21. Yesterday on a 6100 yd. track I shot 48 on the front and 40 on the back. Six pars on the back nine. Better than bogie golf. I can feel it!

Thank you for your help,

John Carter - Ontario, Canada - Received on September 5th, 2006

Attended St. Augustine Location on January 9th to 11th, 2006

"My Best Score In 20 Years!"

Hayden,

The day after attending your three day golf school, I shot a personal best 87 at Riviera Country Club and I've been playing for almost 20 years. I had 5 pars and a birdie. My worst hole was a single 7 where I fell back once and topped a fairway iron (my only real miscue). My improved short game was a great help along with my improved drives off the tee. I even said "tick-tock" just for luck! Thanks for helping me improve my game - but as you say - once is luck, twice is coincidence, three times is skill.

Jeff V - Palm Coast, Florida - Received on August 24, 2006

Attended St. Augustine Location - August 21st to 23rd, 2006

"I Did It!"

Wat,

Saturday afternoon I did it! I played Moreno Valley Ranch's Mountain and Valley courses and shot an 87.

42 on the Mountain course and 45 on the Valley course.

I read last Tuesdays Golf Improvement Weekly and went back to the drills I was taught to do in the Golf Made Simple class with you and it all came together.

Most importantly I followed my PLAN and visualized the shot, felt the shot and performed the shot.

My friends asked me if I was going to e-mail Wat and tell him of my sucess. I told them I was going to and I am also planning on visiting Golf Made Simple again next year to further my success.

Mike Stelmasek - Covina, California - August 28th, 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple in San Diego on June 19th to 21st, 2006

"I Shot My Best Score Ever!"

Hayden,

I shot an 83 today which I think may be my best score ever. I'd been in the low 90s before coming to see you, but it came together today. The last three holes on my course have two of the hardest holes. I knew I had a good score and had to keep concentrating on my tick tock and playing one shot at a time for course management.

I have been working on the putting square and wedges more in practice lately. Thanks to your help my game is really coming together.

I almost have to laugh sometimes listening to the commentators on the tournaments dissecting someones swing. It reminds me of some previous instructors.

Thanks for your help. I hope to do another Golf Made Simple with you next winter.

Bob C - Traverse City, Michigan - August 10th, 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple in St. Augustine on March 17th to 19th, 2006

"I Went From a 15 To A 9!"

Hey Marc,

Just got off of a Delta flight from Toronto to Atlanta and read your article/interview in Sky Magazine.

My game is good, I'm down to a 9, which is good considering I was a 15 when I met you.

Still use your "Ladder Putting Drill" and have even taught it to my wife and kids. It has helped my putting tremendously.

May see you in the new year, my wife, Linda.

Regards,

Steve R - Toronto, Canada - July 12th, 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple in Amelia Island on February 8th to 10th, 2003

"I Scored The Best Round I've Ever Had!"

Hayden,

I'm not ready to jump to any quick conclusions, but last Saturday (only six days after leaving GMS) I scored the best round that I have ever had for an 18 hole round. Although I really did not focus at all on score during the round I ended up with an 82 - I play to an 18 handicap on this same course. It must be 12 - 13 strokes better than my average round (remember that handicap is the average of your best ten of your last 20 scores).

I was 9 over par on the front nine (somewhat average, but I rimmed out a few putts) and 2 over on the back after a double bogey on 18. One putted about 4 greens mainly because I was not short on any putt. Really focused on "Length of Swing", distance control and putting the ball into the "Box".

I started warming up on the range with a wedge hitting alternately left and right of the 40 yard target flag and focusing on feeling "Length of Swing" and "Pace of Swing", weight shift and "Centerness" of club face contact. Followed by a few "Modified Belly Swings" with the Driver to get the feel of the full body turn rather than the lifting of the club. Hit about 8 or 10 more balls with the "Alternating Clubs Drill" and it was time to play.

A couple of times on the course practiced a "Parallel Hands" swing while I was waiting for someone else to hit which helped to keep the feel of the full and complete body turn. Walking off my putts was very helpful to focus on speed and distance control. Even lipped out a shot from a green-side bunker.

Before I knew it, the round was over and my card added up to an 82 (I needed to check it again, but it was right). While entering my score into the handicap terminal, the system came back and asked "...your score is lower than normal...please press enter to continue". The computer couldn't even believe what happened.

About 6 people that I have played with (and its only been less than 2 weeks) plan on calling GMS because they can't believe the transformation they see in my game. They're at the point I was before seeing you - very frustrated and confused.

So here's "Tick Tocking" to you.

Thanks again for a great three days. I can see doing it again to reinforce what was learned the first time. Maybe early next season.

Best Regards,

Rich Potapchuk - Long Beach, New York - June 22, 2006

Attended in St. Augustine, Florida on June 9th to 11th, 2006

"I Broke 90! 44/44 = 88"

Wat:

I DID IT!! My goal for this year was to break 90 and last week I shot a 44/44, 88. I think primarily because my short game is getting more consistent. I am hitting or just slightly missing greens from 120 yards and in and that was a real weakness before. I had two birdies in the round, one on a par five (I often get or come close to birds on the par fives) and one on a par four.

Also since that round, my drives have gotten a lot more consistent. I found that concentrating on saying "Tick Tock" out loud has made me stop leaving the club face slightly open, which is what was producing that awful and recurring fade.

Things are really starting to come together and I think my overall goal of breaking 80 really could become a reality. By the way, I do NOT think of what my score is when I am playing; I try to think about my PLAN and one shot at a time!!!

Hope you are well, GMS is a godsend!

Mike S - Atlanta, Georgia - June 18, 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple in Amelia Island, Florida on February 24th to 26th, 2006 as a 25 Handicap

"I Made A Commitment To PLAN Each Shot"

Hi Hayden,

Finally I got to write to you. After I left your school in March, I started out better than I did last year, had 82 & 83 on my first 2 rounds. Suddenly after that I had 4 rounds in 90`s. I was very upset. I sat down and thought about those 4 rounds. What's going on? I took my score cards and evaluated. I couldn't believe I had at least five or six 3 putts per round, I hit only 2 greens in regulation. I sat in front of my computer and went to my Player Page, went thru what we did and found out one thing.

I wasn't committing to my PLAN. I wasn't doing Tick-Tock.

Then I made a commitment to PLAN each shot. Last week I practiced from tee to green working on the "Weight On The Front Foot Drill", the "Belly Swing Drill", and one hour putting on the greens working on distance control. Everything went well as planned. I wanted to test it on the course. I took off early last Friday and left for the golf course. I shot an 83 with a double on the final hole.

The ultimate pay-off came the next day. On Saturday morning I played 9 holes and just used "Tick-Tock" on every shot and shot a 2 over par. I was so happy.

Here comes the final test of how I am going to execute what you taught me and what I practiced. The course I played on Saturday afternoon is a completely new course for me and the wind was blowing at 15-20 miles per hour. I thought only one thing - I played well yesterday, along with this morning and I will do it now as well. Guess what I ended up shooting? 79. I committed to every shot in my PLAN. I hit the ball solid, never had a miss shot.

Thank you very much.

Bhanu V - Chicago, Illinois - June 19, 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple in St. Augustine, Florida on March 3rd to 5th, 2006

"40/43, For An 83!"

Hayden,

I felt good about being able to develop and play with a PLAN; it truly made the round as well as making my golf fun again. It made a huge difference and looking back on it I realized I did not think, other than to work the PLAN!

I believe in the past I have consistently thought about mechanics through 18 holes and I planned for my score. It was not fun.

Here are the results from Sunday:

Playing at a local course other than our own club (closed for Sr. Men's Championship):

13 Fairways, 7 Greens in Regulation, 36 putts

Scored - 40/43, for an 83

I cannot tell you how struck Luke and I are with the call from your corporate office to set up the telephone appointment last night in response to my email message. Top that off with the time you spent instructing me on thoughts to take into today's round, we are singing your praises! To think that we thought we had seen it all for the three days spent with you... and you take it to a new level.

Luke's past employer - Southwest Airlines, who likes to advertise that they provide "POS"..Positively Outrageous Service. In contrast, we are here to say however that Golf Made Simple has more than capped that mountain! We are grateful to have found you, you are the best.

You know my immediate goals. If there is something to add, don't hesitate to comment. You must know I hang on your every word!

Thanks again for everything and have a great week,

Donna G - Texas - June 8, 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple in St. Augustine on May 29th to 31st, 2006

"My lowest score ever!"

Hayden,

Wow, I played Sunday morning. I stuck true to my Plan and shot an 87!!! Pace of Swing, controlled Length of Swing and a Plan. My lowest score ever! I had a 42 on the front and a 45 on the back.

I'm having fun playing golf!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, will talk to you soon,

Mark Peden - Waterford, New Jersey - May 21, 2006

Attended Golf Made Simple for the second time in St. Augustine on May 8 to 13, 2006

"83 My Best Score In 30 Years"

Hayden,

It's been a year since I went through school with you at Amelia Island. After class I made a significant improvement in my game (noticed by my golfing friends.) Since that time I have consistently applied what I learned at Golf Made Simple. Before the school, I struggled to break 100. Last week I scored an 83 - my best score in 30 years. I am now getting ready for a run on shooting my age. Thanks for the help.

Paul Boozman - May 5, 2006

Attended in Amelia Island, Florida on June 24 - 26, 2005

"They Were Quiet After My 82!"

Jacob,

Just wanted to follow up with you and give you an update. The weather was very nice last Saturday and I played a fairly good course with my brother-in-laws. I haven't been able to get to the range as much as I wanted so I was concerned about how I would play.

I've been getting a lot of ribbing from my family for attending golf school and "wasting my money".

Needless to say I shot an "82". At the end of the round I wasn't getting any ribbing anymore... they also weren't willing to play for money with me again either.

Actually, I lipped 3 puts that could've put me below 80. I continued to work my PLAN, take my Rehearsal Swings, pick my spot, walk my putts and most importantly remember my Tick-Tock. I just wanted to say thanks again for the awesome time I had in San Diego and how much you've helped me improve my game. Thanks.

Sam M. - McLean, Virginia - March 16, 2006