Articles | Wayne DeFrancesco

Why is it so Hard to Change?

By Wayne | Articles: Becoming a Better Player

If there is one thing that comes up most often in lessons I give to any level of player it concerns the difficulty in changing from an existing technique that is not providing satisfactory results to one that makes you a better player. This could include work on putting and all the facets involved with making putts (stroke mechanics, green reading ability, speed control, routine, mental approach), work on swing mechanics (how to hit every shot better and more consistently), short game technique (all types of pitches and chips, bunker play, shot selection, visualization), and a general approach to practice…

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On Going Out To Practice

By Wayne | Articles: Becoming a Better Player

So you’ve figured out your schedule for the day and what do you know, you have time to get out to the range for some practice. The first thing to do is to decide how to budget the time you have. There is no set way to divide up your practice time. You need to assess what has been going on with your golf game up to this moment and address what most needs to be addressed. If you are hitting the ball terribly, by all means plan on spending most of your time hitting balls. If your short game…

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Myths and Misconceptions: How Conventional Wisdom Keeps You From Getting Better

By Wayne | Articles: Becoming a Better Player

In the course of a day’s teaching I always marvel at the utter uniqueness of each case I deal with. Each golfer that comes to me for help has an entirely different personality, physical makeup, personal history, level of athletic ability, and learning capability. Each hour I reboot the computer and start over with a fresh batch of swing flaws, which may start right with the grip and set-up, then proceed to takeaway problems, backswing problems, transition problems, downswing problems, and impact problems. The game is so difficult, and the technique so complex, that literally no one is without something…

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Stan Falls Victim to the Infomercial

By Wayne | Articles: Lessons with Stan

It’s been a few months since I’ve seen Stan, and after the verbal flogging I gave him the last time I was happy to get his call and fit him in for a lesson. My hope is that he’s been practicing more, both the long game and the short game, and that he has been paying attention to the things we went over in our last session. This is just a hope, mind you, and as he descends the stairs to the range the sight of him causes me to twinge just a bit. Wayne: So, Stan, how’s it going?…

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Stan… Still Struggling

By Wayne | Articles: Lessons with Stan

It’s been a few months since Stan, my longtime student, has graced my teaching bay. Stan is the epitome of the struggling golfer, taking lessons here and there, trying tips from magazines and television, falling victim to every infomercial promise.

Golf’s Greatest Misconceptions

By Wayne | Articles: Becoming a Better Player

When people ask how it is that I can stand out on the practice tee and teach for eight or nine hours without getting bored, frustrated, or exhausted, I give them an answer that comes straight from the heart: teaching is interesting, challenging, and fascinating, and a full day of lessons simply flies by.

Stan Struggles On

By Wayne | Articles: Lessons with Stan

If you have read my articles in the past you might remember Stan, my imaginary student. I know I’m doing well with Stan the character when I’m asked “Hey, Wayne, is that a real guy?” Or, “I think you’re writing about me again, aren’t you?” The truth is that Stan is kind of an “everyman”, or, as it were, an “every-student”, and I draw from my daily experiences on the lesson tee when I give Stan his voice.

Massacre at Oak Hill

By Wayne | Articles: Playing Tournament Golf

It had been almost 5 years since I last played in a major championship, the 2003 PGA at Oak Hill in Rochester, NY, where I shot a first round 79 before withdrawing due to the death of my wife’s mother on that Thursday night. The course was the hardest I’d ever played: 6 to 8 inch rough everywhere on the course, narrow fairways, firm, fast greens, and over 7100 yards playing to a par of 70, the length an illusion as there are 3 par 4’s that play between 320 and 370 yards.

The Secret is in the Dirt

By Wayne | Articles: Lessons with Stan

It’s been almost a year since I’ve seen Stan, my sometimes student who regularly promises to take lessons more than once a year and to actually practice what we work on. The last time Stan paid a visit he was in his usual funk, unable to progress and questioning his desire to keep pounding away at such an elusive game.

It’s A Small World

By Wayne | Articles: Playing Tournament Golf

So, is everyone getting all excited about the upcoming World Golf Championship Tournaments? Well, I’m not.

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