|
|
 |
Playing well on a competitive level requires tour-caliber know-how
and skills…as well as the diagnostic expertise of our knowledgeable
consultants. Meet the American Tour Golf Schools’ instructors
and consultants who will work with you to take your game to the next
level.
|
|
 |
| |
David L. Forbes, III
CEO/Owner, American Tour Golf Schools
American Tour Golf Schools opened in the spring of 2002 at Charleston
National Country Club in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Designed specifically
for serious golfers, ATGS has been called a “boot camp for golf
instruction.”
The scope and vision of the school have not gone unnoticed in the golf
world. Since its opening last spring, players from France, England,
The Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Korea, the Isle of Man, and the United
States have enrolled in the American Tour Golf Schools.
David L. Forbes, III, CEO/owner of American
Tour Golf Schools, is an avid player and golf coach who, after experiencing
a variety of golf schools, felt that certain elements were not being
addressed.
Over time, he developed a concept which resulted in his building a
new, comprehensive golf school. David’s
passion for the game, combined with his unique approach to teaching
the mechanical,
physical, analytical, and psychological elements of golf have already
earned his new American Tour Golf Schools its worldwide acclaim.
|
|
David
Forbes, III,
CEO and owner of American Tour Golf Schools
|
| |
Kim Young
ATGS Director of Golf Instruction
[Charleston / Orlando]
Kim
Young is a central Florida native and a seasoned tour player who has won
over 100 mini-tour events in Florida, played in two U.S. Opens, and
still
holds
several course records. A professional golfer for over 25
years,
Kim has a clear understanding of the golf swing and the elements needed to
take a player to the highest levels. Our students benefit greatly
from his years of competitive golf.
Kim Young’s professional play includes:
• PGA Tour, six years
• Nike Tour, five years
• Hooters Tour, 2 years
• Buy.Com Tour, 2 years
|
|
Kim Young,
ATGS Director of Golf Instruction |
| |
Michael Lucas
ATGS Instructor
[Charleston]
Michael Lucas was
the golf team captain at Furman University in 1965 and earned Most Valuable
Player his senior year, an accomplishment which kicked off his lifelong
involvement with golf. Michael’s
exposure to the game began with his father
who was a course superintendent and a golf professional, and his 35-year career
as golf pro has led him to such experiences as being the first PGA
of America professional to conduct clinics in Lithuania in 2001.
Michael is a fine player, having participated in club and city championships
and PGA, USGA, and Senior PGA competitions, winning several PGA section
events. He has a Masters degree from Golfing Machines Schools and
a Ph.D. from Golf Institute, and is well-rounded in every aspect
of teaching golf—from psychology and mental toughness to sound mechanics.
|
|
Michael Lucas,
PGA Instructor |
| |
Graham Farr
ATGS Senior Golf Instructor
[Orlando]
Experienced golf coach and player, Graham Farr (from the United Kingdom)
is a senior instructor at the Orange County National (OCN) campus in
Orlando, FL.
Farr
brings to American Tour Golf Schools extraordinary credentials, from
competing
at such prestigious events as the British Open and the British PGA,
to caddying for K.J. Choi, number one ranked player in Korea; ranked
in top twenty players worldwide. In addition to Graham’s
teaching responsibilities, his international experience is invaluable
when coordinating and implementing the ATGS Overseas Inbound Marketing
Program in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Far East (Korea, Japan
and China).
|
|
Graham Farr,
Senior Golf Instructor
{Orlando] |
| |
Chris Spring
ATGS Instructor
[Charleston]
Chris Spring picked up a golf club at age four and never looked back.
As a junior player in Illinois, Chris was a consistent winner at all
age levels, culminating with his qualifying for the USGA Junior
Championship in 1996 and as the Illinois Junior Golf Association’s “Player
of the Year” in 1997. In college, Chris played for the University
of Southern Mississippi under Sam Hall. He qualified for the USGA Amateur
Championship in 1998. In 2000 Chris played on the Emerald Coast and
Moonlight.Com mini tours. In 2001 and 2002 he competed on the Hooters
Tour.
As a strong all-round athlete, Chris blends knowledge of the golf
swing, honed from his work with highly regarded instructors, with
the understanding of the role of fitness and posture needed to make
a solid,
athletic golf swing.
|
|
Chris Spring,
ATGS Instructor |
| |
David Ayres
Lowcountry Custom Golf, Inc.
[Charleston]
Perfect Fit Golf Stixx, the club-fitting division of American Tour Golf
Schools, will be operated by David Ayres, a Charleston-based master
club-fitter/builder. Ayres is available by appointment in the Technology
Center at American Tour Golf Schools.
Using a Launch Monitor, David
will precisely evaluate and optimize the performance of a student’s
equipment, using essential factors such as launch angle, spin rate,
and club/ball speed, in addition to traditional measures such as loft,
lie, length, or shaft flex. With this data, David is able to offer customized
club-building and club fitting to ATGS students.
Ayres brings 18 years
of club fitting/building and repair experience to American Tour
Golf Schools. He excels in promoting only the equipment that tests best
for
every player. ATGS students can be confident that their clubs will
be built or fitted to launch the ball at the precise angle and with
the
optimal spin ratio for every club, from the driver to the wedges.
Custom Fitting — Get Fitted Like A Tour Pro!
|
|
David Ayres,
Perfect Fit Golf Stixx |
| |
Dr. Patrick Smith
Charleston Eye Sports Vision
[Charleston]
The
vision, and in particular “aiming,” is of paramount
importance in golf. Dr. Patrick Smith conducts fifteen tests with
ATGS
students. These
tests will assist the student in aiming and alignment…“aiming is 90%
of putting.”
Dr. Patrick Smith has been a practicing behavioral optometrist
in Charleston since 1994. He graduated with Clinical Honors from Pennsylvania
College of
Optometry, where he received his specialized training in the treatment
and management of
ocular diseases. Dr. Smith currently holds the position of President of
the Coastal Optometric Society. “We realize that athletes have
different visual demands than other people. Golfers, like
any athlete, get 80% of their information through their eyes,” says
Dr. Smith. “But no one teaches them to train their eyes. That
is rapidly changing, as golfers are beginning to take advantage of
this specific area where they can improve their performance. With the
right training, golfers can now teach themselves to see the field
better
and visualize
what’s going to happen next. This is just another weapon in their
arsenal of gaining an edge,” Dr. Smith says. “The most important thing
about all this is that it actually works, because
the bottom line is that golf is hard enough. This is something that can
increase
your
confidence
level.”
|
|
Dr. Patrick Smith,
Charleston Eye Sports Vision |
| |
Vicky Connelly
Physical Therapist
Body Balance
for Performance®
[Charleston]
ATGS students train with a licensed
physical therapist with Body Balance for Performance® four times
during their ATGS session. Vicky Connelly
brings more than 8 years experience to the Charleston Body Balance for
Performance® Center. Body Balance for Performance® offers a complete golf-health
and fitness-training program. To consistently
play better golf, it’s important
that you be physically able to execute a proper golf swing time after time. “To
accomplish this,” says Vicky, “you must achieve true body balance.
This means your posture, balance, flexibility, strength, power, control and
endurance must all work together to swing properly every time. It is undoubtedly
true that
golf instruction from qualified teachers and the latest, properly fit equipment
can help to improve your game. But to get maximum results from your swing
and to take full advantage of lessons and equipment, you must be physically
conditioned.”
|
|
Vicky Connelly,
Body Balance for Performance®
|
| |
Dr. Scott Dreyer & Dr. Jody Bradham
(Clinical
Psychologists)
Performance Insight
[Charleston]
Golf-specific psychological consultations are conducted by both
Dr. Scott Dreyer and Dr. Jody Bradham. ATGS
students train with Performance Insight from one to four times on-site at the ATGS driving
range or the golf course.
It is important
that the psychologist observes and trains the students during actual
performance on the golf course. The player is analyzed and recommendations
are made to allow the player to focus, be target-oriented, quiet the mind,
and lower anxiety. A set of instructions are given as well, allowing
the student to train himself.
“In golf, the 5 inches between the ears are as important as the golf
swing.”
|
|
Dr. Scott Dreyer, clinical psychologist and performance
consultant, with John Aarndt, an ATGS student from Kalamazoo, Michigan. |
|
