Why I Decided to Teach Golf

People all across the golf community have asked me, "why did you decide to teach and not play? You obviously have the game." I have had to tell countless people what Kendal and I are doing and why we're doing it.

So, why did I decide to teach and not play? It's simple. My goal, and everyone's goal, is to do what they love to do. I love people. I love helping. I love when good people succeed. Alex Williams, my former teammate at Oregon State and the former assistant coach at the University of Washington, told me countless times that I was everyone's biggest fan.

Don't get me wrong, I love to play and compete on the course. It's the best game in the world. Winning is a great feeling. Hitting a shot exactly how you want to is one of the best feeling in sports.

But teaching is what I really want to do. It's not because making the PGA Tour is too difficult, which it is extremely hard, but I love teaching and helping people. Golf is the game I love and know the best.

What's going to make me a great teacher? For one, I really enjoy asking questions and listening to others who are really good at their craft, whatever it is. I take it in and apply it however I want and however I wanted in my own game and now my teachings. Two, I'm here for the person who I'm trying to help. And three, I know how to get to people and I feel like I bring out the best in people's golf games. Not necessarily their swings or their touch or their putting, but their scoring.

Now, this may seem cocky to some, but this is how I feel and this is how I answer the question when someone has asked me.

Thanks for taking time to read this post. Kendal and I are looking forward to great things for 2013! Excited for the new people and new opportunities ahead!

Workshop Review

After a great workshop last Saturday at the Richmond Olympic Oval, Kendal had lots of awesome feedback from the event.

There was a good turnout and two teaching professionals, one who played on the LPGA tour and one who has her LPGA teaching certification, were there. Jennifer Wyatt, a former winner on the LPGA from Richmond, BC, attended along with LPGA Teaching Professional Kathy Gook, who teaches in Quesnel, BC, and Phoenix, Arizona. Kathy was named one of America's Top 50 Best Women Teachers in 2010, according to her website. Jennifer said to Kendal that "I really have to put some of this into my teaching," and Kathy tweeted that the session was "great." 

This workshop shared the 8 Athletic Fundamentals of Golf where the people who attended received hands-on, practical training from Kendal. Not only did it help their golf game, it showed them fundamentals they may have never heard before.

Kendal's demand has never been so high and other playing professionals in the area have been going to him for help. Just this past week, Oliver Tubb, a PGA Tour of Canada member, and Bryn Parry, a former Web.com Tour member, went into see Kendal and the feedback from them was fantastic. Oliver has said to Kendal that he is hitting the ball much better, along with many other people in emails and phone calls, and even tweeted the sessions were, "#fun."

Many great things have been happening recently with the Denver trip, the San Diego trip and the Richmond Olympic Oval sessions. Kendal and I are looking forward to many more amazing things to happen in the coming months! Stay tuned!

Workshops on November 24th and December 2nd

After going to Denver to lead a training camp, a seminar and to meet with other PGA professionals such as Jeff Mehlert, Clayton Cole and Doug Wherry, Kendal was back at home Monday to do an Open House at the Richmond Olympic Oval. And the overall feedback from both were great.

Kendal is now back in Vancouver and getting ready for a workshop at the Richmond Olympic Oval Saturday, November 24th and Sunday, December 2nd. In comparison to the Open House, this is more of a hands-on approach to Kendal's medicine ball techniques. If you want to learn more about this workshop and to sign up, go to http://richmondoval.ca/coachk/. 

Richmond Oval Open House

Some pretty cool news came to me as I was finishing up the first blog post.

Kendal is holding an Open House at the Richmond Olympic Oval, in Richmond, BC, on Monday, November 19th. The best part about it: it is FREE OF CHARGE.

Come meet Kendal, see what the 8 athletic fundamentals of golf is all about and learn how you can benefit from the Olympic Oval's High Performance Golf Program. This is open to all ages and all skill levels.

Honestly, if you're in the area, you have to go to this Open House. It's FREE. Learn about what Kendal and I are teaching, see some videos from Kendal's online book and possibly watch videos of Ryan Moore and Kendal working with each other throughout the year!

To sign up and read more, go to http://richmondoval.ca/coachk/.

Hope to hear about you all being there!

The First Post!

Well, we are here. Nearing the end of the year 2012 and lots has happened since January of this year. More clients have come, students started having success and Kendal started coaching now two time PGA Tour winner, Ryan Moore, in March along with former world number one, David Duval.

With these students and clients have come more responsibility and more time demands for Kendal and I think that is why he likes me working with him. Kendal and I have known each other for more than half my life but I only started working on my swing with him less than two years ago. 

We played a practice round together at Point Grey Golf & Country Club for a qualifier and we discussed our lives, where we were at and swing thoughts. I have always been interested in the swing and how we can be efficient swinging the golf club. However, what I did not know was what Kendal was about to tell me.

He started talking about centre of gravity, physical advantage, midline, among other terms I have never have heard of when it came to the golf swing. I said: "huh? Can you slow this down just a touch, please?" When we got into more detail, this made so much sense. Being a pretty good athlete growing up, this could not make more sense. When you shoot a basketball, you use legs for consistency. When you swing a baseball, the great ones will tell you, your legs dominant the swing. When you throw a ball of any sort, you load your weight on your back foot, with your legs a little bent, and momentum goes forward. This all relates to the golf swing. 

Behind all the big words and new terms, there is simplicity and it all makes sense. There are reasons why two big names in golf have come to Kendal in the past year.

Not only did Ryan pick up a win in Las Vegas this year, but he picked up a tie for third, eight top ten's, and in nearly half his events he was in the top 25. All this adds up to a 2.9 million dollar year, 25th on the PGA Tour money list and a significant move up to number 40 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Kendal won't talk about his clients doing well. However, for his small collection of students, they have had an unbelievable year.

Trevor Yu, 15, shot a 64 in the final round of the Canadian Junior Championship, a course record, to win the Canadian Juvenile Championship (16 and under) in a playoff and to place in a tie for 8th in the Canadian Junior (18 and under). Along with a top 25 in the BC Amateur, another tie for 8th at the BC Junior and a 2nd place finish at the BC Juvenile, after winning it the year before, Trevor had a very impressive year.  

Nick Krystal, 16, shot his first under par round in a tournament and has been shooting under par rounds consistently all year. Nick has had huge improvements over the past couple years and only will continue to get better in the next couple years.

Not only are the younger kids buying into this, the 30 year olds, 40 year olds, even 50 year olds are too. Kendal's had countless emails, phone calls and texts telling him how this type of teaching is "revolutionary" after lessons and reading his book, "The Athletic Fundamentals of Golf." People from all over the world have bought the book, stretching from Canada, to all over the US, including Hawaii, to Europe and even a few countries in Asia.

Melvin Oyadomari, a 51 year old from Hawaii, told us that he has been to numerous teaching professionals and nothing has really worked. He loves throwing the medicine ball against his house and is seeing improvements he has never seen in his swing before. Melvin is ranting and raving to his golfing friends about his new technique, the medicine ball exercises and Kendal's book, "The Athletic Fundamentals of Golf."

This is what it's all about: helping golfers and more generally, people, achieve their goals.

We will keep everyone posted on what is going on schedule wise going forward with potential Open Houses and Work Shops in the Vancouver, BC area.

In the meantime, Kendal is heading to Denver on the 14th of November to do a seminar and clinic with a group of doctors. He is also meeting up with Jeff Mehlert, a PGA professional in Washington, Doug Wherry, a PGA professional in Colorado, and Clayton Cole, an iconic PGA professional who was the assistant professional at the historic Cherry Hills Country Club and a Colorado Golf Hall of Fame inductee in 2003, to help them continue on the path to teaching the athletic fundamentals of golf by way of throwing the medicine ball.

If you have any questions, contact Kendal at coachkendal@me.com and myself at jonmotomochi@yahoo.com.

We're happy you took the time to read our opening blog! Thanks for reading and keep on lowering those scores!