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!
