Professional golf coach Alan Ochiai

Alan Helping Ashley Penner with her Drive

Alan Ochiai is the BEST swing coach ever!!! Go see him at Oak Creek golf course in Irvine California!!

Tips HOW TO LOWER YOUR GOLF SCORE Golf Lessons and Tips from Alan Ochiai, PGA... Oak Creek Golf Club, Orange County This is the first in a series of articles on building and improving your golf game. Whether you are an avid golfer or just beginning, here are some hints that will help you. BEGINNERS If you are serious about learning to play correctly in the shortest period of time, I recommend the following sequence. First, learn putting and chipping before progressing to the full swing. This will acquaint you with the fundamentals of proper grip, posture, aim, rhythm, rules and etiquette. It will also give you an understanding of the game. This approach is especially good for youngsters. Try especially to adhere to the correct grip. This will allow all the correct movements and limit the wrong ones. This is the most important time to get instruction from a competent PGA professional instructor. Group lessons are appropriate for this level and quite affordable. Start with good habits and just have fun. 100+ SHOOTERS If you are already an avid golfer, your average scores will indicate where you must concentrate your efforts. If your scores tend to skyrocket into the 100’s and greater, this indicates inconsistencies in your long game (woods and irons). Disaster holes are usually attributable to this area. Play away from trouble. For example, if there is out of bounds to the right of the fairway, but not to the left, tee your ball up on the side of the trouble (in this case the right side) and aim away from it. 80 to 90 SHOOTERS Look at your short game. Your swing is probably pretty consistent and reliable, but you might take three putts or three strokes from just off the green too often. Concentrate on controlling putting and chipping distance by adjusting the length of your entire stroke (not your rhythm or effort). Your three putts and poor chips are usually due to a lack of distance control. LOW HANDICAPPERS Become an expert at the fifty-yard wedge shot. You will encounter this shot often as your third shot on a par five and as a recovery shot on long demanding par fours. Practice hitting knock-down wedges at targets 40, 50, and 60 yards away until you can land all within ten feet. These are much more common and useful than the high lob shots I usually see better players practicing. BREAKING SCORING BARRIERS Once you improve the areas of your game outlined above, it’s easier than you think to break these old barriers. For example, nine bogeys and nine double bogeys will give the 100 shooter a 99. Seventeen bogeys and one par will give you an 89. Bogey every third hole and par the rest and you will shoot a 78. Byron Nelson used to try to birdie the par five holes and par the rest to yield him a 68. Hopefully, these scores now seem more attainable. In future articles I will share with you some strategies for improving specific areas of your game.

Lesson Programs All golf lessons are given at Oak Creek Golf Club in Irvine, the finest practice facility in Orange County. Full Swing golf lessons include range balls and video analysis Short game golf lessons include chipping green rental... Private and Semi- Private (shared by two players) Lessons $130 per hour $65 per thirty minutes $550 per series of five one-hour lessons $300 per series of five thirty-minute lessons Junior Golf Lessons $50 per thirty minute lesson Playing lessons $250 per nine holes plus applicable green fees Lessons are by appointment 24 hour cancellation notice required Gift Certificates are available via email Prices are subject to change

Alan Ochiai has been teaching golf professionally for over twenty five years. During that time he has developed a simple, common sense approach to giving golfers of all abilities lessons to improve their games. He has gained wide spread recognition for his contributions to the game of golf and his profession. Some of his achievements include: 1995 Southern California Section PGA Specialized and Advanced Training in Golf Instruction 1997 Metropolitan Chapter PGA Teacher of t...he Year 1997 Metropolitan Chapter PGA Junior Golf Leader 1999 Southern California Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2000, 2001 Golf Tip Writer for the Orange County Register Inaugural Golf Digest "Best Teachers in your State" list Inaugural Golf Magazine "Best Teachers in your Region" list PGA of America Master Professional See more