PRIVATE LESSONS

Instructors - Matt Swanson

Matt Swanson is the Director of Instruction at Matt Swanson's School of Golf. Named one of America's top-ten teachers under 40, Swanson is a PGA-certified professional who has worked with several nationally recognized teachers, including Jack Burke, Jr., Jim Hardy and Hank Haney. His instruction has been featured on KTRK-TV Channel 13's Shell Houston Open News Special, as well as in the Houston Chronicle, Texas Golfer, Golf Tips, Gulf Coast Golfer and Maximum Golf.

Matt Swanson's instruction experience began at Gulf Harbors Golf Club in Holiday, Florida in 1988 and continued with Bill Skelley's School of Golf; as an Assistant Professional at Champions Golf Club in Houston and a Teaching Professional for Hank Haney Golf Center in Dallas. He has also been involved in club operations and was responsible for managing golf instruction, club tournaments, leagues, special events, the pro shop and club marketing at several top golf centers and clubs in the area. As the Director of Golf at Raveneaux Country Club in Houston, in addition to teaching, he oversaw all golf operations and member services. While General Manager at Blackhorse Golf Club in Houston, he was in charge of all golf and food and beverage operations.

Swanson's teaching philosophy is to assess each student's ability, desire and commitment to practice, and then develop a teaching plan specifically for that golfer. He believes it is imperative to assess all aspects of a student's game, driving, iron play, short game and mental approach.

He analyzes each student's abilities and limitations, and fits the student's instruction to his goals and abilities. Because Matt feels it is helpful to understand how a student learns best, whether it be seeing, hearing and/or doing, he uses a combination of teaching aids, from the state-of-the-art V1 Digital Coach Video System to simple beach balls, to help the student see and feel the movement that they are both trying to change. Swanson has found that this variety allows for optimal learning and development that is student specific.

At Wildcat, Matt developed two unique programs that target both beginning and experienced golfers. He established the "Welcome to Golf" program, a series that allows new players to gain a complete grasp of the game, beyond just learning how to swing a golf club. Since golf is often made too complicated for the beginner, Swanson aims to make the game less intimidating and more user-friendly, allowing the new player to be comfortable from the start, whether practicing, playing or just hanging around the golf facility. On the other end of the spectrum, the goal of the "Player Development Program" is to reduce a player's handicap and score by an average of 33 percent in less than one year. By setting an agenda to create measurable score improvement, the game is more enjoyable as a result. Whether it is short game or course management, Swanson identifies the area of the golfer's game where a correction or improvement will have the most impact on the golfer's scoring ability and keeps that area in focus throughout the program.

A former member of the Texas Cup Team and the 1996 Southern Texas PGA Player of the Year, Swanson competed in three PGA Tour events and two Nike Tour events. Swanson is a graduate of the University of Houston and a former member of the Marine Corps Reserve.

Contact Matt at mswanson@swingpure.com