Heartland Golf Schools

Heartland Golf Schools For more than 27 years, Heartland Golf Schools has been building better swings for golfers enabling Louis, Missouri in Waterloo Illinois.

Heartland Golf Schools is based at Annbriar Golf Course, minutes from St. Class size is limited to four players so each player receives individual coaching and support. You will improve your putting, chipping, and full swing. Our curriculum is based on the teachings of Manuel de la Torre. Each hour's lessons are sequenced so players experience a momentum building in the quality of shots they pro

duce. Your golf becomes more understandable, your confidence builds and your swing is simpler to execute.

Regardless of handicap, every golfer shares this one universal challenge: At the beginning of the year, we are all one y...
12/23/2024

Regardless of handicap, every golfer shares this one universal challenge: At the beginning of the year, we are all one year older than we were this time last year. Our odometer has “rolled over.”

Although we may feel and look the same, we are not the same (in so many ways). Each year, we lose muscle mass and flexibility. With that loss is an accompanying loss of swing speed and distance. However, there is a way to slow the sands of time and this loss. In a word—exercise.

Let’s be clear about one thing—I am a golf instructor, not a physical trainer. What I am qualified to advise you on is that the swing speed you achieve is mostly a function of torso rotation. Contrary to common misunderstanding, the arms and hands are merely transferring the rotational energy to the club and then into the ball. If you want to convince yourself of this make a two-handed-side arm toss of a ball and notice how the hands and arms are transported by the torso. Here’s a link to one of my videos during which I demonstrate this rotational motion: https://bit.ly/3Z0bRBP

Why do many good players not hit a driver off every par 4 and par 5? Surely they aren't worried about overshooting the g...
06/13/2024

Why do many good players not hit a driver off every par 4 and par 5? Surely they aren't worried about overshooting the green. Why not aim at every pin? Isn't that where we want the ball to end up? Those players know that even their good shots are not always precisely online with their target. Instead, they know their good shots will fall within a given-sized circle. They know their “shot dispersion.”

We need to have a strategy that tells us when the most obvious shot is the wrong shot. We need to know when we can’t hit driver and when we can’t fire at the pin. We need to know our shot dispersion.

Here's a simple way to do this. The next time you are at the practice tee, pick out a target for full swings with a wedge. Hit a dozen golf balls and note how far each of them land from the target (only count good swings).

For a typical golfer (16 handicap and above), they will find that their margin for success is about 8% of the distance to the target. So for a 100-yard shot, their margin is 8 yards (24 feet). Practically speaking, when they hit a wedge to a flag their good swings will land the ball within a 24-foot circle around the cup. For a 150-yard shot, the circle grows to 36 feet. In the above photo, we should accept that a small number of our 100-yard shots will find the water. At 150 yards a large percentage will be wet.

If you are not sure of the percentage of margin your game deserves, start with 8% and adjust after a round or two. Always go for the best target unless trouble lies within your "margin for success".

Bottom Line: So when we are getting ready to pick our target, draw the appropriate circle around it. If that circle encompasses a hazard, trees, or deep rough consider some of your good swings could land the ball there. Its time for a different target or different club.

Reach into any toolbox and you find there is an optimal way to use each tool. Similarly, there is an optimal way to use ...
06/13/2024

Reach into any toolbox and you find there is an optimal way to use each tool. Similarly, there is an optimal way to use each club. Too many putts are missed each round because the putter is not being used optimally. There are three aspects in setting up the putter to do its best for you.

First, pay attention to the putter club head. Is it soled flat?
Below are two images the first is of the putter resting on its heel. In this position, the putter face is aligned to the left of the target. The second image is of the putter soled flat so the putter face is facing forward. Be prepared to choke down on your putter to get it to sole flat.

Second, with the putter soled flat, ensure that the shaft is not leaning forward or rearward. Often players will be inclined to lean the shaft forward. This delofts the putter and results in the ball being contacted by the upper edge of the putter face resulting in an inconsistent roll.

Finally, with the putter soled and the shaft not leaning, ensure the putter face is facing your target.

Bottom Line: The nicest putting stroke will be sabotaged if the putter is not set up correctly at address.

If we were to single out three important clubs from the collection of 14, there would be little argument that putter, we...
06/10/2024

If we were to single out three important clubs from the collection of 14, there would be little argument that putter, wedge, and driver would win hands down.

The reason is simple. Look at the following statistics:

Putter = 42% of the strokes in a round

Wedge = 23% of the strokes in a round

Driver = 15% of the stroke in a round

Now ask yourself two simple questions:

Do you allocate your practice time in proportion to these percentages?

Guess which club is left in the trunk when most golfers go to practice?

Bottom Line: Know your money clubs.

Aside from how our buddies might use these terms when they talk golf, these four are also regularly misused by TV commen...
04/15/2024

Aside from how our buddies might use these terms when they talk golf, these four are also regularly misused by TV commentators and others who speak authoritatively about golf. Understanding these terms can be helpful to every golfer.

Tempo. When you clap your hands to the beat of the music, the clap is faster for the upbeat tempo and slower for the downbeat tempo. Jon Rahm’s swing is completed in a shorter time than Chris Kirk’s. Chris has a slower tempo.

Rhythm. Clapping your hands to a song, you find that the clapping does not get faster or slower. Rhythm refers to the consistency of the tempo. A rhythmic golf swing is one with a consistent tempo.

Acceleration. Refers to the rate of change in the speed of the swing. The forward swing starts slowly and then it gets faster. While the speed of the forward swing is faster as it arrives at ball contact, the rate of change should be consistent. Observers will often describe a swing with consistent acceleration as being “smooth” whereas uneven acceleration could be described as “jerky”.

Speed. While clubhead speed is often referred to, more significant is ball speed. Ball speed is a function of clubhead speed and the quality of contact being achieved. Ball speed increases as: 1) the clubhead weight increases, 2) its coefficient of restitution increases, 3) the path and face angle coincide, and 4) the centeredness of contact. As pertains to speed, I offer you the words of Bobby Thompson a former world record holder for land speed: “Too much speed is never enough”.

Bottom Line: The rate at which we speak, eat, and walk varies by individual—as does their swing tempo. However, the rhythm and acceleration are consistent in the performance of an effective golf swing. Ball speed is a good thing.

October 6 is a special date on my calendar. On that day in 1921, a certain Spaniard was born in a residence above the p...
10/06/2023

October 6 is a special date on my calendar. On that day in 1921, a certain Spaniard was born in a residence above the pro shop outside of Madrid Spain. For 70 years Manuel de la Torre would touch the lives of countless golfers sharing his ability to simplify the understanding and performance of the golf swing.
As a golf professional and as a human being, he changed the trajectory of my life--for the better. Thanks Manuel.

08/08/2023

Having worked with golfers of every handicap, I've found that chronic misses are a matter of ability but a matter of misunderstanding.

Establishing an effective understanding proves to be a game changer.

During your 3 days at Heartland your swing becomes simpler, clearer, and more consistent.

07/14/2023

Few players understand how their golf club is producing their ball flight. Even fewer are certain as to how to improve it. Schedule lessons today and let's get started.

07/10/2023

Ready to play better?

Address

1524 Birdie Lane
Waterloo, IL
62298

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 3pm
Tuesday 9am - 3pm
Wednesday 9am - 3pm
Friday 9am - 3pm
Saturday 9am - 3pm
Sunday 9am - 3pm

Telephone

(314) 453-0705

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Heartland Golf Schools posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Heartland Golf Schools:

Shortcuts

Share

Category