Some of the things that go on “behind the scenes” at the beginning of a first golf lesson might surprise you. When I see a student, I’m immediately evaluating…..

Padraig Harrington was here at Rock Hill a few weeks ago for a late-season refresher. After a long, grueling summer, he wanted to be ready to make the final push for the PGA Tour Champions playoffs……

Everyone is asking me, how did Padraig Harrington average 309 yards off the tee in 2022 at the age of 51. He has 120+ club head speed and can get his ball speed to over 180. When he came to me for some advice on what he and his team could do to increase his speed, I ran him through my biomechanical analysis that I do right here at Rock Hill Golf Club. The answer was…… he had the speed in his system and it was his technique and timing that was the difference. Below is a 4 minute video that describes the 1st step in the process that Paddy went through, it can definitely help you too so I wanted to share with the Rock Hill patrons. Enjoy a little lesson on Linear Momentum.

What’s changed over the last nearly two years has been Harrington’s work with Michael Jacobs. A Golf Digest Top 50 instructor at Rock Hill Country Club in Long Island, New York, Jacobs, a specialist in 3D biomechanical work, said an intermediary called him about Harrington.

“I have a new client for you,” the man said.

“Great,” Jacobs said.

“It’s Padraig Harrington.”

“Even better.”

Helping a player to hit better shots is its own reward, but watching him earn a big first place check is pretty satisfying, too! Padraig Harrington picked up his third win on the PGA Tour Champions at the Ascension Charity Classic in St. Louis, holding off YE Yang and Steve Stricker. Padraig hasn’t been out of the top 5 all summer, and is neck and neck with Steven Alker at the top of the Charles Schwab Cup standings. 

A year and a half ago, the Rock Hill pro shop phone rang and it was not an ordinary golfer, it was Padraig Harrington. He had seen some of the videos I had put up about the Science of the Swing and he wanted to see if I could help him get more consistent power in his game. He came to Rock Hill and I was immediately blown away at how dedicated—and how humble—Paddy is. He hits every ball with full intensity, while being a complete gentleman and happily interacting with the regular players on the range. His father ran a public golf course in Ireland, and you can tell Padraig is comfortable in that setting.

Over the past 8 years, I’m sure you’ve seen Chen on the range at Rock Hill. He’s hard to miss—bombing it to the other end in his St. John’s University golf shirt.

A fantastic competitive spring turned into a great summer already with his performance at the 99th annual Long Island Amateur.

Endurance and some afternoon firepower was key for Peicheng Chen of Rock Hill Golf and Country Club as he grinded through a 36-hole day with scores of 73-65 to secure the victory in the 74th MGA Public Links Championship at Rock Spring Golf Club.

Padraig Harrington is determined to swing it better than he did when he was winning three majors. After a 2nd place finish at the Tradition, he is in his third straight major of this season, the PGA Senior Championship, and opened with rounds of 68 and 70.

Fellow Golf Digest 50 Best Teacher Stan Utley dropped by Rock Hill this week and we had an awesome “information exchange.” It was so interesting to see Stan’s amazing pitching game up close and share my thoughts on his full swing—and see how the feels from his tour career really do match up with what we have measured in our biomechanics lab.

Springtime means tournament golf is in full swing, and it’s exciting to see our students out there putting their games to the test. Peicheng Chen set the competitive course record at Bethpage Yellow with a 62 (eight birdies, an eagle and a bogey) that won the qualifier for the prestigious MGA Public Links by eight shots.