Rinker’s Golf Tips Mike Adams Top 100 Teacher November 9th. Mike’s father was a golf professional and got him started playing golf when he was a young kid. Mike was kind of the guinea pig for his dad where his father would try out the latest fads on Mike. Some worked and some didn’t. Mike went to the University of Washington, played mini-tours, and even one year on the PGA tour but he “got tired of being the leading money spender.” When Mike was out playing he spent a lot of time helping out other guys like Don Pooley, Tom Purtzer, Jeff Coston, and Dick Mast. His wife finally said do you want to be a player or a teacher?
Mike Adams, the “Swing Dr,” has mentored a lot of professional golfers some of whom are Top 100 Teachers today. I asked Mike who some of his mentors were and he said his dad along with all the guys that he worked with on Tour. Mike started researching things and studied under Pete Egoscue among others and learned a lot about how the body works. Later along with E. A. Tischler they came out with BioSwing Dynamics and 71 out of the Top 100 Golf Teachers have gone through their certification program. “99% of what is taught is correct. Problem is what applies to whom.” BioSwing Dynamics measures and screen tests your hinge type, how the lower body is going to work, how you pivot, and there are lots of ways to go from there. Mike said he no longer has a favorite golf swing but wants to help golfers find the best functioning swing for them. The biggest thing he sees on the Tour is guys who are trying to swing contrary to their body and two things can happen. One, they won’t hit the ball very well and two, they can injure themselves.
I asked Mike what else has he learned from the pros and he said, “No one way to swing the golf club and what is magic for one player could be tragic for another.” It’s all about understanding the player. He said a lot of guys will work between opposites or play well in the interim of going from one swing philosophy to another. As they get closer to the new philosophy they can sometimes go in the other direction or start to hinder performance. The middle ground is what actually worked for them. Stack and Tilt helped front post golfers but didn’t help other people. There is a huge range of motion and ranges of planes that work for each player. The elbow plane is easier to hit a draw from where a more vertical plane, the shoulder plane, it’s easier to fade the ball. The middle plane, the torso plane, it’s easier to hit both draws and fades. Mike said you are not going to hit it good everyday so “your putting, chipping, and pitching can never take a vacation.” Have to have a short game that can help you score. Mike Adams can be reached at 561-602-2476 or by email at laws2326@gmail.com