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With Todd’s unparalleled knowledge of Moe’s Norman’s swing and Tim’s expertise in the short game, coupled with years of actual touring and playing experience , the Graves Golf Academy approaches golf improvement from a Total Game perspective. The Graves’ philosophy looks at the game as a sum of its parts, the Long Game (drivers and approach shots) , the Short Game (wedges) , and the Putting Game (on the green) .
Long game instruction is focused around one thing; Moe Norman’s golf swing as the ideal model and helping each student match Moe Norman’s club movement. Stripped down to it’s most basic level, Moe’s golf swing is simply the least complicated way to swing a golf club ‘on plane’.
To assist golfers in achieving Moe Norman’s “Feeling of Greatness”, the Academy has produced a line of instructional videos and training aids with the sole purpose instructing a golfer in matching the model, Moe Norman.
Short Game Instruction is focused on simplicity as well. With Tim Graves ‘hands on’ knowledge and years of experience in the wedge game, students are taught simple, yet effective ways to turn their wedges into the scoring clubs they were designed to be. Putting Game Instruction is again focused on simplicity. Tim Graves, who has averaged fewer than 30 putts per round for years, instructs student in a common sense approach to getting the ball in the hole.
The Academy has also produced instructional videos and training aids to assist golfers in scoring their best, and has had many students shoot personal best scores after instruction with the Academy.
In addition to approaching the game as the three games it truly is, Todd and Tim have developed the Seven Principles of Golf Improvement; anatomy of a scratch golfer philosophy. Realizing through many years of competitive play that handicap was not the best measure of a golfers’ skill level, the 7 Principles breaks the game down even further and allows students to find the weak spots in their games, then gives them the tools to strengthen those areas. Current alumni have experienced game changing results from applying the 7 Principles to their games.
The Seven Principles are:
1. Develop a Sound, Repeatable, Powerful Swing of Ease based on Moe Norman’s Golf Swing. (Single Plane / Straight Line Motion).
2. Develop an efficient Short Game (50% up and down).
3. Become a good Putter (Under 30 putts per round).
4. Build or buy Clubs That Fit your game.
5. Learn to Play on the course using developed skills. (Course Management).
6. Learn How to Practice efficiently.
7. Learn How to Think
To further support customers on the “Path to Golf Improvement”, the Academy maintains a 24/7 “Swing Like Moe” forum where questions can be asked of the Academy. Golfers will also find a group of supportive comrades and receive much encouragement along their journey. The Academy produces a bi-monthly email newsletter , called the “Etip”, to keep customers abreast of current practice routines, drills, and products. Lastly, the Academy also publishes a monthly “ Etip ” on this website, addressing the most common errors seen in their students. A wealth of instructional information, the Etip are FREE of charge.
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His experience had told him that in order to compete with the best, he needed to improve his game by working with the best, so he had returned to the U.S. to work with some of the most regarded conventional golf instructors in the country. After endless hours and dollars spent working on his game with no improvement, Todd quit the game and took a job in Dallas. His roommate came back from the Canadian PGA Tour with a video and told Todd he had to watch this guy, he was “amazing”. This video was a clinic of Moe Norman, and Todd’s love for the game was rejuvenated. With his knowledge of the golf swing obtained through years of his own trial and error, Todd could plainly see the simplicity and genius in Moe’s golf swing. 
With over 17 years of competitive golf experience at the time, Todd had never seen such an amazing demonstration of ball striking as he did that day in Chicago. Todd’s beliefs about Moe’s golf genius became realities that day and at the end of the clinic, Todd introduced himself to Moe and asked to hit a few balls with Moe’s clubs. Moe agreed and watched Todd hit balls and commented “That’s me without the belly – That’s me without the belly.” Todd was instantly coined; “Little Moe” and a master–apprentice relationship began that day that lasted for the last 11 years of Moe’s life. Moe taught Todd his legendary single-axis swing he called “The Feeling of Greatness” and through those 11 years, a kinship developed as Moe passed his knowledge and feelings of the golf swing to Todd. Within a short period of time, Todd too had experienced Moe’s “Feeling of Greatness”. 
