Looks like my attendance at the February 2005 training course in Orlando is paying off.   I scored an 86 last week.  My goal was to break 100 which I now do on a regular basis. 

- Stan S. - NC

I just watched Principles 4 through 7 of "The Seven Principles of Golf Improvement" and they were outstanding!!!  These Principles tied everything together, and may be the easiest and best of the 7 Principles to put into practice.  Even though I still have trouble with my swing I am sure my scoring will improve just from applying what I learned in these last Principles.  You should both be very proud of what you have accomplished with the completion of the anatomy of a scratch golfer.  Surely Moe would be proud!!  I look forward to obtaining my goal of becoming a scratch golfer with your help and guidance.

- Greg M. - TX

I received these tapes (Volumes 3 & 4 of 7 Principles series) yesterday and watched them last night. They are so specific and easy to understand/relate to. I practiced chipping at noon today and had a really good first session. The pop directive is great. I have a lot of work on pitching, too many fat shots.  I am so impressed with your videos because I had just watched the NG short
game videos. I'll never watch them again! Yours are in a totally different class.

- Larry Z. - ND

Tim, Todd, Scott, & Staff:

I wanted to take time to say THANK YOU for the opportunity to participate in your recent Build Your Game Camp in Oklahoma.  This was not my first golf school, however, it was the best by far.  Your love for the game, teaching methodology, program structure, facilities and overall treatment of your students is simply first class.  The knowledge that Tim and Todd presents is second to none. You certainly dispel any myths or misunderstandings of the single axis method.  I can honestly say that I have found my home of instruction at GGA. I have made myself adhere to your practice methodology and must say I am very happy with my progress.   There is no doubt I will be back. I will spread the good news of GGA to every golfer or (wanna be) that I know.

Thanks again for your time, patience and commitment. It speaks volumes about the type of people you are. There is no doubt that Moe is looking down with a big smile on his face, and joy in his heart, seeing what you all do for individuals like me.

God bless you all!!

- Terry T., KS

Todd, Tim, Jared, Brent:

Gentlemen, let me begin by saying that this email is far too late in coming.  It's been nearly 2 months since I attended the 3-day school in Connecticut - and I apologize for taking so long to send this.

It is my hope that this note not only serves as a 'thank you' to everyone at the Graves Golf Academy, but also as helpful information for those golfers who may be considering attending a Graves Golf School in the future.  

I have most volumes of the 7 principles series of DVDs.  I have practically every video the Graves Golf Academy has produced.  I have the original LOBG set.  etc. etc.  The Bottom Line is this:  NOTHING, I REPEAT, NOTHING COMPARES TO ATTENDING A GRAVES GOLF SCHOOL IN-PERSON.  NOTHING.  PERIOD.  

To prospective students:  The school is first-class all the way.  Excellent teaching stations and an exceptional golf course coupled with great service and attention to detail.  This instruction is highly personalized, VERY one-on-one, and extremely consistent.  It didn't matter if Todd, Tim, or Jared looked at my swing - they all saw the same basic flaws (I guess it was pretty obvious!) and each of them recommended the exact same starting point for me to improve.  And the patience was incredible.  I literally had Todd stand behind me and place my club, hands, etc. in the correct positions for 20 minutes straight so I could get the proper 'feeling' of where to put the club.  And then both Tim and Jared personally assisted in the drill necessary to begin 'grooving' that move.  Which brings an interesting point to light:  I assure you, what you 'feel' you are doing in the golf swing versus what you are actually doing are two completely different things.  And the fastest way to bridge the gap between 'feeling' the right thing and actually 'doing' the right thing is to attend a school and see these guys in-person.  Further - be sure to do all 3 days.  Or a 5 day if you can swing it.  I went to all 3 days of the school in CT and I will again next year.

Before I attended the school, my game could be summed up as follows:  All full shots were weak fades.  Distance off the tee was my biggest challenge.  And every time I played or practiced, I would be trying another 'magic bullet' fix.  I did not head to the course or to the practice tee without attempting to change at least 1, if not 5, things.  Each and every time.  Sound familiar?  

This is my experience since attending the school:  I only hit a fade when I want one.  Otherwise, I hit straight or with a slight draw.  Distance off the tee has improved dramatically.  I actually hit a drive 3 weeks after the school (on a 462 yard par 4) that went 303 yards - and it was directly behind the 150 yard stake in the center of the fairway.  This from a guy who struggled for 200 yards off the tee.  Further, when I go to the course or to the practice tee, I only ever work on one thing.  And I know if I work on that one thing long enough, I will be one major step closer to my ultimate goal of scratch golf.  

To Todd, Tim, Jared, Brent et al, thank you.  It has been, and will continue to be, a great learning experience and the best value in golf today.

To all prospective students, do it.  It is the best money you'll spend on golf, without question.  Frankly, if I had to make a choice between actually playing golf next season or going to the Graves Golf School and simply practicing in my basement all summer, I'd go to the school (thankfully, I don't have to make that choice!).  That's how critically important it is for you to see these guys in-person if you're at all serious about swinging like Moe.

Once again gentlemen, thank you.

- Carman P., Canada

As an educator it is amazing to me that there is no relationship in dollars and knowledge to those I yet met in your profession. There is the student/customer that pays dollars and expects to receive knowledge of how to do something, not "just" a product.  Wall-Mart sells product, not knowledge.  You and your brother Todd seem to sell both.  You are indeed a first . You two are a refreshing breath of air.

- Eddie S., Bossier City, LA

My 1-day school in Connecticut was the best teaching-learning experience I’ve had.  Todd & Tim helped increased my understanding of their teachings.  The Vol 1 & 2 DVDs are extremely useful.  I managed to keep it in the short grass more often.  I started the year as an 11 & dropped to 9.

- Tom A., East Greenbush, NY

I attended your OKC school in Sept. I was shooting in the mid 90's and my scores had been going up for the last six months.  After the school, as predicted, my scores balloned to 104-108.  I kept after the changes I learned at the school and would not give in.  My last three range sessions, I could feel things getting better.  Well yesterday I shot a 41 on 9.  This is my best score EVER.  Missed one fairway (hit a tree that jumped in front of my ball).   I had four approach shots that were withing 3 feet of the hole.  One putted each time.  Two approach shots were in the fringe.  Chipped both to within inches.

- David P., Greenville, TX

I just wanted to thank you and Todd for a great golfing experience at your school in Orlando Nov 5-7.  It was the best golfing investment I have ever made.  I have been working on my short game and course management and my last round I shot 78.  That is the first time this year I broke 80.

- Bill P., St. Augustine, FL

The camp was the greatest golfing experience I have ever had.  I feel like I have tools to become a much better player.

- Wells M., High Point, NC

I’m writing this in order to express a long past due sincere apology to the Graves Golf Academy.  Moreover, I suspect that the vast majority of their students carry the burden of this same transgression.  Therefore, I am hopeful that this writing may inspire many of you to make the same amends.  Todd, Tim and the entire Graves Golf Academy and staff deserves to be treated better, and respected more than I believe they, thus far, have been.  I’m basing this provocative accusation on experiences and observations that I recently had from attending their 5-day “Build You Game Camp” at the Eagle Creek Golf course in Orlando, Florida on November 8th through November 12th, 2004.

However, before I share these observations and experiences, a few words on my prior background with single axis golf are in order and will add clarity to my positions.  Like, I’m sure, many of you, I was first introduced to the “Moe Norman Single Axis Golf” method from the Natural Golf organization video – A Lifetime of Better Golf, featuring none other than Todd Graves.  Natural Golf made me, us, a promise to provide us a simpler and better way to play golf.  Unfortunately, I feel they failed to keep that promise.  As an aside, I’ve now learned that this is a primary reason why Todd is no longer associated with them.  Instead of standing true to their commitment to help me play better golf, I found Natural Golf more interested in selling me what I learned to be mostly inferior (some of it was good) golf equipment.  In short, Natural Golf over-promised and undelivered. Sadly, they truly did have a better and simpler way to play golf and only needed to believe in that truth.  Fortunately, I have not allowed Natural Golf’s lack of commitment to tarnish my belief in the validity of the single axis, Moe Norman, golf swing.

This brings me back to sharing the experiences I had and the observations I made through attending the previously mentioned Grave’s Golf Academy 5-Day Build Your Game Camp.  First, the experience was nothing less than fabulous. Todd, Tim and their great staff, Scott, Fuzzy and Brent, worked their butts off to teach me and my, may I add, terrific classmates, how to play better golf.  Their dedication and commitment to excellence is unsurpassed, in my judgment, throughout the entire golf industry.  If you truly desire a better game of golf, this 5-day camp delivers the goods.  It’s all there, from the hole back to the tee, the instruction is superb.  Long game, short game, putting, bunkers, and even how to recover from trouble and so much more is all laid out and correctly and clearly offered up.  There is however, one critical thing that they do not provide, because they can’t, and unlike Natural Golf, they refuse to deceive.  The Grave’s Golf Academy cannot provide your (my) commitment to doing the necessary work that is a must in order to master the principles and sound fundamentals they teach. Only you (me) can bring that critical and key element to the table.  Most importantly, we must all accept the responsibility that if we either fail or refuse to trust and commit, then any failure belongs to us, not them.

Now to my observations.  At the build your game camp, I observed two dedicated, consummate professionals pouring their hearts and souls out to serve their students’ needs, and I might add, expectations, above and far beyond what we paid for.  Their passion and burning desire to share and transfer their vast experience and knowledge was truly inspirational.  These guys, unlike the numerous so called certified Natural Golf instructors I previously wasted my hard earned money on, were committed to helping me play golf better.  Which, by the way, is what I truly cared about and wanted.  This was a gratifying observation.

There was, however, another observation I made that was quite unsettling and disturbing.  I also observed two highly ethical men that, underneath it all, were very frustrated.  Worst of all, it was my and your fault. You see these men of integrity were and are committed to us, but based on my observations at least, were not sure whether we were, or worse ever could be, committed to them.  This I learned from conversations with them that exposed their hidden true feelings.  When pressed, and only when pressed, they let out what they tried to hide.  Simply stated, I believe Todd and Tim are frustrated by their student’s tenacious refusal to surrender our old, mostly inferior, swings to their clearly better and simpler model.  More clearly put, we ask them to teach us a better swing, which they do, then blatantly refuse to both make the changes they suggest and to put in the necessary work to master the changes.  Todd and Tim again, unlike Natural Golf, refuse to mislead us.  Their promise is that we can become scratch golfers if we accept and trust their teaching and then do the work.  At Graves Golf, there are no ridiculous 7 minutes to better golf misrepresentations.

Upon making these observations, I was overcome with a terrible feeling of guilt.  You see, last year I attended a one-day Graves Golf School and a week later I followed that up with a two-hour private lesson with Todd.  On both occasions, Todd corrected my overly strong lead-hand grip, which restricted my anatomical ability to effectively release the club head through the ball.  To his credit, he explained and warned that it would feel awful and most likely lead to poor ball striking until I mastered it.  He was absolutely correct.  Not only did it feel impossibly weak, I proceeded to shank every shot I tried with his correct grip.  As expected, I went home, kept gripping the club with my old faithful, lousy but familiar and comfortable grip, and practiced like hell for a year.  Ironically, my golf scores got a lot better (lower) thanks to Tim’s help with my short game.  My ball striking, unfortunately, improved very little due to my poor grip.  Since I did improve, I decided to give the 5-day camp a try.  What a smart move!

At the camp, on the very first day, once again, Todd showed me his correct grip and once again I stubbornly resisted for 5 days.  During the last hour of the last day of camp, Todd patiently, once again, suggested the grip change.  What the heck I thought, I’ll try it again.  It felt awful and as before I shanked every shot. However, after spending 5 days with Todd, Tim and the Graves gang, my respect for them had grown.  Consequently, I had an epiphany and decided to surrender.  Now committed to the correct grip, I went home and I swung and shanked, swung and shanked and swung and shanked again and again.  Then miraculously it happened, for the first time in thirty-five plus years of golf, I experienced the feeling of greatness.  With the correct grip, the club head released; no, exploded through the ball.  Finally, after all these years, I now know that I am truly on the correct path, the Graves Golf path, to a true lifetime of better golf.

In closing, Todd and Tim, I ask that you please accept my sincere apology for being such a stubborn and poor student.  And to all of the Grave’s Golf Academy Alumni, and future students as well, I offer the following suggestion.  Surrender your old inept golf swing to the Graves.  Allow them to humanely bury them and put them out of your misery.  Commit to the reality that golf is not a game of quick or easy fixes.  Listen to what Todd and Tim are teaching, because it is sound and worthy.  Do the necessary work, and finally, let Todd and Tim know how much we all appreciate their knowledge and dedication.