Golf Unfiltered®

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Greg Baresel, Precision Driven

Golf lessons from local pros in the Chicagoland area are a dime a dozen.  The same can be said for states in most areas of the country with a municipal golf course, a driving range, and a pro who has an extra hour or two during the day to see students.  While some golfers can benefit from this arrangement, many players who are hoping to fix a part of their game for good require numerous follow-up lessons to truly “feel” the changes in their muscles in order to replicate it on the course for each shot.  Other golf pros incorporate video lessons into their work; however this can also be confusing to students who do not understand the proper golf swing including angles, swing plane, and other positioning.  It is refreshing to know, therefore, that golf instructors like Greg Baresel are available to the normal golfer who is looking for more than what a “regular” pro can offer.  Click the link to read more about my impressive lesson with Greg Baresel.

Greg Baresel is a Class A Member of the PGA of America and Director of Instruction at Marengo Ridge Golf Club.  He has given over 2,500 professional lessons in his career, has worked under numerous Golf Digest golf professionals and on some of the best golf courses in the country.  Some of his current and past clients include top college and high school players along with former NBA and NFL players.  He also teaches out of the AthletiCo Therapy Center in Oakbrook, Illinois, where I was recently invited to meet with Greg.

One of the major flaws in my swing has been an ugly snap hook – thanks largely to my background playing baseball – and an early wrist release just prior to impact.  I explained my issues to Greg upon meeting him at the AthletiCo facility and was then introduced to the K-Vest: a high-quality and innovative swing teaching system that incorporates virtual reality-esque animation of the golfer’s swing, physics mechanics, and real-time swing measurements.  The K-Vest consists of a waist belt sensor, a vest sensor worn around the shoulders, and a wrist/hand sensor on the player’s glove hand.  Below is a video highlighting some of my lesson while wearing the K-Vest under the instruction of Greg.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRK_MNHX6Lk]

As you can see in the video, Greg takes the time to thoroughly explain the results of my swing as reported by the K-Vest measurements.  In essence, the TV screen shows my swing measurements (hip and shoulder rotation throughout the swing, hand position, wrist release, etc.) in comparison to ranges normally seen on a PGA professional.  At this point I was able to see my areas of weakness in terms of making a proper movement through the ball (slow hips to follow-through) in addition to verbal instruction from Greg as to how these flaws contribute to other difficulties in my swing.  Needless to say, I was incredibly impressed by not only how detailed the K-Vest measurements were, but also how well Greg explained the numbers to me in the process.

From there, Greg and I worked on my swing plane as he suspected that I was also bring the club back too flat, thus creating a “fat” impact through the ball which caused me to lose distance and hook the shot.  After making a few swings while being videotaped by Greg, we then compared my swing to that of Luke Donald and Ernie Els – two guys who obviously have great swings.  Below is a video of my lesson review from Greg comparing my swing to that of Donald’s, and then my improved state in just under an hour.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKyXLBQpcDM]

I cannot say enough about my experience working with Greg for the afternoon.  He not only has a vast knowledge of the golf swing, but also an uncanny ability to explain complex measurements in an effective and easy-to-understand manner for any golfer.  Not only was I able to feel how a new adjustment should in my swing, I also have a thorough understanding as to “why” the adjustment was necessary and how to replicate this move on the course.  Using technology I normally only see on television and PGA Tour broadcasts, I was able to actually learn more about my swing than I have in other lessons – something which is of incredibly high value to me as a consumer and student of the game.

I would highly recommend Greg Baresel to any golfer –regardless of talent level – who is looking to score better and understand how the golf swing is supposed to work.  He brings a level of instructional talent that is not seen often, let alone in the local area.  His flexibility to help you achieve your goals based on your swing preferences and ability truly makes his teachings Performance Driven.

Lesson Pricing:

30-minute club fitting = $45; Single 30 minute lesson = $45

60-minute Swing Consultation = $70

Programs:

Five 30-minute lesson program = $200 ($40 ea.)

Ten 30-minute lessons = $350 (Fifteen and twenty-five, and unlimited lesson programs also available)

Services:

-Club Fittings and Set Analysis

-Clinics (Junior, Short Game, Full-Swing)

- Corporate/Business Development

- Club Regrippings

- 3-Day Golf School

- Group Lessons

- E-Mail Lessons

Contact:

Greg Baresel, PGA Golf Instructor

847.962.9929

gbaresel@pga.com

www.golfgwithgreg.com

Golf Instructor, Athletico Golf Performance Center, Oak Brook, IL

Director of Instruction, Marengo Ridge Golf Club, Marengo, IL