Adult Individual Advanced and Beginners Golf Lessons

I have been working with Mike about three years now and intend to continue! I entered the relationship with a 25 handicap and have taken more than 10 strokes off that, due to good instruction from Mike and then practicing the “right” things at the range. Mike brings a nice mix of expert knowledge with humorous teaching delivery that is critical, but not deflating.  I have used many instructors over the years in “one-and-done” instruction, but none has helped me improve anywhere near what Mike has done.   I highly recommend him if you are serious about improving your game.

Mike is a fantastic instructor in San Diego and you will get better and  learn a ton working with him. I started working with Mike after I saw him giving lessons to a few other golfers at the range I go to in San Diego. The thing I noticed was that Mike was always “showing” the people he was teaching how to get into better swing positions and fix faults. I have had other instructors who spend a lot of time “talking” about the same information but after working with Mike I found that I learn faster when I get the mental and physical versions of why my swing type is working, or not working. Mike’s knowledge of swing mechanics is incredible but what is equally amazing is his ability to tailor lessons and drills to quickly identify and fix those faults. I would also highly recommend going on a playing lesson with Mike. My game has improved  dramatically from these playing lessons where he helps on everything from club and shot selection, chipping, putting and even strategy on every shot in a real round of golf.

Learning golf from Coach Mike has been an amazing experience for me. His immense knowledge of the sport has worked wonders for my game. He was able to take my swing and mold it to yield the best possible result. He is extremely helpful in giving me new ways of looking at the game, and has allowed me to approach every round with confidence. His teaching style is based on the fundamentals and mechanics that go into the golf swing, and this enforcement of the basic fundamentals has helped me understand my swing better. His mastery of teaching, shows when he is able to teach any aspect of the game in many different ways. He is very patient and meticulous about teaching the small things that make a large difference in the overall swing. He has bestowed with me, a plethora of knowledge which has helped me become a new and better player, and the improvement is something that, I know, will never stop under his coaching.

Mike has been my teacher, coach, and mentor for over 30 years.  As a teacher, he has taught me the fundamentals of the golf swing, as the coach, I’ve learned how to make the swing work.  His role as the mentor involves the final piece of the golf puzzle, walking to the 1^st tee knowing what shot your are going to hit and then doing it, the mental side of the game. I was a 12-14 handicap that wanted to break 80 on the first lesson with Mike in 1983.  One year later my handicap was down to 5 and played in the San Diego City Championship at Torrey Pines.  I made the San Diego Union the next day after shooting 74 on the south course.  I broke 80 the next two rounds finishing up on the south course with a low 80 score.  This was good enough to be in the top 20.  When you think about how many really good players there are in San Diego that is something to be proud about. Over the years I continued to play competitive events with a few highlights;  Washington State Elks Amateur Champion, Costa Mesa City Champion, Irvine City Champion,  and winner of numerous club events. The events of life, work and family obligations  took a toll on my game in the 90’s thru the new century and as I got the bug to get back into playing the things I was able to do were gone!  I was a 63 year old guy in great physical shape that couldn’t break 80.  Fast forward 15 months and I’m now a guy that can break 80.  My index is now in the single digit and I’m playing again with a purpose.  I’m now eligible to compete in the Super Senior events and be a legitimate competitor.   This is possible because I made the decision to start working with Mike Wydra again.  He has taught me to do a few things I didn’t even do back in the young days.  We have had 18 sessions together in the last year and a half and I always leave with something new that seems to fit perfect with everything else from prior lessons. You will become a better player and enjoy the game that much more if you make the decision to work with Mike.

When I met Mike I was rarely  breaking 90 and injuring my back with a reverse C swing.   Now that I've learned how to grip the club properly and get my hand through the ball, I no longer scoop or cast the club. I now swing with ease, adding15 yards to every iron and 40 yards to my driver.   The reverse C is gone along with any back or hip pain.  My inconsistencies are more manageable and I have finally broken the 80 barrier at both Torrey Pines north and south.   Mike's approach on putting is very simple to learn and will show up on your scorecard the very next round.  With his help, putting has become my favorite part of the game. Since becoming a single digit handicap, most of my usual playing partners are now also students of Mikes. I can't believe I went on for so many years trying to teach myself the game off YouTube videos and advice from friends.   For the first time I have a coach who I can trust really wants to see me lower my score and golf pain free.

I had the privilege of playing more than 150 rounds of golf and spending three times as many hours on the range with Mike during my six year stint in San Diego. Every round was a valuable learning experience in course management and shot selection, as well as lots of fun! My time with Mike produced some of the best rounds of my life, including a 10-birdie 67 in the first round of the Northern California Valley Amateur Championship, leading the way to the eventual win. I was also able to take full advantage of his competitive playing experience when he all but carried my bag in the NCAA Super Regional Championship in Albuquerque, NM where I finished -4 and t5 for the tournament, qualifying me for the NCAA Division II National Championship. Golf instructors who possess Mike’s combination of teaching ability and experience are extremely rare. His knowledge of the golf game and all of its components is unparalleled. In addition, Mike possesses the unique ability to cater to his students, whether they be young, old, beginning, or with professional aspirations. He understands every swing is unique and that everyone learns in a different way at their own pace. This understanding may be the most valuable trait in a golf instructor because it allows him to present his instruction several different ways to ensure it is understood. Many instructors can tell you what you are doing wrong, very few can show you the proper way to fix it, and even fewer possess the knowledge to do it multiple ways, as Mike does.

I have been working on my game with Mike going on for about eight years now, and I enthusiastically recommend his services.  Whereas I think some golf coaches (as well as newsstand golf magazines) are about "quick-fixes," Mike's approach is 100% about the fundamentals of the swing and the proper mental approach to the game and practice.  Mike has a very solid understanding and scientific approach to the mechanics of a golf swing, backed up by his own historical research as well as analysis of touring pros today.  In addition to just mechanics, Mike will also work extensively with you to correct myths and misconceptions about playing the game well, all explained patiently through analogies, demonstrations, and drills - Mike is especially good at helping you to get over the "fear" of trying something new in the service of building in good habits.  While not inexpensive, I do recommend Mike's Playing Lesson service - you get 4+ hours of personal attention where it matters most: on the course. While I wish I could claim that Mike has turned me into a scratch golfer (alas), I can report that I practice and play now more than I ever have, because of increased confidence as well as marked improvement in shot-making and scoring.    Mike's unequivocal passion for the game, combined with your own improvement that you'll notice immediately, will have you enjoying the game more than ever as well.

When I first met Mike in the Fall of 2009 at the UCSD golf team tryouts, I was immediately amazed by his impressively vast knowledge of the game of golf. Mike's 30+ years of golfing experience encompasses the entire golfing spectrum: he has been a top junior golfer, a touring professional golfer, a top collegiate golfer, a Hall-of-Fame inducted NCAA golf coach, and is presently a legendary private golf professional, who is without a doubt one of the best in Southern California. Mike's mastery of all of the aspects of golf is just one part of what makes him such a great teacher; unlike most golf teachers, Mike also possesses the rare ability to convey even the most complicated, technical aspects of the golf swing to his students in ways that are easy to replicate and to understand.  Now, if you think Mike's mastery of the golf swing is impressive, just wait until you get to the short game! Mike has been commended countless times by golf professionals and amateurs alike for his short game prowess, and has even earned the unofficial title of "Best Bunker Player in San Diego County" multiple times. No matter what you are struggling with in your short game, Mike will be able to help you improve in no time.    If you are looking for a golf professional who has years of teaching experience, has played on "The Big Stage," has taught players of all ages and abilities, is able to convey information and tips in ways that you can actually understand, and is a kind, respectful, humble person both on and off the course, then Mike Wydra should be at the top of your list. Mike has helped make me a better golfer and a better person, and I feel very lucky to have had him as my golf coach.