68: Make Your Next Ball Better with Chris O’Connell

Chris O’Connell from The Plane Truth Golf joins us this week to discuss how to make your next ball better than the last one you hit. Chris is a world class instructor that has been in just about every golf publication out there. Chris is Matt Kuchar’s long time coach/instructor and is one of the founder’s of The Plane Truth Golf, along with legendary instructor Jim Hardy.

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Chris O’Connell’s Background

Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America 2013-14 and 2015-16.
Current PGA TOUR students include Matt Kuchar and Eric Axley.
Authored numerous articles in Golf Digest and Golfweek.
Golf Digest’s Best Young Teachers 2010-2011, 2011-2012, and 2012-2013.
Mentored under Jim Hardy since 1998, ranked #8 2011-2012 America’s 50 Greatest Teachers by Golf Digest. Named 2007 PGA of America Teacher of the Year and authored the #1 bestseller golf book The Plane Truth for Golfers.
Vice President and Co-Founder of The Plane Truth Golf Institute, a business dedicated to training golf instructors and providing instruction to golfers worldwide through innovative teaching tools.
Competed in 4 PGA TOUR events.
University of Notre Dame graduate 1995.

Highlights from this Episode

Chris tells us about his youth as a golfer, his time at Notre Dame and his time on the Pga Tour.
Chris Caddied for Peter Jacobson for several years on Tour
He was then introduced to Jim Hardy by Peter Jacobson, who eventually became his instructor, mentor and now business partner at The Plane Truth Golf
Chris tells us what it’s like working with Matt Kuchar and some of his other high level players.
He discusses both the pro’s and cons of working with someone with such a unique swing as Matt’s and “being known for something” as an instructor
The 1 Plane and 2 Plane swings. What are they, what are some of the fundamentals of each?
Chris explains the Plane Truth philosophy of “Next Ball Better” and how the method of instruction he abides by is based on impact and ball flight, not aesthetics.
We also talk about introducing kids to the game. As a father of young girls, Chris feels that it is his OBLIGATION to help his girls learn the game of golf, but to always keep it FUN.