How I Teach Golf (Inspired by Kelvin Miyahira) is a 12-part series on MyJLStory.com. Each post shares one of my personal takeaways from studying Kelvin’s biomechanical framework and refining it through years of teaching. These are not a direct representation of Kelvin’s teaching — they are my interpretations, shaped by my own experience and mistakes. Start here, then follow the series for a full picture.
Most golfers think improvement comes from doing more — more drills, more lessons, more positions to chase.
I used to think that way too.
But the real difference came when I started noticing patterns instead of chasing fixes.
Awareness, not effort, became the missing piece.
What Awareness Really Means
In 2003, I started keeping a swing journal.
At first, it was just notes like “head moved too much” or “club too steep.”
But over time, patterns appeared — the same faults, every two or three months.
Once I recognized those cycles, I realized my problem wasn’t technique — it was awareness.
I wasn’t catching my tendencies early enough.
Once I started naming and tracking them, improvement became faster and steadier.
Awareness gave me control.
Here’s What I Now Look For
1. Patterns repeat until you name them.
Journaling helps identify recurring tendencies. Once you see them written down, they stop surprising you.
2. Mirror work beats mindless range time.
You can’t fix what you can’t see. Move slow, watch how your body reacts, and build awareness without hitting balls.
3. Awareness is the skill that makes all others stick.
Every good round starts with a self-check:
“What’s my current miss? What’s my feel today?”
The goal isn’t perfection — it’s noticing faster.
Story From My Teaching
A student once told me, “Coach, every time I fix one thing, something else breaks.”
I smiled and said, “That’s normal. The key isn’t to stop the changes — it’s to see them sooner.”
That’s awareness.
It’s not about locking in a perfect swing; it’s about recognizing the shift before it becomes a fault.
The best golfers aren’t more talented — they’re just quicker to notice.
[Photo Placeholders]
Journal pages — notes on swing patterns
Mirror drill setup — awareness training at home
Swing comparison — same miss reappearing months apart
Student lesson — tracking tendencies
Closing Theme
Improvement starts with awareness, not drills.
Play golf, not your golf swing.
Call to Action
This is part of my How I Teach Golf (Inspired by Kelvin Miyahira) series.
Have you ever caught your swing fault before it got worse?
Share your story in the comments — I’d love to hear how you train your awareness.
Editor’s Note
We’re still gathering the right swing photos and visuals for this series. Placeholders mark where they’ll go — thanks for your patience as we complete this resource.