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.
Every generation of golfers has its legends — Hogan, Snead, Nicklaus, Tiger.
Each looked different, but they all did the same things right.
When I studied Kelvin’s work, one idea stood out:
The greats weren’t copying each other’s feels. They were expressing the same fundamentals in their own way.
Why “Feels” Mislead
Every top player describes their swing differently because they’re describing their own sensations, not the actual motion.
Ben Hogan said he wanted to “keep the left arm straight.”
But in video, his lead arm wasn’t locked — it rotated and flexed naturally.
That cue worked for him because it created the correct geometry and tension.
Many students take a legend’s feel literally, not realizing it’s just one person’s interpretation of a biomechanical truth.
Kelvin taught me to separate feels from fundamentals.
Fundamentals are what the body actually does. Feels are what the brain interprets to make that happen.
What I Now Look For
1. Study motion, not words.
Slow down video of great players — Hogan, Tiger, Rory — and look at what their bodies really do.
You’ll see the same spine engine, hip depth, and posting patterns repeat across eras.
2. Principles stay the same, styles evolve.
Equipment, course setup, and training change how swings look — not how they function.
The spine still drives rotation. The lead wrist still stabilizes impact. Those are timeless.
3. Find your own feel for the same fundamentals.
You don’t need Hogan’s feel or Tiger’s cue.
You need the version that helps you express the same sequence with your body.
4. Learn from the long drive champions.
I started to enjoy studying long drive players because their moves exaggerate what’s often subtle on tour.
After watching PGA Tour swings for so long, I can spot micro-movements — but with long drive champions, those moves are obvious.
They’re maximizing distance potential by amplifying every power move in the body: hip depth, spine tilt, extension, and rotation.
You can see the same principles Kelvin taught — just in full throttle.
When you watch them, it’s easier to recognize how those micro moves create speed.
Story From My Teaching
One of my players was obsessed with copying Ben Hogan’s setup and finish.
He practiced in front of a mirror, trying to match every position — elbow tucked, club high, head down.
He was mimicking the setup from Hogan’s book The Five Fundamentals of Golf, where the arms appear banded tightly together.
But when you look at old footage of Hogan, his setup tells a different story — relaxed, natural, and wide between the arms.
He wasn’t forcing a pose; he was building freedom for rotation.
I told my player, “You’re copying the drawing, not the motion.”
Then we compared the video — Hogan’s setup versus his.
Once he relaxed the arms and focused on motion instead of matching the picture, his swing opened up.
The ball flight improved instantly.
That’s when he understood what Kelvin meant: great players don’t look the same. They move the same.
[Photo Placeholders]
Hogan’s book illustration — tight arm setup
Hogan live footage — wide relaxed setup
Long drive champion — visible spine engine and rotation
Student comparison — before and after focusing on motion
Closing Theme
The great players never tried to look the same — they moved the same.
When you study the motion instead of the model, you learn what really matters.
Copy principles, not feels.
Call to Action
This is part of my How I Teach Golf (Inspired by Kelvin Miyahira) series.
Who’s the player you’ve learned the most from studying?
Share your thoughts in the comments — I’d love to hear it.
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.