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.
I’ve never met Kelvin Miyahira in person.
But his writing reshaped how I understand golf.
Back in 2009, I was burned out.
I’d studied every major system — Flick, Ballard, Leadbetter, Bender, Dr. Suttie — and each made sense until it didn’t.
They all worked sometimes, but never all the time.
Too many exceptions. Too many “fixes for the fix.”
Then I found Kelvin’s blog, Around Hawaii.
He wasn’t selling a method — he was explaining motion.
For the first time, everything connected: the spine engine, arm structure, release patterns, closure rate, sequencing.
It wasn’t about opinion. It was about anatomy and physics.
What Kelvin Taught Me
1. Awareness before mechanics.
Kelvin’s writing made me realize how often we fix symptoms instead of causes.
Before you adjust technique, you need awareness — to see what’s truly happening.
That became my foundation as a coach.
2. Power comes from rotation and structure, not effort.
The spine engine concept flipped my view of power.
True distance isn’t created by pushing off the ground or sliding the hips.
It comes from how the spine bends, extends, and rotates around a stable axis.
3. Stability at impact defines everything.
Kelvin’s focus on grip, arm rotation, and wrist conditions explained why some swings hold up under pressure while others collapse.
Impact is the test — not the pose.
4. Speed vs. Power.
Kelvin drew a simple line: power can be strong but slow, speed is efficient and repeatable.
That’s why I often tell players, “Swing faster, not harder.”
Story From My Teaching
My student, Kevin, was chasing swing, club, and shaft positions.
He could copy the look but didn’t understand the body movements that created them.
We were working on shallowing the club in the downswing.
The moment I mentioned “shallow,” he rolled his wrists and dropped his hands — like drawing a figure-eight with the clubhead.
It looked right in slow motion, but the clubface opened completely.
I stopped him and said,
“When you shallow with just your hands and wrists, you’re forcing a look — not a motion.
The correct way is to start from the shoulder and elbow. The hands aren’t pulling the club behind you — they’re actually resisting it from falling too far inside.”
Once he tried initiating the move from his upper arm instead of his hands, the difference was immediate.
The club shallowed naturally, the face stayed stable, and his ball flight tightened.
That’s what Kelvin’s framework gave me — the ability to explain why something happens, not just what it looks like.
[Photo Placeholders]
Kelvin’s Around Hawaii blog screenshot
Sequence — upper arm and elbow shallowing vs. hand-only shallow
Student comparison — open face vs. stable face
Impact freeze — sequence result in ball flight
Closing Theme
Kelvin didn’t just teach swing mechanics.
He taught clarity — how awareness, structure, and sequence connect into one motion.
That clarity changed how I teach and how I see golf.
This series is my way of paying that forward.
Call to Action
This is part of my How I Teach Golf (Inspired by Kelvin Miyahira) series.
Have you ever read Kelvin’s work or tried one of his ideas?
Share what you learned — I’d love to hear how it changed your game.
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.