Teaching Philosophy

My goal is to create a relationship and a bond with my students, and my purpose is to give them a coach they can rely on and trust.

By focusing on a process that can be adapted to all facets of life, not only can we improve a golf game, but we can grow as people.

I believe that through instruction golfers need to maintain their identity. I plan to instill a strong foundation, a free mind, and an understanding of cause and effect. At OPG we teach players how to play their best golf, and we aim to prepare our young athletes to reach their optimal performance.

I believe it is important to understand your golf swing and the process to make changes. I like to make plans very clear and take small steps each lesson to help the player reach their goals.

Each person swings the golf club differently, so I believe it is important to understand how the player learns and how their body is able to move.

Trust and dedication are two important elements that play a big role in the player and swing coach relationship, it is my objective to earn and establish that with the player.

What makes Andy Thompson stand out as a Putting Coach? Answer: He specializes strictly in putting. Andy has a teaching style that is open to what the player needs and his approach is to take the shortest route to getting there. He believes in starting with a putting evaluation to fully understand the player's perceptions, learning style and where the biggest areas of opportunity for improvement are. Andy's putting evaluations are very detailed and include a full interview, SAM Putt Lab, aim, green reading, starting line, plus speed generation and control measurements and evaluations.
While technology is needed to measure and train with (at times) it is important to become athletic rather than robotic at putting. Practicing is an important element for improvement and consistency. Andy teaches effective pre-shot routines (individual to the player), set up and alignment, breathing and head movements as well as stroke mechanics. Proper practice methods and drills are given to the student relative to what they are working on. Emphasis is given to quick improvement during the season and bigger changes are typically done during the off-season.
Ultimately, good putting comes down to reading the putt correctly, being able to hit the putt at your intended target, speed control and managing your emotions. The best putters in the world are good at all four of these elements. Most amateurs are good at one of these skills and really not sure what needs improvement and how to get there. Instead of getting tips from UTube or golf magazines that work for some but not everyone (and often make things worse), or buying putter after putter searching for a solution, maybe it's time to seek out help from one of the best putting instructors in the country and the only true putting specialist in the Upper Midwest.