Chris Johnston PGA Instructor

About the coach

🏆 NJPGA Teacher of the Year
🏌🏼‍♂️35 years Teaching Experience
💪 TPI Certified Level 2 (Golf Fitness)
🏌🏼‍♂️ADM Certified
✓ 2020 NJPGA Youth Development nominee
✓ Golf Magazine ‘Top 100 Teachers’ nominee
✓ Golf Tips Magazine: Author of 11 articles
✓ PGA Magazine, 2016 article

Chris Johnston began teaching golf in his home country of Canada in 1988, a few years after beginning his Canadian PGA apprenticeship. Although learning the business of golf was a big part of successfully completing his CPGA apprenticeship, Chris's passion for teaching steered him away from the ‘golf business' and down the road of teaching and coaching. Chris would eventually become a PGA of America golf professional in 1994, after moving to the United States in the early 90s.

With a very creative mind, Chris understood very early that a good training tool could make a world of difference when it came to a student understanding what they were learning, but more importantly, feeling the philosophy that is being taught to them.

Over the 35+ years that Chris has been teaching, he’s built hundreds of training tools that help him teach fundamentals, both in the set up and swing, and several that help to cure some of golf's worst swing faults.

Not only has Chris continued to build training tools to help his students, he has built training tools for his students to have for their own, along with several that have been built for fellow golf professionals, tour players and fitness trainers.

► Simple Set up & Swing Philosophy:

Although not everyone is built the same way, we should all strive to have the best fundamentals in our set up, in order for us to achieve success in our swing. The swing is simply a house, but that house sits on a foundation. Your set up: grip, posture stance and ball position determine how your ‘house’ will be built. All too often, golf swings are worked on without the understanding of how important the set up is to the swing.

► Training ‘Feel’ into the Swing, NOT Swing Thoughts into your Brain:

Chris believes it’s not about swing thoughts, but swing ‘feel'. ‘Feel’ is what fuels the swing, not philosophy. Training exercises and drills, along with the use of the right training tools help students with acquiring the proper feel for what they are working on. The philosophy of what you are working on is very important, but’ feel’ for the philosophy is the key to a student success.


► Sets and Reps vs. Two Minute Training:

Chris understands that in order to acquire ‘feel’ in the set up and swing, the golfer needs a training philosophy to follow. Someone who works out at a gym will do ‘sets’ and ‘reps’, but ‘two minute training’ while performing a very effective training exercise, drill, or using an effective training tool, will result in building ‘feel’ into the set up or swing, much like someone doing ’sets’ and ‘reps’..

❇︎ What to Expect:

Chris has dedicated his life to helping students improve with a simple philosophy and the understanding that training exercises, drills and the proper training tools can accelerate a student’s progress. Although there is no hands on experience with Chris as your instructor, Chris will analyze your swing and game and help you in anyway possible. The following are just some of the ways he will do this:

☞ Easy to understand analysis of your swing (or short game)
☞ Drills and training exercises to help you improve = medicine to help you get better!
☞ Visual learning with Chris's training tools
☞ Instructions on how to build your own training tools
☞ Recommendations for training tools currently on the market
☞ Mental game training with ‘programs’ and ‘apps’ recommended by Chris
☞ Text and email coaching whenever necessary
☞ Video ‘Chats’ for progress reports and clarification of information
🏌🏼‍♂️ His commitment to do whatever it takes to help you ‘have fun’ and ‘play at your best!’ 🏌🏼‍♂️

❇︎ Before You Get Started:

In order to get the BEST ‘Analysis’ from the videos you send to Chris, it’s important that you watch the 2 videos in the ‘MORE VIDEOS’ section. They are titled: ‘Video Requirements’ and “Getting Results”.

The “Video Requirements” video discusses:

⇒ Tripod positioning for your cell phone
⇒ ‘Face on’ requirement
⇒ ‘Down the line’ requirement
⇒ Close up of your grip position
⇒ Video discussing ‘you’ and ‘your’ issues

The “Getting Results” video discusses:

⇒ Definition of a ‘Training Exercise’
⇒ Definition of a ‘Drill’
⇒ Incorporating ‘Training Exercises’ and ‘Drills’ into a practice session
⇒ Using ‘Training Exercises’ and ‘Drills’ as medicine to help you improve
⇒ 2 Minute Training

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to Chris at: cjohnstonpga@gmail.com or through the Skillest ‘Messages’ feature.

Specialities

Videos

On Plane 'Pro Plane'

Body Balance, Hip Sway, Reverse Spine & Early Extension

Alignment

Hip Speed Training

Posture

Grip

Set Up Routine

Trail Arm & Wrists Training with 'Throw Tool'

Path & Shanking

Shoulder Rotation with 'Tubing'

Impact Wrists with Club 'Hook Up'

Backswing Rotation

Over The Top & Under

Take Away/ In Line, One Piece, Connection & Grip Pressure

Swing & Hinge

Stance

Sport Comparisons

Path Training Rotation

Hip Rotation with Tubing

Full Wrists Release

Full Arm Extension

Extension Plane Training

Downswing Lag aka Down-Cocking

Downswing 'Delay' with Club 'Hook Up'

Clubface Control

Club Extension Training To Impact

Casting, Wrists Delay & Release

Athletic Motion Training & 'Spinning Out'

Chipping Leading & Angle 'Dust Pan'

Putting/ Stability

Chipping Set up and Stroke

Putting/ Path

Putting One Piece Connection & Combo

Chipping Routine Set Up

Chipping Lead Arm & Wrists

Chipping Connection Timing

Chipping Rhythm & Tempo

Chipping Noodle Leading

Chipping Bounce Basics

Chipping vs Pitching

Sand/ Hitting Your Spot

Getting Results

Video Requirements

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