I recently met Dean Chitren on the putting green at Palm Aire Country Club. After speaking about golf in general, I confided in Dean that my game had recently declined, both in accuracy and distance. He immediately offered his help and told me to get some range balls and meet him at the driving range.
Dean first requested that I swing a number of times just to view my technique. After holding back his laughter, he proceeded to go over the fundamentals of the swing in slow motion, using his swing as a guide. Let me say this, Dean has an incredibly beautiful swing, and believe me, I know one when I see one!
We then went over the fundamentals of my swing one step at a time. Dean pointed out three major flaws in my swing. The first was that I did not keep my left arm straight, the second was that I was lifting up during the swing and the third was my backswing was much too long. By the way I am very athletic and I am a high single digit handicap golfer.
Dean then patiently went over my swing with me, one step at a time, over and over again. What struck me as different from past instructors was that he wanted me to incorporate all of the changes at once instead of one at a time. Dean stated, “Why would you want to continue with bad habits by only working on one of the flaws”? His logic was impeccable! All throughout this procedure I did not hit one practice ball. Quite simply, Dean did not feel I was ready yet. The time finally came to hit a few balls. Although I felt a little mechanical, my results exceeded my expectations. My accuracy was spot on and my swing was effortless. In addition to analyzing my swing, Dean continually spoke about a routine that I should follow on EVERY shot. No golf pro had ever emphasized that before. Again, his logic was impeccable! If you want a repeating and consistent swing, you must have a repeating and consistent routine.
Why isn’t this discussed more by golf professionals?
The following weekend I played both days and tried to incorporate my NEW swing, both physical and mental. The first day I played well but was thinking too much about the mechanics and did not feel that comfortable. The next day I felt much more natural since I had an entire round to practice my NEW swing the day before. My level of play that day was great. My distance returned with better accuracy. What an unusual combination! Golf was FUN again and I really looked forward to the next round. I felt I had made major progress with my game, again both physical and mental.
My golf experience with Dean Chitren was A+. He is a well spoken, polished and a likeable golf professional. But most of all, he really knows what he’s talking about! He was able to dissect my swing and immediately make improvements to my game. Not every professional has that ability to communicate with the student. Dean is an excellent teacher and I recommend him to players of all abilities.
I look forward to working with Dean in the future in order to get my handicap even lower. But most of all, for him to teach me to enjoy the game even more, and to really have fun out on the course.
Bill Kahn
Letter of Recommendation for Dean Chitren
To whom it may concern,
I am writing this letter of recommendation for Dean Chitren as he is trying to attain financial assistance/sponsorship in order to pursue a career as a professional golfer. I met Dean as he began to practice out at Palm-Aire Country Club in April 2009. He came up and introduced himself and shared with me the desire he had to play professionally and the possibility of me helping him with his game in the near future to help him attain his goals.
I spent some time watching him practice and told him that he has a really good golf swing and a lot of potential. Like every aspiring professional it takes many attributes to become successful. Dean seems to have the strong desire that is needed as well as the belief in himself. Dean also seems to possess a deep determination and great work ethic that is so important to a player. Once a player has developed a sound golf swing and the drive and focus to practice hard, so much of becoming a successful tournament player becomes mental.
From what I have seen thus far in these early stages of observation Dean has the golf swing as well as the desire, determination and good mental approach to become a great player. All that is needed now is an opportunity for him to reach his true potential by playing in as many tournaments as possible. This of course is where the financial sponsorship comes in.
If I can be of any further assistance and answer any questions call me at 954-971-7867.
Sincerely,
Stephen Conte PGA Professional Owner/Director of Conte’s Palm Aire Golf Academy
