Why The Mitchell Golf Performance Studio?

An open atmosphere of learning, sharing, and bonding.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Mitchell is golf’s industry leader in loft and lie machines. We’re presently trusted in the hands of major Tour trucks, pros, fitters, influencers, and hobbyists across the globe. I’ve worked with Mitchell Golf Equipment my whole golf career, ranging from retail to Top Five Fitters, to building for professionals and celebrities. No better combination to host a golf school, right? Yet sometimes, it’s more than golf.

One thing that I always make clear on the first morning of the class is that it’s not my class: it’s our class. I prefer to treat the classroom with an open atmosphere where we all learn from each other. Yeah, you’re learning my methods from a fast-paced build shop, but if anyone has any experience, I’ll let them chime in. You may not pick up a method of mine, but perhaps you pick one up from another student. Frankly, I do it all the time. For example: for the last ten years, I’ve been cutting off grips palm-down (away from the body, of course). In the first class of the new year, I witnessed a student cutting palm up with greater leverage and ease. He also prefers skinny spiral grip tape over the wider, single-strip. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Again, open classroom.

And it needs to be open. The first day of class can be tough because no one really knows each other. It is hosted in a small town. And you’ve got a young kid teaching when you were probably expecting an older vet. But the free ideas that roam the studio open up the best part of the week: the community and comradery that builds over the next four days and change. And it’s the bonds that form that I feel gives The Performance Studio its identity.

My favorite part of teaching this class is seeing students connect with one another. A special case comes to mind: the August 2021 Master. One New York City student just opened his own indoor space. His California classmate next to him was an up-and-coming teacher from under the wings of George Gangkas. Then across the room was the Arkansas young gun competing for the Amateur Long Drive Championship. Logging into your social and seeing them frequently together despite the distance is pretty neat.

Building more than clubs

I met up with an October ‘20 student during my work trip to Times Square last April. This coming November I’ll be standing in his classmate’s wedding. I met another Cleveland Browns fan during the inaugural Master Class in February 2021 to who I complain about the defense regularly. Conversely, I have students that are rival fans, trash-talk included. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Again, you show up for the golf, but you leave with more than just the wealth of tips and tricks to build a playable set. Yeah, we get pros and big-time fitters. We get top five fitting companies and high-profile courses. Combine them with the ex-tradesman, ex-military, or retiree looking to keep himself busy and you’ve got an expansive network of new friends to keep your golf business on the up and up. It’s been praised by several students across many classes that this part IS the Mitchell Golf experience.