Golf Instructor Jim Hassey — Local services in Santee

My swing has improved substantially after just one lesson with Jim Hassey. I can't wait for my next one!

My story: I recently picked up golf again after 25 years of nothing (I wasn't very good back then either). I looked at YouTube and read books and thought I knew what I was doing, but I didn't see improvement. Part of it was the varied and sometimes completely contradicting information in the books and videos, which confused me and messed with my head. Finally I had the time to really focus on my swing, and I wanted to start with professional help before I continued to cement bad habits. I'm glad I saw Jim Hassey's sign at the JR Southbay Golf Driving Range and made an appointment.

Before my appointment he sent me an email asking if I had a video of my swing to send him. I was not comfortable with the idea of filming myself, but I was serious about improving. It was time to be honest with my skills if I really wanted to improve. I set my phone to record my swing, did a few of them, and emailed what I thought were the "best".

I didn't expect to hear from Jim until our scheduled lesson later in the week. Surprisingly, I received a link to a private YouTube that Jim made using my video side by side with video of some of the greatest names in golf. It was an amazing breakdown of fundamental issues that I was doing wrong. He effortlessly talked to me through the video calmly and clearly and never made me feel ashamed or hopeless...and we had not even had my lesson yet! He used video examples and whiteboard illustrations so well it was like one of the sportscasters on the Golf Channel or ESPN. It's hard to see yourself on video, but if you want to improve, you have to do it.

When my actual lesson started, Jim was ready for me and we got right to it. He had already seen my swing on video so he had a good plan of attack. He was patient, supportive, clear, and consistent. He had video set up on site for instant feedback along with perfect examples of what he was working towards. He went over about 5 key components of my swing. Almost all of it was slow and methodical....think "wax on wax off" from The Karate Kid. I only hit a few balls the whole hour. Afterwards I sat in my car and wrote down as much as I could remember.

This is the amazing part: After the lesson Jim continued to put together a video review of the lesson, and asked me to continue to film myself as I work on my swing. He included additional videos to compliment what we discussed in person. I practiced every day and submitted video of my progress. I was better but still not "feeling it". Jim was able to pick out a couple of things from the videos I sent that I still needed to tweak, and eventually...things started to click.

I went to the driving range yesterday, and my swing finally started to feel GOOD, and my hitting consistency, aim, and distances were probably the best they've ever been. Even the guy in the stall next to me couldn't believe that I had a swing like that after only 1 week.

Here is my advice to you (if you've read this far). Just do what Jim suggests, and forget about what you've always done, or saw on YouTube, or heard from the guy in the stall next to you at the driving rage (Oh... Never ever tell someone at the driving range that you are new to playing because they will share all of their "tips" and just confuse you). Take his lessons to heart and practice practice practice....but check back with him to make sure you are 1.) still doing the fundamentals correctly but 2.) haven't developed...

I started playing 4 months ago and was excited to see long drives from the practice mats. As I began playing on the course, those practice shots weren’t congruent with my range shots. In my ignorance, I sold the driver and bought a new one expecting different results. I shared this story with the buyer and he recommended Jim Hassey.

From the moment I made the call to Jim, he made me feel confident that we would truly fix my golf swing. I could hear his excitement to help me and how proud he was to have helped others as myself.

After getting off the phone with Jim, he started working with me by analyzing old swing videos I had on my phone. Seeing his detailed analysis videos helped me right off the bat ( or club 😜). This was before I even met with him! He really set the tone for a productive and progressive first lesson.

On the range (1st lesson), Jim dedicated his full attention to me and my hack job of a golf swing. He never made me feel inferior or like I didn’t know what I was doing. He simply got into it and started by showing/teaching me the movements I needed to work on. His vast array of detailed explanations, analogies and movement exercises helped me understand the foundations of a good golf swing.

I also cannot stress enough how important it is to have his recap/analysis videos. They help me understand my swing and movements compared to pro golfers. It allows me to see the small details which can make or break a golf swing with graphics and audio commentary from Jim.

Jim Hassey is a fantastic instructor. He broke down golf into fundamentals that are easy to understand, practical to apply and overall enlightening. His wide range of tools, equipped with patience and experience, have provided a deeper understanding of what it’s like to have a real golf swing.

Thank you Jim and see you soon for our...

Long write-up; however, worth you reading if you are serious about improving your golf game with one lesson. One lesson after struggling many years, incredible results for me personally that I still can't believe. A different grip position, rotating of the wrist with the palms facing each other, video comparative to pros, and amazing instructions from Jim on the driving range during the lesson. I liked the fact that he would grab your hands and arms and do the rotation or the movement several times for you to get a feeling of what it should be like. I asked for a process, and he also gave me a process of help for my feet should be a part, the swaying of the bodyweight and when, the position of the club at the top, the swing including keeping acceleration during the swing wall movement of the wrist to hit the ball square and straight all the time. I literally can hit so straight now that a buddy of mine is starting to call me " Show Off." My second time playing golf after the lesson, I was on a par four with 268 yards to get to the green, and my driver put me on the green; to putt for a Birdie. I still have to practice, which I am doing because the swing works, to make it more natural and ensure the wrists work together as I learned. Jim is not someone trying to make you a pro, but make the game more consistent and better for you to enjoy the game more. This is the only lesson I've ever had in my life after playing golf for 20 years. When I began, I did do a group lesson, but it was no good. Maybe I should have done a lesson many years ago to get better, and I didn't tell you that Jim is the guy I wish I would've found to do so. I will be back soon to do a second lesson from Jim and many other lessons one to two times a year to make sure I stay on a...