PGA Teaching Professional
Carlos R. Rodriguez, PGA
Why Choose Carlos?
- Class A PGA Certified and Trained Professional with over 30 years of experience and many years of study and passing golf playing qualifications.
- Lessons are course play, most other instructors teach on the driving range, not the golf course.
- Carlos teaches beginners, intermediate and advanced players.
- U.S. Marine
- Aikido practitioner for many years. Studied Aikido in Tokyo at the Hombu Dojo, to see videos visit EightPointsDojo.com
- U.S. Marine who volunteers teaching Veterans in the Greater Los Angeles VA domiciliary Golf Therapy program.
- Instructor at First Tee of Los Angeles – a youth development organization that enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges by seamlessly integrating the game of golf.
- Junior students have gone on to win city golf tournaments and join school golf teams.
- Previously worked as Assistant Golf Professional at Indian Spring Country Club in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Carlo’s teaching philosophy centers on harmony between the mental & physical aspects of the golf game
Carlos’ philosophy in teaching any subject is that a teacher should break down barriers and preconceptions that may have blocked students from learning skills and concepts.
For example, when you teach the principle of grip, aim and setup, although there may be several steps in the learning process, students should learn to think holistically about the approach rather than technically about each particular step.
Carlos is a highly respected Aikido practitioner and taught martial arts for many years and the philosophy remains the same. Many students tend to focus on learning techniques or steps rather then letting their bodies go and try to understand the total movement of the body and feel that movement.
Just like the martial arts, golf is not entirely physical; this is clearly evident because you don’t have to swing hard to hit long. Golf is a mental sport, and when Carlos teaches his students he has them visualize the movements in the mind, staying centered and free-focused.
The LA Golf Academy Approach
All golfers do not learn the same and are physically different.
However, despite many of these differences, one approach that Carlos takes with golfers is to try and free their minds from only thinking technically about their golf swing. This allows for students to shift their focus from physical aspects of the golf game to more mental aspects of the game.
Carlos likes to take students through visual phases of the long, middle and short game and often this results in understanding of golf stance, golf posture, golf swing setup and golf swing follow through.
