By Mike Errera
Seeing Results from the Very First Session
Yes, let me make a confession: I’m not exactly a K-VEST veteran with a wealth of successful case studies. Not at all. Not yet at any rate. But actually, that’s what makes my experience all the more amazing—I didn’t expect to see results with K-VEST right away, yet I did. And I believe that that experience can offer both encouragement and practical ideas for others who are just starting out.
First off, the K-VEST hardware and software were extremely user-friendly. In fact, the total time between when I received the product and was actually using it was less than an hour.
In that initial session, after just a few swings, it was apparent that I was not swinging to my full potential. My primary focus was to get my hands to reach peak speeds at impact… and within ten minutes I achieved this goal.
How did I know this? Well, I used FlightScope to track my club statistics. The verifiable results: my clubhead speed went from 77 mph to 84 with a 6-iron after that very first use.
In that hour, I learned that my kinematic sequence was off, and that directional changes were occurring too late. I accepted these faults for the time being and finished my first session feeling very satisfied with my newfound clubhead speed.
My first round on the course after this lesson was very interesting, as I was flying over greens on the front and accepted that I did not need as much club as I had in the past. Once I improved with my club selection, I was able to shoot even par on the back, hitting more greens than usual.
Enhancing Biomechanical Performance with a Single Chart
My next session was even more eye-opening. My focus was now on improving my lower body sequence and mechanics. The only chart I understood was the Kinematic Sequence Chart. Turned out that that was enough, though, and that’s something other beginners should know. It was clear that my transition sequence was inefficient and that I started the club down with my arms. With a bit of practice with a slightly different setup position I was able to learn how to use my legs to initiate the downswing. And so this became the first time in my golfing career that my swing actually felt effortless.
Statistically my numbers continued to improve. Hip speed was higher, upper body speed was higher, and hand speed was higher. At this point I went back to the FlightScope to see if my numerical improvement was translating into clubhead speed. As expected, my average clubhead speed had improved: with a 6-iron it was now up to 88 mph.
By this point I was feeling quite pleased with the improvement. My belief is that with this product you can practice smarter, not harder. In only two hours with K-VEST, I was able to add 11 mph to my 6-iron. I was also able to add approximately 12 mph on my driver. This in turn has changed my carry distance from 225 to 260… and, again, in only two hours.
A Beginner’s Journey
I’m looking forward to introducing this new tool to my students, and am confident I can deliver improvements much faster than ever. No, I’m still not an expert on all things K-VEST, and I won’t use it with students until I’ve completed my upcoming Level 1 Certification. And I won’t fully consider myself an “expert” until I have my Level 2 Certification.
If all of this simply sounds like a glowing testimonial, then the real message I have to my fellow beginners is getting lost: don’t be daunted by state-of-the-art tech and everything it can do. The reality is that K-VEST demystifies new concepts that may seem challenging at first, and its out-of-the-box usability ensures that they don’t remain mere concepts; instead, they manifest in performance improvements that coaches and players can see right away.
In my next article in this journey I’ll get into those concepts in more depth—the reasons why my results were so dramatic. Beginners certainly need to understand these… but they also need to understand that the results will be there from the get-go, when all that they have mastered are the basics that can be picked up within 60 short minutes.
Mike ran a successful Teaching Academy in Orlando with his wife, Class A LPGA Instructor, Charlotte. They have recently relocated to the Costa Del Sol in Spain. Their indoor studio is the Golf Performance Center while their green grass facility is Dona Julia Golf Club, both located in Estepona, Spain.
Their teaching style is to utilize new methods to teach proven fundamentals with a focus on perfect practice. They believe that golfers of all fitness and skill levels can improve with fundamental knowledge, proper equipment, efficient practice, and a trained eye to help make adjustments unique to each individual.