How this golfer went from struggling in the 90s to shooting in the 70s
Meeting golfers who want to do better is the essence of my work, but there is a real difference between them they want to get better and better you are determined putting in the work needed to get better. My reader Tim Watts falls into the latter camp.
When he walked into one of our Ocean Reef Club camps last August, he wasn’t looking for a few tips or a quick fix. He had just retired after a career in the military, and he had goals, a timeline, and the kind of mission-oriented mindset you don’t often see on the practice tee.
Tim came to us as an 18-handicapper who struggled to break 90. He also carried significant physical limitations – damaged sacroiliac joints on both sides, three bulging discs in his lower back, a history of ankle surgery, and 40 extra pounds. He was in real pain. You just can’t build a better golf swing on a body that can’t support it.
What makes Tim’s story understandable is that there is no heroism or complexity in what he has done, that is, apart from his admirable dedication and good work ethic. Before he ever hit a golf club with us, he went to his doctor, created a healthy eating plan, and committed to daily exercise. He managed his back pain through a pain clinic and underwent spinal fusion procedures in June and August of 2025. Within a year, he lost 40 pounds, walked better, and had much less pain. The throw he was able to make at 230 pounds after the injury was one we couldn’t develop.
The golf program had a simple theme: work on every aspect of the game, every day, with purpose. Tim created a daily routine that included aerobic exercise, strength training with bands and kettlebells, and golf-specific work that he could do whether or not he could go outside.
When it was too cold or wet, he worked inside. He used a Dewsweeper pivot pack with a resistance band on his chest and a larger band on his knees, rotating back and forth to train the sequence pattern. He also worked on my friend Kolby Tullier and Morgan Hale’s band rotation exercises. Below is a video explaining some of the exercises that Tim uses. The moves are specifically designed to help you build the body muscles needed for your swing, not just general fitness. If you put in the time in the gym, these exercises can make that time count in your golf game.
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When Tim was able to get out, he followed a structured routine: first a workout, then slow swings with the ball and outside, then high-speeds, and finally a full swing. He even practiced with his eyes closed to develop a sense of sequence. This was not a guy who pressed twice a week. This was a seven-day-a-week commitment.
For full access, we focus on balance, foot pressure, and proper alignment for Tim to walk on his left side. He had the typical backslide pattern and poor sequence that plagues many recreational players – the body works against it rather than with it.
The drills we gave him were designed to train the rotary pattern and let him feel what it looks like to change pressure and fire on the ball correctly. The results were quick to measure. His driving distance ranges from about 210 to 240 yards. He started breaking 80. He was posting nine-hole scores in the mid-30s and up. The cycle we were building could be seen under real conditions.
I’ve been saying for years that the players who make the biggest handicaps in the shortest amount of time are probably the ones who take the short game seriously. Tim understood that. He worked on putting, pitching, putting, and bunkers with the same focus that he gave to the full.
When we put, Tim ran into one of the most common putting problems I see – standing too far from the ball, where your eyes are off the target line. Former tour player Wayne Flint caught this quickly during the session and made Tim go back to the basics: approach the ball, eyes directly over the line. Wayne also put in a consistent pre-shooting routine, and that’s where a lot of the real improvement happened. Tim reads the putt from five to ten feet away while holding the putter extended above par, then letting it drop to par to feel the weight of the head. He chooses the target line and the point of aim closest to the ball he can see at address. He steps in, straightens the putter, puts his right foot first – square on the line and one foot’s length away – and brings his left foot in. He looks at the target, the other looks back at the ball, and rolls it by moving the left shoulder down and back up through the stroke.
One thing I will say about Tim is that he is honest with himself. He will tell you that his recording is still a work in progress. Distance control from the green is something he is still working on. That kind of self-awareness is a real asset to a player. He knows where the gaps are, and he doesn’t pretend the job is done.
A year after entering that camp at Ocean Reef, Tim has been disabled for 8 years. He lost 40 pounds. He is 80 years old. He aims to get under 5-under this July and eventually wants to compete in his club’s championship from tips around 7,000 yards. Those are not the goals of a wayfarer. Those are the goals of someone who decided to play offense in retirement.
What Tim’s story shows is that ten-figure growth per year doesn’t happen by accident, and it doesn’t happen by working on just one thing. It happens when someone talks about their physical condition, creates a training routine they can support, and gives real attention to every part of the game – including the parts they’d rather skip. The plan should cover everything. Miss any part of it and leave development on the table. It also shows that physical problems don’t have to be limitations.
If you put in the work, there’s something for you too.
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