The Camaraderie of the Game

Daniel Drier got a later start than most golf professionals. He didn’t swing a club seriously until he was 26, but once he got involved, he found he couldn’t let it go. “I really enjoyed the challenge and the camaraderie of the game,” says Drier, now in his 15th year as a PGA Teaching Professional. “The people that play golf are really special, honest, upstanding and great to be around. I really enjoy seeing others have a good time.” It just made sense to make it a career.

Drier’s excellent communication skills coupled with his natural talent for golf make him a popular teacher at Lake Lawn Resort in Delevan, Wisconsin. Students come to him with many questions: How do I hit a draw? How do I get the ball in the air? Am I holding the club correctly? What type of ball flight should I play? Do I have the correct clubs for me? Drier answers them all and then some in a clear, concise manner, giving his students plenty to think about on their way to improvement. “I am able to communicate with my students on a level that they can understand,” says Drier. “I make them feel at ease and put them in a frame of mind that helps them learn.”

With beginner students, Drier suggests they find a teaching professional they can relate to. Once they do that, they need to concentrate on what the pro tells them and not all the things their buddies tell them or what they might read or hear elsewhere. Drier makes sure his beginners first have properly fit game improvement clubs. “I tell them not to let ego get in their way,” says Drier. Intermediate golfers need to make the basics “second nature.” Posture, Grip and Aim (PGA) and a good solid pre-shot routine with positive mental images will make these players play better.

Drier asks advanced players where they want to take their game and proceeds from there. He stresses the fundamentals of the golf swing and the mental side of the game. “We work on course management and different types of ball flights,” says Drier. “We work on all the little details that make golf such a challenging game.” Whatever the skill level of the student, Drier believes he or she will only get out of a lesson what they are willing to put into it.

“I can educate them on the golf swing and the game of golf if they are willing to learn, but it is a two way street,” notes Drier, who begins each lesson by getting to know the student and what he or she wants to accomplish from taking lessons. “I like to observe what they bring to the lesson, and then I try to adapt my knowledge to help them meet their goals,” adds Drier. Using the student’s learning style, Drier adapts his teaching method to accomplish their goals as quickly as possible. Drier usually finishes lessons with a summary of what was covered and gives students drills to help them reach the goals they set.

An accomplished player and past participant in PGA Section events, including the Pro-Pro and Pro-Assistant Tournaments, Drier has achieved even more success on the lesson tee through his students. “I do it for that sense of revelation when it finally clicks for the student,” says Drier. He loves to see students’ reactions when they make the ball fly like they never thought they could, or when they see the ball flight that they’ve worked so hard to master. “I have students come to me all the time and tell me how much more they enjoy the game after working with me,” says Drier. Indeed, naming just one success story is impossible. It wouldn’t be fair to single out one – all of his students have shown remarkable progress through hard work and a commitment to improvement. Says Drier, “Is it better to help a 2 handicap become scratch, or is it better to make a 36 handicap become a 20?” They’re all successful in Drier’s eyes.

Drier finds time to continue working on his own game whenever possible. His routine includes 50% of the session on long game and 50% on short game. On the range, he starts with a wedge and works his way up through the bag. Before switching clubs, he tries to hit three consecutive perfect shots. About 3/4 of his time on the range is spent working on his swing; Drier simulates course conditions and practices the mental aspect of the game for the remaining time. “I also try to do some practicing on uneven lies and out of some longer grass to simulate the rough when possible,” says Drier.

For short game work, Drier usually starts with the putter and works his way into chipping, pitching and sand play. “I like to get the feel of the putting stroke and try to bring that to the other parts of the short game,” notes Drier. “I always try to make some kind of competitive game out of short game practice just to keep it fun and to bring some game like conditions into the practice.” The best part of Drier’s game is his putting – it usually keeps him in the running. But Drier enjoys the challenge of all of the shots that make up the game of golf, even the long fairway woods, which are not necessarily his specialty. Long irons, on the other hand, are quite helpful. Drier once hit a 3-iron 197 yards out of a fairway bunker over a creek to a back pin and came up just three feet shy of the hole. He has also aced a hole with a 2-iron from 231 yards.

Whenever Drier runs into trouble on the course, he just tells himself to relax, think tempo and have fun. He is motivated by his family and inspired by watching others enjoy themselves on the golf course. Drier also keeps an eye on Tour players Freddie Couples and Ernie Els. “I just love to watch them hit shots,” says Drier. Drier’s favorite course to play is his home course at Lake Lawn Resort. According to Drier, this course is very challenging for better players yet forgiving for higher handicap players. “The pace of play is great and it is very difficult to tear up because the greens are so demanding,” adds Drier, who also recommends Phoenix, Arizona and Southeastern Wisconsin ‘s Geneva Lakes Area for great golf vacations.

Drier was born in Green Bay and now resides in Elkhorn with his wife, Jeanine, and two sons, Derek (3) and Bryce (1). When he’s not teaching the finer points of golf, you’ll find Drier hunting, fishing, hiking or walking the family dog. He also finds time for child-rearing and the occasional bike ride. You can learn more about a lesson with Drier by e-mailing him at dan@dandriergolf.com. Thanks for sharing, Dan!