Junior Golf Lesson with JN

During Lucas’s first lesson, Julio Nutt began by sitting down with Lucas and his father to explain an essential idea: before a golfer can improve the swing, the golfer must first understand what he is trying to do.

Julio explained that when a player holds a golf club, the club, hands, arms, body, and feet become one connected system. The brain interprets what the player sees a ball sitting still on the ground  and forms an intention for how to move the body and the club.

Lucas was trying to lift the ball into the air, which is a very common instinct for junior golfers. Julio explained that this belief leads to the wrong motion and makes it difficult to strike the ball properly.

The goal of the first lesson was therefore simple: Correct Lucas’s understanding of how a golf club should strike the ball.

What Julio Observed in Lucas’s Swing

From the video analysis, Julio immediately noticed two important elements in Lucas’s swing.

1. Lucas’s body was standing up through impact

Instead of maintaining his original posture and angle to the ground, Lucas’s body became vertical and upright immediately after striking the ball.

Julio explained that ideally:

  • The head and spine should remain in the same general inclination as the starting position
  • The player should not stand up through impact

Lucas’s movement showed that he was trying to lift the ball into the air.

2. Lucas’s right hand position on the grip

Julio compared Lucas’s grip with the grip of PGA Tour winner Jonathan Vegas.

Lucas’s grip showed:

  • The right hand sitting under the club
  • Visible gaps between the hands
  • The left thumb exposed on the grip

By contrast, the professional grip showed:

  • The right hand on top of the club covering the left thumb
  • The hands working together as one secure unit

     

Julio explained that Lucas’s grip position was another sign that he was trying to help the ball into the air.

The Body and Club Work as One System

Julio explained that when a golfer holds the club:

  • The club connects to the hands
  • The hands connect to the arms
  • The arms connect to the body
  • The body connects to the ground through the feet.
    All of these parts operate together as one system controlled by the brain.


The brain observes:

  • The ball sitting on the ground
  • The intended direction of the shot
  • The force needed to move the ball

From this information, the brain creates an intention for the motion. If the intention is incorrect, the motion that follows will also be incorrect.

The Most Important Question

Julio then asked Lucas a key question.

When the club hits the ball, should the club be:

  • Moving upward
  • Moving level
  • Moving downward

Lucas initially believed the club should be moving upward, which is a natural assumption for many beginners. Julio explained that the correct answer is downward. The golf club must be moving down when it strikes the ball.

Example from a Major Champion

Julio showed Lucas an example of Brooks Koepka, a five-time major champion.

When Koepka strikes a wedge shot:

  • The club approaches the ball on a downward angle
  • The ball is struck first
  • The club then creates a divot in the ground
  • Only after the divot does the club begin to rise

This confirmed the same principle: The club strikes the ball while moving downward.

Effects of Incorrect Beliefs

Julio explained that Lucas’s body movement made perfect sense given his belief.

If a player thinks the ball must be lifted:

  • The body leans back
  • The head moves upward
  • The weight shifts behind the ball
  • The club approaches the ball upward


His believe of needing to lift the ball up corresponded with his “body language” during his swing. 

The Frisbee Demonstration

To clarify the difference between hitting upward and downward, Julio used a Frisbee example.

Throwing a Frisbee upward When someone throws a Frisbee upward:

  • The head moves upward and back
  • The body leans away from the target

Throwing a Frisbee downward When someone throws a Frisbee toward the ground:

  • The body stays more centered
  • The motion moves downward toward the target

Julio showed Lucas that his body was moving like someone throwing the Frisbee upward, which explained why his club approached the ball incorrectly.

Additional Setup Adjustment Arm Position

Julio also pointed out that Lucas’s arms were positioned too tightly together. This happened partly because of the grip.

Lucas’s arms looked:

  • Crowded
  • Uncomfortable
  • Restricted in movement

Julio showed Lucas an example of Xander Schauffele to illustrate how a professional golfer’s arms appear at address.

In the professional example:

  • The arms have space between them
  • The player looks balanced and comfortable
  • The structure is relaxed and organized

Lucas’s arms, by contrast, appeared locked together and tense.

First Lesson Objectives

By the end of the conversation, Julio summarized the priorities for Lucas.

Immediate adjustments

  • Improve the right hand position on the grip
  • Allow the arms to sit more comfortably in front of the body
  • Begin developing the correct intention for striking the ball

     

Core concept to remember The golf club must strike the ball while moving downward. This change in understanding would allow Lucas to begin developing a more effective golf swing.

Immediate Results During the Lesson

As soon as Lucas began applying the new intention of striking the ball downward, along with his improved grip and arm position,

the results appeared immediately.

  • The ball started reacting much better
  • His shots began lifting into the air
  • The rolling shots along the ground disappeared
  • The sound of the contact changed completely

     

By the end of the lesson, Lucas could clearly see the difference in the ball flight and in the quality of the strike. Most importantly, a big and bright smile appeared on Lucas’s face, and it stayed with him through the end of the lesson.

Conclusion

The focus of Lucas’s first lesson was not mechanical changes to the swing itself. Instead, Julio concentrated on correcting the fundamental idea of how the golf club interacts with the ball. Once Lucas understands that the ball must be struck with a downward motion, the body, posture, and swing mechanics can begin to evolve naturally. To reinforce this concept during practice, Julio asked Lucas to continue working with the 9-iron, which makes the downward strike easier to learn before progressing to longer clubs.