BOSTON, MASS. – As a four-time winner on the PGA TOUR, a three-time Ryder Cup player and the second-ever player ever to shoot 59 in a sanctioned tour event, Chip Beck has built a storied legacy in the golfing world. Now, at 64, he’s enjoying a second act that just might leave an even greater impact than his decorated competitive career. As a full-time golf instructor, Beck brings swing expertise and wisdom from the highs and lows of his playing career to a new generation of golfers.
Beck, whose relaxed Southern demeanor and easy wit are custom-fit for the lesson tee, says his re-invention as a teacher is a culmination of his playing experience, two decades of work with Dr. Jim Suttie and his use of the breakthrough PerfectMotion® mobile app. PerfectMotion® is a uniquely-personalized and immersive golf training system that allows golfers to quickly learn and feel correct body motion with every club through an innovative process of continuous expert feedback.
“I love that the PerfectMotion® app hones in on one swing fundamental at a time. For example, the app detected that one of my students was consistently too far forward at impact, difficult to see with the naked eye. To help her fix this issue, I sent her a series of drills to improve her pivot utilizing the app’s unique NO BALL feature. The immediate improvement was a joy to see,” Beck says. “That’s what happens when you focus on one thing at a time.”
When it comes to teaching style, the expertise Beck has gleaned from Suttie (the PGA of America’s Teacher of the Year in 2000) is significant. “Dr. Suttie got my game in shape for the Champions Tour and has been my mentor ever since. My transition from student to teacher came about naturally,” Beck says. “I’ve become good at assessing golfers’ abilities, determining what they need to work on first and then building a plan for improvement over time. Too much change too quickly will destroy any player.”
While the PerfectMotion® app engages golfers, its coaching platform provides all of the data and results needed by instructors to access each of their student’s issues and progress– even remotely. Beck has fully embraced this remote coaching model, offering golfers private instruction through the Chip Beck 59 Club. Enrollees into Beck’s online academy receive a personalized program designed by Beck and tailored to their individual goals. “I send every student a weekly email outlining their new focus and activities for the week, including tips and drills, Beck says. “They use PerfectMotion® daily, just like tour pros and as they progress, the app moves them up to the next skill level.”
With hands-on and remote-online instruction, Beck has discovered a new way to give back to the game that has brought him his livelihood, notoriety and valued relationships. “Teaching has enabled me to maintain really close contact with people. I’ve been able to reconnect with people who I’ve played golf with through the years and now I’m able to be their golf instructor,” Beck says. “That’s a new kind of gratification for both the student and me. It’s a bond.”
In addition to Beck’s achievements on the course, he helped establish the Chip Beck Scholarship in 1992 with the $1 million bonus paid by Hilton Hotels after he shot 59 in the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational. Dozens of students have earned the scholarships, which are based on academics, extracurricular activities, caddying and interest in golf. The Chip Beck/PGA Evans Scholarship was established in 1994 in cooperation with the PGA of America and has also benefited dozens of deserving college-bound juniors nationwide.
While PerfectMotion® is a self-guided process that requires no trips to the lesson tee, perhaps the most powerful component of the app is the immediate access to top-tier golf instruction. Beck is one of a growing number of top teachers who use PerfectMotion® in their teaching, including PGA Master Professional and GOLF Magazine Top100 Teacher Joe Hallett, Mike Sullivan and Jake Thurm.
Personal lessons with Chip Beck can be booked at www.chipbeck59.com. The PerfectMotion® app can be downloaded for the Apple iPhone in the iOS app store and for Android devices in the Google Play Store. The app comes with a 14-day free trial. After the trial, the Pro version costs $5.99 a month or a $59.99 annually.
In this video, Chip Beck demonstrates how to properly access and benefit from the easy-to-use functions in the PerfectMotion app:
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