By Cameron Robinson, PGA
In this edition of Cameron’s Coaching Case Study, Robinson works with PGA of America Associate Professional Manon Donche-Gay to improve her wedge strike under pressure.
Part I: Questions and Answers
How long have you been playing golf?
Manon: I have been playing golf for 20 years.
Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Manon: I am right-handed.
What is your motivation for playing golf?
Manon: I have loved golf ever since I was young. I particularly love the effort and the challenge the sport requires to be good at it. It’s a “never-perfect” game, and you are always looking to reach perfection. I love working on it constantly and competing.
Where do you play most of your golf?
Manon: I play at Brentwood Country Club in Los Angeles, California.
What is your best score for 18 holes?
Manon: My best 18-hole score is a five under par – 67.
What injuries or restrictions to movement do you have?
Manon: I do not currently have any restrictions to movement.
What is your background in sport/physical activity?
Manon: I played ice hockey when I was young, which helped me transition into golf. I also did some skiing because my mom was a ski racer, and boxing because my dad was a boxer. Golf stuck with me the most, however. My grandparents played golf, and my uncle was also a very good player.
Who is your favorite tour player?
Manon: My favorite player is Tiger Woods.
Do you go to the practice range before a round or in between rounds?
Manon: I go to the range before a round to warm up and also in between rounds if I have to fix something that was not going right that day.
For a driver, describe your best shots.
Manon: My best shot with a driver is a baby draw that almost looks straight.
For a driver, describe your worst shots.
Manon: My worst shot with a driver is a slight push to the right, where I tend to lose distance.
For a 5-iron, describe your best shots.
Manon: My best shot with a 5-iron is a high draw, again with not much curve.
For a 5-iron, describe your worst shots.
Manon: My worst shot with a 5-iron is struck low on the face and pushed right with less than normal distance.
On wedge shots, do your divots tend to be shallow or deep?
Manon: On wedge shots, my divots are shallow and sometimes behind the ball.
Around the green, what is your favorite club for playing chip shots?
Manon: My favorite club for chip shots is my 56-degree wedge or sometimes my 52-degree wedge. I like all my wedges equally and love the short game.
What is your favorite club in the bag?
Manon: My favorite clubs are my putter and my driver equally.
What is your desired ball flight?
Manon: My desired ball flight is usually a draw that has very little curve.
Precisely what ball flight characteristics would you like to improve?
Manon: I would like to hit cleaner wedge shots under pressure.
Part II: Diagnosis and Solution
Manon’s eyeline tended to stay behind the ball during the swing, which limited consistent ball-first contact. As a result, the club sometimes contacted the ground behind the ball. When ball-first contact did occur, the strike location was frequently low on the face. This eyeline pattern inhibited movement towards the target. Despite being an extremely talented player, Manon managed the club onto the ball through a series of compensations, one of which involved reaching for the ball with the arms and hands. Under competitive conditions, Manon felt this pattern held her back. Ball speed became inconsistent as contact behind the ball reduced speed, while low-face strikes increased speed and lowered launch, complicating distance control.
Manon’s head is staying back and down behind the ball
Solution
A concept was introduced to shift the eyeline ahead of the ball.
Manon’s eyeline is now ahead of the ball.
Manon’s ball flight characteristics after the changes were consistently well-struck, with ball-first contact and a higher, softer ball flight.
“My upper body feels like it gets moving left and more on top of the ball through impact,” Manon Donche-Gay.
How the Concept Worked
Introducing the concept of shifting the eyeline ahead of the ball made ball-first contact and control of where the club contacted the ground more repeatable, while also moving the strike location higher on the face. The movement that Manon got “for free” from this concept is a result of the torso, arms, hands and club becoming more in sync.
Before introducing this concept, the eyeline stayed behind the ball and slowed the torso during the downswing, while the arms and hands accelerated. This made the strike location and the point where the club contacted the ground more variable. This pattern caused the arms and hands to race away from the center of the body, resulting in a more extended arm structure through impact, contributing to strike and speed control issues.
Manon’s arms and hands are racing away from the torso
The change allowed for improved movement. See the image below for the impact position after the changes. Specifically, the trail arm is less extended, and the torso, arms and club are more in sync, which is ideal for distance wedge shots where speed control is paramount.
Manon’s torso, arms, hands and club are now in sync.
There is no single standard eyeline that fits every golfer. Small changes in how the ball is perceived relative to the eyeline during the swing can influence movement patterns, strike quality and ball-flight behavior.
Part III: Summary
Eyeline alignment plays an important role during the swing, especially in short-game shots performed at lower speeds. Starting at set-up, maintaining awareness of eyeline position throughout the swing supports consistent strike and ball flight control.
Author’s Bio
Cameron Robinson is a dual PGA Professional of the PGA of America and the PGA of Great Britain & Ireland, and the Head PGA Professional at Brentwood Country Club in Los Angeles, California. He specializes in concept-driven coaching approaches that give players ownership of their solution options without technical overload, and regularly uses real-life coaching case studies when working with competitive players and other PGA Professionals.
