Sean Elliott At the New Jersey PGA Junior Masters

[Yoda]

Last Friday, 13-year-old Sean Elliott and his mom, Nora, and Dad, Barry, flew into Atlanta. They drove straight to The Swamp, where Sean proceeded to bang out a bucket or three in preparation for our all-day session the next day. It would be our fifth go-round since we first met last November at the suggestion of his teacher, LBG Contributor and PGA Master Professional, Bill Castner. http://www.castnergolf.com/bill_castner_pga_profile.htm Sean had a big tournament coming up on Monday -- the New Jersey PGA Junior Masters -- and he wanted to be as prepared as possible.

The three of us met for breakfast the next morning, then Sean and I went to work. Mom watched and Dad made sure we had plenty of practice balls and water. I laid down our station of dowels and began reviewing basic concepts. We focused on several key areas...lots of work on the Flying Wedges with Right Forearm Tracing, Shaft Lean, Pivot-generated Left Arm and Club Throw-Out Action, the On Plane Start Up and Start Down, and Clubface alignment at the Top. In the first hour and a half, no ball went further than 75 yards. As the morning wore on, we gradually moved toward Total Motion with the Irons. Finally, we headed to the short game area and worked on a wide variety of shots. Running Chips and Pitches. Cut Shots from tight lies and rough. Lobs. Short and long bunker shots. All the while emphasizing the Hands as Clamps, responsible not for distance but totally accountable for Clubface alignment, Clubhead Lag Pressure and Clubshaft Plane.

After lunch, we began our work on Process, specifically the Pre-Shot Routine and its three elements: the Practice Stroke (with a Start Down Waggle), the Address Waggle and Forward Press. We also worked on the five 'programming' routines of Chapter 14 (The Computer). Then came the work on shotmaking. I set up a V.J. Singh-like arrangement with a reflector rod stuck in the ground a few yards down the well-marked Plane Line as a target. Sean fired 6-irons, 4-irons and finally drivers directly at it. We then hit curves around it, first Fades...then Draws. Then low shots directly at it and high shots directly over it. The marker paid the price on more than one occasion!

We proceeded to the Putting Green for a few minutes, but other than some On Plane Tracing, Sean didn't need much help here! Finally, with Mom and Dad still looking on, we wrapped things up with a video analysis that summarized what we had done and highlighted a couple of areas to work on in the coming months. It had been a full day, but a very good one, and we were all delighted with what had been accomplished.

This morning at 9:30, Sean Elliott teed it up at Ballyowen Golf Club in Hardyston, New Jersey. Opened in 1998, Ballyowen has quickly become recognized as one of the state's best courses. It was a tough test, and he faced some of the toughest competition in New Jersey Junior Golf. The field of 64 -- 27 in the Boys Division (Sean's division to age 15) and 37 in the Junior Division (the 'older' kids to age 18 ) -- had come to play.

But none played like Sean.

He opened with 32 and came home in 35. A neat little 5-under par 67 and the lead by 5.

Sean Elliott.

Remember the name.



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BOYS DIVISION

1A 9:30 Sean Elliott-A Westfield, NJ 32 35 67
1A 9:30 Jon Hartman-A Essex Fells, NJ 36 36 72
1A 9:30 Jason Zhou-A Skillman, NJ 36 36 72
1A 9:20 Luke Edelman-A Franklin Lakes, NJ 35 38 73
1A 9:20 Dillon Corbo-A Montville, NJ 37 36 73
1A 9:20 Ryan Mccormick-A Middletown, NJ 42 33 75
1A 9:10 Bobby Krueger-A Denville, NJ 40 35 75
1A 9:10 Ryan Harpster-A Glen Ridge, NJ 39 37 76
1A 9:10 Jacob Stockl-A Clark, NJ 39 37 76
1A 9:00 Keith Markowitz-A Morganville, NJ 41 37 78
1A 9:00 Fraser Graham-A Princeton, NJ 42 37 79
1A 9:00 Richard Zhang-A Belle Mead, NJ 40 40 80
1A 8:50 Sacheev Mandhle-A Franklin Lakes, NJ 38 42 80
1A 8:50 Dylan Lam-A Kinnelon, NJ 38 43 81
1A 8:50 James Willett-A Warren, NJ 41 40 81
1A 8:40 Brett Markowitz-A Morganville, NJ 43 39 82
1A 8:40 Christopher Jacques-A Somerset, NJ 46 39 85
1A 8:40 Brandon DeGraff-A Mendham, NJ 43 43 86
1A 8:30 James Graham-A Roseland, NJ 41 45 86
1A 8:30 David Santiago-A Allentown, NJ 41 45 86
1A 8:30 Marc Goldberg-A Marlboro, NJ 43 45 88
1A 8:20 Gary Slaff-A Pequannock, NJ 46 45 91
1A 8:20 Kyle Leddy-A Basking Ridge, NJ 45 46 91
1A 8:20 Steve Pak-A Scotch Plains, NJ 43 55 98
1A 8:10 Matthew Samuels-A Liberty Corner, NJ 52 47 99
1A 8:10 Stephen Piela-A Wallington, NJ 47 54 101
1A 8:10 Robert Rekucki-A Ridgewood, NJ 50 52 102

JUNIOR DIVISION

10A 10:00 Alexander Andruskevich-A New York, NY 37 34 71
10A 10:00 Danny Liebowitz-A Westfield, NJ 41 33 74
10A 10:00 Ryan Williamson-A Andover, NJ 40 35 75
10A 9:50 Brian Pak-A Scotch Plains, NJ 36 39 75
10A 9:50 Michael Holenstein-A Newton, NJ 39 37 76
10A 9:50 Jeremy Quinn Lafayette, NJ 38 38 76
10A 9:40 Geordie Graham-A Princeton, NJ 37 40 77
10A 9:40 Daniel Lasowski-A Mendham, NJ 39 39 78
10A 9:40 Bryan Leddy-A Basking Ridge, NJ 43 35 78
10A 9:30 George Matthew Sisnero-A Bloomfield, NJ 42 36 78
10A 9:30 jake gurland-A Short Hills, NJ 42 37 79
10A 9:30 michael desero-A Marlboro, NJ 39 40 79
10A 9:20 Andrew Graham-A Roseland, NJ 42 38 80
10A 9:20 Nick Gorman-A Westampton, NJ 42 38 80
10A 9:20 Chris Purdue-A Morristown, NJ 43 38 81
10A 9:10 Pat Wilson-A Andover, NJ 44 37 81
10A 9:10 Timothy Chen-A Closter, NJ 37 44 81
10A 9:10 David Gelband-A Short Hills, NJ 40 42 82
10A 9:00 Bradley Holenstein-A Newton, NJ 40 42 82
10A 9:00 Luke Manton-A West Orange, NJ 41 41 82
10A 9:00 Daniel Mergner-A West Caldwell, NJ 41 41 82
10A 8:50 Thomas Gibbons-A Short Hills, NJ 41 43 84
10A 8:50 Marc Kunesch-A Newton, NJ 44 40 84
10A 8:50 Nick LiVolsi-A Westfield, NJ 41 43 84
10A 8:40 j Egbert-A Montclair, NJ 41 43 84
10A 8:40 Sam Wallach-A Randolph, NJ 45 40 85
10A 8:40 Keith Baguer-A Cedar Grove, NJ 43 43 86
10A 8:30 Mac DIorio-A Long Valley, NJ 46 41 87
10A 8:30 Shotaro Imazu-A Staten Island, NY 43 45 88
10A 8:30 Michael Nepola-A Ho Ho Kus, NJ 43 45 88
10A 8:20 Douglas Emma-A Caldwell, NJ 43 45 88
10A 8:20 Chris Mikulka-A Sandyston, NJ 48 43 91
10A 8:20 Christopher Falzon-A Basking Ridge, NJ 48 43 91
10A 8:10 Zachary Leniw-A Mahwah, NJ 47 45 92
10A 8:10 Bart Rekucki-A Ridgewood, NJ 45 47 92
10A 8:00 Matthew Roselle-A West Caldwell, NJ 46 46 92
10A 8:00 Austin Di Fiore-A Oradell, NJ 47 50 97