Michael Jacobs, PGA,PGA of America Head Professional,Rock Hill Golf & Country Club,Manorville, New York
What comes first? The chicken or the egg? Michael Jacobs, PGA, might not be able to answer that question with the university-grade research studio he owns at Rock Hill Golf & Country Club in Manorville, New York, but he can answer the golf fitter’s version of that inquiry.
It’s technique before tools.
In other words, Jacobs believes golfers need a sense for what and where center face contact happens before they delve into the world of fitted clubs. That can be a tricky dynamic for coaches to navigate if a player comes into a first lesson with a set that has already been customized.
“I see players all the time who have been fitted specifically for a certain criteria like spin,” says Jacobs, the 2025 PGA of America Professional Development Award winner. “I understand what the fitter is doing there – if you’re seeing someone one time and they’re insistent on trying to fix a problem with a club instead of a lesson, you do what you have to do. But I don’t think that produces the best long-term result.”
Most students come to Jacobs to get an exhaustive biomechanical analysis like the one that has been instrumental in revitalizing 2008 PGA Champion Padraig Harrington’s career. But before they get to that point, Jacobs usually takes students through two or three foundational lessons to see where players' skills sit independent of the clubs they’re using.
“Nobody expects a bogey golfer to hit the ball like a tour player, but I think people would still be shocked at how little center face contact happens for most amateur players,” says Jacobs, who has the data to back his assertion up.
“Most players are using clubs that are too stiff and too heavy. Either they’re using something standard off the rack, or they might have gotten fit at one time and the fitter saw there was lots of deflection and droop at impact so they went to something stiffer. Or they were a slicer, so they were put into a very low-spinning driver head. But with a lack of speed and lack of spin, they’re never even close to getting the ball 90 feet in the air.”
When a player comes in with a fitted set than can easily run into the thousands of dollars, Jacobs says that can be a sticky conversation to have.
“I’m always walking a fine line as a teacher, because by the time you’ve come to me you’ve probably already spent thousands of dollars on clubs,” says Jacobs. “You’re serious about your game, and you’re committed to getting this extensive biomechanical analysis. I believe it’s my job to help you get into a swing pattern you can sustain and then give you clubs that are going to help you do that.”
That’s why Jacobs is a committed believer in coaches being a complete caretaker of their clients’ game, from instruction to fitting, to even casual text messages about what’s happening week-to-week on the professional tours. That way, all the pieces and experiences inform each other, and the work they do is a part of a complete and coherent plan aimed at a specific goal.
“Yes, that really bad shot you always see can make you want to go get an immediate solution rom a club," says Jacobs. "But my philosophy in general is that band-aids and short cuts aren’t fixes. They just cover up an issue.
“My goal is to help you enjoy the game and get the most out of it you can. I find that means seeing the whole picture and doing it right, even it that sometimes means more of an investment in time and resources. Ultimately, what comes out of that tends to be a lot more durable and satisfying.”
