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I’ve been playing golf since I was four years old, and like most competitive juniors, I had dreams of playing at the highest level. I was ranked among the top juniors in the country throughout high school, which led me to start my college career at the University of Illinois—one of the top programs in the nation—before transferring to Ball State University, where I played for three more years at the Division I level.
It was during college where my perspective on the game changed completely.
Being surrounded by elite players, coaches, and high-level competition, I started to understand that great golf isn’t just about how you swing—it’s about how you think. I became obsessed with the strategic side of the game: how to break down a course, prepare the right way, and make smart decisions under pressure. That’s what separates a good player from a consistent scorer.
After college, I played on the mini tours for two years and have spent the last six years caddying for players at all levels. I’ve seen firsthand how better decision-making can take a player from struggling to contending—even without a swing change.
Now, my goal is to help serious junior golfers get ready for college by teaching the on-course thinking, preparation habits, and mental approach that actually moves the needle. If you’re already working with a coach on your swing, this is the part of your game that can give you an edge—and it’s the part most players overlook.
This isn’t a swing fix. This is how to think like a college player before you ever step on campus.
What is Strategic Strokes?
When I was growing up, like most juniors, I focused almost entirely on my swing. It wasn’t until I got to college that I truly learned how to think my way around a golf course—how to prepare for a tournament, how to play from the hole backward, and how to make decisions that actually lead to lower scores.
Strategic Strokes is here to give younger players that same insight before they get to the college level.
This isn’t swing instruction. It’s a system built around helping serious junior golfers develop the thought processes of a college-level player. From learning how to pick the right target based on pin position and shot dispersion, to knowing how your personal strengths and weaknesses impact your strategy, it’s about training your mind the way top players do.
Too many players obsess over technique but ignore the fundamentals of managing a golf course. Strategic Strokes shifts the focus from what’s happening in your swing to what’s happening in front of you. It’s not about perfect mechanics—it’s about playing the smartest round possible.
If you’re serious about taking your game to the next level, this is where the mental edge begins.
Is this for you?
- Do you ever finish a round feeling like you left too many shots out there — but don’t know exactly where or why?
- Are you confident in your swing, but still not getting the scores you know you’re capable of?
- Do you know how to pick the smartest target based on pin location, wind, and your own tendencies?
- Do you treat every par 5 the same — or do you build a plan based on your strengths and the course layout?
- Are you preparing for tournament rounds with a clear plan — or just showing up and playing?
- Do you know how college golfers think through a round — and how that mindset could change your game right now?
- Do you make aggressive decisions just because you hit it well in warm-ups?
- Are you aiming at pins without fully considering your shot dispersion?
- Do you play to your strengths—or do you just “go for it” and hope?
- Have you ever blown up on a hole and didn’t really know what you could’ve done differently?
- Are you one of the best ball strikers on your team—but your scores don’t show it?
- Do you lose strokes from indecision, doubt, or trying to hit the “hero” shot?
- Are you frustrated with how many good rounds turn into average ones down the stretch?
- Do you spend more time on swing changes than course planning or preparation?
- Can you honestly say you have a plan when you step on the first tee—or do you just play by feel?
- Do you prepare differently for tournaments than casual rounds—or do they feel the same?