TPC CHICAGO 79TH STREET IN JUSTICE IS HOME TO THE NEW CHRIS SPALLA GOLF ACADEMY

ANDY BEAN..PGA TOUR PLAYER 11 TOUR WINS, 3 CHAMPIONS TOUR WINS,
"CHRIS THANKS FOR ALL THE DAYS YOU HELPED ME AT LEADBETTER'S, YOU
WERE ALWAYS A PRO."

THE GOG BLOG..met Chris Spalla one day at Olympia Fields Country Club 
when he was playing high school golf for Providence Catholic High School.
It was very obvious then that Spalla was more than just a good golfer, he
studied the game and wondered why golf and the golf swing worked the
way it did. Now he knows.

After only one year on his college golf team, one of golfs most respected
teachers David Leadbetter pulled Spalla aside and said, "what do you
really want to do in life." Spalla answered one second later, teach here
at your school. That was all it took for Spalla to become the youngest
teaching instructor Leadbetter has ever hired to work for him.

Now after several years in Orlando Florida, helping the pros and the
CEO's. Spalla has brought his talents back to Illinois, where the golfer 
who wants to improve and enjoy golf even more now can.

"AN HOUR WITH CHRIS SPALLA AND THE LENGTH OF MY DRIVES
WERE LIKE NEVER BEFORE, SPALLA EXPLAINS THE MECHANICS
OF THE GOLF SWING IN A WAY THAT HITS HOME"....CBS 2 CHICAGO
REPORTER  JAY LEVINE.

GOG BLOG...Chris Spalla tell people about yourself.

SPALLA.."I grew up in Orland Park, my dad (Larry) introduced me to
the game after I played baseball for a while. But then I decided on golf,
and got serious about the game while in high school. In 2003 I started
taking lessons at the David Leadbetter Academy, then worked for the
Nike Junior Golf Academy in Boston MA. Shortly afterwards got an offer
from David himself to work for him, and did so after going through his
training program. This summer I returned back here."

GOG BLOG..What made you take your golf background into teaching.

SPALLA.."Many club pros have a million things to do. Taking care of a
pro shop, merchandize, members and running tournaments. When I
started at Leadbetter I saw my instructor Andrew Park just teaching
and making the students better and that's what I wanted to do."


SPALLA DOESN'T ALWAYS FIND STUDENTS THEY FIND HIM. LIKE VICE PRESIDENT JOE
BIDEN DID RECENTLY IN DC WHILE PREPARING TO PLAY AT THE ROBERT TRENT JONES
CLUB.

GOG BLOG..." How did you hook up with David Leadbetter in the first place.

SPALLA..."My dad would play in the Walt Disney Pro-Am every year, and
it was a birthday present where I got some lessons as a gift. First with
instructors in Chicago, and didn't see improvement. So my mom got
me a mini-school lesson while we were in Florida, after my first couple
of times there I saw a big improvement in my game so I stuck with them.

GOG BLOG..Who inspired you to elevate your game.

SPALLA.."A big part was my dad. But it was my instructor in Orlando,
Andrew Park who really stepped it up for me. My dad would take me
to Leadbetter and say lets see how good you can be. Then Andrew
would take me to the next level."

SUN YOUNG YOO-LPGA TOUR PLAYER. WINNER 2010 SYBASE
MATCH PLAY, TOP 20 MONEY LIST LPGA TOUR 2009-2010. "CHRIS
GOOD LUCK WITH THE NEW ACADEMY, AND THANKS FOR BEING
 A PART OF MY TEAM. YOU HAVE BEEN A BIG HELP."

GOG BLOG..Which tour players have you helped, or helped you grow
as an instructor.

SPALLA.."Guys like Andy Bean and Brad Bryant. But I became good
friends with Ty Tyron. I saw a lot of the LPGA players there learning
and working on their games, Suzanne Pettersen and Michelle Wie
and a lot of other LPGA players and young talent comes though there.
I knew I wanted to be teaching those people someday."

GOG BLOG..On a trip to Washington DC, you ended up with surprise
student explain how that happened.

SPALLA.."I was playing with former Illinois Congressman Marty Russo,
now a lobbyist. Marty, my dad and I played a couple of days in DC. We
played Congressional then the Robert Trent Jones Club. Upon arrival
we learn our fourth is Joe Biden. So the secret service starts checking
us out. I'm hitting balls getting ready on the range and Marty comes over
and says give Biden a quick lesson."

GOG BLOG..What was that like.

SPALLA.."Secret service everywhere, so it was nerve wracking but
amazing."

GOG BLOG.. Biden recently played in a big game with President Obama
and the speaker of the house, I think and another political figure. His
side lost to the president, does he need a tune up from you.

SPALLA.."I think he needs one, just not sure how to get a hold  of him
right now."

MARTY RUSSO  US CONGRESSMAN RETIRED..CEO OF RUSSO
CAPITOL STRATEGIES.."CHRIS IS A MAGNIFICENT TEACHER, WHO
UNDERSTANDS EVERY ASPECT OF THE GOLF SWING. HE
COMMUNICATES IN A MANNER THAT THE STUDENT CAN
UNDERSTAND. HE DOES NOT BELIEVE ONE SWING FITS ALL
GOLFERS, HE IS A JOY TO WORK WITH."


CHRIS SPALLA AND CHAIRMAN IAN READMAN OF INTERCEPT IT LTD. LONDON.

IAN READMAN..."I HAVE PLAYED GOLF FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND HAD MANY
LESSONS WITH PGA PROS WITH LIMITED SUCCESS. THE MAJORITY TRIED
TO CHANGE  MY SWING, WHAT MADE CHRIS STAND OUT WAS HIS ABILITY
TO MAKE SUBTLE TWEAKS AND NOT TRY TO REINVENT THE WHEEL. MY
HANDICAP IS DOWN FROM 12 TO 2, I BROKE PAR FOR THE FIRST TIME
EVER THIS YEAR. I CAN FINALLY CALL MYSELF A GOLFER. THANKS CHRIS."

GOG BLOG..How important is right equipment these days, to take
the lessons learned to the golf course and succeed.

SPALLA.."I have been trained in the Callaway Performance Fitting
Center. So many players especially juniors have the wrong equipment.
You can do a wrist to floor measurement and seen guys six-foot-five
that have clubs way to short for them. That's a quick way to mess up
a swing. People spend thousands on lessons and don't have the
right equipment, or spend a lot of money constantly on new equipment
when they just need to get fitted for what they have. Juniors use their
parents old clubs that are way to heavy for them, getting fitted is so
important these days."

GOG BLOG..What your teaching these days, how much are your own 
ideas and how much is a Leadbetter principal.

SPALLA.."What I try to do and what I learned at Leadbetter is cause
and effect. Why are things happening. Is it a grip or something else.
One thing I learned at the (DLA) how to communicate with students
and make things as easy for them to understand. I try not to be to 
mechanical so people don't need to have a thousand things to think
of at once. I like the Leadbetter idea of taking one or two things and
lets show improvement. People think Leadbetter is very mechanical,
that's not true at all. None of the swings he teaches are alike."

GOG BLOG..Differences between juniors and seniors.

SPALLA.."In Florida I have worked with three year olds. Start kids
with lessons when they have an interest and enjoy doing what
they are doing. Seniors are more difficult when they are good
players, like 8-12 handicappers because they are reluctant to
switch their swing. Sometimes it's a small adjustment that can
be a key to better golf."

GOG BLOG..How did you end up at TPC Chicago.

SPALLA..."Mike Mandakas the owner of TPC Chicago used to be
a pro at Olympia Fields Country Club, where my family has been
members since 1964. So That's how I got tied in with him. I went
to see the place last year and it's just starting out but it has a ton
of potential. Mike is really turning the place around. What I am
trying to do is establish the facility as a golf academy instead of
just a driving range."

People who came to Leadbetter got more than just a lesson, they
came away with a experience while they were there. We treated
everyone like a tour pro while they were there."

GOG BLOG..As a teacher how much do you still get to play, are
you going to try and play any local events.

SPALLA.."It's tough when you work in the golf business to take the
time to go play as much as you would like and get into a groove.
While teaching I will try and play some local events, and sneak
out to Olympia Fields sometimes. Regardless of being in the
business, we are in it because we love the game so much.
The last two years in Florida I have played only just more than
20 times."

GOG BLOG..Any last words to a perspective student.

SPALLA.."I think a person has to be open to instruction, I see
a lot of people who have spent big bucks on equipment and
aren't getting the most out of them. I'm passionate about teaching
the game so people can enjoy it and I plan on doing it for a long
time."

Spalla has had many corporate associations, including companies
like Hertz, Callaway Golf, Jos A. Bank, RedBull, Red Capital, Russo
Capitol Strategies, and Intercept IT Limited.

Need a club fitting or club repair. Spalla orignally trained on the
Callaway Performance Center, but is now certified to work on any
brand. Spalla can do club repair too, several PGA and LPGA players
have trusted him to work on their clubs and you can too.

TO HEAR RORYS INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS SPALLA CLICK HERE: 
 

Download | Duration: 00:13:58

THE CHRIS SPALLA GOLF ACADEMY..is at TPC Chicago. 8500
West 79th St. in Justice IL. Phone (708)-924-9889. EMAIL is 
cspalla@tpcchicago.com. For more info www.tpcchicago.com. 
Chris will launch his own golf academy website in the weeks ahead.