DAVID
BAKYTA

Where the system comes from

Before I ever taught a golf swing, I was a teenager on a pitcher’s mound. You learn quickly out there that speed does not come from your arm. It starts in the dirt under your back foot and reaches your fingertips last, and if the chain leaks anywhere along the way, the ball goes somewhere you did not intend. I have spent thirty years teaching the same lesson with a golf club instead of a fastball.

My real education came from the company I kept. I worked for a PGA Professional of the Year, played in college for a GCAA Coach of the Year and came out of it an NCAA All-American, then spent my early years among Metropolitan PGA professionals who could genuinely play — men who would contend in a championship one week and stand on the lesson tee the next. I went on to compete in the PGA Professional National Championship myself, which teaches you the one thing a coach cannot fake: you have to have felt the pressure to help somebody else through it.

The work took me further than I expected. I was the first American Director of Golf in Russia, and the first in El Salvador. I have run academies on the Black Sea and in Minnesota, and spent five years coaching college golf, where the team reached the national tournament every season I was there. Most recently I was in Belarus, working with players who are building the game there from the ground up.

What all of it taught me is that golfers are not short of information. They are drowning in it. Almost every player I meet has one thing going wrong early in the motion, and most of what looks wrong afterwards is the body coping with it. Find that one thing and a good deal of the rest quietly takes care of itself. That is the whole idea behind Ground to Grip, and it is all a swing report sets out to do.

As a player   NCAA All-American · PGA Professional National Championship · PGA of America member since 1994

As a coach   Two-time GCAA Coach of the Year, Northeast Region · Head coach, Skidmore College, five consecutive NCAA tournaments · First American Director of Golf in Russia and in El Salvador · Senior-year team, Skidmore Athletic Hall of Fame

“He made small, but incredibly impactful changes that I never would have thought of on my own. He suggested a minor grip adjustment and a slight shift in my swing thought, and it made a huge difference in my ball striking. I had always struggled with hitting anything other than a fade, but now I’m able to shape shots and choose the shot I want to hit, which has been a game-changer.” NEIL KROLL

“Very knowledgeable about all aspects of the game, and can help anyone from beginner to a +3 handicap. Highly recommend.” RUSS DREYER

“I started with David and soon I’m hitting it over 230 meters!” VITALY

“David is a class individual that takes the time to connect with you as a person and find where you are in your golf game. Outstanding all around.” LOGAN SIEMERS

“Coach David is really the best, he understands what you need to fix and coaches you through the solution.” SVETLANA

“He did a great job of teaching the basics while mixing in a little fun with the kids. I would highly recommend Coach Dave!” COLE HUNSTAD