Kyiv – Kyiv Golf Academy

PGA of Ukraine Update

March 16, 2022March 16, 2022 vegasjeff

I don’t know what day of the week it is, I only know that it is the morning of day 21 of the invasion of Ukraine. As I sit, drinking my coffee and following the news, I find myself sad about the friends we’ve lost, worried about the safety of our family still in Ukraine, and proud of the incredible unity and fighting spirit of the Ukrainian people. I’m even a little optimistic – because the map of Ukraine has looked roughly the same for at least a week, and there are signs everywhere that the Russian army is out of ideas. I don’t consider shelling apartment complexes, schools, and hospitals an idea.

Three weeks ago, we were living our best life in Ukraine, coaching golfers, getting our games together, and loving our beautiful city of Kyiv. On Feb 24, early in the morning, we were jolted from our sleep by Russian missile strikes and drove west, eventually finding our way to the Polish border. It was nervewracking to say the least, as we half expected to see Russian tanks and troops around every curve. Shortly after our arrival, we learned that our beautiful golf course – Golfstream Kyiv Golf Club – was destroyed in a battle between Ukrainian forces and Russian paratroopers. What happened to our staff of greenskeepers and clubhouse workers is still unknown.

What are we doing at PGA of Ukraine today? Well, most of our golf coaches have joined the Territorial Defence forces, and are at their posts defending their land. Our office in Kyiv is working, doing all they can to support the families of our members in harm’s way. They need money, food, diapers, medicine, transportation, security, and what any other family needs when one of their breadwinners is away serving the country.

Anna is splitting her time between several different humanitarian efforts. She gives out food at the Polish border, prepares beds in refugee shelters, and helps to gather humanitarian aid to be sent to Ukraine.

I’m in constant contact with people in the golf world, trying to raise awareness, funds and get our message out. I also visit my friend Chris in the hospital quite often. He escaped from the battle of Irpen – one of the bloodiest scenes of the war so far where several prominent journalists were killed. We worked together with Chris’s family, a private security team, and our network inside Ukraine to get him to Poland. We met him here and took him straight to the emergency room. He’s been in the hospital ever since and we hope he will make a full recovery. His story needs its own article, and I promise to tell it soon.

I’d like to take a moment to thank the Polish people for opening their hearts to us. We are staying with a lovely couple who have generously given us a room in their apartment. They ask for no money and honestly, they are overfeeding us. Poland is now overflowing with Ukrainian women and children, every home has refugees staying in it, and new shelters are going up everywhere.

So, I will close by saying that we will continue our efforts to help refugees, and support our organization inside Ukraine. We can help people get out of dangerous areas. We can get them food, medicine, and basic necessities. But we need your help. Please consider donating to the following link:

https://gofund.me/f091282a

Thanks for your support
~Jeff and Anna

golf, Kyiv, Ukraine

PGA of Ukraine – SOS to all Golfers

March 8, 2022March 11, 2022 vegasjeff

We are the PGA of Ukraine. Two weeks ago, we were teaching golfers how to hold a 7iron. Now, we are doing all we can to hold onto our land.

My name is Jeff Vinall, my wife Anna and I are the only members of the PGA of Ukraine who are currently outside the country, and we are asking for help from the golf community to support our brothers and sisters as we all defend the land that we love.

Our story briefly:

Until Feb 24, 2022, this was our life:

Now, this is our life

As soon as the missiles hit Kyiv, we jumped into the car and headed west. We were prepared, and we were able to escape to Poland. The trip was harrowing and traumatizing, but it is even worse for the people who remain behind.

My brothers and sisters from the PGA of Ukraine are all in their hometowns, preparing to face the advancing Russian offensive. Anna and I are doing all we can to help refugees at the Polish border.

Our goal is to raise funds to help the current activities as we mobilize for war. Our current priorities:

1. Assist civilians to escape from hot zones of heavy fighting

2. Deliver needed medicine to hospitals

3. Assist refugees at the Polish border.

All funds received will be distributed in Ukraine to help in our goals of supporting our members, our nation, and our freedom.

We have been denied by gofundme and are working hard to create a secure site for donations to support our organization and the important work we are doing in Ukraine. Please continue to follow us at this site and at our twitter account @pgaUkraine.

I am confident that the community of golf professionals will step up to help us. We will be eternally grateful.

Jeff and Anna Vinall
PGA of Ukraine

email: vegasjeff18@gmail.com

twitter: @pgaUkraine
email: kyivgolfacademy@gmail.com

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fitness, golf, golf instruction, Kyiv, sports, Ukraine

I Stink When I Drink

May 25, 2021May 25, 2021 vegasjeff

I recently entered a 3 club tournament and brought along my 5 wood, 8 iron and putter. I was optimistic – we were playing the Premier Course at Kiev Golf Club, where I regularly shoot in the 60’s. I felt great on the range, and drained a few chips on the practice green. Nothing but blue skies and green lights ahead. I should have known better. Joining in our foursome was a friendly Ukrainian with a bottle of single malt.

“This golf in Ukraine.” he said as he handed me a full plastic shot glass.

I never drink when I play, but what was I supposed to say to that? Good people drink good scotch, and everyone seemed up for it. So I took my drink right there on the tee box, and feeling like a cat after a good stretch, I flushed a high draw and held my finish for style points.

On the third, I chipped in for birdie to go one under par. “We drink for birdies” said my scotch toting droog. So, we threw back another as we readied ourselves on the fourth tee. From 160 yards, I knocked it stiff and canned the putt to go two under. Another birdie, another round of drinks.

On the 6th green, I four putted from 15 feet. Had to be the whisky, right? I didn’t feel drunk but the hole was definitely blurry. I held it together somewhat over the next few holes, until the English chap made a birdie which brought the bottle out again.

From then on, there were no more birdies – but that didn’t stop us from draining the bottle by the 12th tee. Your man promptly rang the bar and ordered another. We didn’t need any more whisky, but once you get started on a bender, the tendency is to take it all the way.

I made a 7 on the 13th – the easiest hole on the course. On 14 I pull-hooked my tee shot onto the 15th tee and then chunked my 8 iron. By this point I was thoroughly lit, telling dirty jokes and smoking a cigar. Who am I kidding? I’m an old hell raiser, and all it takes is one or two to get back in gear. On 15 I hit my 5 wood straight up in the air off the tee. How I made bogey there is unclear.

“The problem with your game,” my Ukrainian friend suggested as he handed me another glass, “is you’re not drinking enough. Trust me, it will help you relax.”

If you’ve ever played with me, you know that the last thing I need is to be more relaxed on the course. I’m Mr Zen himself, breathing slow and deep and throwing out sage quotes from Siddhartha to Sam Snead. Adding firewater to the mix actually produced the opposite effect.

Worst part is that my mental game went in the toilet. After a few bad shots, I lost my confidence. Suddenly I’m trying to fix my swing mid round. I’m doing swing drills on the side, trying to get it back like some rookie duffer. I never do that. It’s poison, and I should know better.

By some miracle, I ripped my 5 wood straight into the wind on the long, par 3 16th. Should have been an easy birdie putt, but I missed it badly and barely rattled in for par. I don’t remember much about 17 and 18, other than the crooked numbers. One vague memory of a bladed approach that almost decapitated a spectator. I felt helpless out there – like one of those dreams where you get in a fight and all your punches are in slow motion.

The Limey in our flight won the tournament. Back in the bar, he credited the booze for helping him keep his head down. Good for him. Turned me into an absolute hack. A frat boy on spring break with golf bag on his shoulder and a stogie in his chops. I didn’t even want to hear my score. I ignored it.

The next day I played the Premier again – slightly hungover but generally straight. One over par. Nary a three putt. Confidence restored. My mental game is so fragile, that one bad round easily undoes twenty good ones. At the same time, I missed the banter – what good is it to make birdies with nobody around to toast them?

So what’s the takeaway? Why do we play golf? To calm our nerves and find our inner Ben Hogan? Or to get twisted and laugh all the way home with our favorite degenerates? The answer for me is clearly one or the other. Certainly not both at the same time. Let’s face it, golf and whisky go together – they are easily Scotland’s two greatest gifts to the world (besides The Average White Band). But for me, a reformed hell-yeah with a fragile ego and raging desire to play scratch – I need to make sure I do them in the correct order.

I’m not a bad golfer, but I stink when I drink.

fitness, golf, golf instruction, Kyiv, sports, Ukraine

Get Ready For Power

March 21, 2021May 23, 2021 vegasjeff

“If you add speed to crap, it’s still crap” ~Anonymous

We know you’re ready to swing faster. It’s perfectly natural. Nearly every televised golf shot these days features launch monitor data on club and ball speed. You see club head speeds in the 120’s and you say, “I want that. I need to do some power training.”

That’s true – power training will help you get faster club head and ball speed, but your’e probably not ready for it. You’ve got to prepare the body for real power training. It takes time, a few months anyway. Let’s take a look at how to do it properly.

This article is part of our Going Full Dechambeau series. For more on what it means to Go Full Dechambeau click here. Briefly – it means getting longer, stronger and faster by three methods:

1. Power Training

2. Swing Technique

3. Club Fitting

So let’s talk about power training. First we should define our terms.

Power = Force x Velocity.

Another way to say that is to say that power is a mix of strength and speed. Golfers of all ages and abilities can benefit from power training, but if you try to get fast before you get strong, the only you’re gonna do is hurt yourself. So, how do I prepare myself?

Great question, glad you asked. The most efficient way to train an athlete is called, periodization. This means you train a certain way for a month or two, and then you change it up to keep the body adapting. If we look at a measurement of training time, say anywhere from 4 – 8 weeks – we’ll call that a cycle. When training athletes for power, the most effective method is a 3 Cycle System. It looks like this:

Cycle 1 – Basic Strength
Cycle 2 – Balance / Core training
Cycle 3 – Power / Sport Specific

So, a cycle can last anywhere from 4 – 8 weeks. So, if you have a 3-4 month offseason in the winter, you can set it up so that you finish Cycle 3 right as your season begins. That way, you’re as powerful as possible going into your season. Once the season begins, then you just need to maintain, which takes a lot less effort. We will follow up with an article on in season power maintenance.

So, what do we do in these cycles? Let’s take a closer look

Cycle 1.

Basic strength and mass exercises. 75% of max. 3 x 8-12 repetitions.

The Big 5

Squat
Hip Hinge
Chop
Push
Pull

For more information on the Big 5 golf power moves, click here.

Cycle 2.

We take the same Big 5 movements from Cycle 1, but we take away stability, which strengthens the core and improves balance. Examples could include a squat on one leg, or doing pushups on a fitness ball. Pushing and pulling can be combined, with arms moving in opposite directions and the core working hard to stabilize the body. Our site is full of Cycle 2 exercises.

Cycle 3.

Power training, at last! Finally, we get to throw heavy medicine balls, swing kettle bells and jump onto boxes. Yes, Cycle 3 is the fun part, and we promise to give you a very special article very soon on ideas for Cycle 3. But if you don’t start in Cycle 1, you’re just adding speed to crap.

A special note. Make sure you practice swinging both right and left handed. This will balance out the body and make you faster in both directions!

To book a golf or golf fitness lesson:

+38 (096) 817-9145

https://www.facebook.com/KyivGolfAcademy

fitness, golf, golf instruction, Kyiv, sports, Ukraine

Here Comes the Sun!

February 26, 2021 vegasjeff

It’s been a long cold lonely winter in Kyiv, Ukraine. Deep snow, icy roads and of course the dreaded quarantine. Luckily, winter never lasts forever, and today the sun is shining, the snow is melting and Spring is in the air! Time to start flexing those golf muscles.

Это была долгая холодная, одинокая зима в Киеве, Украина. Огромное количество снега, обледенелые дороги и, конечно же, страшный карантин. К счастью, зима не длится вечно, и сегодня светит солнце, тает снег и пахнет весной ! Пришло время размять наши гольф мышцы.

It seems like years since it’s been clear!

As many of you know, we have spent our winter months going Full Dechambeau. If you missed that article, click here. To sum up – we have been power lifting, speed training and preparing our bodies to be stronger, faster and longer. The goal? Increased club head speed. Hitting bombs off the tee. Reaching the green with an 8 iron instead of a six.

Многие из вас знают, что мы провели эти зимние месяцы по системе Full Dechambeau. Если Вы пропустили эту статью, нажмите здесь. Подводя итог – мы занимались пауэрлифтингом, скоростнымы тренировками, таким образом подготовливали все тело, чтобы стать сильнее, быстрее и мощнее. Цель? Повысить скорость головы клюшки. Достигать грин с 8-ым айроном, а не с 6-ым.

We’ve learned a lot in the process, and we promise to share it all with you over the coming months. We will share the basic exercises necessary to prepare the body for speed training, some of the routines we’ve used, and some scheduling information on how to ramp up the intensity. We’ll also show some of the swing drills that we’ve been using to improve our sequencing, lag and impact positions.

Мы многому научились в процессе тренировок и обещаем поделиться этим с Вами уже в ближайшие месяцы. Мы поделимся основными упражнениями для подготовки тела к скоростным тренировкам, так называемую рутину и процедуры связанные с ней. Также мы наглядно покажем некоторые свинг-упражнения, которые мы использовали для улучшения нашего замаха.

We’ve also added a launch monitor / golf simulator to our tool box, which means we can see the numbers and track our progress. Most of the top coaches in golf are using launch monitors in their lessons now, so we are thrilled to be able to offer it to all of our students. We can do club mapping – where we measure the average distance of every club in your bag, there’s a special feature for wedge play and we can play 18 holes on a wide variety of courses from around the world.

Также мы добавили в наш гольф инвентарь гольф симулятор, который позволяет нам наблюдать за цифрами и видеть результаты. Большинство лучших тренеров по гольфу сейчас используют мониторы запуска на своих уроках, поэтому мы очень рады предложить к Вашим услугами уроки на гольф стимуляторе. Мы можем составить Вашу карту клюшки – где мы измеряем среднее расстояние каждой вашей клюшки и мы можем играть 18-ть лунок в любой точке мира.

So, keep an eye on us for lots of content leading into golf season. If you’re interested in coming out to join us for a golf lesson, a golf fitness session, or if you’d just like to play on our golf simulator, hit us up while our prices are still low! See you soon on the golf course!

Так что, следите за новостями, у нас есть большое количество материала для подготовки к началу гольф сезона. Если Вы хотите присоединиться к нам на уроки, гольф фитнес тренировки или Вы просто хотите поиграть с нами на гольф симуляторе, то обращайтесь к нам, пока наши цены все еще низкие! До скорой встречи на гольф полях !

Kyiv Golf Academy – +38 096 817 9043

https://www.facebook.com/KyivGolfAcademy