Mike Bender Elite Golf Academy Magnolia Plantation Golf Club, Lake Mary, FL
World-Class Coaching and Unique Training Makes this the Home of Champions The Mike Bender Elite Golf Academy (MBEGA) is designed to deliver a complete training experience to golfers dedicated to reaching their full competitive potential at the collegiate and professional ranks. Located in the Orlando suburb of Lake Mary, Florida, the training center has been developed by worldrenowned instructor Mike Bender. Since opening the academy in 1991, Bender has coached more than 80 juniors to earning college golf scholarships. A former PGA Tour player, Bender is ranked among the Top Five Greatest Teachers in America by Golf Digest Magazine and is the 2009 PGA of America National Teacher of the Year. He coaches many of the game s top professionals including 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson; multiple LPGA champion Seon Hwa-Lee; two-time U.S. Open Champion Lee Janzen; and PGA Tour winners Jonathan Byrd and Robert Damron. Bender also coaches many of the top junior players from Florida and across the United States. One of his 14-year-old students qualified for the Hong Kong Open in 2008 and made the cut, breaking Sergio Garcia s record as the youngest to make a cut in a major men s professional tour event. He returned in 2009 and made the cut again and in 2011 became the No. 1 ranked junior boy golfer in the United States. Mike will teach his Elite Golf Academy students the same way he teaches winners of the game s biggest championships. This is an intensive program designed to develop all the skills necessary for success at the collegiate or professional level. It includes proprietary training methods such as the MEGSA Perfect Practice Equipment and a unique speed training system that no other academy can offer at this time. Our academy also has two state-of-theart TrackMan launch monitors and the SAM Putt stroke analyzer technologies to provide the most complete and accurate swing data available today. Training takes place at the Magnolia Plantation Golf Club in Lake Mary. The course stretches to 7,150 yards and offers students an unparalleled training experience. If you are dedicated to your goals and ready to take your game to a much higher level, focus your ambition at the Mike Bender Elite Golf Academy.
Growing up in Waterloo, Iowa, Mike Bender was an inveterate tinkerer. He would dismantle, then reassemble, radios, televisions, bicycles and anything else that could be taken apart and put back together. It was this razor sharp mechanical aptitude, an eye for detail and a passion for golf that have allowed this Midwestern native to become one of the top golf instructors in the world. Today, Bender can efficiently assemble a better golf swing for any golfer from rank beginners to the game's top touring professionals. This extraordinary knowledge combined with his ability to explain the fundamentals in a clear and concise manner is why he has been named the PGA of America s 2009 National Teacher of the Year, is ranked among the Top 5 Greatest Teachers in America by Golf Digest Magazine and, for more than a decade, has been included in GOLF Magazine s Top 100 Teacher list. As Bender has achieved world-wide recognition among his peers, the game s top players have sought out his advice. Zach Johnson, 2007 Masters champion, has trained with Mike since Johnson was launching his professional career on the minitours more than a decade ago. Mike Bender LPGA tournament winners, Seon Hwa Lee and Joo Mi Kim also have spent significant time with Mike along with Vicki Hurst, fivetime winner on the Futures Tour and now on the LPGA Tour. More recently, PGA Tour veterans including Jonathan Byrd, Skip Kendall, Robert Damron, D.J. Brigman and two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen have put their faith in Mike. All told, Bender has helped more than two-dozen PGA, Champions and LPGA Tour professionals to nearly 20 wins on the world s major tours. "Mike Bender is one of America's Top 5 Greatest Teachers" -Golf Digest Many of these professionals have a high comfort level with Mike because they know he has been in their shoes. Bender was a three-time NCAA All-American and two-time NCAA Division III individual champion before spending three seasons on the PGA Tour from 1987-89. This high level of competition inspired Mike to search out top teachers to improve his own game. While he was competing, he spent significant time learning about the golf swing from Ben Doyle, Mike Adams, David Leadbetter and Mac O Grady, all of whom have been ranked among the 50 Greatest Teachers in America by Golf Digest. It was while working with these teachers that Bender s swing theories were refined. But having a solid understanding of the golf swing doesn t necessarily make a teacher great. The instructor must also have a burning desire to clearly transfer this knowledge into each student s game. Mike not only wants to be able to explain how a student should make the most efficient golf swing possible, but he wants to make sure the student feels the proper swing for himself. Once the student can feel the proper motion, it becomes critical to find ways to enable the student to develop the correct motion even when the teacher isn t watching. Bender s revolutionary solution is called MEGSA PPE which stands for Most Efficient Golf Swing Attainable Perfect Practice Equipment and has been used by more than a dozen touring professionals, including Johnson. This comprehensive training station allows golfers to hit shots while avoiding adjustable bumpers, which provide real-time feedback as to whether or not the club and body are in the preferred positions during the swing. Thousands of amateurs are already hooked on MEGSA PPE at select facilities around the world. Today, from his home base near Orlando, Bender continues to tinker, designing new training aids and trying to understand in even more detail what traits can make a golf swing even more efficient. It is a quest for perfection that will never be complete, it is also a quest that has made Bender one of the game s finest instructors.
The MBEGA Training Philosophy The Mike Bender Elite Golf Academy strives to create the optimal learning and training environment for junior golfers to reach their full potential. The training center s students are immersed in an atmosphere where everything from the game s basic fundamentals to the little-known subtle keys to success are incorporated into each day. At our academy, we combine Mike Bender s major-championship winning MEGSA swing method with a comprehensive plan to maximize each student s tournament preparation, practice techniques, physical conditioning and game management skills. Our elite training program also emphasizes the proper mental approach to a successful career in golf. Scientific research shows that it takes a minimum of eight to 12 years of training for an athlete to reach the elite levels of his or her sport. Unfortunately, too many coaches approach training with an attitude best characterized as the "win early and win often" approach. At the MBEGA, our commitment is to long-term athletic development incorporating all aspects of training, development and management, which is the only reliable route to long-term elite status. Best of all, Mike is on site nearly every day coaching and training the academy students himself. A specific and well-planned training regime will ensure optimum development and control the stress recovery cycle that leads to over-training and burnout. Ultimately, success is tied to training and performing well in the long-term, rather than winning in the short-term. There are no shortcuts to success in athletic preparation. Rushing development almost always results in shortcomings in physical, technical and tactical abilities. The uniqueness of the MBEGA can be defined in our periodization approach to every critical training element. Developing confident student/athletes, who strive to improve and love to compete, is the essence and core competency of the Mike Bender Elite Golf Academy. Here are some of the areas we concentrate on with all of our students. High-tech Swing Analysis The MBEGA utilizes a video analysis system that allows an instructor to film a student's swing and digitize it onto a computer. With the aid of proprietary software, our instructors can analyze and identify even subtle faults and illustrate them to each student. Each session is taped and available to the student for future reference and to demonstrate tangible progress. Our academy also has access to two state-of-the-art TrackMan launch monitors and a SAM Putt stroke analyzer to provide the most accurate swing data available anywhere. These technologies are used by hundreds of players on the PGA and LPGA Tours every single week.
Drills and Practice Technique To achieve long-term athletic development, practice sessions are conducted every day. This consistent approach enables students to achieve a greater grasp of the swing s finer points that require significant time to master. To achieve consistency and maximum power, our instructors prescribe corrective drills tailored to each student's individual needs.! Additionally, students refine their skills using the MEGSA Perfect Practice Equipment developed by Bender to fine-tune their technical skills. High quality practice is more valuable than high volume practice. We don't want to have our students practice longer to improve, rather we give them unique tools to practice more effectively to achieve the desired result sooner. Course Management It takes more than the correct technique to become a champion golfer. It includes mastering the art of managing oneself and the golf course. Our coaches have all played the game at the professional level and understand what is necessary to compete at the highest levels. To this end, a significant amount of each student's time is spent training and competing on the golf course under various conditions under the watchful eyes of our elite coaching staff. By playing often, students have the opportunity to apply what they have learned on the practice tee and in class. Comprehensive statistics are recorded and each round is discussed and analyzed with one of the MBEGA instructors. Fitness Training Sports-specific training is essential to the success of any athlete. Having understood the need for strength and fitness in the elite levels of professional golf, our academy has retained fitness professionals and have specialized weighttraining equipment on site to develop and implement golfspecific fitness plans for all students. Our academy also offer the first of its kind Speed Training Course designed to increase clubhead speed in our students. The program was designed by our very own Scott Sheppard and is a big competitive advantage for our students. By applying a tailored approach based on each athlete s individual needs and goals we can enhance strengths and address weaknesses to truly maximize the time investment in all of these areas: Mobility/Flexibility, Core Posture, Movement, Strength and Power and Energy System Development. Tournament Preparation Since mental preparation is a major part of golf, one of the instructor's roles is to assist students in developing formal routines for on and off the course. Formalized routines make for more consistent play and allow students to focus more clearly while competing. Students practice in all types of weather and are trained to handle all types of inclement conditions during tournament play. Because all of our staff instructors have significant experience competing at the professional level, we are able to fully prepare our students for the rigors of competing against the game's elite players.
Why our program offers the best competitive coaching available in the game today: World-class instruction by Mike Bender, who is on site nearly every day, and his certified instructors. Daily practice at our new $1 million world-class comprehensive training center. All training is individually customized, efficient, precise and goal oriented. Periodized Training to help each athlete reach peak performance for key tournaments. Training fully integrated to develop technical, tactical, physical, mental and nutritional components. A wide variety of practice techniques creates proper stimulation and avoids boredom and burnout. While the primary objective is individual improvement, we also emphasis making the process fun. One of the few facilities in the world to offer the TrackMan launch monitor swing analysis, SAM Putt Lab putting stroke analysis and V-1 video swing analysis. Training on the MEGSA Perfect Practice Equipment used by multiple major champions for training. Comprehensive golf-specific fitness program with a certified Titleist Performance Institute trainer. A mental training program designed from feedback from top PGA and LPGA Tour professionals. Sample Weekly Training Schedule Day Time Training Activities* Monday 2pm - 6pm Review of weekend tournament rounds with coaches Swing training and analysis using V-1 software program Short game and putting drills with emphasis on technique (may include SAM PuttLab analysis Tuesday 2pm - 6pm MEGSA Perfect Practice Equipment reinforcement drills Lesson with Mike Bender Short game and putting training including practice on our unique wedge range Physical conditioning and speed training Wednesday 2pm - 6pm On-course practice at Magnolia Plantation or Tournament Practice Round Putting feel and technique drills Thursday 2pm - 6pm On-course practice at Magnolia Plantation Short game and putting training including practice on our unique wedge range Physical conditioning and speed training Friday 2pm - 6pm On-course practice at Magnolia Plantation Yardage control and shotmaking practice on TrackMan launch monitor Mental coaching with Cheryl Anderson including tournament strategy Putting feel drills incorporating competition Saturday-Sunday Tournament round or academy and course are available for optional practice * Schedule will vary week to week depending upon tournament and academic schedules.
Our Instructors and Coaches Cheryl Anderson, Director of Instruction GOLF Magazine includes Cheryl Anderson among its prestigious list of the Top 100 Teachers in America. Golf Digest says she s one of the Top 10 Women Teachers in America. The LPGA named her their 2006 LPGA National Teacher of the Year and she also was named 2007 Metropolitan (NY) PGA Section Teacher of the Year while she was instructing at Wykagyl C.C. in New Rochelle, NY. Besides her teaching awards, Anderson is also one of the best woman club pro competitors ever. In 2004 she earned the Metropolitan PGA Section Women s Player of the Year award for a record fifth consecutive season. She also was runner-up in the 2002 LPGA National Club Professional Championship and has competed in numerous LPGA Tour events.! Matt Wilkes, Head Instructor Before arriving at the Mike Bender Golf Academy, Matt Wilkes worked at other top facilities in Central Florida including Shingle Creek and Grand Cypress. He was also David Leadbetter's personal assistant and general manager at Leadbetter's headquarters in Champions Gate, Florida. Matt is a talented instructor who deeply cares about helping each student maximize their improvement. He also is an extraordinarily talented club fitter and works closely with each of our Elite students to make sure they have the best set of clubs for their game. He worked for Titleist for two years as their local Demo Tech Representative and as a club fitter. Ben Pellicani, Mike Bender Elite Golf Academy Head Coach Ben Pellicani spent more than five years teaching golf before joining the staff at the MBEGA. He competed at the NCAA Division I level for Bucknell University where he holds the single round scoring record and was nominated for Academic All-American honors. After college he played professionally for one season before turning to teaching and coaching the game. He coached NCAA Divisoin I Men s Golf at Mount St. Mary s University in Maryland. His students have included min-tour players, top level junior and amateur golfers including a First Team ACC All-Conference selection and a Maryland State Amateur Champion. Todd Casabella, Instructor Todd Casabella began his career in golf at an early age caddieing at the club where his father was the Head Golf Professional. He earned a full scholarship to Liberty University, a Division I school in Lynchburg, VA. While at Liberty he was a two-time team MVP, the Team Captain for three years and upon graduation received the Coaches Award for Outstanding Contribution from the Athletic Department. After college, he turned professional and pursued a career in golf playing various mini-tours while working at private clubs in the summers in Ohio. Todd is a certified Level 2 Golf Instructor and Level 2 Junior Coach from Titleist Performance Institute. Scott Shepard, Physical Therapist MSPT/CSCS TPI Certified Golf Fitness Instructor Scott Shepard is a licensed Physical Therapist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He is also certified in golfspecific fitness by the Titleist Performance Institute. Shepard has trained nationally-ranked junior golfers, Nationwide, PGA Tour and LPGA players including multiple-tournament winner Seon Hwa Lee. Along with Mike Bender has created a unique Speed Course training program that will help all MBEGA students to increase their clubhead speed.
The new Mike Bender Golf Academy, opened in 2013, includes nearly $1 million in new training facilities. Mike Bender s Current Touring Professionals Mike Bender currently coaches Touring professionals including (wins while working with Mike): Zach Johnson (PGA Tour) (2007 Masters and 8 other PGA Tour wins) Jonathan Byrd (PGA Tour) (2010 Justin Timberlake Shriners and 2011 Hyundai Tournament of Champions) Lee Janzen (PGA Tour) D.J. Brigman (PGA Tour) (2010 Nationwide Children s Hospital Invitational)!!! Robert Damron (PGA Tour) Seon Hwa Lee (LPGA Tour) (4-time winner on LPGA Tour) Chella Choi (LPGA Tour) Jonathan Moore (Asian PGA Tour) Zach Johnson, Mike Bender and Jonathan Byrd 580 Shadowmoss Circle, Lake Mary, Florida 32746 407-321-0444 www.mikebender.com