Sticks 96 Golf

I’ve been sitting on this one for almost two years, but wanted to give it time to see the results. I’m a recreational golfer; it’s strictly with buddies for a random weekend outing or playing in scrambles with friends in charity tournaments. In total, I’ve been playing for about 15 years and took just a couple of lessons throughout that time. It’s fun for me, I don’t take it seriously, but I’d probably enjoy it more if I could improve some things in my game. One of the guys I play with suggested I take some lessons at Sticks 96 Golf, since he has been going for some time.

He told me it was more than a golf shop, which is what I thought it was. While they do sell equipment and offer services like club fittings and repair, he said the in-store golf instructions was where he found the most value. All the lessons I’ve taken were at the golf course, and what set this one apart was the use of technology. I’m a very visual learner, so it intrigued me.

Sticks 96 Golf is located at 2621 N. Greenwich Road, right across the street from Greenwich Place in northeast Wichita.

The lessons are $80 for one, which last between 45–60 minutes. Junior golf lessons are $50 and less between 30–45 minutes.

There are two instructional bays at Sticks 96 Golf. The whole time you’re receiving lessons, the shots are being recorded, your swing is recorded, so you get better visuals of what you’re doing right and in my case, what you’re doing wrong.

This type of instruction helped me immensely. People can always tell you what you’re doing wrong, but until you see it with your own eyes, it does nothing… for me at least.

My very first lesson was in the summer of 2021. My instructor was Dan Winters, who some people may remember from Wichita Country Club. He asked me to take my normal swings and then I was able to watch what I was doing. From there, he worked with me on my stance and grip. The lessons are an hour long but provided me with what felt like years of knowledge. From there we went through basic swing mechanics. We changed what some people may feel like a little, but for me, it was a lot.

During the lessons, Winters explained to me in multiple ways what I was doing vs. what I should be doing. He had multiple examples, so in case I didn’t understand one version, he had another way of explaining it. If I found out, he taught grade school, I’d immediately send my daughter to whatever school he was at. He had a knack for teaching.

For those that love statistics and numbers, Sticks 96 Golf also crunched down things like your ball speed, distance, loft, and everything else.

On my next lesson, we did more swing mechanics. Two weeks later, I played in a tournament and won closest to the pin. For a recreational golfer like myself, a lot of that is luck, but a lot of that was also what I learned from Dan. Otherwise, I probably would have just sliced it or chunked it and let it roll 50 yards.

The rest of the past summer, I started to see big gains in my game. Things started to feel more natural.

This year, I wanted to get a head start on golf lessons. The golf bug usually hits me when the Masters start. On my latest lesson, we worked more on swing mechanics, follow through, where my golf club should be, arm placement, things that would help as I continued to try to improve areas of my golf game. Because let’s face it, there’s a lot to be worked on.

I loved it. Golf is fun, it would still be fun had I not taken lessons. But it’s definitely more fun as you see improvement and strides in your game.

Seriously, I can’t stress enough how awesome Dan Winters is as a teacher.

And if you’re looking for equipment, some apparel, club fittings or repair, Sticks 96 Golf can get you taken care of as well.

Sticks 96 Golf is located at 2621 N. Greenwich Road. For more information, check them out on Facebook or visit their website.

To schedule an appointment for a golf lesson, contact Dan Winters at 316-719-2489 or at dan@sticks96golf.com.