I am sure you have heard the name George Gankas several times in the past several months. He is someone that is taking the game by storm through his teaching of the golf swing, resulting in golfers of all ages gaining 10 miles per hour or greater with their golf swing speed.
His approach is unique, yet so refreshing and encouraging to see. He challenges the traditional approach and has a following that is almost cult like. How many other golf instructors, caddie for their players and end up being the bigger celebrity? Well, for George Gankas this is possible and has happened at the Waste Management Open in early 2019.
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So who is George Gankas?
He is a golf instructor in his late 40’s who is taking over the game through his unique approach that includes sandals, baggy shorts, and a culture that is more hip hop than country club. He works with some of the best on tour, including owner of the most unique golf swing and newcomer on tour, Matthew Wolff.
In our mind, it is refreshing from the stuffiness of most golf instructors. Gone is the guy who sits back in his chair, giving lessons, smoking his cigar, collecting his money as some amateur hacks away at the driving range.
George Gankas is someone that truly loves the game and wants to see people get better. He works hands on with those he is giving a lesson to and is extremely honest, but encouraging. He wants his golfers to not be afraid to fail or embarrass themselves.
He wants his golfers to practice not worrying about if they hit the ugly shank or the ugly shot, but to relax and work on their games. His golfers, all seem to have different swings, but have similar moves that include a slight squat and getting open at impact with their shoulders and hips. Check out our Recommended Products page on Golf Swing/Training Aids, Golf Balls, Golf Shoes and more.
Ultimately, George Gankas works on the matchups that each golfer has and can frequently be found analyzing the trackman numbers to help golfers get to the right matchups. George spent many hours and years studying the best swings of the past and has an amazing eye to see what someone is doing, analyze the numbers, prescribe a drill, help get them into a certain position, explain what he is doing and then like magic someone starts to strip it. It is great to see him give lessons and work with golfers of different ability levels.
So can George Gankas Help Your Game. Below we answer 6 Key Questions related to how George Gankas might be able to help you get better at golf. These include the following:
- 1 – Swing Approach/Philosophy
- 2 – Does the Swing Philosophy of George Gankas Set Up for Quality Online Instruction
- 3 – Simplicity of Instruction – Is it Repeatable?
- 4 – On Screen Personality
- 5 – Quality and Quantity of the Content
- 6 – Overall Can George Gankas Help My Game?
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1 – Swing Approach/Philosophy
In many of the George Gankas content found online or on different podcast he has been interviewed on, he frequently talks about golfers finding their matchups. He is not a system game that makes people hit a draw or a fade or stay on the ball or move off the ball, instead he works with your current swing and finds the matchups that will work for that golfer.
He is not going to force you into certain positions on a backswing, which is so refreshing. He has golfers like Matt Wolff who take it outside and loop under and other golfers that drag it more inside. His approach seems to allow a golfer to get into a quality position in the downswing and then let it rip. There is no holding back in his swing and golfers often pick up significant distance from working with George Gankas.
George Gankas often stressed starting the squat and then turning while keeping the arms back. This ultimately helps shallow the club and then allows you to turn aggressively and fling the club through with the right arm, but maintain the lag tension through impact. He spends a great deal of time talking about using the ground forces, which is one of the reasons for the squat early in the downswing.
2 – Does the Swing Philosophy of George Gankas Set Up for Quality Online Instruction
He has a complete system that can be quite expensive, but it walks you through each stage of the golf swing. He wants golfers to be their own coach eventually and understand what matchups they need to be successful. Having viewed a great deal of his videos, I believe he is someone that you can learn a lot from, but to truly understand his swing and get the right help, I believe the membership is required.
3 – Simplicity of Instruction – Is it Repeatable?
I would think once you find the right matchup, you have the different movements it takes and then having access to a launch monitor to see where your numbers are at is essential. For the person who is going to read just their ball flight, they might struggle to know exactly where they are in. The simplicity of his swing is the openness and allowing the club to stay square through the impact zone longer. He wants to ensure you are not flipping through the ball with your hands, which in the long run might be an easier swing to repeat, once you have mastered it.
4 – On Screen Personality
He might be the coolest golf instructor around. He is completely chill and seems to have a great deal of fun with his students. He is refreshing a great change of pace from what we are used to in the golf world. I believe in the coming years you will see many of his current youth golfers hit the tour or at least in the NCAA Division 1 golf world and you will be able to spot a George Gankas coached golfer from a fairway away. Checking out his instagram, there is a distinct move that is noticeable. Overall, his personality seems easy going, but demanding and no non sense. He wants full attention and wants you to follow through with the plans.
5 – Quality and Quantity of the Content
George has talked about his issues and split from his past partner. The GGSwingTips, no longer associated with George has plenty of content. However, George Gankas has now shifted to GerogeGankas.golf and has created a completely new website. He lacks free content with his new website, but does offer a membership opportunity that seems to be extremely comprehensive.
6 – Overall Can George Gankas Help My Game?
If you can get to Geroge Gankas and see him in person for a lesson, it seems to be the ultimate lesson. If money, time or distance is not a barrier, there is nobody out there I would rather take a lesson from. I have explored the online membership, but have not taken the leap of faith yet. In some of his interviews he talks about how easy it is to add 10-20 yards of distance with just about any golfer. Recently, he has received a great deal of praise for his work with Danny Lee who has shot up the distance leaders with driver on the PGA Tour.
Looking for more options for online golf instructors – Read about our top 5 recommended.
More About George Gankas – Related Questions
George Gankas and Adam Scott – Did they work together?
It appears that George did work with Adam Scott for a short period of time. George has expressed on good of a swing that Adam Scott currently has, so he is someone he wouldn’t make drastic changes with.
Where Does George Gankas Teach?
He has worked at Westlake Country Club since 2007. He was a later started with golf, but ended up playing at the college level and then bouncing around on several of the mini tours. He is someone that the players trusted because they knew he understood the golf swing. He has spent many hours studying the greatest golfers of the past and can often talk about the different moves or positions that the greatest of all time utilized.
What’s Next for George Gankas?
He is someone that has received quite a bit of press in the past years. I think we will see more of George Gankas in the near future as many golfers, both young and old, will turn to him. You see golfers like Matt Wolff, Danny Lee, Adam Scott and Johnny Ruiz working with George along with some of the star of the past such as Padraig Harrington working with George. Anyone that can work the distance magic that George can and have the expertise in scoring, that George prides himself on, has a bright future with many great opportunities awaiting.
What’s Next for You?
Check out George Gankas and see if his style and philosophy matches what you are looking for. There are plenty of great options on the internet today and we are able to get some of the best golf instruction at our fingertips. It truly is a great time to learn about the golf swing and further develop your swing!
Excellent Read by Dr. Rotella, “Golf Is Not A Game of Perfect” (Check Current Price on Amazon).