Doug Reed’s Golf Teaching Philosophy: Unlocking Natural Motion Through Dominant-Side Mechanics and Brain Typing
Doug Reed teaches golf by stripping away decades of mechanical misdirection and reconnecting the swing to how the human body is designed to move. His method—honed over years as a player, instructor, and innovator—is built on two core pillars: dominant-side swing control and brain-typing-based personalization.
1) Leading With the Dominant Side – “Let the Tail Wag the Dog”
Doug’s breakthrough came from challenging one of golf’s oldest teachings: the idea that the golf swing should begin with a “one-piece takeaway,” often led by the body’s non-dominant side. In his view, that’s backward. He explains:
“Why are we told to use the dumbest part of our body—the non-dominant side—to control one of the most complex movements in sport?”
Doug teaches golfers to use their dominant-side arms and hands, while allowing the hips, shoulders, and torso to react naturally, not consciously. These larger “bulk” muscle groups aren’t built to respond to conscience thought they’re designed to respond to subconscious thought. Trying to control them with conscious thought creates tension, sequencing errors, and power loss.
He draws parallels with everyday movement:
“Try walking 20 steps while thinking about each step, and your gait will change . The same happens in the swing when you use conscious thought to activate subconscious muscle groups.
Example: Bruce Fleisher – Champions Tour Breakthrough
In 1999, Doug worked with Bruce Fleisher before his debut on the PGA Champions Tour. Fleisher was skeptical of traditional mechanics and responded immediately to Doug’s dominant-side method. The result: he won Player of the Year in two of his first three seasons.
Doug helped Bruce focus on letting his arms and club swing naturally around his body, allowing the torso and hips to respond fluidly—improving both swing plane ( Bruce had a very laid off position at the top) club head speed and accuracy. Fleisher credited Doug’s method for freeing up his swing and restoring confidence in competition
2) Brain Typing – Teaching the Golfer, Not Just the Swing
Doug was among the first golf professionals to use brain typing—a concept that evaluates a student’s psychological profile, learning style, and physical tendencies. He grouped students by their dominant learning modality (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or reading/writing) and adapted his coaching style accordingly.
This system also helped identify overactive or underused muscle groups, allowing Doug to tailor drills and cues for each player’s specific neuromuscular makeup.
Example: JC Snead – Adapting for Kinesthetic Learning
Tour veteran JC Snead, a kinesthetic learner, benefited from Doug’s minimalist, feel-based approach. Instead of technical breakdowns, Doug gave JC movement-based cues and focused on tempo and rhythm. By eliminating cognitive overload, JC was able to “swing freely with natural power,” as he put it, and return to competitive form late in his career.
3) Breaking Myths – The Swing Isn’t One Plane, It’s Sequenced
Doug teaches that the backswing cannot—and should not—happen “in one piece.” He explains that the hips, shoulders, arms, and club all move different distances on different planes:
- Hips rotate 6–8 inches
- Shoulders rotate roughly 12 inches
- Arms and hands move 5–7 feet
- The clubhead travels 10–12 feet
Trying to move them all together at the same causes multiple swing planes caused by two forced lifting events 1st when the hips stop turning 2nd when shoulders stop turning,making it virtually impossible for a correct downswing sequence. This will always cause a over-the -top move causing a slice.His drills focus on timing the movement naturally, allowing the club to set the rhythm.
Example: Wes Short Jr. – Plane and Sequence Fix
PGA Tour pro Wes Short Jr. came to Doug struggling with inconsistent strikes around the green. Doug identified that his motion had to much club rotation on the backswing due to forced shoulder and hip movement. Through drills that encouraged natural arm swing and delayed body reaction, Doug helped Wes reestablish sequence and improve clubface control, directly contributing to his Champions Tour success.
4) The Hands Know the Way – Power Comes from Trust, Not Force
Doug emphasizes the hands and arms as the initiators . He compares the golf swing to throwing a baseball,hitting tennis or racket ball and all other sports that your dominant side is in the pushing position.
“When you throw a ball 10 feet or 100 feet, you don’t think about what your legs or hips are doing. You just move your hand with more or less force. The body reacts naturally.”
“When you walk does your head or feet move first? Feet right? Wrong your head! Head leans forward and feet move to support the weight.Why does everyone think feet, the reason is that the only part of the body that takes conscious thought are your fine motor muscle group ( feet and hands) leaving that the your only feedback. Next time try to take a step thinking about moving your head first ,very awkward! This is why the golf swing is so difficult. It is a balance between conscious and subconscious movement..
Doug uses analogies like this to help players connect power to instinct, not muscle. The result is more clubhead speed, better timing, and dramatically reduced strain on the body.
Results Across the Game
Doug has taught over 70 PGA professionals with a combined 45 PGA Tour wins, and he’s worked with athletes across multiple sports:
- Jimmy Connors, Johan Kriek, and Kevin Curren (tennis)
- Curly Neal (Harlem Globetrotters)
- Marty Schottenheimer (NFL)
- Dwight Evans (MLB)
Many of these elite athletes turned to Doug for his understanding of movement efficiency, sequencing, and brain-body connection.
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Conclusion: Golf That Works with the Body, Not Against It
Doug Reed’s philosophy isn’t a swing theory—it’s a rethinking of how golfers learn, move, and play. His methods are based on how the body already knows to function, not how it’s artificially trained. By promoting dominant-side mechanics, adapting instruction to brain types, and encouraging natural sequencing, Doug helps golfers unlock distance, control, and confidence.
In Doug’s own words:
“The goal isn’t to swing perfect. The goal is to swing naturally—and let perfect happen more often.”