From Brent Kelley,
Your Guide to Golf.
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(Editor's Note: Michael Lamanna is author of some of the most popular free golf tips on About.com Golf. This bio provides a little background on Lamanna's experience.)

Michael Lamanna
PGA Class A Professional
Director of Instruction
The Phoenician
Scottsdale, Ariz.

Michael began playing golf at age four. He earned a golf scholarship to the University of Idaho and after graduating worked as a club professional for ten years.

Lamanna has taught golf using video training techniques since 1979. During the past sixteen years he has dedicated himself to teaching full time, first as a Master Instructor, then as Director of Instruction and Director of Schools for three Jim McLean Golf Academies.

In 1998, he became the first Director of Instruction for Resort Golf Group and opened and operated golf academies at Sierra Nevada Golf Club in Lake Tahoe, Nev.; Mesquite Golf Club in Palm Springs, Calif.; Cimarron Golf Club in Cathedral City, Calif.; The Westin Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Calif.; and at Doral Arrowwood Resort in Rye, N.Y.

In 1999, Lamanna was named Director of Schools at the PGA Tour Golf Academy in Saint Augustine, Fla., and in 2002, he was named Director of Instruction at the prestigious The Academy at La Cantera, located at the The Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, Texas.

Lamanna has worked with teaching legends Jim McLean, Bob Toski, Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Scott Sackett and Golf Digest Top 50 Teacher Tim Mahoney. He has conducted clinics with Hall of Fame members Billy Casper, Ben Crenshaw, Gary Player and Tony Jacklin and with tour veterans Bruce Lietzke, Calvin Peete, Bill Rogers, Dale Douglass and Gay Brewer.

Michael has been affiliated with the PGA and teaching golf for more than 27 years. He was named "2004 Harvey Penick Teacher of the Year" in the Western Chapter of the Southern Texas PGA and has written articles for Avid Golfer Magazine, Texas Golfer, AZ Golfer, Northwest Golfer, About.com and numerous local and regional newspapers and periodicals.

Lamanna has hosted local golf talk radio programs and has appeared in numerous TV golf tip segments. He has taught players of all levels including the San Antonio City Girls, Boys and Men's Champions, the Texas State Mid Amateur Champion, Montana State Open Champion, Arizona State Boys and Florida State Girls Junior Champions, collegiate golfers, members of the LPGA, Nationwide Tour, The Champions Tour and PGA Tour.

As a player, Michael has won numerous club professional events and has a low competitive round of 63.

"My teaching philosophy is to keep instruction simple and focused on fundamentals," Lamanna said. "I begin by listening to the student and helping them identify their goals in all areas of the game. Then we begin the process of building a sound swing based on fundamentals and physical abilities. I believe that a golf swing must be improved in a building-block fashion. A swing built on sound fundamentals - grip, posture, alignment, ball position and pivot action - is a swing that will perform for a lifetime."

In December of 2006, he was named Director of Instruction at The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona, one of the world's top rated luxury golf resorts.