'I Wanted To Be Able To Hit The Shots I Saw Seve Playing' - Dan Grieve On His Rise To Short Game Stardom

Dan Grieve is now a household name in the world of golf coaching and especially the short game, catapulting himself into the limelight through his viral lesson videos on social media and best-selling instruction book 3 Releases: The Short Game System.

WATCH: Dan Grieve's exclusive interview

In the first episode of Monthly Meets, a new video interview series on the Golf Monthly YouTube channel where we speak to some of the biggest personalities in the sport, Dan explains where his drive and desire to focus on the short game came from and how he got his own ability to the level where he can hit all the shots he teaches during his over-subscribed clinics and lessons.

“I was a product of the late 80s, back then it was all about putting the ball back in the stance and trapping it with the hands leading,” Dan explained to Golf Monthly staff writer Dan Parker on the Tavistok short game area at Woburn Golf Club, where Grieve is the head professional. “But I’d watch Seve and he’d let the club release, use the bounce more, playing shots differently to how I was taught and I wanted to be able to hit the shots I saw Seve playing.”

Having studied VHS cassettes (this was pre internet), books and golf magazine articles, Dan compiled piles and piles of notes studying the short game and dedicated hours of practice time to his craft so he could play all the shots he planned to coach his students on around the greens. 

“I soon realised the way I’d been taught, you couldn’t play all the shots. I wanted the ball to come off softer. I liked learning from other coaches, and writing the book helped my understanding of the short game and answering my own questions.”

The 3 Releases book has been an incredible success and has led to Dan coaching some very high profile golfers, be in in the professional game or the celebrity world, including Charley Hull, Rick Shiels and Dan Walker. But it is the simplicity of his content that has really resonated with golfers from all walks of life.

“Golfers like systems - If I put the club there I’m going to get the result. The short game has been misunderstood and poorly taught - my big dream with the 3 releases was to provide clarity. It gives you three ways of swinging the club and made it very simple - I’ve packaged it so it can be coached and understood better.”

A big part of Dan’s success has been his ability to demonstrate hitting some of the most difficult short game shots with ease during his live lessons posted on social media, something that Dan believes is vital for any coach.

“If I’m coaching and doing clinics, I wanted to be able to demonstrate the shot - it’s an important skill. It’s really powerful and learning through copying makes it sink in faster. I can play shots most tour players can and I really believe that helps get the message across.”

Get your own copy of '3 Releases: The Short Game System' by Dan Grieve using the link below.