Lehr knows the value of a good short game, and the importance of making putts of varying lengths during a round. Putts inside of six feet might be “ho-hummers,” but they can make a difference when it comes to your final score. Lehr loves the challenge of the longer putts, claiming that holing a lengthy putt out on the course is what thrills him most. He made his fair share while playing tournaments in high school and college; Lehr also teed it up in the California and Oklahoma State Opens and in two Nike Tour events before turning professional.

“I practice putting, chipping and wedges the most,” says Lehr, who typically swings a 6 or 7 iron to tune up. “I rarely practice long irons or the driver,” adds Lehr, “because that often causes over swinging which leads to loss of confidence and tempo.” Lehr hits the mid- to short-irons more frequently while practicing to maintain his tempo and trusts that this will transfer to his longer clubs. Lehr believes this approach can work for most golfers.

“When you’re working on the full swing, you should focus on solid contact, tempo and timing,” advises Lehr. A student of Lehr’s recently shot 70-64 on a tight, medium-length par 70 to win the Oklahoma State Girls Junior Championship. She’s just 17, but after working with Lehr on her mental game and a slight sway in her swing, this student certainly benefited by Lehr’s sound approach. “I’m very proud of her,” smiles Lehr.

Not one to completely overhaul a student’s swing, Lehr is content to make subtle changes as needed depending on a golfer’s goals. He offers a better understanding of how the swing works and a clear direction toward improvement. “I’ve taught long enough to know I can help anyone I teach,” says Lehr. “It’s always very rewarding to see a student begin to understand how the golf swing fundamentals work.” Lehr’s students appreciate his ability to keep things simple; he always gives students something specific to work on. Lehr doesn’t try to change everything at once.

Lehr grew up in Norman, Oklahoma and first took up golf at age 12. He played on the team at Norman High School and went on to compete for Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma. Lehr also played football, baseball and basketball on youth teams, but he narrowed it to golf later in life as he discovered he only need depend on himself. “It was the only sport where the amount you practiced didn’t depend on others or team practice schedules,” says Lehr. With all his practice efforts, it’s not surprising the strengths of Lehr’s game are his putting and his ability to hit the ball straight with a full swing.

Pressure shots for Lehr are sometimes those that are tight off the tee, and he remembers “team play” in college being especially challenging. “It seemed like every shot in team playoffs in college was high-pressure,” recalls Lehr. “Team play was more intense than individual play.” Lehr is able to perform well under pressure, however, by staying patient. Lehr believes a good summary of all mental game instruction is simply “play one shot at a time.” He tries to maintain this thought process whenever things get tough out on the course.

Favorite courses of Lehr’s include The Old Course at St. Andrews and Cypress Point. He also enjoys traveling to Scotland or the Monterey Peninsula. During the warmer seasons, you’ll catch him teeing it up in khakis and a light colored shirt, but when there’s a chill in the air, he prefers darker colors. With no real superstitions about the game, Lehr relies on his steadfast practice routine and vast experience to get him through each round. He takes some inspiration from watching Tour players Tom Lehman, David Duval and Tiger Woods.

A resident of Sandia Park, New Mexico for just over two years, Lehr lives there with his wife of 20 years, Nina, and two daughters, Cara (14) and Allison (12). When he’s not on the lesson tee, Lehr likes to snow ski, hunt and hike. Lehr teaches at Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club, ranked #1 Best New Affordable Golf Course for 2000 by Golf Digest. GOLF Magazine also recognized Paa-Ko Ridge as one of the Top 10 new courses in 2000. T&L called it one of the Top 10 Desert Courses in America; Golf & Travel lists it as a Top 40 Daily Fee Course. 

Learn more about lessons with Lehr and beautiful Paa-Ko Ridge by e-mailing him at wlehr@paakoridge.com or visiting www.paakoridge.com. Thanks for sharing, Warren!