Charles Marchildon, a PGA of Canada professional, hosts the YouTube channel Charles M Golf, offering simple and effective tips in both French and English for golfers of all skill levels. Here is a summary of his method and lessons.
Who is Charles Marchildon?
Charles Marchildon is a French-speaking Canadian golf instructor and a member of the PGA of Canada (CPGA), as he introduces himself at the beginning of his videos. He coaches elite players who compete at the provincial and national levels.
On his channel Charles M. Golf, with nearly 13,000 subscribers, he has posted more than 140 lessons, in both French and English.
Charles Marchildon's method: showing the body rather than telling it
In 2013, Charles Marchildon gave a talk at the Golf Show on “the formula for improving your game.” According to him, the formula is the same for beginners and pros alike: Show your body what you want to do, instead of asking it to do it. This results in very practical exercises, with a physical reference point, that you can do on your own.
Simple, Quantitative Benchmarks
He likes instructions that can be verified: about 80% of his weight on his left leg at impact, his head behind the ball, and his hips turned toward the target. At impact, he boils these cues down to two adjustments made at address: weight transfer and hip rotation.
A wall, a ball, a weighted stick
His exercise—where he lightly touches a wall with his head—keeps his head stable during the rotation. He extends this exercise using a ball or a weighted stick to engage the right muscles and practice the inward downswing, all without expensive equipment.
Charles Marchildon's Lessons on Best Golf Tips
- Distance and Power (Grip, Speed, Power, and Distance, Body Rotation): More Distance: How to Position Your Left Hand on the Grip in 4 Steps, More Power: The “Twist” for Your Hips and Two Wall Exercises.
- Impact and Downswing (Irons – Compress the ball, Impact Position, Downswing and Transition): More Distance: The "Club in Front of the Hip at Impact" Drill, Maximum distance: the club's swing and the downswing sequence, The "head-against-the-wall" exercise for rotation and downswing, Body position at impact: weight shifted, hips turned.
- Backswing and Finish (Backswing, Finish, Range Practice): Left arm bent during the backswing: a recommendation, not a rule, The Best Golf Exercise: The Back-and-Forth Swing.
- Short Game, Hybrids, and Putting (Chipping, Hybrids, Alignment, Putting): Chipping: Marchildon’s “brush, turn, and point” drill, How to Play Hybrids: Ball on the Front Foot and Sweep the Ground, Putting: The 80-20 Rule, the putter face Before the Path.
- Warm-up and Mental Preparation (Warm-up and Mobility, Rhythm and Tempo, Psychology & Mental Health): Warm Up Like the Pros: Light Swings with a Sand Wedge, Without Straining, Why You Miss Your Shots in Golf: Managing Expectations and Frustrations.
Do you like coaches who teach in French? Check out the profiles of Jean-Marc Espelt and Jeremy Goergen.
FAQ About Charles Marchildon
Who is Charles Marchildon?
Charles Marchildon is a Canadian golf instructor and PGA of Canada (CPGA) professional who coaches elite players at the provincial and national levels and hosts the YouTube channel Charles M Golf.
What is the Charles M Golf channel?
This is Charles Marchildon's YouTube channel: more than 140 videos with simple and effective tips, in French and English, for all skill levels.
What is Charles Marchildon's method?
Show the body what to do instead of telling it: exercises using a physical reference point, such as resting your head against a wall, and specific instructions, such as keeping 80% of your weight on your left leg at impact.
What lessons by Charles Marchildon can be found on Best Golf Tips?
Thirteen lessons summarized: distance and power (left-hand grip, hip rotation, club whip), impact, the backswing and finish, chipping, hybrids, putting, warm-up, and mental game.
