Golf has always drawn individuals who commit to mastering a sport where patience and precision matter as much as strength. The game rewards those who can repeat motions under pressure, and its tradition of self-improvement appeals to both players and coaches. Over the past three decades, data-driven methods have become integral to golf instruction, paralleling the sport’s growth. More than 25 million people played golf on a course in the United States in 2023, according to the National Golf Foundation, underscoring the demand for expert golf coaches and Scottsdale golf lessons for beginners and advanced players alike.
Erik Schjolberg, founder of EJS Golf Academy in Scottsdale and creator of The Science of Better Golf, has built his reputation on that foundation. His career traces back to a golf-obsessed youth in St. Louis and has evolved into recognition as one of the nation’s most trusted golf instructors. From the beginning, Schjolberg rejected the myth that players must “get worse before they get better,” maintaining that improvement is possible from the very first lesson.
Born January 25, 1972, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Schjolberg’s family relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, where he immersed himself in golf. Long before information was instantly available online, he spent countless hours studying the gametaking notes, analyzing swing flaws, and clipping advice from magazines to piece together the science of ball striking. Friends from those years recall a driven student of the game, meticulous in his approach and determined to find repeatable solutions.
By 1991, that persistence carried him into the PGA Professional ranks. At a time when most instructors relied on visual observation, Schjolberg sought measurable answers. He studied biomechanics, impact dynamics, and ball-flight laws years before technology confirmed his beliefs. Early in his career, he delivered private and group golf lessons, emphasizing how body movement and club mechanics dictated ball flight. While peers often trusted only the eye, Schjolberg looked for quantifiable proof of what produced a consistent swing.
As technology advanced, so did his teaching. Launch monitors, pressure plates, and wrist sensors expanded the ways he could evaluate the swing. These tools allowed him to analyze ground reaction forces and club face direction with precision. Today, at his Scottsdale-based golf academy, TrackMan 4, dual 3D pressure plates, HackMotion sensors, and 3D video analysis are paired with his proprietary “match-up” philosophy to give players data they can see and apply. Objective measurement defines his instruction and allows golfers to track their progress in real time.
In 2017, Schjolberg established the EJS Golf Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona, to serve as the hub of his data-driven approach. Students at the academy range from PGA Tour professionals chasing fractions of a stroke to juniors competing for scholarships to weekend players seeking consistent Scottsdale golf instruction. Each is guided to compress the ball, control the low point, and strike it cleanly. The instruction focuses on measurable improvement, and many players report visible changes in ball flight after a single session. The approach transforms players into what Schjolberg calls “ball-striking machines.”
Schjolberg also emphasizes the mental side of the game, noting that technical skill has little value without focus under pressure. He designs biomechanical drills that reinforce both precision and concentration, a balance that reflects broader trends in modern coaching. His system demonstrates how the psychological and physical sides of golf can work together to create lasting performance.
Recognition has followed his work. In 2024, community outlets named him Scottsdale’s Best Golf Coach. In 2025, he launched the global expansion of The Science of Better Golf, offering online masterclasses, progress dashboards, and live coaching to golfers worldwide.
Despite decades of coaching, Schjolberg has retained the same curiosity that drove him as a teenager. His identity is a combination of tradition and technology and old-school persistence sharpened by modern measurement. He continues to challenge the outdated notion that players must regress before they improve, instead proving that measurable fundamentals, matched correctly, accelerate progress.
Spanning more than 30 years, Schjolberg’s career reflects a rare continuity. From his PGA Professional start in 1991 to the founding of his academy in 2017 and today’s online golf programs, his emphasis on measurable improvement has never wavered. The equipment has evolved, but the principle remains the same: to help golfers understand their swings and play with more confidence and consistency.
Erik Schjolberg continues to coach daily at the EJS Golf Academy in Scottsdale while directing the online platform The Science of Better Golf. His history illustrates the evolution of a coach who adapted to every wave of innovation yet never abandoned the core mission he set in motion as a young golfer in St. Louis: helping players improve faster, strike the ball better, and experience the benefits of expert Scottsdale golf lessons.
