Maxwell, a teaching professional at the Cheshire club who counts Sir Alex Ferguson and Diego Forlan among his pupils, was desperate for help himself when his game went off the boil.
"I'd lost my swing during the European Tour stage one qualifier at Carden Park and, after missing the cut, I tried to fix up an appointment with Alan Thompson who I usually consult," said Maxwell.
"There was no way I could contact him. Then I remembered that I'd written down everything he had told me during our last session at Heswall. I checked my notes, quickly realised where the fault was and corrected it on the practice ground.
"I was hitting the ball further and straighter," said Maxwell, after his four-under-par 68 left him only two shots off the lead jointly held by Welshman Garry Houston and Leasowe assistant Neil Price.
"My swing had been breaking down under pressure but I feel in control and confident that I can go on and win this tournament," he added after racking up five birdies.
He was joined by former Northenden professional Paul Wesselingh. Since moving to Hawkstone, then more recently Kedleston Park, Westhoughton-raised Wesselingh has won a string of titles in the Midlands and looked capable of adding this one after his seven-birdie spree. Former Ryder Cup player Gordon Brand and another Welshman, Matthew Ellis, also posted 68 along with Macclesfield's Jamie Donaldson.
Having secured his European Tour card, Donaldson arrived in fine shape and it was only some indifferent putting that kept him off the top of the leaderboard.
That aspect of the game was no problem for his playing companion Price. He switched putters at the last minute and rolled in seven birdies.
He said: "I read the lines perfectly. I only had 23 putts all day and the longest was from 15 feet. I felt I could not miss."
Houston, attached to Carden Park, led for most of the day and was happy to be in contention after a double knee operation caused him to miss several Tour events and ultimately lost him his card.
Among three players in second place, a shot off the pace, was Royal Lytham's Scott Astin who upstaged his stablemate, Paul Eales. He struggled to a one-over-par 73 while Astin had six birdies in his 67.
LEADERBOARD: 66 G Houston (Carden Park), N Price (Leasowe); 67 D Clark (Morpeth), N Cheetham (Barlborough Links), S Astin (Royal Lytham & St Annes); 68 P Wesselingh (Kedleston Park), T Maxwell (Mottram Hall), G Brand (Marriott Hollins Hall), M Ellis (Chirk), J Donaldson (Macclesfield); 69 R Bean (Upton-by-Chester), P Allan (Ashton-in-Makerfield), C Hislop (Eden), R Wragg (Renishaw Park); 70 J Cheetham (Mobberley), A Ambler (Walton Golf Centre), C Corrigan (Haigh Hall), A Sproston (High Legh Park), J King (Lindrick), R Giles (Romiley). Others: 73 P Eales (Royal Lytham & St Annes); P Walker (Knott End); 75 M Greenhough (Ashton & Lea). Others: 72 P Archer (Birchwood), P Carman (Huddersfield), G Cox (Warrington), R Young (Sandiway), W McColl (Thorpe Hall); 73 G Furey (Pleasington), P Eales (Royal Lytham & St Annes); 74 *D Wardrop (Didsbury); 75 R Johnson (Saddleworth), A Buckley (Mottram Hall), S Booth (Cheadle), A McKenzie (High Legh), *D Horsey (Styal); 76 R Green (Bramhall); 77 D Durnian (unatt), M Brunton (Sale); 78 T Taylor (Macclesfield), M Turnock (Mottram Hall); 79 M Hollingworth (Denton); 80 D Screeton (Marriott Worsley Park);81 J Matterson (Gatley), J Cousins (Worsley); 82 D Wade (Flixton).
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