Keep It Simple, Stupid

Filed in archive Golf Instruction on September 9, 2007

Courtesy: GolfToday.co.uk

It has been some time since I have written anything about golf instruction.

As a rank amateur, I am loathe to offer any tips based on my knowledge of the golf swing. That would be too much like the blind leading the blind.

But, like you no doubt, I have read plenty of instruction books, searched out tips on the internet, watched DVDs or videos (remember those?) and pored over golf instruction articles in the various golf magazines.

There are two distinct types of instruction and I feel qualified to comment on them, given my professional background.

There is the kind that is poorly written and there is the kind that is well written.

The golf swing and its many components (swing plane, posture, grip, alignment, stance, backswing, downswing, putting, short game, bunker play and so on) can be described in simple fashion or in a complicated way.

Simple works. The written word must convey a visual image that is clear for the reader. That is the fundamental reason, I would argue, that most instructors would rather stand in front of a camera and demonstrate their technique.

That's fine - the golf motion, whether it's a putting stroke, bunker shot or full swing, is a visual thing.

But a good teacher can do both. Or SHOULD do both.

The ability to communicate using simple analogies and images is the best way to teach golf. And if you can't produce a DVD, then you're stuck writing about your method.

So here are some of my favorite sites and favorite instructors based on their abilities to communicate their ideas simply and clearly and in no particular order.

1. The golf channel: Their instruction area is excellent and diverse. The Golf Channel brings together the top teachers in the game today like Rick Smith, Jim McLean, Jim Flick and others. These guys are good "explainers" which makes them very good teachers.

2. Paul Wilson: Paul is the creator of Swing Machine Golf, which regular readers of this blog will recognize, is the "swing theory" that I have attempted to employ for my golf swing. What puts Paul at the top of my "A" list is his ability to get his point across in a direct and straightforward way. Quite simply, Paul knows how to teach orally or through the written word. His book, "Swing Machine Golf" is a classic in printed word instruction. But his site, paulwilsongolf.com has some of the best quick tips I have ever read.

3. The PGA website. Not pgatour.com - that's strictly Tour news. Go to pga.com and click on "Improve Your Game". The site is impressive as it mixes a combination of streaming video and printed word instruction. And of course, being the PGA, it can reach out to the top players for their advice and tips - never a bad thing! This site maximizes the power of the internet beautifully.

So those are my three picks based on their abilities to communicate clearly and understandably. There are plenty of others that I've seen and plenty I haven't yet come across. Plenty are good and plenty are pretty awful.

If you have favorites, pass them along here so we can all benefit!

As a complete aside, just a comment about the FedEx Cup as we head into the final round of the BMW Championship today. I wonder how excited the PGA Tour would be if a grinder won it?

You have to love how Steve Stricker is hanging in. He's willing to stick out the four-up, four-down playoff format. He's not skipping anything. Each week his bank account swells accordingly and he deserves it.

For some players, this is a wonderful chance to really toughen up their pressure-coping skills. Many can take the weekly tournament pressure. But they worry about how to handle the pressure thrown at them in a major.

The FedEx Cup is doing something the Tour never anticipated. It's providing a classroom for many of the grinders to really hone their ability to deal with Big Pressure.