Pro Conversations...

I recently had this conversation with a well-known professional.
He told me that he can't give a NO-RESULTS-MONEY-BACK-GUARANTEE not because he does not know golf swing mechanics.

He said that most of the time, students sabotage their own progress by not listening and observing.

At that point in time, it sounded like a perfectly logical explanation. Shift the blame for lack of results to the student. What he said was in fact true. Most students do not listen when the instructor is explaining and demonstrating.

Upon deeper reflection, I realised that what that pro was saying is this: "I can't communicate well enough to persuade the student to buy proper "lesson-taking" etiquette."

You can be the best in the world at anything, but if you cannot persuade people to buy into your expertise, it is of no use.

Yet another conversation with yet another pro went like this...

I was sharing with him that I strongly encourage students to bring their thumbdrives so that I can record a summary of the lesson for them to bring home and study.

The experienced pro told me that if I were to do this, the student would then know all my "secrets" and never come back!

Wow...was I scared at this revelation? Heaven forbid!

First of all, when I started teaching, my goal was always to teach students to teach themselves.

If we accomplish that together, then the student ought to have a helluva game based on the untenable principles of physics and geometry. When that happens, his playing partners will take notice and ask "What did you do to your golf? It has improved so much."

The power of 3...if that same student told his 3 playing partners who each then told 3 more friends about me, then suddenly, I would have 15 new students. This is the power of word-of-mouth marketing and it is the most credible one there is.

Secondly, I have spent 10 years studying golf swing theory, owning and reading all the golf books worth having. I have spent the last 5 of those 10 years seriously studying The Golfing Machine by Mr. Homer Kelley. I can quote the book chapter and verse - that is how intense my studies were.

Does anyone seriously think:

1) I am able to share all that I know in the span of 3 days (let alone 1 hour!)?
2) They can absorb all that I know in that little "thumbdrive" summary?

Let me put it this way, I can tell you the 45 things that I look for in analyzing a student's swing. I doubt you will even understand what they mean, much less use it. Here they are:

Section 1 - Preliminary Address
1. Stance - Balance
2. Ball Position

Section 2 - Impact Fix
3. Grip - Flying Wedges
4. Clubface Alignment
5. Approach Arc / Angle
6. Right Forearm Position
7. Clubshaft Alignments
8. Extensor Action

Section 3 - Adjusted Address
9. Practice Swing - Rhythm
10. Waggle - Alignments
11. Waggle - Pressure Points
12. Waggle - Hinge Action
13. Forward Press - Clear Right Hip

Section 4/5 - Backstroke
14. Extensor Action
15. Start Up - Line
16. Start Up - L/R Wrist Conditions
17. Right Forearm Takeaway

Section 6 - The Top
18. Extensor Action - Waggle
19. Sweet Spot Loading - Lag
20. Delivery Line Prep
21. Delivery Line Uncocking Prep
22. DELIVERY LINE ROLL PREP
23. Right Forearm Position
24. Clear Right Hip

Section 7 - Start Down
25. Extensor Action - Rhythm
26. Aiming Point - Lag
27. Full Lever Assembly Prep
28. Left Wrist Position

Section 8 - Downstroke
29. Extensor Action
30. Aiming Point - Lag
31. Left Wrist Position
32. Delivery Line
33. Right Elbow Position
34. Rhythm

Section 9/10/11 - Impact
35. Right Elbow Position
36. Approach Arc/Angle - Lag
37. On Line Uncocking
38. On Line Release Swivel
39. ON LINE HINGE ACTION
40. Extensor Action

Section 12 - Finish
41. Finish Swivel
42. Left Wrist Alignment
43. Hand Location
44. Clubshaft Position
45. Balance - Body Position

Do keep in mind that this process of analysing does not take me more than 30 seconds...yes, these 45 things are in my head. They are what I am looking at in a student's swing, not some silly B.S like a straight / not straight left arm.