One of the most unusual lessons I ever gave started in a most unusual way. I got a call from a man on a Thursday afternoon at Harbour Town who told me he was coming in for a day long lesson with me the next day and was checking in to confirm. I didn't need to check my lesson book to know he was not written in for that Friday. I was scheduled to be in Atlanta the next afternoon to get ready for a corporate outing on Saturday.
When I told him I was heading out of town he said that I can't because he already had taken the day off and had purchased his airline ticket to fly in. I politely told him I had a commitment out of town and had to leave tomorrow. He begged and pleaded and I finally relented and decided I could leave after the lesson and drive to Atlanta, around a 5 hour drive from Hilton Head. I was going quite north of the Big A and knew I would get in around 10 or 11 PM. Golfers!
Friday morning comes and I meet the mystery man (who never booked the lesson before booking his air line ticket and rental car) out on the tee. With the introductions I find out he is a doctor/surgeon from a big Midwest City. I immediately recognize that he is high strung, authoritative and I guess I can politely say bossy and demanding. It was obvious he liked to call the shots. (Note: Some doctors, lawyers and corporate executives can be tough lessons because they are used to commanding, not listening.) I've learned that the key with power leaders to have a good lesson is that the teacher has to take command and not let them be the boss.
I completed the bio and history and learned about his swing, the good and the bad, any physical problems, his goals, and his time and ability to practice. I got him to stretch out and then had him start hitting while I watched and filled out my diagnosis analysis form. With that completed, I filmed him from face on and down the line. At this point, I always film myself. I use my setup and swing as a model for the student. I ask them to look at their setup and swing and mine and point out the differences. The key is we will try to take his setup and swing and get it closer to looking like mine.
We looked at both swings and I started making a good detailed evaluation of his setup and swing. After about 5 minutes of intense swing evaluation and critique, he looked at me and dropped the BOMB. 'That's not me.' I said, 'Excuse me, that's not you.' He replied, 'Correct.' I stood back a little from the camera where I could see him and the camera screen and said, pointing at the screen, 'That guy on the screen looks a lot like you and is dressed exactly like you and the tee looks exactly like this one.' He countered with 'Oh, that's me. What I mean is that's not my swing.' I came back with, 'Whose swing is it?' He said, 'Well, it's a swing I read about in a magazine on the plane flying down and I thought I would try it.' I asked, 'How was it?' He answered, 'Not too good.' A bit mystified, I politely asked, 'Can we redo this video with the real you?' Was this guy nuts?
We re-shot the video and did a real good setup and golf swing analysis and a comparison of him to me. I discussed his strengths and his problems. With those outlined, I discussed the prescription of setup and swing adjustments needed. Things went OK until I got into detailing all the reasons for the changes, including all the aspects of physics and physiology and how they were applicable and necessary.
From the re-taping of his swing, the lesson had returned to a good degree of normalcy and was progressing along well until the good Doc dropped Bomb #2 on me. It was a good one and more explosive that Bomb #1, which was really more silly or just somewhat out to lunch.
Bomb #2 is really one that can be detrimental to learning and comprehending and building a new swing, and thus is more serious and deserves its own complete explanation. So, we'll see you tomorrow in 'Unusual Lesson: Part 2.'
The Surge!