Pros meet the pro
I’ve just returned from a three-day teaching summit put on by
Butch Harmon in Las Vegas. In addition to Harmon, the speakers
comprised his two brothers, Billy and Craig, and Jim Hardy, Jimmy
Ballard (a true legend in golf instruction), putter designer Scotty
Cameron, and Tom Fazio, the famous course designer.
Pros meet the pro
I’ve just returned from a three-day teaching summit put on by Butch Harmon in Las Vegas. In addition to Harmon, the speakers comprised his two brothers, Billy and Craig, and Jim Hardy, Jimmy Ballard (a true legend in golf instruction), putter designer Scotty Cameron, and Tom Fazio, the famous course designer.
It was as always great to hear how world-renowned instructors work with PGA and LPGA Tour golfers.
On the final day, Butch brought out two of his students, Natalie Gulbis and Adam Scott, fresh off a Tour win. First he showed us the swing that Natalie had when she first came to him. I won’t try and describe it to you but it was different.This much I will tell, she swung so far back that at the top of her backswing her left elbow was in front of her left foot (don’t even try to recreate this). She was a top college golfer and was climbing up the ranks of the LPGA Tour but she knew she needed to get better.
Butch agreed but faced a dilemma; she had gotten this far with this swing, so what to change. As it turned out she had begun to have problems with her hip – at 21 years old that would threaten her career. She could have played another 10 or 12 years, but golf is a game for a lifetime. She admitted to us that she was hesitant to bring this up but admitted that if she hadn’t, things could have gone in the wrong direction.
So they went to work and she acknowledged it was work but she said the reason she trusted him was because he trusted her and knew she could do what she needed to do.
Now her backswing is shorter and her hip does not give her any problems. One interesting note: When Butch was showing her original swing to us, which was looped and played over and over while he was talking about it, Natalie wouldn’t look at it and later said she only wanted to see the improved swing. The moral is if you don’t trust what your pro is telling you, find one that you do. Next week what Butch did to help Adam Scott.
Play well.
Eagle Ridges’ Kids Course Christmas Tournament will be held on the Kids Course Dec. 10 at 2pm. Call or e-mail me to enter. Have any golf related questions? From rules to club fitting you can call me at 408-846-4531 or e-mail me at [email protected]. If you would like to read some of my past tips, you can do so at www.pinnaclenews.com. And don’t forget, if you’re not having fun playing golf call your local PGA or instructor, we will help. Golf is more fun when you’re improving.
Don’t be afraid to be good.
