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My name is Allan, and I’m a dyed-in-the-wool, unabashed golf geek.
After years of denigrating golf for no good reason, I was finally talked into giving it a go.
As I trudged round the course with my persuasive friend Stuart I grudgingly realised golf had much to commend it.
And then he let me hit an 8 iron...
...now, if this were the Hollywood version, this would have been a towering 8 iron that flew with a hint of a draw to within 8 feet of the hole, rather than the dribbly little top that ensued...
As the course was quiet, he let me try again. After several airshots (this was first time I’d ever been told to keep my eye on the ball. It hasn’t been the last) I finally hit a good one. And suddenly all of the bad shots disappeared from my memory and only the last one remained. I bought my first set of clubs the following evening, and had a season ticket for the nearby 9-hole par-3 course the day after.
I was hooked.
I've been hooked ever since.
As my enthusiasm blossomed and grew into obsession, I set out to fill my brain with as much information as possible. I wasted a lot of time trying to find the mythical "perfect magazine tip" before I realised I'd have more chance of finding the Yeti. It was here the germ of an idea formed, growing into a simple yet revolutionary truth.
Most golf instruction is wrong.
I don't mean that most golf instructors are out to deliberately mislead you; although there is a great deal of "snake-oil" being sold on the internet, I believe it's a tiny minority who are being dishonest. Instead, most teachers are following what's sometimes characterised as the "old rules" or "traditional style" golf instruction. (although this isn't actually true; there are a number of coaches from the early 20th Century such as Harvey Penick who taught in this style).
This credo often mistakes cause for effect, teaches golf by half hour slots and focuses almost exclusively on the golf swing. It has wholeheartedly embraced video analysis and sometimes teaches swing position by rote, with the golfer's priority being how the swing looks to the exclusion of how it feels. Golfers practice by hitting one ball after an other, often to the same target with the same club, scraping a ball over with that club, hitting and repeating with machine gun staccato frequency until their balls are gone.
In short, the game that most practice bears no resemblance to the game they play.
Is it any wonder the lament of the golfer is "why can't I take my range game to the course"?
Golf is meant to be challenging. If it were easy, we wouldn't be nearly as interested. But it's difficult enough for me without adding further complications; if you're content to make it harder then I take my hat off to you, but I shan't be following you.
I have three great passions in my life: my family, my job and my golf; all of these can be described as time-intensive. I simply don't have time to waste; when I practice I want to waste as little time as possible.
I have a unique viewpoint: as a physician I've not only been trained to recognise and treat disease. I've been taught about psychiatry & psychology; how to interpret data; and even taught how to teach. I explain highly technical data to people with little to no scientific background every day.
So it's not just that I can use my abilities to help me get maximum return on the time I invest; my skills as a writer, teacher and communicator allow me to pass this information on to you.
Why don't you have a browse through the blog and see how I can help your golf? If you have any questions, please let me know and I'll be happy to help. I love a good debate, so don't hold back!
(please feel free to leave a question in the "comments" section of the appropriate post, or have a little bird tell me (@The_Golf_Geek) on Twitter)
Thanks for reading!
Most golf instruction is wrong.
I don't mean that most golf instructors are out to deliberately mislead you; although there is a great deal of "snake-oil" being sold on the internet, I believe it's a tiny minority who are being dishonest. Instead, most teachers are following what's sometimes characterised as the "old rules" or "traditional style" golf instruction. (although this isn't actually true; there are a number of coaches from the early 20th Century such as Harvey Penick who taught in this style).
This credo often mistakes cause for effect, teaches golf by half hour slots and focuses almost exclusively on the golf swing. It has wholeheartedly embraced video analysis and sometimes teaches swing position by rote, with the golfer's priority being how the swing looks to the exclusion of how it feels. Golfers practice by hitting one ball after an other, often to the same target with the same club, scraping a ball over with that club, hitting and repeating with machine gun staccato frequency until their balls are gone.
In short, the game that most practice bears no resemblance to the game they play.
Is it any wonder the lament of the golfer is "why can't I take my range game to the course"?
Golf is meant to be challenging. If it were easy, we wouldn't be nearly as interested. But it's difficult enough for me without adding further complications; if you're content to make it harder then I take my hat off to you, but I shan't be following you.
I have three great passions in my life: my family, my job and my golf; all of these can be described as time-intensive. I simply don't have time to waste; when I practice I want to waste as little time as possible.
I have a unique viewpoint: as a physician I've not only been trained to recognise and treat disease. I've been taught about psychiatry & psychology; how to interpret data; and even taught how to teach. I explain highly technical data to people with little to no scientific background every day.
So it's not just that I can use my abilities to help me get maximum return on the time I invest; my skills as a writer, teacher and communicator allow me to pass this information on to you.
Why don't you have a browse through the blog and see how I can help your golf? If you have any questions, please let me know and I'll be happy to help. I love a good debate, so don't hold back!
(please feel free to leave a question in the "comments" section of the appropriate post, or have a little bird tell me (@The_Golf_Geek) on Twitter)
Thanks for reading!
