Yeah that’s the way I’m looking at it, too. I know both anecdotally and from ShotScope data that I’m losing more strokes off the tee vs putting 
2 Likes
No kidding.
Most the information/data we gather need to be filtered.
Same as the education from publishing in the past, we gather the information, put them to practice and filter out the unsuitable, only keeping the ones which works for our individual case.
Harvey Penick had never allowed two of his famous male students watching him gave lessons to the other, because Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw have different style for golf swing and mixing the lessons might cause detrimental damage to either one of them.
The “boxed solution” as we are getting used now is probably convenient and okay for most of the applications, but probably not for the individual’s game of golf.
Like this young man who is a left handed golfer and 6’3" tall, I had advised him not to watch just any YouTube videos of golf swing, Pick someone at least taller than the average golfers and if possible, a leftie. Taller golfers like Tom Weiskopf and lefties like Mickelson, and Bob Charles who often breaks par in his young age of 90’s.
1 Like
I dunno. I agree with John Jacobs that we all look about the same at impact if we’re skilled. And if you don’t, the problem is with you, not them. Now how we get to the impact position efficiently, can be quite different. Which is probably what Harvey was talking about. (And I really like “The Little Red Book.”)
Broadie’s points on efficiency depend on certain assumptions from his player pool. If a different player pool performs differently, Broadie’s logic is likely still sound—it’s just math—but the conclusions you draw will be quite different.
And then there are unaccounted for second-order effects. If I KNOW I sink everything inside 12 feet, and my short game is such that most approaches could end up there? I am shooting at every flag not guarded by hazards/OB. Because why not? Whereas, that’s definitely not the case, absent the hypothetical. And so on.
1 Like
J, If you enjoyed the Little Red Book, the sequel of the Green and the blue covers are also pretty good.
Obviously, Penick’s teaching method was very different than the modern way of teaching.
If someone can relate better to the compiling of data and the translation of it, great. We’re all after the same thing, as there are many roads leading to Rome.
Issue is, when one technique claims to be able to apply to everyone, or even the mass, that’ll be some incredible claim.
As for shooting at the flag on every hole. Some of the best shot makers could do that when they are in sync with their game.
The most successful golfers on the professional Tour will apply course management. By deciding which part of the green they want to stop the golf ball.
Ben Hogan was the first notable professional to do so, then Jack Nicklaus, and of course Tiger Woods. Shooting at the flag all the time would be something an amateur would do, or someone with an incredible shot making skill on a hot streak.
Of course, the impact and the direction of delivering the impact will make the ball flight. No second guess there. As we had seen so many different style of golf swing on the professional Tour. Trevino is one of the best ball striker and his golf swing is not something everyone could copy. He owns that golf swing by hard work.
However, that being said, if someone could mimic a golf swing from a similar physique, by height, arm length and overall strength… that will be the short cut to “Rome”.
I’m on the smaller side of the gender, not extreme as Ian Woodsnan, however, I could never copy his powerful golf swing. He was incredibly strong, built like a fire hydrant. Also legendary in holding the liters of Ale in one outing.
Thing is, everyone of the great golfers had put in the time and worked at their game. This is not a game which can be “bought”. Selling a miracle cure to all the golfers will be just a marketing method. And it repeat over and over in history. So why are the golfers buying it? Because we are always looking for a quick fix to this game.
Same as after taking a lesson, the students need to practice the learned and make it their own. Not as easy as taking a lesson and magically one would have a better golf swing right afterward.
1 Like