As the editor of a regional golf pub, perhaps it’s a bit asinine of me to take a swipe at the mainstream golf press. But I’ve got to tell you, the latest cover of the game’s largest-circ magazine makes me chuckle.
Maybe it’s just because I’m no spring chicken anymore, or maybe it’s because in my job I’m inundated with all kinds of instructional material. Whatever the case, I find it kind of silly that Rory McIlroy, age 20, is dispensing advice to the golfing public.
I can already hear the blowback: “But wait! He’s incredible! He’s the next Tiger! How dare you question him!”
As our leading contributor (and PGA professional) Jeff Thomsen has said in the past, a 20-year-old playing the part of a professional instructor is something to be wary of.
Now in this case, that 20-year-old is a phenomenally good player on the world stage, and it is obvious why his advice— brief and inconsequential as it is—would grace the pages of a mainstream golf periodical. Still, we’re talking about a kid just months out of his teens. Can you really take his advice seriously?
Now let’s put “age-ism” aside for a moment.
I recall a book I once read by Jack Nicklaus—something to do about “golfing his way.” I read it thoroughly because, after all, he was the best. He obviously knew what he was talking about! Or did he?
Two particular pieces of advice (complete with illustrations) were to “swing in a barrel” and—just a few pages later—to “give that ball a cock-eyed look.” For a much better explanation of how and why this kind of compounded anecdotal instruction can ruin a golf swing, I’ll just refer you right now to our back-page Muni Trash column.
The difference between a professional golfer and a golf professional can be night and day. If you are lucky (and endowed with unusually deep pockets), you will find the best of both worlds. Ideally, that means your instructor has earned his stripes in both arenas—he/ she knows how to do it AND teach it.
While there are some exemplary PGA professionals who excel at instruction at the expense of playing time and performance, I always keep an eye out for those pros who teach for a living but still like to stoke the competitive fire. The aforementioned Thomsen is certainly one of them, but hey, don’t just take my word for it. Boot up your computer and check out www. rockymountainpga.com. The section’s news board is full of tournament and match results. You might be surprised at who you find on or near the top.