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So Bubba Watson is being interviewed, and he’s asked if he has any advice for the average golf player who’s trying to add a few yards to his or her driver. “You know, I just swing smooth and try to hit the center of the clubface”. Gee, thanks Bubba. That oughta do it. I’ll just swing smooth and make sure I hit the sweet spot and pretty soon I’ll be out there with you.
Do you note a hint of sarcasm there? You should, because there’s nothing funnier than listening to hyper-talented players try to explain to the average hacker just how easy it really is. Bubba is all the evidence that Brandel Chamblee needs to back up his assertion that video-based / technique oriented instruction is a “cancer” on the game. Sure, Bubba, sure, Freddy, sure Hale, why is everyone making the game so hard? Why don’t people just go with their instincts? Why break it down into pieces when all you really have to do is look at the target and swing? Now, in his defense, Bubba has never claimed that what other people do with instruction is bad, just that he has never needed any of it. And if you look closely at his swing, as we do here in the video, you see evidence of his incredible natural ability to play the game. To control the ball from the positions he occupies during a swing is pretty incredible, and great fun to watch.
But here’s a note to Brandel Chamblee: I challenge you to spend a day teaching the people in my lesson book. You wouldn’t last. There’s only one Bubba, and I’ll show you a thousand guys who swing in a similar fashion and have no idea where the ball is going. So left with a game not good enough to get to the next level, how do you improve? Relax and swing smooth? Oh, yes, and don’t forget to hit the center of the clubface. The fact is that golf is a very hard game, and most people don’t have a natural instinct to play it, exceptions like Bubba notwithstanding.