Golf's Maverick the Anti-Pro
by Jim McLellan
A new reader might wonder why some golf pro is "bashing" other golf instructors. Those of you who are familiar with my philosophy and teaching methods understand my "ranting." For those of you who have not had the distinct pleasure of my company, this article is for you.
If you could read my emails, if you could hear the phone calls I get, if you were present when other golfers tell me what other golf instruction has done TO them not.. FOR them, you may get a glimpse of why I am who I am, The Anti-Pro the Maverick, in the vast sea of Golf.
Lets get real up close and personal. No gossip, no opinions, no prejudice…just the straight scoop, just the facts, Ma'am.
The following examples are real, just the names have been changed to protect the innocent: It's Monday morning at Bob's Simple Swing Golf School. The bus rolls in with a load of starry eyed golfers willing to shell out $1500 per week for golf school for him and his wife. That's $1500 each plus hotel accommodations plus air fare plus meals plus souvenirs. Let's round it off to around to a cool…5 Grand.
Unless they have been ruined, by another golf school, they show up with a fairly decent natural swing they learned from Uncle Orville. Fast forward to the end of the week and their golf swings have made a complete transformation. Their swing are hardly recognizable from their Monday swings. What was natural is gone. Instead their swings are contrived phony looking, ineffective, inconsistent, powerless, travesties. They have blown $5,000 for something they can't even use as fertilizer. Bad news for them, good news for the golf school…for you see, next Monday in rolls another bus.
One of my students calls to ask if I can give him a personal lesson. We meet at a local driving range. His swing is terrific, he is hitting the ball long and straight and consistent. I asked him why he thought he needed a golf lesson, and his answer was he just wanted to hang out with me for an hour. Who would blame him? A class from a local college shows up. Kids from 18 to 22 with all the potential of playing some fabulous golf. They hit several balls…not too bad. Then some pot-bellied P.E. instructor starts to show them how to swing the golf club. Oh, my God, can I keep my mouth shut? My student is appalled, I'm fried. In less than 5 minutes these poor kids are missing the ball entirely, hitting the buckets, or the ground and their swings are shot. The more instruction the worse they get. The Dis-tructor is oblivious to the damage he's inflicting on these poor innocent babes. I would be surprised if any of them haven't quit our game.
Everyday I get phone calls and emails from golfers telling me how some PGA pro has told them to do this or that and they are confused and frustrated. Why can't the PGA agree on anything, they ask. Most have ADDED 20 stokes to their scores, have lost 20 to 50 yards, and are seriously considering putting their clubs up for sale on eBay.
For years and years I've heard it, seen it, been exposed to the abuse of the golf student…on a daily basis. It is epidemic. It is not something I'm making up to make me look good. I already know how good I am…My students have told me so.
If you had been exposed to what I have, you would start to get some idea as to why I'm The Anti-Pro. You would be too!
At age 15, students came to Jim McLellan at his family owned golf course from four surrounding states for lessons. Jim attended Arizona State University at Tempe on a golf scholarship and graduated from the PGA Golf School in Long Beach, CA. http://www.mcgolf.com
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