Congrats to Hank Haney

Tyler here with quick comment on my favorite golf show, “The Haney Project,” and the lessons we can take from it.

Another Haney Project comes to a close – this time a success
‘Third time’s the charm’ appeared to ring true as the third season of the Haney Project came to a close last week with a successful season for his student Rush Limbaugh.  The season had significant ups and downs but overall Rush showed great improvement as he improved his swing plane, clubface awareness, and concept of the bottom of the swing.  I want to applaud Hank for his success in this season, but also dig a bit deeper and see if we can’t figure out his recipe for success.

What was different about this season’s project?
Ray Romano and Charles Barkley did not improve their swing or game during the season of the Haney Project – but Rush did.  Ray and Charles are both passionate golfers who spend a lot of time practicing, have taken lessons before Hank, but who reached plateaus with their games.  Rush on the other hand was a weekend hacker.  He played golf, but didn’t really do anything to try to get better other than playing more golf.  In the first few episodes, we saw him lament the prescription of “range time” and even questioned whether he had the time to invest in what it would take to change his swing.   There are lots of these golfers out there, just as there are lots of golfers like Ray and Charles, but I think this was a key as to why Mr. Haney had success this season.

Golf instruction – it’s not for everyone
This show epitomizes a concept that I have grown to understand over the last 7 years.  Traditional golf instruction can get you to a point, but it will not take you past there without a more comprehensive approach.  First let me describe what I mean by   traditional golf instruction.  Traditional golf instruction follows a simple “if this, then that” rule.  If you are slicing, then try this drill to fix it.  If you are struggling, then think about this differently or feel like you are doing this.  There is no real diagnosis in traditional golf instruction because there is no real further testing than a video camera.  The modern, TPI based, system for golf instruction follows a more comprehensive – ” if this, find out why, then that” rule.  If you are slicing, we will do some physical or concept test to find out WHY you are slicing, and then do this to fix your specific reason for slicing.  A great analogy I have heard for describing the system is using a sniper rifle to attack the problem instead of a hand grenade – but maybe traditional golf instruction is more like a Nuke.  Complete with the fallout of spreading toxic images like, “keep you head down.”

The traditional golf instruction, hand grenade, worked on Rush because he had never tried it before.  He had never tried practicing.  He had never tried soliciting an expert to help organize the confusing thoughts in his head.  After a few episodes, you could see that he was really beginning to understand the golf swing better and understood how practicing made a huge difference.

Which do you need, a sniper or a bunch of hand grenades
Traditional golf instruction can work for beginners and novice a like, and it can work for elite athletes who happen to share the learning style communicated by the instructor -  but for more and more golfers, this doesn’t seems to be enough.  Ray and Charles showed us the limitations of traditional golf instruction and how if you have reached a plateau, or trough in Charles case, then you need a TPI expert or someone who at least understands the body in order to break through that barrier.  If you have put in hours of practice and taken lessons and just believe you need someone to explain it to you better, then you probably need some body work to reach a new level.  Charles or Ray, the offer is out there if you want to go through a program and see how the body and swing connect, then give me, or any other TPI instructor, a call.

As for Hank, I suggest sticking to your formula for next season, find someone who never practices or has never taken a lesson and I bet you can work your magic again.