The Best Golf Swing

[xltsk8]

Leadbetter and Tiger???????

What do ya'll think about all the kids that go to Leadbetter? How I see it, Tiger has the best swing because he's consistently winning, and hardly ever shoots over par. Obviously he is great at other parts of the game, but if he has the most consistent, longest swing (maybe ever) why do kids want to be Leadbetter students so much. I see the Leadbetter kids' side as that they just want to get "good enough" quick. How do ya'll see it?

[zojo]

uhmm, ernie uses leadbetter. That would be reason enough based on your argument of using the same teacher as the pros. At that high of a level, its like splitting hairs. For example, it's like choosing Harvard over Princeton or Stanford. You're still gonna get a GREAT education either way you go.

[glcoach]

Leadbetter has hurt more careers than he has helped, Haney and his parallel planes is laughable, Harmon and his width, etc. It's all pretty funny and it's all fluff.

 

A kid at a Leadbetter school will never learn how to play golf and win, the kid will learn to hit 185 yard 7 irons with no feel. I'm sorry the best players in the world never went to some "golf only" academy. If they start, the game will deteriorate, just look at tennis.

 

I wish golf digest would put together a real ranking, not based on hype, but based on getting players better

 

They ought not to be even considered for ranking unless they work with real golfers on a regular basis. This tour player only crap and then listing them as a "top teacher" is silly, how are they a top teacher if you can't get lessons from them.

 

I really doubt that anyone at golf digest even plays golf.

[playar32]

I agree, Leadbetter may be hyped but what has he done. Name some players he works with. 1. Charles Howell III, two wins, good but not much as he should have. Michleob Championship in 2002 I believe and he only won this year because Mickelson double bogeyed the last hole at riveria. Keep trying to hit a sand wedge 150 Chuck. 2. Ernie Els, his mar-key player back on the rise. I sometimes wonder if its Leadbetter's teaching or Els being Els. 3. Paula Creamer, yea she won early in his career, I believed was ranked as high as #2 in the world, but not much lately, shes still young and has time. 4. Michelle Wie, was good, got injured. Personally, I think that michelle wie is the worst golfer in the world. I mean shes good only because she practices so much, but if I was able to practice as much as her with her talent I think I could at least win an LPGA event.

 

Anyways, Leadbetter is overhyped, teachers famous players but not many winners.

[Google]

Nick Price and Nick Faldo weren't bad

[Shaitan]

Who cares what the "best golf teachers" do. Just worry about how good your teacher is and if he's doing the job you want him to do for you properly.

[Texsport]

The person with the best technical swing may not be the best player.

 

There's a lot more involved than just ball striking.

 

That said, I believe the most consistent ball striker is/will be a 1 Plane Swing player.

 

Tiger has been headed in that direction for a while now. Hogan was a 1PSer and nobody was more consistent.

 

Some day there will be a big, athletic player with great hand eye coordination and feel, who practices a lot and who learns to play golf using a 1PS from the get go. He'll be the greatest, longest hitting ball striker ever seen.

 

Texsport

[Milo]

Just had a case of deja-vu.

[Milo]

Just had a case of deja-vu.

[themouth1]

Personally, I think that michelle wie is the worst golfer in the world. I mean shes good only because she practices so much, but if I was able to practice as much as her with her talent I think I could at least win an LPGA event.

 

WOW!!! That is quite possibly the most ignorant comment I have ever heard on Michelle Wie and that's is saying a lot...

[Shaitan]

lol, I think it's mostly true, apart from her whole parent's thing and whatnot, and the fact that MY dad is the worst golfer in the world :)

[playar32]

I not trying to bash wie, I am stating my opinion. I mean she's a better player than me, but she hasn't done anything n is all hype.

 

 

Back to the topic, Nick Faldo and Nick Price are Leadbetter's best products. Faldo and Leadbetter began working together and created the modern teacher player relationship that we see today. before them most pros did not take lessons and just practiced a lot. Faldo redid his swing with leadbetter, and many pros followed. As shown in the past couple of years, it is hard for a pga pro to go it alone with the help of an instructor. Tiger tried to work without a teacher right after he left butch, but that did not go so great. Some players on tour do not have coaches, but thats the reason many guys, like a John Daly, do not have more wins or a win because on hot streak anyone on tour can win, but it takes good mechanics to be good week to week.

 

However, for teachers likes leadbetter and butch and haney, they are good teachers, but also good at promoting themselves. They are in the position many famous people that they can choose to be in the headlines or not. That is the reason why many people know a mark cuban or donald trump, but not richer men/women who choose to remain silent

[DRGJR72]

All of the above mentioned teachers must be doing something correct, otherwise they would be out of a job, as tour players are rather fickle and their livelihood is on the line.

 

no results = no job

 

A lot of the tour guys like to have someone keep an eye on their action and most get along with the instruction style of certain type of instructor. More mechanical players will benefit from a guy like Lead (ex. Faldo, Price, Els, etc.). More feel orientated players might be better with a Rick Smith or Butch Harmon type, "feel and real are two different things"(famous Harmon quip). It all depends on what they are looking for.

 

Tour players can choose anyone they want, or no one at all, and it appears that a lot on here are bashing Leadbetter and some of the teachers on the tour. Getting players better is a subjective thing. Are we talking scores, ballstiking, enjoying the game more? On tour, yes the bottom line is scoring and results, but in order to score better you need to hit the ball more accurate in order to set up the ability to score. Off of the tour, scoring, enjoyment, distance gains, less ob's, and many other things could be considered on whether someone is a great instructor or not.

 

Most of the teachers on tour have gotten there through many years of work, impressive knowledge of the swing, and were fortunate to meet some quality players along the way, all of which helped bolster their name. I think the knowledge base of many of the instructors on tour is top notch, and they are there to serve a purpose both for their wallets and the players, self interest is a motivator of many, many men. All have had to experience some sort of success in order to gain some notoriety or fame.

 

DG

[AndrewMe]

In my opinion, Leadbetter's entire enterprise is based on his players *depending* on him... Oh gee Lead, I hit a bad shot, what did i do? Please help me!!

 

IMO, the WRONG way to go about it... any instructor shouldnt base his teaching on dependence, it should be based on independence. Hitting a bad shot is OK, not making a "perfect" swing is ok, just try again. Charles is a great example... someone with his talent has been absolutely groomed since he was about 8 years old, to make the perfect swing, but never really to win, or be on his own.

 

Tiger on the other hand, was groomed to WIN, to DOMINATE and to do it on his own. Michelle Wie is another great example... barely out of a training bra and she wants to go play with the boys, without having even won a SINGLE major Amateur tournament ( I dont think) or at the very least definitely not dominating the way Tiger did... Same with Ty Tryon...

[shortgamewiz]

My golf teacher was 90 years old and broke records for most strokes under his age routinely. He recently passed away and I would not trade him for any teacher in the game. He was truly a great player and avid fan of golf.

[Golfchicago]

It doesn't matter who Tiger sees, he will still win even if he makes Leadpoison his teacher.

[Sean2]

IMHO Leadbetter is too mechanical. You can have the most beautiful swing in the world, but golf is about scoring. Look at Palmer, Furyk, Trevino, etc.

 

A good instructor will build around what a person has, for example some people have a fast tempo and others slow, that's just the way they are.

[DRGJR72]

Leadbetter has hurt more careers than he has helped, Haney and his parallel planes is laughable, Harmon and his width, etc. It's all pretty funny and it's all fluff.

 

A kid at a Leadbetter school will never learn how to play golf and win, the kid will learn to hit 185 yard 7 irons with no feel. I'm sorry the best players in the world never went to some "golf only" academy. If they start, the game will deteriorate, just look at tennis.

 

I wish golf digest would put together a real ranking, not based on hype, but based on getting players better

 

They ought not to be even considered for ranking unless they work with real golfers on a regular basis. This tour player only crap and then listing them as a "top teacher" is silly, how are they a top teacher if you can't get lessons from them.

 

I really doubt that anyone at golf digest even plays golf.

 

I enjoyed your last sentance and totally agree with what ur saying. Jim Fick once told me David Leadbetter wouldnt give a lesson to golfers with handicaps over 5. This was some years ago and not sure if its true, but whatever, the whole concept of top teacher is bs

 

Who is Jim Fick? :D

[golfer992]

Who cares what the "best golf teachers" do. Just worry about how good your teacher is and if he's doing the job you want him to do for you properly.

 

Second that.

[imabeatonu]

leadbetter's swing is more repeatable...tiger wins only because he is tiger woods... he could win finding any way to swing

[steverum]

Tiger's swing is good, but not great. He wills the ball into the hole.

 

I would take Trevor Immelman or David Toms swing anyday, Els is pretty good too.

They have technique and tempo. :man_in_love:

[LPM]

[quote name='Golfchicago' post='730437' date='Sep 24 2007, 12:43 PM']It doesn't matter who Tiger sees, he will still win even if he makes Leadpoison his teacher.[/quote]that sir is a fact

[telluwhat]

[quote]Leadbetter has hurt more careers than he has helped, Haney and his parallel planes is laughable, Harmon and his width, etc. It's all pretty funny and it's all fluff.[/quote]

glcoach (or anyone else here), I don't really know much about what Leadbetter, Haney, or Harmon teach. Just out of curiosity (because we hear their names so often), can you provide more details on what they teach that won't work for the average golfer?

On a similar note, who does provide instruction that will work for us non-pros?

[wkuo3]

[quote name='themouth1' post='692490' date='Aug 24 2007, 02:28 AM'][quote name='playar32' post='690339' date='Aug 22 2007, 08:07 AM']Personally, I think that michelle wie is the worst golfer in the world. I mean shes good only because she practices so much, but if I was able to practice as much as her with her talent I think I could at least win an LPGA event.[/quote]

WOW!!! That is quite possibly the most ignorant comment I have ever heard on Michelle Wie and that's is saying a lot...
[/quote]

The kid got talent, she needs to be a bit more mature between the ears.
If she does not lose interest in competitive golf and stay away from injury, she's the next big thing in woman's golf.
As for whom benefited fom Leadbetter, how about Si Rae Park, Nick Price,Greg Norman...........
Leadbetter is not only a great instructor, he's also a fine human being, helping out those whom needed a hand when they started off on the Tour ( or trying to get on the tour ), this is before all the mega bucks for endorsement and tournament price.
There might be different methods of teaching golf, Leadbetter was and still is one of the premier instructors in golf.

[swings89]

[quote name='steverum' post='767315' date='Oct 25 2007, 03:00 PM']Tiger's swing is good, but not great. He wills the ball into the hole.

I would take Trevor Immelman or David Toms swing anyday, Els is pretty good too.
They have technique and tempo. [/quote]



Really..? What basis and foundations of the golf swing are you basing this one? IMHO, Tiger's swing is far better mechanically than Els or Toms. As far as Immelman, he has a great swing already but he is working to make it better especially with the recent change in instructor. It's just my opinion, but Tiger has one of the top three swings, if not the best in the game. And that would be with Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, or anyone else included.

[Veritas]

Tiger's biggest asset is what goes on between his ears. He has the mental game down and most teachers just can't teach that. I think Tiger's best teacher was his dad, mostly for the mental game he installed in Tiger, not any of these other guys that are teaching him now. That being said, some of you guys are incredibly tough on the top teachers. I'm not sure I understand where you get so much dislike for these guys.