Greetings Golfers,

I brought my dog Harvey to the vet yesterday for his annual check-up. Harvey hates going to the vet. In fact they have to muzzle him for the whole experience.

Is it worth it? Probably. I’m a risk/reward guy so I’m always weighing everything. Does he need those shots and the drawing of blood for those tests? Did dogs survive on their own before veterinarians?

Golf Instructors are like swing doctors. Does every golfer need an annual check-up? Did golfers play good golf without lessons?

I think both forms of doctors have to know their craft and understand their client. It’s not one size fits all. The good ones can be very helpful… but the bad ones can be dangerous.

Credentials aren’t always everything. I was at a golf swing clinic recently that was conducted by a famous swing doctor. He’s famous because he works with Tour Players. How much doctoring do Tour Players need? And are Tour Players’ swing mechanics relevant to the average golfer? I commented during the clinic that I’m a believer in trying to make students into old Volvos instead of highly tuned Maseratis. The old Volvo can sit out all winter and start right up in April. And the Volvo needs minimal maintenance to keep running. Can the old Volvo beat the highly tuned Maserrati in a race? Hardly. Can the Maserati sit out all winter and start-up in April?

Were my comments appreciated? Not so much. This swing doctor liked me about as much as Harvey likes the vet. I was hoping someone would put a muzzle on him – I think he wanted to bite me. And he probably wished that I’d been muzzled before the clinic.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com