then tell tell me: does video instruction really help?

I know its even risky to mention this, but I have to ask:

Is video instruction really valuable for the average player? The guy struggling to break 100? The guy looking to lose the slice, gain 20 yards, and do so with moderate effort in minimal time?

We all know the upsides of video. Aside from a great "upsell" for the professional, video instruction offers the following:

• A dream come true for the visual learner.... if he can get over the shock value: ("Does my swing really look THAT bad?")
• The opportunity to compare yourself "frame by frame" to somebody who plays for a really, really good living.
• The chance to see the motion of your club as it moves through impact. After all, there is nothing more important than that.

Although I don't use video instruction, I'm not opposed to it in theory. I think it can be tremendously valuable if used properly. I don't use it simply because I don't have it, and from a "business" standpoint it doesn't make sense for me to really seek it out. If you use video as a STUDENT, let me give you the following suggestions:

• Don't be discouraged. Your swing probably won't look as good as you expect it to, but that's OK. There is a lot more to being a good player than being a good swinger.
• Don't play "traffic cop" and let your instructor set priorities with you. If you want, you can find something "wrong" with a position in just about everybody's swing. If the top players aren't an exception, then neither are you. Remember, there is a lot more to being a good player than being a good swinger.
• Don't become a pretty-boy swinger with pretty fundamentals at the expense of a solid short game and course management savvy. As I like to say, there is a lot more to being a good player than being a good swinger.
• Remember that the top instructors get into heated debates about what grips, positions, and swing philosophies are correct. You will, to some degree, be subject to your instructors biases. Thankfully, there is a lot more to being a good player than being a good swinger.

I look at it this way. Most of the greatest players in history never used video as they learned the game. They learned to understand their contact and ball flight tendencies, and they based their learning around those results. I understand that times are changing and the top players use video as a resource now, but I doubt that any of them would tell you that video can replace the feel and understanding of ball flight principles.

As an instructor, I've always done my very best to teach a student to be able to see a ball in flight and answer this two-part question:

"According to the ball flight, the club path was__________ and the clubface was____________."

If a student couldn't answer that question accurately, quickly, and with confidence, then we weren't ready to move on to talk about body parts, positions, and theory. I'm convinced many students out there have never answered that question accurately, quickly and with confidence - therefore, they aren't ready for video anyway.

Please leave a comment or email me at kbless@pga.com

All the best!

KBPGA