In preparation for the PGA Championship, Claude Harmon and Ben Hogan are practising near a green. Suddenly, they have to stop because Cary Middlecoff’s sand shots brush past them. Disconcerted, Harmon and Hogan approach the problem in different ways. The first wishes to help, while the second suggests letting Middlecoff alone in order to give him the opportunity to solve his problem himself.

Harmon, the last “club pro” to win a major championship, mentions to Hogan: “You know I can help him, right?” “I know,” Hogan replies, “because you are one of the best coaches.” “What you don’t know is that when I was a kid, I lived near one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Even though I didn’t have access to swimming due to a rare illness, I took a sand wedge there and had lots of fun,’’ Harmon added. To which Hogan replied, ‘’There you go, you prove my point.’’ Ignoring his friend, Harmon found himself in the bunker alongside Middlecoff and the latter finished the tournament in fifth position.

‘’The secret is in the dirt’’ and fundamentals

Golfers of all calibres face the same dilemma: beating ball after ball until they find the solution themselves, or take lessons with a pro!

For those who favour Hogan’s approach – ‘‘The secret is in the dirt’’ – the results follow the effort. To this end, there is nothing in life that has a one-to-one ratio of effort to results, but golf’s correlation is perhaps among the worst. Not all efforts are guaranteed success.

Now, if you think a single training session a week will ensure that you never miss a shot again, you probably need the expertise of a professional to bring you back to reality. The help provided will allow you to take a shortcut by benefiting from the experience of someone who has been there before you, as well.

Happy golfing!

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