The Next David Leadbetter   by Dan Boever, Pinnacle Long Drive Team Elite Member

Last summer, I had the good fortune of playing Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course just outside Portland, OR.  This beautiful layout is one of the premiere golf courses in the country. 
My day consisted of a 10am wake up call for a noon lunch and golf to follow.  Throw in some free pizza and it was my dream day. 

I was scheduled to play golf with two men I had never met.  Both were good customers of a friend who has hired me on numerous occasions.  I had offered to host them for a free round of golf at the famous Pumpkin Ridge.  My friend was trying to deepen his relations with this account in hopes that it would lead to more business down the road.  If I could be charming, funny and spectacular on the course it would sure help the cause. 

My guy either trusts me or he is really desperate for more business.  Anyway, that is not my point.  My point is to describe my playing partner and his swing.  You see, here’s how it works; I tell you what he did wrong, share with you how to correct the problem, you learn and are pleased to have read this article.  Lets see if it works that way. 

Remember, I don’t know these two men.  All I know is they are very successful in business.  The owner, who I will focus on, is extremely competent at what he does.  He runs multiple companies and makes good amounts of dough. 

My goal as we get into the round is to ask lots of questions, get to know them and hopefully make some new friends.  I have found everyone has something interesting about him or her and my job is to find it.  How?  Questions.  It’s easy to do and it puts the focus on them.  My other objective is to assess their game and see how good, or bad they may be.  It takes as short a time as one swing with some people but normally within the first few holes I have a pretty good handle on the state of their game. 

This particular day was no exception.  I watched for eight holes as my new friend hit bad drive after bad drive.  It was painful to watch him struggle when all he had to do was make a minor change in his approach and the game would be easier and ultimately more fun.  Two hours of laughs allowed me to offer some advice as we strolled onto the 9th tee box.  I told him, I wanted him to try something.  I did not ask, I told.  He was visibly frustrated, as many successful business people are when they cannot get the golf ball to go where they want it to go.

I said, “lets tee it a bit higher and lets swing a bit easier.  I want you to think 85% and not 100%, or in my new friends case 150%.”  You see, for eight holes and probably as long as he had played golf he had swung the driver like a man possessed!  His tendencies to over swing made his head move too much which made his body move way too much.
1 + 1=2.  In fact everything was moving but his bowels.  That is never a good thing on the golf course, or in life…

Nothing good happens when you try and kill a golf ball.  The staple of all long drives is good solid contact and your chances of solid contact after performing a maniac swing is very minimal.  Our main man agreed to back off a bit and swing at 85-90%.  What do you think happened next?  You guessed it, a nasty slice right into the water that lined the right side of the fairway.  Actually no, my outstanding ‘cutting edge’ advice led to a perfect drive traveling down the middle of the fairway.  How far?  Far…well at least it was far for him.  It was an amazing drive that left a sheepish grin on his face.  I was his new David Leadbetter!  In fact I was all he had ever looked for in a male golfing companion!  To my astonishment he spent the rest of the day swinging in a very controlled manner.  He oppressed the urge to hit it like a caveman and it led to better drives and more fun. 

Do you want to hit it longer?  Here is some ‘cutting edge’ advice.  Swing easier and you will make better contact, which will lead to longer drives! 

Longer drives will lead to what we all want to say.  “I believe you are away...”    

Read more from Dan Boever!