Whether it be clubs, apparel, training aids, or balls THP wants to bring all aspects of golf to the consumer. One area that isn’t always considered by someone looking to improve their golf game is an instructional DVD. THP had the opportunity to review a unique instructional DVD that features one of the top golf instructors in the world, Butch Harmon. Butch’s DVD, Butch Harmon About Golf, is a unique way to provide golf instruction without becoming to ‘instructional.’ What do I mean? Check it out.
Features
- 2 DVD’s (approximately 2 hours per disc)
- Over 4 hours of instruction
- Every tip/drill demonstrated by Butch Harmon
- Instruction Booklet
Layout of the DVD’s
The layout of the DVD set is pretty simple yet complex in terms of content. Each disc has a menu and within the menu is a topic. When you select a topic you are presented with numerous sub-topics so there is plenty of items to watch and study with Butch. Here’s what you get when you purchase this DVD set:
Disc 1
Ball Striking, Basic Fundamentals
Faults, Cures & Drills
Specialty Shots
Short Game
Sand Play
Disc 2
Putting
From Good to Bad (Butch Harmon’s Pros)
Selecting Correct Clubs
Fitness in Golf
Kids/Women/Seniors
Each of these topics has a wide array of sub-topics to choose from that should cover many thoughts and concerns a golfer may have regarding their game. Whether it be grip, impact, swinging too fast, taking a divot, hook, slice, uphill lie, downhill lie, bunker play, or putting this DVD set has it all covered for you and Butch is there every step of the way.
Testing
This was one of the best testing experiences I’ve worked on. You mean I get to watch a DVD for 4 hours from the comfort of my own home? Brilliant. The two things that stood out to me while watching the DVD’s were 1) the simplicity of the instruction and 2) the demeanor of Butch and his delivery of the instruction. The instruction contained in the 49 sub-topics is never more than a few minutes and is concise and simple to understand. I never found myself thinking ‘how much more is left to watch?’ or found myself tuning out the instruction. Butch’s instructions were delivered in a ‘tough love’ kind of way which I really liked. He doesn’t just give instruction or tips and that’s it. Butch gives the advice and supporting reasons behind it in a manner that makes you want to grab your clubs and go practice the tips or techniques right away. His communication is really captivating and quietly demands your full attention.
One of the benefits of using a DVD as a tutorial is that you can play, pause and rewind at will. This really helped me understand what was being said and as a visual learning person it really helped me to see the method and execution of the tips and instruction being referenced. Many times I found myself either swinging along with Butch or at the very least had a club in my hand so I could mimic the general feeling of the lesson in an attempt to develop some mental muscle memory. Another aspect of the DVD’s I liked is that you can pick and choose which topics you want to watch without having to watch the entire DVD.
While Butch is the only one giving you instruction, he’s ultimately not alone. Some of the tour pros that Butch teaches make appearances where they give some additional credence to the tips and instruction that Butch is offering up. They would either reinforce what Butch was saying or would provide insight to some other tips that he has used with them to help their specific games or issues with their games. Who makes an appearance? Pros like Ernie Els, Natalie Gulbis, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, and Nick Watney. So not only do you get instruction from Butch Harmon, you’re also getting instruction from some of his prized pupils
Overall
The Butch Harmon About Golf DVD set is available at www.butchharmondvd.com for $79.95. So for the same cost as what a traditional 45-60 minute lesson may run with a PGA Professional, you get over 4 hours of instruction that you can continue to reference over and over again at your convenience. Is it worth it? I can’t tell you that as everyone has their own value of worth but for someone who does not have the money for consistent lessons or the time for those lessons, this may be a good alternative. It can easily provide a new learning method by which you jump start your game to the next level.
T. Hanks
