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Chamblee Comments on Golf Instructors

LICC

LICC

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Chamblee rips into golf instructors. He has since apologized for his choice of words. But what have been the experiences here of those who have taken lessons from instructors. I've done it a few times over the years from a variety of PGA pros, from a local range to private clubs, and I've mostly found them to be a waste of time. They all seem to give standard advice that I can read anywhere and never gave me any instruction that seemed to work for me. To me the best way to get better is to hit lots of balls and figure out what works.

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2020/03/24/brandel-chamblee-b*tch-slaps-instruction-exclusive/

Chamblee: "The teachers are being exposed for their idiocy, but I stood on the range with a prominent teacher who had acolytes all around him who then went out and those acolytes talk with acolytes and then they completely spread this flawed philosophy through all of teaching and all teachers stuck to that ideal and all teachers taught flawed philosophies and these philosophies finally got b*&^h-slapped by reality. YouTube, there it is, you’re wrong, they’re right."
 
I'm not the biggest Brandel fan, but I don't think he should have to apologize for his choice of words. The golf world is well aware of who he is, and he is golfs most lovable instigator.

In my opinion, he's right. He often is, even if he's over the top and brash.
 
LICC said:
Chamblee rips into golf instructors. He has since apologized for his choice of words. But what have been the experiences here of those who have taken lessons from instructors. I've done it a few times over the years from a variety of PGA pros, from a local range to private clubs, and I've mostly found them to be a waste of time. They all seem to give standard advice that I can read anywhere and never gave me any instruction that seemed to work for me. To me the best way to get better is to hit lots of balls and figure out what works.
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I’ve had great, good ones and bad ones. I’ve experienced a spectrum of styles. They have not all said the same thing, though they eventually come around to identifying the same basic flaws in my swing. I am a big fan of instruction. I think most golfers aren’t nearly good enough and don’t have anything remotely approaching the amount of time necessary to do it themselves.
 
Like tequila4kapp I've had both good and bad instructors. However I probably won't have stuck with the game without their encouragement. My current instructor has been great. As an older golfer he has adjusted my swing to give me best swing I can get without fatigue or injury. I've watched a lot of my friends make improvements through his instruction.
 
I can't take Brandel anymore...even when I agree with him. It just seems like he's only there to say something "shocking" and get us talking. If he provided something else to the sport, maybe I'd listen more.
 
I just ignore anything he says.. He's a clown
 
Finding a golf instructor is akin to finding a putter - it's very much about personal feel. By this I mean are you and the instructor a good fit?

My first exposure to instruction was horrible - the guy basically told me to forget everything I knew about a golf swing and tried to rebuild me from scratch. I almost gave up the game it was that bad.

My second opportunity was polar opposite - I had been slicing a golf ball all of my golfing life. I lined up at a 45 degree angle to where I wanted the ball to go, and managed it. Mark watched me hit a few balls, grinned and said "this is gonna be easy". A dozen swings later (I'm not exaggerating) I hit the first draw of my life. My next 12 rounds I had only 1 round where I didn't shoot in the 70s.

Every now and again when I'm feeling a bit off I go back and pay him a visit, usually within a handful of swings he can spot the problem and give me suggestions to correct it. I firmly believe that you've got to have an instructor that can work with what you've got as opposed to a ground-up rebuild. 99.9% of us aren't capable of a full rebuild.
 
I think there's a lot of merit to having multiple teaching methods. People learn in different ways and what resonates with some won't resonate with others. Similarly, if different methods result in positive improvements among students (especially in critical areas like impact), who's to say there isn't value there?

At the end of the day, there are critical faults (like OTT) that any teaching method would hopefully resolve. And there are also important musts (weight shift, shaft lean at impact with irons, etc...) that any teaching method would reinforce. I'm sure there's an infinite variety of tips, drills, thoughts, mechanics and teaching philosophies available to realize improvement.
 
LICC said:
Chamblee rips into golf instructors. He has since apologized for his choice of words. But what have been the experiences here of those who have taken lessons from instructors. I've done it a few times over the years from a variety of PGA pros, from a local range to private clubs, and I've mostly found them to be a waste of time. They all seem to give standard advice that I can read anywhere and never gave me any instruction that seemed to work for me. To me the best way to get better is to hit lots of balls and figure out what works.

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2020/03/24/brandel-chamblee-b*tch-slaps-instruction-exclusive/

Chamblee: "The teachers are being exposed for their idiocy, but I stood on the range with a prominent teacher who had acolytes all around him who then went out and those acolytes talk with acolytes and then they completely spread this flawed philosophy through all of teaching and all teachers stuck to that ideal and all teachers taught flawed philosophies and these philosophies finally got b*&^h-slapped by reality. YouTube, there it is, you’re wrong, they’re right."
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You think he was talking about Haney?

Chamblee - slightly abrasive but I like him.

I've had bad and good - it took 16 years to find good and 4 years to correct all the bad.

I won't mention the prominent ones ... but I've got to say, it took a while for me to know what was good and bad and video did help, but some instructors are so accustomed to teaching golfers with good form that they can't relate to some amateur swings.

All they had to say was lead arm tight to body, don't yank your arms down, and discuss squencing when I began, and I would not have wasted so many years in the quest to get more consistent. It just came together this year. Simple stuff. They should be able to relate and teach the basics better.

And just because they teach PGA Touring Pros does not necessarily translate to knowing how to instruct Average Joe Golfer. Some of 'em suck. Others are very good to excellent. But you need to ask questions. And even if you do, you don't get answers that help at times.
 
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He says stuff to get clicks and is polarizing on purpose. I find it hilarious that he blocks so many people on social when he is the one who is saying over the top stuff and can't handle getting called out on it.
 
I had a couple terrible coaches before finding one that was able to help me identify and fix my swing flaws
 
Desmond said:
You think he was talking about Haney?

Chamblee - slightly abrasive but I like him.

I've had bad and good - it took 16 years to find good and 4 years to correct all the bad.

I won't mention the prominent ones ... but I've got to say, it took a while for me to know what was good and bad and video did help, but some instructors are so accustomed to teaching golfers with good form that they can't relate to some amateur swings.

All they had to say was lead arm tight to body, don't yank your arms down, and discuss squencing when I began, and I would not have wasted so many years in the quest to get more consistent. It just came together this year. Simple stuff. They should be able to relate and teach the basics better.

And just because they teach PGA Touring Pros does not necessarily translate to knowing how to instruct Average Joe Golfer. Some of 'em suck. Others are very good to excellent. But you need to ask questions. And even if you do, you don't get answers that help at times.
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The ones I've went to have given different advice, but it seemed like it was the same things they would say to most of their clients. Over time, the things I have discovered myself to better my swing weren't any of the things the instructors advised.

As for Chamblee, I like him. He usually provides insight way beyond the standard commentator. Sure he likes to throw extreme comments to gain attention, but that's the game.
 
Desmond said:
You think he was talking about Haney?
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I assumed Foley.

I think the golf world would be just fine without Blowhard Cham-look-at-me.
 
McLovin said:
I assumed Foley.

I think the golf world would be just fine without Blowhard Cham-look-at-me.
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I think he was referring to every instructor that taught players to restrict their hip turn. Which at one point was most of the top instructors. He has said that Butch Harmon was not in that category.
 
Chamblee is a hack.
 
McLovin said:
I assumed Foley.

I think the golf world would be just fine without Blowhard Cham-look-at-me.
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Yes, it would, but he mixes things up and I like controversy. I like people who challenge your beliefs. It's good for us, I am told
 
Desmond said:
Yes, it would, but he mixes things up and I like controversy. I like people who challenge your beliefs. It's good for us, I am told
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I think there's a fine line, and he crosses it. I don't find BC to be much different than Peter Kessler.
 
Finding a good instructor is difficult. If PGA professionals were all great instructors we would all be better golfers.

Overall I find BC to be a bright guy. I don't agree with everything he has to say, but he still has a right to say it. I find calling someone names b/c you may not agree with them to be...unhelpful. It's easier to call someone names than it is to put forth a cogent counter-argument.
 
Well, Chamblee would certainly know all about getting exposed for your idiocy. :LOL:
Beyond that, I think theres certainly merit to lessons but you have to find a good teacher. You can hit all the balls you want but if you have some inherint swing flaw, all you are doing is ingraining that flaw.
Sometimes you need someone to watch your swing and show you what youre doing wrong.
 
Chamblee is the Stephen A. Smith (who I can't stand) of the golf world. He relies on the "hot take" to draw clicks and viewership.
 
McLovin said:
I think there's a fine line, and he crosses it. I don't find BC to be much different than Peter Kessler.
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Well, I agree that I don't like to listen to Chamblee - I'd rather read Chamblee if I must take him. lol

If I must watch him, do it with wine and throw balled up socks at the TV screen.
 
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Golf is a crazy sport. What other sport sees their World No 1's fall into obscurity when they changed teachers? Of course he is right, there has been something amiss with popular golf instruction since golf became an industry. Golf is one of the hardest disciplines in sport to play well yet most of it's qualified teachers went through their apprenticeship learning to run a golf retail business. It is not the teachers fault, but with the system that has evolved to grow the game.
 
I can appreciate some of BC's takes, but he is an arrogant pr*ck with a huge ego. And I think he's always been that way. My current coach played with him in a (non-tour) tournament once, and has no respect for the guy. He was a jerk to his playing partners & thought he was better than everyone else back then. Don't see that much has changed since.

Not someone I would want to spend time with.
 
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