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An instructor’s perspective on the Chamblee/Dufner Twitter controversy
If you have not had a chance to read the latest exchange on Twitter between Brandel Chamblee and Jason Dufner — and his teacher Chuck Cook — you have missed a wonderful controversy brewing. As you may know, Brandel is never one to hide his feelings on his views of the golf swing (he’s against The Golfing Machine teachings). And when people disagree with him (Jason Dufner), he’s not hesitant to tackle his opposition head on.
I’d like to take the time to weigh-in on what I feel should be focused on from an instruction standpoint, instead of what has been said on Twitter in this controversy.
Brandel’s side
First of all, I consider Brandel to be a friend of mine and he has been nothing but gracious to me during my professional career; though we have differing viewpoints on certain things. I have often called or emailed him, asking his opinion on one thing or another, and he has never failed to answer me. In fact, I love hearing what he has to say, even if it’s the opposite of what I feel personally and professionally — he hardly speaks without research to back it up. When you have the kind of stage he has, you must be armed with facts.
As we all know, Brandel is not a fan of the new breed of instruction. He prefers the old school methods, and clearly from his initial Tweet that sparked the entire controversy, he prefers an upright backswing. He is not a fan of most technologies used on the lesson tee, and he is very vocal regarding the Golfing Machine book and the Trackman launch monitor. While I hold both these things dear to me personally, I do understand how he could not be as convinced as I am of their successes within the game.
People must understand his opinion is a matter of perspective, and though he has this perspective as a player, and as a player-turned-teacher, he does not have the thousands and thousands of hours on the lesson tee. This does not make him right or wrong, it just gives him a different viewpoint.
Dufner’s side
As a teacher myself, I admire Dufner’s rise to fame and to the top ranks as a player, and I applaud him for doing so in spite of the odds and the drama that has gone on within his personal life over the last few years. I am proud to see him step up on a public forum and defend Chuck Cook (his long time teacher) on this Twitter thread. It is refreshing to see! Though I don’t know Jason, I’d like to shake his hand for doing so. My biggest gripe with Tour Professionals, in general, is their failure to stand by their instructors when things are not going well.
The last time I saw a player defending his teacher this adamantly was in a text string I had with Kevin Kisner (who is a great guy and friend) and John Tillery (his teacher and also a friend), who was not picked as one of the Top-100 Teachers on the latest list by Golf Magazine. As I told Kevin and John, it is a matter of time before he is recognized by Golf Magazine. The lists are subjective and many things go into the selection process; they make good choices and other times they make mistakes. John is a heck of a teacher and will always be Top 100 in my book! So kudos to Jason and Kevin for standing up for their guys…they both deserve it 100 percent.
Chuck Cook’s side
How Chuck was dragged into the middle of this whole controversy is beyond me, because he is one of the nicest and most soft-spoken guys. I also consider him the top-1 percent of teachers within our business. Chuck was in Vail for many years while I was also teaching there, and we have been on many outings together. He has been nothing but professional to all of us and anyone he comes into contact with personally. When someone questions him or his ability to teach at the highest levels, I can only say look at the two U.S. Open Champs he has taught, as well as what he’s done with countless other people within the game of golf. He is a smart and stand-up guy and deserves nothing but respect from all of us.
Chuck, I wish I could be HALF the teacher and person you are and have always been! That is a fact.
The Golfing Machine
Now, we could write an entire article series on the book I call my bible within the golfing world. However, 99 percent of the people in the world call it a “method,” or too complex, although every top teacher uses its methodologies within their instruction. It is ONLY an encyclopedia of motion — that’s it. It tells you what will and will not work together during the swing. What the book lacks has been the proper messenger to get the word across and that blame is only on timing. That’s not a knock on the past teachers who have used it or the players on Tour who have employed it.
Homer’s great book was born in 1969, and sadly the world would not be ready to hear these type of ideas in this type of format until now. And, like anything, it has been grossly misunderstood. The book and teachings have been chastised and will continue to be until a few more generations realize the greatness of what is contained within its pages. Only time will help our cause.
The Conclusion
Its all good… it’s not a big deal people! Please understand we ALL come from different places within the game and have our own opinions based on our perspective. Remember that these are all subject to change and can at any time. Every one of the people in that string of Tweets have their own agenda to promote and have the basis to call themselves great in what they do for a living. As long as we all have a drink and a laugh together at the end of the day, I see no harm in a gentleman’s disagreement between friends as long as nothing was done out of malice.
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SuperStroke announced today its purchase of 100-year-old grip maker Lamkin Grips, citing the company’s “heritage of innovation and quality.”
“It is with pride and great gratitude that we announce Lamkin, a golf club grip brand with a 100-year history of breakthrough design and trusted products, is now a part of the SuperStroke brand,” says SuperStroke CEO Dean Dingman. “We have always had the utmost respect for how the Lamkin family has put the needs and benefits of the golfer first in their grip designs. If there is a grip company that is most aligned with SuperStroke’s commitment to uncompromised research, design, and development to put the most useful performance tools in the hands of golfers, Lamkin has been that brand. It is an honor to bring Lamkin’s wealth of product innovation into the SuperStroke family.”
Elver B. Lamkin founded the company in 1925 and produced golf’s first leather grips. The company had been family-owned and operated since that point, producing a wide array of styles, such as the iconic Crossline.
According to a press release, “The acquisition of Lamkin grows and diversifies SuperStroke’s proven and popular array of grip offerings with technology grounded in providing golfers optimal feel and performance through cutting-edge design and use of materials, surface texture and shape.”
CEO Bob Lamkin will stay on as a board member and will continue to be involved with the company.
“SuperStroke has become one of the most proven, well-operated, and pioneering brands in golf grips and we could not be more confident that the Lamkin legacy, brand, and technology is in the best of hands to continue to innovate and lead under the guidance of Dean Dingman and his remarkably capable team,” Lamkin said.
Related: Check out our 2014 conversation with Bob Lamkin, here: Bob Lamkin on the wrap grip reborn, 90 years of history
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Take it from a fellow who coaches high school golf in metro Toronto: there’s plenty of great golf played in the land of the maple leaf. All the greats have designed courses over the USA border: Colt, Whitman, Ross, Coore, Mackenzie, Doak, as well as the greatest of the land, Stanley Thompson. I’m partial to him, because he wore my middle name with grandeur. Enough about the architecture, because this week’s Tour Rundown begins with a newly-minted, Canadian champion on the PGA Tour. Something else that the great white north is known for, is weather. It impacted play on three of the world’s tours, forcing final-round cancellations on two of them.
It was an odd week in the golf world. The LPGA and the Korn Ferry were on a break, and only 13/15 of the rounds slated, were played. In the end, we have four champions to recognize, so let’s not delay any longer with minutiae about the game that we love. Let’s run it all down with this week’s Tour Rundown.
PGA Tour: TP takes TS at Byron’s place
The 1980s was a decade when a Canadian emergence was anticipated on the PGA Tour. It failed to materialize, but a path was carved for the next generation. Mike Weir captured the Masters in 2003, but no other countrymen joined him in his quest for PGA Tour conquest. 2024 may herald the long-awaited arrival of a Canadian squad of tour winners. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Nick Taylor break the fifty-plus year dearth of homebred champions at the Canadian Open, and players like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Adam Svennson, and Mackenzie Hughes have etched their names into the PGA Tour’s annals of winners.
This week, Taylor Pendrith joined his mates with a one-shot win at TPC Craig Ranch, the home of the Byron Nelson Classic. Pendrith took a lead into the final round and, while the USA’s Jake Knapp faltered, held on for the slimmest of victories. Sweden’s Alex Noren posted six-under 65 on Sunday to move into third position, at 21-under par. Ben Kohles, a Texan, looked to break through for his first win in his home state. He took the lead from Pendrith at the 71st hole, on the strength of a second-consecutive birdie.
With victory in site, Kohles found a way to make bogey at the last, without submerging in the fronting water. His second shot was greenside, but he could not move his third to the putting surface. His fourth was five feet from par and a playoff, but his fifth failed to drop. Meanwhile, Pendrith was on the froghair in two, and calmly took two putts from 40 feet, for birdie. When Kohles missed for par, Pendrith had, at last, a PGA Tour title.
360° and in!
A nervy par save by @TaylorPendrith to remain one back as he seeks his first PGA TOUR victory @CJByronNelson. pic.twitter.com/LVFXUSidSg
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 5, 2024
DP World Tour: China Open in Otaegui’s hands after canceled day four
It wasn’t the fourth round that was canceled in Shenzhen, but the third. Rains came on Saturday to Hidden Grace Golf Club, ensuring that momentum would cease. Sunday would instead be akin to a motorsports restart, with no sense of who might claim victory. Sebastian Soderberg, the hottest golfer on the Asian Swing, held the lead, but he would slip to a 72 on Sunday, and tie for third with Paul Waring and Joel Girrbach. Italy’s Guido Migliozzi completed play in 67 strokes on day three, moving one shot past the triumvirate, to 17-under par.
It was Spain’s Adrian Otaegui who persevered the best and played the purest. Otaegui was clean on the day, with seven birdies for 65. Even when Migliozzi ceased the lead at the 10th, Otaegui remained calm. With everything on the line, Migliozzi made bogey at the par-five 17th, as his principal competitor finished in birdie. To the Italian’s credit, he bounced back with birdie at the last, to claim solo second. The victory was Otaegui’s fifth on the DP World Tour, and first since October of 2022.
.@adrianotaegui birdies the 16th to tie the lead at -17 ?#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/p4tfE5DRJa
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 5, 2024
PGA Tour Americas: Quito’s rains gift title to Longbella
Across the world, superintendents and their staffs will do anything to prepare a course for play. Even after fierce, nightime rains, the Quito TG Club greeted the first four groups on Sunday. The rains worsened after 7 am, however, and the tour was forced to abort the final round of play. With scores reverting to Saturday’s numbers, Thomas Longbella’s one-shot advantage over Gunn Yang turned into a Tour Americas victory.
64 held the opening-day lead, and Longbella was not far off, with 66. Yang jumped to the top on day two, following a67 with 66. He posted 68 on day three, and anticipated a fierce, final-round duel for the title. As for Longbella, he fought off a ninth-hole bogey on Saturday with six birdies and a 17th-hole eagle. That rare bird proved to be the winning stroke, allowing Longbella to edge past Yang, and secure ultimate victory.
.@TBalla21 eagles 17, shoots 65 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the KIA Open. pic.twitter.com/TTOL2LxSdh
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) May 4, 2024
PGA Tour Champions: Dunlap survives Saturday stumble for win
Scott Dunlap did not finish Saturday as well as he might have liked. After beginning play near Houston with 65, Dunlap made two bogeys in his final found holes on day two, to finish at nine-under par. Hot on his heels was Joe Durant, owner of a March 2024 win on PGA Tour Champions. Just behind Durant was Stuart Appleby, perhaps vibing from his Sunday 59 at Greenbrier on this day in 2010. Neither would have a chance to track Dunlap down.
The rains that have forced emergency responders into action, to save hundreds of lives in the metro Houston area, ended hopes for a third day of play at The Woodlands. Dunlap had won once previously on Tour Champions, in 2014 in Washington state. Ten years later, Dunlap was the fortunate recipient of a canceled final round, and his two days of play were enough to earn him TC victory number two.
Off the green? No worries for @ScottDu12500063
8-under solo leader @InsperityInvtnl pic.twitter.com/hoj5OujL5C
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 4, 2024
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Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
Peter Kuest WITB 2024 (May)
Peter Kuest what’s in the bag accurate as of CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (8 degrees)...
Kelly Kraft WITB 2024 (May)
Kelly Kraft’s what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. More photos from the event here. ...
Taylor Pendrith’s winning WITB: 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees) Buy here. Shaft: Accra TZ Six ST 3-wood: Ping G430 Max (15 degrees) Buy here....
Ben Kohles WITB 2024 (May)
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, D1 SureFit setting) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (15 degrees)...
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19th Hole2 weeks agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
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19th Hole2 weeks ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
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19th Hole3 weeks agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
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19th Hole3 weeks agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
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19th Hole1 week agoLET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
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Equipment3 weeks agoJason Day on his recent switch into Srixon ZX5 and ZX7 Mk II irons
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19th Hole5 days agoGary Player claims this is what ‘completely ruined’ Tiger Woods’ career
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Whats in the Bag1 week agoTeam McIlowry (Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry) winning WITBs: 2024 Zurich Classic
Jack
Dec 22, 2017 at 2:08 am
How is Brandel a teacher? He’s a full time TV personality and a former pro who didn’t do much. Impressive still but not sure why he’s qualified to teach people.
david
Dec 17, 2017 at 4:06 pm
Tom I gave you a shank, and it hasn’t been the first time. You sat on the fence on this one and didn’t have the apparent guts to tell us how you really felt, I guess if you’re afraid to because someone in question is your friend, you shouldn’t be writing articles. Sorry this one was worse than a shank, it was a wimp!!!
MikeyB
Dec 14, 2017 at 6:42 am
Well where’s the parade of Symetra and Web.com players that Brandel has whipped into top 100 player ranking status in only 60 days using Tathata Golf???? It’s ok, I’ll wait for you to post the list…..*crickets*
Michael
Dec 13, 2017 at 7:13 pm
Any media guy who puts himself out there and who is going to act all righteous and arrogant over someone else’s use of strong language and use that as an excuse to cut off the conversation is worthless. Chamblee’s behavior for many years is all the justification that’s required.
HDTVMAN
Dec 13, 2017 at 6:23 pm
EVERY GOLFER I KNOW…EVERYONE…has stopped watching The Golf Channel studio shows when Chamblee is on. He is disliked by EVERYONE I know, he is a golf FAILURE, won once (Putt-Putt Championship in Podunkville), is an absolute zero, and should be fired. We would all like to see him replaced by “Bones” when he isn’t on location doing a tournament. Hey NBC/Universal/Comcast?Golf Channel, fire this idiot!
DG
Dec 13, 2017 at 5:06 pm
Love to see someone put The Golfing Machine into an order without all the cross referencing, in other words write it in layman’s terms.
On Chamblee, he has a podium and states his view in a very outspoken manner. He needs to realize that there is not one way to skin a cat.
fred
Dec 13, 2017 at 8:43 pm
TGM is total rubbish written by a fraud. Homer is not an engineer and his science is wrong.
Roscoe B.
Dec 13, 2017 at 4:38 pm
OK, I am a GOLF -WRX Junkie, and don’t miss much golf related media in US. In this case, “Tom, you owe me 5 minutes of my life back!” I mean, what did you actually say? You vaguely told us you like Chuck Cook and you consider Brandel a friend. What exactly do you consider your “perspective” that you shared with the reader as per the headline?
Harold W. Haldeman
Dec 13, 2017 at 1:57 pm
If A argue heads while B argues tails, each invested in the result, A and B will be at odds interminably. Rather, agree that the coin is useful for decision-making only if it has both. The golf swing coin is physiology and physics. Whichever side comes up when you flip it, talent changes the result; that is, the individual’s in-born nature to, and instructor-nurtured eye-hand-body coordination to, strike that damn little sphere to obtain the desired result. The best instructors don’t fool with talent, and, with us, the innumerable untalented, use whatever means the instructor finds we can understand to achieve a swing we can repeat with reasonable, albeit marginal, success — dealing, in both cases, with variable physiologies. When in the history of the game has anyone agreed on the proper method? There isn’t one. The pros, including the parties to the current contretemps, prove that every time they take a club back. Golf’s industry of equipment manufacturers, its legions of instructors, owe their livelihood to it. Imagine the result if everyone agreed and everyone swung that way.
Steve S
Dec 14, 2017 at 9:10 am
I’ve been looking at pros swings for the last few years and they are mostly different except at the point of impact. If you look at stop action of all the great ball strikers you’ll see that they are all virtually in the same position. Because of this the key to a good swing is RELIABLY getting to that impact position no matter how you do it. That is what all players and teachers should focus on based on your flexibility, body type, strength, joint damage, etc. NOT what someone thinks is the best way to swing the club. There is no ONE best way…..
Andrew Cooper
Dec 14, 2017 at 10:41 am
Yes, but impact is a result of what’s gone before. A functionally sound swing will create a sound impact position, an unsound swing won’t. From the top of backswing to impact is less than 0.2 seconds, you simply can’t consciously put yourself into a pro impact position if what’s gone before wasn’t any good. You can’t fake it. So much of what happens once the downswing starts is reaction and compensation, at all levels e.g. Start down steeply, you’ll have to stand up and/or release early. Or get your arms stuck behind the body and you’ll have to stall the body and flip your hands and arms through impact. Knowing where you’re trying to get to is important, but you have to also have an idea of how to get there.
stevek
Dec 14, 2017 at 2:38 pm
So what you are implying is that the golf swing is a series of compensations and adjustments, until you reach impact position where it all straightens out?
Andrew Cooper
Dec 14, 2017 at 5:43 pm
Stevek, absolutely a golf swing is a series of compensations and adjustments. It’s working out how to balance it to make it effective and avoiding doing anything catastrophically bad. Any really poor impact position though will be the result of something really bad preceding it.
Bob Jones
Dec 13, 2017 at 10:51 am
Regarding The Golfing Machine: I have a copy that I try to read from time to time. The book suffers because Kelley was not much of a writer; I won’t go into that. But what really disappoints me is that I cannot find where he says, “If you do X, then don’t do A. Do B instead.” There is the general hitter list and swinger list, but there is much more in the book than what is on those lists, and where does all of that fit in? There has to be something I’m not seeing, and I don’t think I’m alone.
fred
Dec 13, 2017 at 8:41 pm
TGM is total rubbish and Homer was a fraud. Only the gullible will try to make something out of it. It’s a total scam.
SK
Dec 14, 2017 at 2:45 pm
TGM was evaluated by a scientific expert with a doctorate degree in biomechanics who has researched and published technical papers on the golf swing, and his judgment was that TGM had an error on every page. Also the definitions of a ‘swinger’ and ‘hitter’ are unrealistic.
Ron
Dec 13, 2017 at 10:44 am
While I agree with your final comment about having a drink together and no harm done from a “gentleman’s disagreement”, Dufner took it outside the realm of a gentleman’s disagreement with his arrogant profane comments. And then continued to act like a teenager by proudly celebrating the fact that Chamblee blocked him. What people don’t realize it that acting like he did weakens his argument. I lost a lot of respect for Dufner. Good for Chamblee for being the bigger person. And this has nothing to do with whose opinions were right or wrong.
Sherwin
Dec 13, 2017 at 11:20 am
I feel the opposite. Brandel looks weak. It was easier for him to block Jason than defend his opinion.
Ron
Dec 13, 2017 at 2:11 pm
It’s difficult to defend your opinion when someone tells you to shut your Fing mouth. It’s best not even to feed into that type of banter any further. I’ve seen Brandel defend his opinions many times on TV. I don’t think he would have had a problem having a civilized discussion with Jason Dufner.
M-Herd4
Dec 13, 2017 at 1:30 pm
I agree with your comment Ron. I’m not a huge Chamblee fan but in this case I think he did the right thing. Dufner needs to act like the 40 year old professional adult he is and not some foul mouthed immature younger version of himself.
Tom
Dec 13, 2017 at 8:33 am
Chamblee is an idiot
NormW
Dec 13, 2017 at 1:44 pm
Thanks, Tom. Very constructive.
stevek
Dec 14, 2017 at 5:01 pm
Homer is an idiot too… TGM… Totally Gullible Men