71 replies to this topic

[BigTyme]

I played junior and high school golf with Bubba (and those "other" two players)  and dont know that  I ever saw him take a "lesson".  He just swung hard, hit it a mile in the air and with a 40 yard hook.  That hook he hit from the trees he was hitting it as a 10 yr old.  I dont have any reason to defend him other than I was there.  If you think he's immature now, imagine a 15 yr old Bubba.  

And playing with those other 2 didnt hurt either.  He had a Ping rep as a grandfather figure as an AJGA player, so that helped with left handed equipment.  He was just a natural talent and lived on the course his whole life.  Didnt grow up privileged in the normal sense, but he had a lot of support and drive that other kids didnt have.   If it wasnt for his mental game, the rest of country would have heard from him long time ago.

[gopherguts]

golfpros1, on 29 April 2012 - 07:11 PM, said:

I never took a lesson that even talked about moving the ball (although I've only taken like 3 lessons ever so), and was hitting draws and fades, low and high, from the time I started playing.  

Yeah, I could do that too; right from the get-go.

In fact, sometimes it even went in the direction I was TRYING to hit it.

Edited by gopherguts, 03 May 2012 - 09:41 AM.

[slowswing]

I think any lessons he had would have been on course management. That swing is purely self taught and is refreshing and inspiring .

[RacineBoxer]

I can believe that he never had any formal lessons.  


I find it hard to believe that as a youth, a high school player or a college player, that he didn't have times when he was struggling and someone with much more experience told him to try this or try that.


A lot of times that's all a lesson is.  I'm self taught, been golfing 15 years, learned to work the ball both directions from watching tv, reading magazines, youtube, etc...  Last year I took my first 2 lessons.  I went because while I was hitting most everything pretty darn straight I was duck hooking my fairways woods.  I had the instructor watch me hit these bad shots for a few minutes and he gave me some things to work on.


Lesson?  I guess so.  But I don't see it as being that different than watching a high school kid who's playing poorly and having someone tell him to try this or try that.

When people talk of Bubba as never having a lesson, I think some are reading into that that he's figured everything out on his own and no one ever taught him anything about how to hit a ball differently.  

Nuances IMO.

[glcoach]

BigTyme, on 02 May 2012 - 11:12 PM, said:

I played junior and high school golf with Bubba (and those "other" two players)  

Not trying to say you aren't giving correct information here but you do realize that Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum are 5 years older than Bubba don't you?  They may have gone to the same school but I doubt they ever played on the same HS team.

[monkeynaut]

glcoach, on 04 May 2012 - 08:06 AM, said:

BigTyme, on 02 May 2012 - 11:12 PM, said:

I played junior and high school golf with Bubba (and those "other" two players)  

Not trying to say you aren't giving correct information here but you do realize that Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum are 5 years older than Bubba don't you?  They may have gone to the same school but I doubt they ever played on the same HS team.

He didn't say Bubba played with them. He's saying he did. If the poster is a couple of years older than Bubba and a couple of years younger than the other two. The timeline matches for him to have played at some point with each of them.

[jeffrott]

It is not rocket science. People make the golf swing more complicated than it needs to be. I am sure his Dad was an influence on his development. I am a 7 hcp never had a formal lesson, and can slice and hook the golf ball relatively easy. I get more satisfaction out of going to the range and trying to hit golf shots that I might use on the golf course rather than trying to hit a 300 yd drive or make a perfect swing. Some of you guys might want to try it. It is really kind of fun. See if you can hit a 7 iron 100 yds, make it curve both directions, hit it high and try to hit it low. My worst swings come from the middle of the fwy, i am much more comfortable hitting shots out of the trees. Am I the only one. I hope not. It is a big part of the game, and a fun challenge too. How boring a game would it be to hit every fairway, and every green.

[approach11]

You don't take "lessons" to learn how to hit big hooks and slices, or scramble or create shots to get out of trouble.

Who taught Seve?  Who taught Mickelson his flop shot?  

You figure this kind of stuff out being a golf junkie your whole life.

[justinp766]

I thought everyone learned how to work the ball through trial and error.......

To hit a draw , I bow my left wrist a little......To hit a fade I cup my left wrist a little....

Edited by justinp766, 11 May 2012 - 12:09 AM.

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

There are some people who would rather be punched in the face than take a lesson from anyone on anything. They just do not want someone telling them how to do something. "I'll figure it out for myself" if their response to any offer of instruction. Not just some golfers, some people are like that as a personality trait. I have no trouble believing Bubba Watson was one of those people. It's not all that unusual.

What does seem unusual to me is the number of people on this forum who find someone "figuring it out for himself" somehow threatening or insulting. Deeply weird reaction, if you ask me.

[scores]

Stayed at a holiday inn

[SurfDuffer]

Fourmyle of Ceres, on 11 May 2012 - 05:26 AM, said:

There are some people who would rather be punched in the face than take a lesson from anyone on anything. They just do not want someone telling them how to do something. "I'll figure it out for myself" if their response to any offer of instruction. Not just some golfers, some people are like that as a personality trait. I have no trouble believing Bubba Watson was one of those people. It's not all that unusual.

What does seem unusual to me is the number of people on this forum who find someone "figuring it out for himself" somehow threatening or insulting. Deeply weird reaction, if you ask me.

Best post of this entire thread!!!!  I'm one of those people.  I've never had a lesson.  Not interested in getting them either.  I learned the golf swing by reading Jack's "Golf My Way" and Ben Hogan's "5 Lessons".  From there I've figured the rest out all on my own.