Vision, Feel, Rhythm
By Jim Flick
The Golf Channel Academy, 2001
Running time: 82 minutes
Available from www.booklegger.com
www.thegolfchannel.com

Presenting! The legendary teacher stars in a psychological thriller/instructional buddy flick with Nicklaus/Flick instructor Mike Malaska. Special guest appearance from 10-year old Patrick Francis who carries a 4-handicap and who is now, thanks to his gambling mentor, in danger of losing his amateur standing. (Just kidding.) Numerous Jack references, several Ernies, Arnolds, Toskis, Furyks with the occasional Lehman, Freddie, Curtis, Raymond, etc.

Upshot: Jam packed. "Golf is a game of understanding and feeling what you're doing with the club and your body."

On Vision: "People are way too quick to get away from the shot and not feel and see what's happening with the golf ball. You have to train your eyes to give you feedback and understanding what's happening with the swing."

Get Me Rewrite: "Feel is the ability to discern while it's happening precisely and monitor what your body is doing and what the club is doing while it's going on during a strike." Eh? Translation: "People are so focused on just what their body's doing a lot of the time that they lose the feel for what the club is doing."

Camera Work/Production Values: The C.B. De Mille of golf videos. Overheads, split screens, talent that looks at the camera, flashy superimposed computer graphics with dentist music intro, 3D rotating, topographical course map. Man! What, no chorus line?

Quote: "Your attitude towards failure is 10 times more important towards achieving your potential in this game than your physical talent ever will be…You've got to have fun with the adversity."

Psych 101: "Make sure you form habits that help your subconscious let you control your golf swing, not trying to think the process through and count on knowledge alone making you a better player."

Much Harder than it Looks: The 'Walk Through Drill." Mr. Mike sets up five balls and without stopping sweetly spanks each with a driver keeping the arms, body and club "moving in harmony."

Myth Buster: Makaska takes exception to the venerable warm-up of swinging two irons together, a drill one that traces its roots back to the Georgia Peach himself! He prefers swinging it "upside down" to help promote feeling the clubhead.

Comic Relief: "Sourpuss" Flick wonders whether that balance drill is really a sobriety test.

Question: "Are you approaching the game in a manner that fits your body type, and your, if you will, emotional characteristics, your competitive spirit and your flexibility so that you don't start down a road that you can't play your best golf?"

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