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| ARNOLD PALMER - THE PIED PIPER OF GOLF |
FORT PIERCE, Florida - Dick's Sporting Goods has unveiled a new series of television commercials that essentially tell us that our golf swings are perfect in their imperfection. This premise seems silly, especially to those of us who struggle with a slice, a hook or a lack of distance. "Swing your swing," as Arnold Palmer tells us in the Dick's commercial, and "you can be capable of greatness." What a crock! And people are buying it. Some of the comments I've read shouldn't have surprised me as much as Arnie is revered in the golfing world.
"What an absolutely inspiring commercial! It gave me the chills just watching it. A great message, great commercial all around. You really nailed it, Dick's!"
"I hope you continue to air this commercial for years, it might be the best golf commercial of all time and its timeless."
Then there are those comments from golfers who aren't buying into the "Arnold Palmer-as-Pied Piper" baloney.
"My swing gives me 90s, sometimes 80s, and twice 78 in a blue moon. So I don't want to swing my swing, I want to swing better swings."
"Fix your swing."
I'm aware that everyone loves Arnie and that this will be an unpopular post. And I'm also aware of the fact that I have been saying essentially the same thing for that past six years except for one big, no, make that VERY BIG difference. While Mr. Palmer is advocating that you continue walking down that comfortable road to mediocre golfing, my message has been that the OVER THE TOP GOLF® swing method works because it builds upon your foundation - your own golf swing. The five set-up changes in my golf swing method serve to improve your performance without starting from scratch with lessons that most of us can not possibly do. I love the premise of the Dick's commercial but it is essentially a dead end. It offers nothing. And why on earth would this sporting good's retailer trumpet such a message? If you extend that line of reasoning, why not stick with your old golf clubs instead of spending hundreds of dollars for a new set at Dicks?
I agree with the concept that golfers should explore alternatives to PGA-style teaching methods but I certainly don't concur with the idea of settling for a second-rate golf game by going through life simply "swinging your swing." I'm sure that you were well-compensated, Mr. Palmer, but the fact is, you have sold us out.
