If It Ain't Broke

Not all change is bad, of course. Nick Faldo, before he was knighted, turned a Ford into a Rolls-Royce under the watchful eye of mechanic David Leadbetter. But even Faldo, a recent visitor here for the Faldo Series Asia, spent too much time in the workshop and when Leadbetter introduced the 'Swing for the Millennium' a piston blew (he got golfers elbow) and he had to revert. Some even cynically suggested that the coach had to keep proposing modifications to justify his considerable commission …

Two of my colleagues with a wealth of playing experience, Denis Hutchinson and Dominique Boulet constantly aver the importance of playing the game and not just trying to make perfect swings. Mind you, even at 83, Denis can hit a beautiful drive 180 yards straight down the middle and still get grumpy because it didn't feel right. Talking about this wonderful old game is a lot easier than playing it.