Practical Golf - the book every young coach should read

Decades after it was written, Practical Golf is the coaching bible that’s still a key part of David Leadbetter’s life.

He read it as a youngster, fascinated by the insights, the guidance and the well-crafted illustrations. “I was a literary bug when I was a youngster. I read everything on golf that I could get my hands on,” Leadbetter recalled. “I can still remember that Practical Golf was one of the best books that I read.”

Now Leadbetter is a giant of the coaching scene, synonymous with success at every level of the game – from beginner to major winners. Yet his advice to all his fresh new young coaching recruits is ‘read Practical Golf’.

“It is still very relevant today,” he explained. “And its beauty is in its simplicity. John was all about simple solutions. His coaching was all about speed and simplicity and his fundamentals were very similar to mine. I encourage all the young coaches who come on board with me to read and learn – and one book they must read is Practical Golf.

“Technology and the availability of data has changed teaching. John never needed the technology. I don’t think he ever needed a video camera. He relied on his senses. Sight and sound. It might appear strange, but he could even hear when someone was hitting the ball wrong. This was how unique he was. He could listen and without even looking, he would know what had happened to the ball.

“Maybe now, for the professionals at the highest level of the game, the top athletes, they need more in-depth attention, so John’s philosophies may not quite fit. But for golfers at any other level, people who are playing a couple of times a week and want to make their games work, John’s teachings are so valuable. His has such a simple approach to the game. It is wonderful. He has been at the heart of the evolution of golf teaching.

“And if you are a professional teaching a student and you only have half an hour to assess their faults and find a solution that works, again – John’s fundamentals are vital. He could get people hitting the ball better in minutes. Most clients want answers fast. They do not want something that is going to involve three months work. Those quick lessons were his speciality. He did them with aplomb.

“When I first got to the States, where I was teaching in Chicago, the owner of the complex wanted me to coach like John because he was so impressed with him. I did when I started out. As time went by I developed my own theories – but at the start it was very much using John’s techniques.

“I met John for the first time in Chicago. He was popular all over America with his golf clinics in the 80s and early 90s. I was struck right at the start by just how enthusiastic he was about teaching and passing on knowledge. Years later, here I am telling young coaches to read Practical Golf.”