John Jacobs - Changing the course of golf instruction (Video) - by Pete Styles
John Jacobs - Changing the course of golf instruction (Video) - by Pete Styles

When I was 14 years old, I qualified for the final of a national competition to go and play at Wentworth in London in the United Kingdom. As part of the prize on that day, there was a tuitional clinic held by, to me at the time, “just an old guy with gray hair”, was apparently my words to my dad. Little did I know that later on in my life that guy would have a massive influence on me.

It was actually a clinic held by John Jacobs. Although I just looked at this guy and thought he’s an old guy with gray hair, as you do when you’re 14 years old, that guy could hit a golf ball.

I remember one thing. He sat on a chair and hit a golf ball over 200 yards, which is still a trick I can’t manage to this day. As soon as I saw that ball fly 200 yards, sitting on a chair, I thought I’m going to stop and listen to this guy for a little bit.

I’ve kept listening to John Jacobs’ teaching theories for my entire life. I think if you ask any golf coach, who is the golf coach’s golf coach? Who is the best guy that you’ve ever listened to, read about? Whose theories that you still use to this day? Most people would come back to John Jacobs.

He’s a very quiet, very unassuming guy. Doesn’t seem to be in the game for money, or profit, or celebrity but he really know his thing about golf. Jacobs’ big theory was that the golf ball will tell you everything.

In an era before video cameras, and TrackMans, and technology, he was the human sort of flight scope, if you like. He could see what the golf ball was doing, relate that exactly back to the golf swing. Didn’t spend a great deal of time watching a pupil from front on, was very keen on the down the line view of somebody. Talks about club face controlling most things that happen in the golf swing.

So John Jacobs, he had an influence on me at 14 years old when he was sitting on a chair, hitting a ball 200 yards. He continues to have an influence on me today. If you want to read a couple of good golf books, go and hunt down anything by John Jacobs.

 2013-01-21

When I was 14 years old, I qualified for the final of a national competition to go and play at Wentworth in London in the United Kingdom. As part of the prize on that day, there was a tuitional clinic held by, to me at the time, “just an old guy with gray hair”, was apparently my words to my dad. Little did I know that later on in my life that guy would have a massive influence on me.

It was actually a clinic held by John Jacobs. Although I just looked at this guy and thought he’s an old guy with gray hair, as you do when you’re 14 years old, that guy could hit a golf ball.

I remember one thing. He sat on a chair and hit a golf ball over 200 yards, which is still a trick I can’t manage to this day. As soon as I saw that ball fly 200 yards, sitting on a chair, I thought I’m going to stop and listen to this guy for a little bit.

I’ve kept listening to John Jacobs’ teaching theories for my entire life. I think if you ask any golf coach, who is the golf coach’s golf coach? Who is the best guy that you’ve ever listened to, read about? Whose theories that you still use to this day? Most people would come back to John Jacobs.

He’s a very quiet, very unassuming guy. Doesn’t seem to be in the game for money, or profit, or celebrity but he really know his thing about golf. Jacobs’ big theory was that the golf ball will tell you everything.

In an era before video cameras, and TrackMans, and technology, he was the human sort of flight scope, if you like. He could see what the golf ball was doing, relate that exactly back to the golf swing. Didn’t spend a great deal of time watching a pupil from front on, was very keen on the down the line view of somebody. Talks about club face controlling most things that happen in the golf swing.

So John Jacobs, he had an influence on me at 14 years old when he was sitting on a chair, hitting a ball 200 yards. He continues to have an influence on me today. If you want to read a couple of good golf books, go and hunt down anything by John Jacobs.