On the Lip

There few times in life when you meet someone and walk away truly inspired. Jim McLean is the type of person that inspires you and I have not even begun to talk about his golf instruction. I recently caught up with Jim at the Jim McLean Golf School at the Doral Resort and Spa. We had an opportunity to discuss the difficulties of going from bent to bermuda and look at the state of the art facility Jim has created. Ironically, the real tips received didn’t come from his Book of Drills but rather about his Book of Drills. Known around the world as one of the great golf instructors, Jim has produced numerous videos and books on his teaching methods.

At his state of the art facility, instructors can tape your swing, match you up with your favorite golfer, and then compare the swings on a giant flat screen. I am sure David Toms swing would be more like mine if he were wearing heels and a skirt. Between clinics and lessons, over 50,000 people will go through a Jim McLean golf school a year. Jim has schools in Ft. Lauderdale, Michigan, Bahamas, La Quinta and PGA West. There is no shortage of A-list celebrities that have been to work with Jim including; Will Smith, Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones, Gene Hackman, Bill Murray, Dan Marino, Dr. J, and Andy Garcia.

When asked what trait is needed for someone to be successful in golf his response was, “love of the game, determination that you want to be good and dedication.” His dream foursome would be Bill Murray, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones and himself. Favorite courses are Pebble Beach and Olympic.

As for aspirations to play on the Champions Tour, McLean’s answer was quick and decisive. “No. Knowing the amount of commitment it takes and having worked with a number of the players I know you have to give up almost everything to be good. Many people do not realize the amount of effort and commitment it takes to play at that level; there are many sacrifices. I like the life I have now and I am doing what I enjoy.”

Tell me about your Drills Book? “I finished writing and doing the pictures for the book it in 1984. I though it was a good idea and went to the different publishers in NYC. I just pounded the pavement in NY and showed the book to a lot of people, I had some nice meetings but nobody wanted to do it,” he recalled.

Jim finished the book in 1984,w sold the idea in 1987 to Golf Digest and it came out in 1990. Golf Digest’s Book of Drills is now in its 15th printing and still in hard back.