What I've Learned

The best lessons my players have taught me + how they can help you.

- Butch Harmon

I STARTED WORKING WITH GREG NORMAN in 1991, shortly after he lost his No. 1 ranking to Nick Faldo. Greg had developed a flaw in his swing. He’d slide his hips so hard toward the target on the downswing that the club would drop behind him, sometimes causing a fatal block to the right. I knew we had to get him to rotate his hips earlier coming down to take away some of that slide. Greg is the most focused person I’ve ever been around. When he wants something, he’s relentless, and he committed to making the change. It was grueling at times, but two years later, he got back to No. 1. The lesson for me was, great players can physically do whatever you ask them to do—it’s a very transparent process. You’re either right or wrong, and you better be right. â–¶ â–¶ â–¶ During the past three decades, I’ve been fortunate to work with some phenomenal players, and I’ve learned so many lessons: rhythm from Fred Couples, short game from Phil, feel from Seve, sheer grit from Tiger. Whenever I’m working with players who have a special way of doing something, I want to know how they do it. I’ll ask them what they’re thinking, what they’re feeling. The player in me has a curiosity about these things. The teacher in me knows that finding out how the best players perform their best skills will help me with all my students. Along the way, I’ve learned how to deal with people—when to give them space, when to push them, when they need a laugh or a hug. People ask me the secret to teaching, and I say, “I don’t teach golf to people; I teach people to play golf.” And in return, they teach me back. —WITH PETER MORRICE

TIGER WOODS