Talking golf instruction with Jay Overton of Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club

I had the pleasure of lunch today with Jay Overton, the host professional at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Fla., and one of the country’s most decorated teaching pros. He’s been at Innisbrook for 30 years, and as you might imagine, he has an old-school attitude when instructing players.

Specifically, Overton has an aversion to taking a mechanical approach to the golf swing.

“It’s not a good thing for most people,” he said. “Everybody’s different. I’d rather help them get better and improve what they already have in their game.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Hey, I’m all for progress. Love all the new technology, the hot-faced drivers, the balls that fly forever, the hybrid/rescue clubs that allow you to hit nothing longer than a 5-iron (or less).

But these textbook, cookie-cutter swings that have over-run the pro golf tours in the past 15 years have got to go the way of the gutta percha ball.

Sure, fundamentals always can help, but like Overton, teaching pros should incorporate more creative thinking and shotmaking into lessons and tap into a student’s natural ability.

I recently received a press release touting Arnold Palmer’s Golf Academy in Orlando being named one of the Top 25 best by Golf magazine. I looked a little deeper, and saw Palmer’s academy has the usual menu fare of instruction: Mastering Fundamentals, Scoring, Course Strategy, and Practicing Like a Pro.

But then, like an epiphany - or lunch with Overton - I saw the light. It read: At the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy, the approach to instruction mirrors Mr. Palmer’s philosophy of the game. Each instructor teaches the “go-for-broke, never-let-up” style for which Palmer is so well known.

Yeah, baby. Let it flow, dude, let it flow …

If it’s good enough for The King, it’s good enough for me.