Tom,
It started in 1989. David was at the top of his game with Faldo, Price, Frost etc.
He was very busy, and I basically badgered him until I could get in to see him. I sold my 75 Trans Am in order to got to Florida from California to work with him.
I qualified for the tour through three stages of Qschool three months after changing EVERY part of my golf swing and setup!
I was NOT a player that wanted a shadow for a coach, and I worked with David a few times a year when needed or when he was at a tournament. He would always stop over to check on me and see how I was doing .
In 1996, chasing the top 125 I was struggling to keep my card due tomputting and called David from the Disney tournament. He invited me over to lake Nona and spent a couple hours with me Tuesday of that tournment and I went on to finish t7th to lock up my card.
I went back to Lake Nona Monday to offer a quite sizable check in thanks for all he had done for me. I had been through a lot of difficult times and he had always helped which got me to that point and I could finally do something to repay all his support. He did not accept the check, told me some very personal thoughts about my journey
8 years or so ago, I contacted David after many years away from playing. I was looking for guidance in my teaching career. Once again I found myself flying to Florida for a coaching seminar and time with David on the range, once again pushing me towards a new level in a different career
Outside of family, David Leadbetter and Dr David Wright have done more for me in my golf career and personally than I can tell you Tom.
mic drop-
Thanks Pat-1989-same timeline-I got in his book when a student of mine who I played a lot of golf with ,Michel Dion(hockey) had two lessons booked on back to back days that I filled in for him. Interestingly, I just googled Michel and I see he is a golf teacher back on Hilton Head-so another on Leadbetter's tree.
I'm embarrassed we even have to defend David on here. As I said-Class act.
It's easy to take pot shots at those at the top(teachers, architects, even Golf Channel personalities)
It's lonely at the top. (though I consider Jim McLean a better more versatile teacher-especially with elite players-Jim also can walk the walk, having played at Houston and in The Masters and US Open)
Just ask Tom Doak who no doubt gets his share of pot shots-we're lucky he comes on here to share his knowledge.
Re:teaching-Not every student is going to go to #1 or even get that much better-that's not always on the teacher (I was living proof of that,,,.. but I was working and teaching full time by then, and married)'
I learned a ton taking lessons from David about technique and bedside manner-as well as how to make a student feel relevant (and I had seen a lot of top teachers before that)
When I returned each time to Long Cove I had a full teaching book to try out all my new stuff:), all while still working outside washing carts/loading bags and 3 years shy of having a PGA card.
David also was the gold standard of a rising tide raising all ships as rates across the industry followed his lead-despite the fact his were incredibly reasonable for group sessions.
Nowadays my assistants make twice as much in a day teaching private lessons to chubby CEOs than David made in a day. Even inflation adjusted.
David was Teaching 8 pros pros in 2 different 4 hour sessions(and had to pay his assistant)-very intense with players of that level of committment and not a second to relax and shoot the breeze when students have made the kind of time and financial sacrifices we had made to get there.
Brandel is a teaching enthusiast(quite knowledgeable and very curious), but not a teacher-big difference.
Ron, just saw your post-Thanks-David was a big part of teaching me that as I was in a sea of Touring pros and I was a cart boy with a duck hook and a nasty reverce C-yet he treated me no different than the top pros around me.