So Jeff, how do you explain Bryson D? Result of simple, valid, and not harmful teaching?
How about Bubba W?
Both talented, both went to the same charm school.
Bryson will be Bryson-not sure I'd blame or credit his action on a teacher.
Bubba came to it on his own-no formal lessons.
Who is to say either's action is harmful?-they are successful.
A teacher using one of them as an inflexible model for their students would be the one doing harm.
So perhaps you can see why I don't see teaching, athletic training, sports science, etc. as big factors in the increase in distance the ball is being propelled. The improvements in technology to me are the keys. Therefore, roll back the ball by adding spin and ball COR. Roll back club COR to the COR of persimmon. Reduce the size of drivers to perhaps half.
Let me be able to see where the ball flies to so that I can find it in a timely fashion, and complete my round sooner.
After all, I want an after breakfast round followed by an after lunch round, and completed by an after dinner round.
Agreed 100% about the equipment tech being the biggest jump.
And those other things contribute as well.
At the end of the day, no matter what it is, the scale of golf is out of whack and bifurcation/rollback is inevitable and needed.
But teaching has improved vastly-and it makes a huge difference when a 10 year old is not being told to keep his head down , drive his legs, and keep his left arm straight.
In fact telling a kid nothing is far better than any of that.
I've spent 40 years visiting and interviewing teachers, and there are FAR more good teachers today-it's not even close, as they have learned from all the greats before them-and the ability to use the internet has made all of that far easier.
Of course, with so many more total teachers out there, there are of course more bad teachers as well, but as a total number, far more good teachers than ever before, and far easier ways to reach and access them.
While you are correct that most teachers(or anyone else) are "average" by definition, that average can be much better than 30 years ago.
and it is.
I certainly hope the "average" doctor is better than he was 40 years ago.
and SL, your post is spot on