Brian Manzella
Administrator
Today I accomplished a 22 year goal.
Since I am only 42
, that span is more than half of my life.
Three things happened in 1982 that would forever change my life. First it was discovered, by complete accident, that I had a great aptitude for teaching golf.
I was working at New Orleans' City Park. At the time we had 81 holes, a double-decker driving range and a large discount golf shop. The pro then was Henry Thomas who had been a head professional since 1927. He was Mr. Golf in Louisiana. The shop was the number one or two account for Ping, Titleist and Spalding in the country. Mr. Thomas hired me as a stock boy, but I quickly moved up to head salesman and merchandiser.
I was on scholarship, playing golf and majoring in communications at The University of New Orleans and knew how to work a video camera. Mr.Henry and his assistant Larry Griffin were going to teach in a booth at the National Real Estate convention in the downtown Marriott. They brought me along to shoot video. After the first three hours of teaching they left for lunch along with most all of the conventioneers. They had me stay behind to teach any stragglers. I had never given one lesson in my whole life. A lady walked up and I watched her swing. She moved her right leg too much and I fixed her. After I fixed maybe six more students, I had a crowd. So I started giving an impromptu clinic. Before I was done there were sixty or seventy people intently watching.
When Mr. Henry and Larry got back, they watched me teach for the next two and a half days.
I went home and told my dad that I was probably a lot closer to being the best teacher in the world than the best golfer in the world. I've been teaching ever since.
The second thing that happened was Mr. Thomas put me in charge of the City Park Junior program that summer. It was a rag-tag mess with only two dozen or so little kids and their moms. I loved every minute of it and had those kids really hitting it good by summers end. What amazed me was that every week we had more kids than the week before. I was hooked.
The third thing happened at a College Golf Tournament at The Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi. It was there, after looking for over year, that I found a copy of The Golfing Machine. Wow, ALL the answers in one little yellow book. I never put it down for long.
As many of you know, there is only so much you can learn by yourself from Homer Kelley's book. You need help. So in 1987 I flew to California to work with Ben Doyle. People said he was too complex and too demanding. What I found was the sweetest man you ever met, with a passion for the game and teaching it that inspired me to really make him proud.
Since that visit I have worked with future and current PGA Tour winners and thousands of everyday golfers and golf professionals like most of you. I have tried my best with them all and, like Ben, I have always tried to SHARE my knowledge.
On this site I am questioned, praised, prodded, criticized, and challenged. It is all greatly welcomed.
Thank you all for being a part of my being named the 30th G.S.E.D. of The Golfing Machine.
I only hope that I can make your visits to this site more worth the trip everyday.
Thanks so much again, forum members, and thanks to Ben, Mr. Henry (still going strong at 92), Mom, my Dear ole Dad and my sweetie Lisa Marie,
I finally did it!
Your Golfing Pal,
Brian
Since I am only 42
, that span is more than half of my life.Three things happened in 1982 that would forever change my life. First it was discovered, by complete accident, that I had a great aptitude for teaching golf.
I was working at New Orleans' City Park. At the time we had 81 holes, a double-decker driving range and a large discount golf shop. The pro then was Henry Thomas who had been a head professional since 1927. He was Mr. Golf in Louisiana. The shop was the number one or two account for Ping, Titleist and Spalding in the country. Mr. Thomas hired me as a stock boy, but I quickly moved up to head salesman and merchandiser.
I was on scholarship, playing golf and majoring in communications at The University of New Orleans and knew how to work a video camera. Mr.Henry and his assistant Larry Griffin were going to teach in a booth at the National Real Estate convention in the downtown Marriott. They brought me along to shoot video. After the first three hours of teaching they left for lunch along with most all of the conventioneers. They had me stay behind to teach any stragglers. I had never given one lesson in my whole life. A lady walked up and I watched her swing. She moved her right leg too much and I fixed her. After I fixed maybe six more students, I had a crowd. So I started giving an impromptu clinic. Before I was done there were sixty or seventy people intently watching.
When Mr. Henry and Larry got back, they watched me teach for the next two and a half days.
I went home and told my dad that I was probably a lot closer to being the best teacher in the world than the best golfer in the world. I've been teaching ever since.
The second thing that happened was Mr. Thomas put me in charge of the City Park Junior program that summer. It was a rag-tag mess with only two dozen or so little kids and their moms. I loved every minute of it and had those kids really hitting it good by summers end. What amazed me was that every week we had more kids than the week before. I was hooked.
The third thing happened at a College Golf Tournament at The Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi. It was there, after looking for over year, that I found a copy of The Golfing Machine. Wow, ALL the answers in one little yellow book. I never put it down for long.
As many of you know, there is only so much you can learn by yourself from Homer Kelley's book. You need help. So in 1987 I flew to California to work with Ben Doyle. People said he was too complex and too demanding. What I found was the sweetest man you ever met, with a passion for the game and teaching it that inspired me to really make him proud.
Since that visit I have worked with future and current PGA Tour winners and thousands of everyday golfers and golf professionals like most of you. I have tried my best with them all and, like Ben, I have always tried to SHARE my knowledge.
On this site I am questioned, praised, prodded, criticized, and challenged. It is all greatly welcomed.
Thank you all for being a part of my being named the 30th G.S.E.D. of The Golfing Machine.
I only hope that I can make your visits to this site more worth the trip everyday.
Thanks so much again, forum members, and thanks to Ben, Mr. Henry (still going strong at 92), Mom, my Dear ole Dad and my sweetie Lisa Marie,
I finally did it!
Your Golfing Pal,
Brian
