[Bigwill]

What is fun about working with tour players -- and it is fun, especially the 'inside the ropes' rush -- is seeing recommended adjustments implemented virtually immediately. That is special. But...

I am a realist and always ask my players, "What can I contribute? You are already a wonderful player. That is why you are here. What, in your opinion, would constitute success in this relationship?" At the PGA TOUR level, a quarter-shot per round improvement in Scoring Average is a tremendous accomplishment, one that can translate into significant additional earnings, not to mention career longevity. And that is important, no doubt. But just as the wise stock market investor never confuses brains with a bull market, I do not hang my teaching ability -- for better or for worse -- on a tour player's next four rounds.

And then there is the bulk of my work with 'average' students. Here there is the potential for a 50 percent improvement, maybe even more. An 18 handicap goes to 9. A 10 goes to 5. And a 5 -- like Tim Rash so many years ago -- takes the training in the spring and goes on to win the Richmond City Amateur in the summer. I love being part of that process...

Thanks, Lynn. That confirmed what I suspected was the difference between teaching tour pros and average guys.