Anybody who
doesn’t think golf for amateurs and professionals
isn’t rocket science has never met Dave
Pelz. A former rocket scientist and engineer
from NASA in Houston, Pelz, 67, has become golf’s
top-ranked expert on short game and putting.
Since moving to Austin in 1986 to do golf research
at the University of Texas and work at The Hills
practice facility, the bearded Pelz has built
his worldwide headquarters in Spicewood at the
newly named Pelz Park, not far from where he
originally started.
He has been on the cover of Golf Magazine 17
times and done dozens of shows on the Golf Channel
and other golf programs, sharing his knowledge
about the game from 100 yards in.
He has written the best-selling books, The Short
Game Bible, the Putting Bible and Putt Like
the Pros, along with dozens of articles for
golf magazines and several videos.
Pelz and his staff conduct 1-2 day clinics all
over Texas and have top golf schools at resorts
all over America.
His biggest claim to fame, at least over the
last three years, as been his work as the short
game guru to Phil Mickelson. It was Pelz who
convinced Mickelson to show up early at major
championships to work on his short game and
that work paid off in the 2004 Masters Championship.
Pelz’s students have combined to win nine
major championships, but his work with Mickelson,
one of the world’s most popular players,
has catapulted him into worldwide fame.
But he’s still a Texas teacher a heart
with strong ties to the Lone Star State and
a great love for Austin and Central Texas. Pelz
was more than happy to sit down with Texas Golfer
Senior Writer Art Stricklin to talk about how
Texas golfers could improve their short game
for the 2007 season.
He also had plenty of stories about his work
with Mickelson, including the fateful 2006 18th
hole meltdown at the last year’s U.S.
Open.
TEXAS GOLFER: You’ve
been around golfers for decades, teaching them
the secrets of the sport, especially the short
game. Why do golfers still try to conquer this
sport?
DAVE PELZ: Any
golfer who loves the game enjoys the true challenge
of it. They are trying to make a score, but
playing against the course.
You have remained a top
short game instructor for years, why is that?
People
still take pleasure in the game, you are either
getting better or worse and that’s what
people are seeking from me and others.
Do you see all levels
at your schools in Texas and elsewhere?
We
have all levels from golf pros to Hall of Fame
Quarterbacks like Troy Aikman to first-time
amateurs. A pro can shoot 70 and be really disgusted,
but an amateur can shoot 91, and if he’s
never broken 100 before, he’s the happiest
guy in the world.
Do you still see golf
remaining popular in the next several years?
Players
always want to get better, especially in their
short game. You can still get better in your
60s or 70s and I don’t know of any other
sport you can do that in. As long as you can
walk and have a chance to stay limber, you have
a chance to improve. I know guys who are walking
in their 80s, either 9 or 18 holes a round.
How do you break down
a golf game for somebody?
I
think it comes down to three things, swing,
mental game, and physical body
Is there something golfers
can work on in their off times?
Sure,
I’m always working on my body, trying
to stay limber and being able to move more.
What inspired you to
move to Austin after being at NASA?
It
was a nice and friendly town. I liked the college
atmosphere. I like the library at the University
where I could do my research on the short game
and where my wife and I still spend a lot of
time. Plus they had good grasses in Central
Texas and good grasses are a key to building
a short game school. It was a natural fit.
Do you still enjoy it,
even through you travel all over the world now?
The
people are still great even though there are
a lot more of them now. The airport is nice
and close and the weather is conducive to year-around-golf.
It’s a great place for our headquarters.
How has being Phil Micklelson’s
short game guru changed your career?
I
had worked with nine major championship winners
before I started working with Phil, so I was
used to working with top players, but it’s
been unbelievable to experience the world Phil
lives in all the time.
What do you mean?
If
he (Phil) is not the most popular golfer in
the world, he’s certainly in the top two.
It’s just incredible.
I once talked with Hank
Haney about working with Tiger Woods and he
said sometimes he just feel sort of like the
Fifth Beatle. Do you have the same feeling at
times?
Sometimes
I see all those people rushing at Phil on the
course or practice green and I don’t know
if I should run or hide and just kneel out of
the way. It’s just amazing how popular
he is. He just loves being around people and
they love him.
Does that separate Tiger
and Phil from the rest of the golfers in popularity?
I
think it’s a different level for Tiger
and Phil, but the difference between the two
is that given the chance to practice or hang
around with fans or other players, Tiger would
always practice. Phil would choose to talk with
the fans or the other golfers before he would
practice.
Is it tough to get Phil
disciplined on the golf course?
We
have a person or several people just to keep
people back when we’re getting ready for
a major otherwise he’s not going to survive.
You have to have time to get back to the game
before the majors.
Phil is certainly more
outwardly open than Tiger personality wise,
is that the way he is in private?
I’m
proud to work with a great guy like Phil Mickelson.
It’s a great honor to be part of a great
effort, to be part of his team. I’m just
a small cog on a big wheel. Phil doesn’t
do everything I say on the course, but he will
try everything I say at least once.
Phil certainly took a
lot of knocks and other members of the team
did as well for his 18th hole meltdown at Winged
Foot which cost him the U.S. Open last summer.
What was your take on that?
If
you have a thin skin then you shouldn’t
be in the public eye. I got some of that after
the Open, but his short game was so spectacular
at the Open that was OK. The way he was swinging,
he should have never been in contention. He
had a full swing meltdown that week, not short
game.
How do you think that
will affect Phil in the future for 2007 and
beyond?
I
think Phil is going to have a great year in
2007. He has to learn when he’s having
a bad day to play conservative. I’ve been
whispering in his ear to be more conservative
and don’t try to play the A game when
you have the C level for that round. I don’t
hit a shot for him though.
You came up with the
idea of coming to a major championship course
a few weeks early for Phil to prepare, how did
you get him to accept that?
It
took a while from him to accept that at the
Masters. He said, ‘I’ve played 40
rounds there with an additional 60 practice
rounds, why do you want to go early?’
I just explained it was like a horse has to
get ready for the course in his own way. That
was 2004, we came early to work and I mean work
really hard, 8 hours a day. He won that year
and we’ve been coming early to major championship
sites every year.
He’s added other
major championships since then so something
must be working right?
That’s
one thing about Phil. It was my idea, but he
wasn’t stubborn enough not to accept it.
I think the results speak for themselves. I
think he had one of the best short game performances
in the history of golf at Winged Foot and it
almost pulled out the victory. His short game
is better this year, his putting is better than
ever, we have to get the full swing together.
He can’t win if he’s always driving
it in the trees.
What are a few simple
things Texas golfers can do to get ready for
the 2007 season?
In
the winter you can always do something to understand
the game better. Read a book about golf. Resolve
to give up a candy bar and coke this year. Practice
your putting 10 minutes a day inside, working
on stretching and get more flexible. There are
a lot of small, simple things you can do.
What’s it like
to become a bit of a celebrity yourself with
covers of Golf Magazine, appearances on the
Golf Channel and working with Phil and being
in the limelight.?
The
autograph requests and pictures take a while
to get used to. I was in the Austin Airport
once and this guy comes into the bathroom where
I was and asked me to autograph the cover of
his magazine right in the middle of the bathroom.
That was a bit different, but it’s a sport
and a profession I enjoy.
Thanks for the time,
Dave.
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