When Dave approached me to write a forward to this book, I asked him why he didn’t get someone who was a little better known–like Tiger or Phil. He said he wanted a real life golfer, one that the average golfer could relate to.
Dave and I have been friends for many years and I have followed his blossoming career as a teacher. He talks in his book of his struggles in the past to overcome negative thinking. I can attest to this, for when we used to play, each swing for Dave was a life or death undertaking.
When he hit a bad shot, he would stand in the fairway (or rough), a look of complete bewilderment on his face as if to say, why is this happening to me?
As you read in the following pages, he learned to turn his thinking around and enjoy the game for what it is. By a strange coincidence, at the same time his swing and his game improved.
Through it all, he has been the most supportive teacher one could have, always looking for something positive to say, no matter what disaster occurs.
I have joked that someday when we’re playing, I would take a mighty swing and completely miss the ball. Dave would consider a moment, smile encouragingly and then say, “nice sweater”.
You wouldn’t get that from Tiger or Phil.
I know you’ll enjoy his book and if you take the lessons to heart, you will never have to hear a compliment about your sweater.
Harvey Patterson (musician, writer, golf fanatic)