I'm Bobby Lewis…

And still crazy after all these years

My interest in golf started in my early 20s – some 36 years ago. I picked up some old clubs in a thrift store and drove to a local par 3 golf course in Arcadia, California. There I met a large bucket filled to the top with what appeared to be cracked rocks with funny names on them.

Well, I watched a few people on the range for some time and then started slashing at them with an old persimmon 5 wood I bought, and within the first 10 minutes I was getting them out there a good 20 yards or so, and the divots 25!

Needless to say, I needed a transfusion from the exertion I was putting on all that swinging, but after about a week, I was finally getting the ball off the ground – you know about 100 yards now. I didn't know how or why, but they were just flying better.

A young guy close to my age stepped up next to me one day while I was wearing myself out and said, "Hey man, how come the shaft on that 5 wood is so bent?"…

…Well, it did have a nice long curve in it by now, so I figured clubs just molded themselves to each golfer.

He said I was playing the ball too far back behind my right foot and hitting straight down on it like I was chopping birch wood. "On top of that, your balls are headed out over the fence." I asked him if that was such a bad thing and he said, "Well, when they turn right going that fast it is."

We soon became friends and he continued to help me and it wasn't long before he got me hitting the ball were I could actually find it. I was now hooked.

What I learned from that experience had nothing to do with hitting golf balls — it was about experiencing something special from a total stranger. Somebody saw something I didn't and he felt compelled to share his knowledge to make it better for me.

For 30 years now, I've been doing for others what he did for me. This is the best game in the world.

I play professionally now and will be with the Champions Tour starting in March 2011. In the past I've played in many charitable tournaments and once was luckly enought to be paired with Al Geiberger and Bobby Nichols – a great day to remember!

Through the years I've also attended several clinics sponsored by tour players like Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Chi Chi Rodriquez and others. In addition, there have been many years of lessons from my friend and Long Drive Champion Mike Austin, who by the way, is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest drive in tournament play at 515 yards off the tee.

Mike's fantastic feat, was recorded in The Guinness Book, at the tender age of 67 years old. Yes, that means there's still hope for all of us.

I've been a good student of the game in those 36 years, bringing many talents to the table with desire in sharing the best of those years with you, at no charge. My hope is you'll use my experiences and techniques in improving your game, as those before me have done.

My best regards,

Bobby Lewis