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Manuel de la Torre (golfer)
Encyclopedia
Manuel de la Torre is recognized as being one of golf
's top teachers. His career includes playing competitively on tour, head golf professional at Milwaukee Country Club
one of America's most esteemed golf clubs, and a career of teaching both tour professional and amateur golfers. Among the tour professionals he has taught are Masters champion, Tommy Aaron
and U.S. Women's Open
champion, Carol Mann
. He was the first member of the PGA to be awarded their Teacher of the Year Award in 1986. He is one of only several golf instructors to be inducted into both the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame as well as the PGA Hall of Fame.
De la Torre won numerous golf tournaments, including the Wisconsin State Open
five times and the Wisconsin PGA Professional Championship five times. He was elected to the Wisconsin Golf Hall of Fame in 1975.
, Spain
, where his father Angel de la Torre
was the head golf professional. Angel was five-time Spanish National Golf Champion. Manuel's father's instruction and that of his father's friend and colleague Ernest Jones
, served as the basis for de la Torre's instruction. His concepts for golf instruction have stood the test of time for over 60 years. He has retired as head golf professional at Milwaukee Country Club at which he continues to teach amateurs and tour professionals.
The difference between these two approaches may seem minor at first consideration. However, any student (or instructor) who has experienced both will immediately appreciate the simplicity of de la Torre's golf instruction which is unique among the leading golf instructors. De la Torre brings to light the absurdity of thinking that the cause of a poor shot is related to what your body is doing (e.g. Hips are too fast, arms are too slow, shoulder turn is off plane, etc.) He correctly observes that if the club is moving correctly, there is nothing you can do with your body that produce a poor shot. Conversely, if the club is moving incorrectly, there is nothing you can do with your body that will correct the problem and avoid the poor shot. By way of analogy, regardless of what he does with his body, if the marksman does the right thing with the rifle, the bullet must hit the target. If the golfer does the right thing with the golf club, the ball must go to the target. He therefore has made a life's career and many satisfied clients by diagnosing and then fixing the motion of the club.
Body-focused instruction is problematic because:
By contrast, club-focused instruction teaches:
To put the following professional victories in context, these wins were accomplished while working full time (50+ hours weekly) as a club professional. While de la Torre competed in and placed in the top ten in various tour events, he was only able to play in those that were scheduled during the off-season of the country club at which he was engaged. This meant that the only tournaments available to him were those scheduled between October and April. De la Torre competed both in the U.S. tour and in the Caribbean tour (Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean Islands).
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
's top teachers. His career includes playing competitively on tour, head golf professional at Milwaukee Country Club
Milwaukee Country Club
-Notable events hosted:*1903 Western Open*1969 Walker Cup*1988 U.S. Senior Amateur*2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur...
one of America's most esteemed golf clubs, and a career of teaching both tour professional and amateur golfers. Among the tour professionals he has taught are Masters champion, Tommy Aaron
Tommy Aaron
Thomas Dean Aaron is a former American professional golfer who was a member of the PGA Tour during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Aaron is best known for winning the 1973 Masters Tournament.- Early years :...
and U.S. Women's Open
United States Women's Open Championship (golf)
The United States Women's Open Golf Championship, one of thirteen national championships conducted by the United States Golf Association , is one of the LPGA's major championships along with the LPGA Championship, the Women's British Open, and the Kraft Nabisco Championship...
champion, Carol Mann
Carol Mann
Carol Mann is an American professional golfer.Mann was born in Buffalo, New York and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland After attending the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Mann joined the LPGA Tour in 1961. She won 38 tournaments on the tour, including two major championships, the 1964...
. He was the first member of the PGA to be awarded their Teacher of the Year Award in 1986. He is one of only several golf instructors to be inducted into both the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame as well as the PGA Hall of Fame.
De la Torre won numerous golf tournaments, including the Wisconsin State Open
Wisconsin State Open
The Wisconsin State Open is the Wisconsin state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Wisconsin section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1919 at a variety of courses around the state...
five times and the Wisconsin PGA Professional Championship five times. He was elected to the Wisconsin Golf Hall of Fame in 1975.
Teaching origins
De la Torre was born in his parents' apartment above the golf shop at the Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where his father Angel de la Torre
Angel de la Torre
Angel de la Torre was a Spanish professional golfer and golf instructor. He was Spain's first golf professional and his five victories in the Spanish Open between 1916 and 1925 still stands as an unequalled record....
was the head golf professional. Angel was five-time Spanish National Golf Champion. Manuel's father's instruction and that of his father's friend and colleague Ernest Jones
Ernest Jones (golfer)
Ernest Jones was an English professional golfer. He is renowned for his accomplishments in teaching many famous professional golfers as well as amateurs. He tutored Virginia Van Wie for many years, including during her stretch of three consecutive U.S. Women's Amateur Championships from 1932–34...
, served as the basis for de la Torre's instruction. His concepts for golf instruction have stood the test of time for over 60 years. He has retired as head golf professional at Milwaukee Country Club at which he continues to teach amateurs and tour professionals.
Alternative approach
Golf instruction can be divided into two approaches. That which constitutes more than 90% of today's golf instruction is body-focused. The central premise of this type of golf instruction is built around the idea that if the golfer learns to correctly move various body parts (hips, legs, shoulders, etc.) the result will be a movement of the golf club that will produce effective golf shots. That which constitutes the other 10% of golf instruction is club-focused. Its central premise is that the golfer should instead focus on learning how the golf club should move during an effective swing. De la Torre has devoted his career to refining and teaching this approach to both golfers and instructors.The difference between these two approaches may seem minor at first consideration. However, any student (or instructor) who has experienced both will immediately appreciate the simplicity of de la Torre's golf instruction which is unique among the leading golf instructors. De la Torre brings to light the absurdity of thinking that the cause of a poor shot is related to what your body is doing (e.g. Hips are too fast, arms are too slow, shoulder turn is off plane, etc.) He correctly observes that if the club is moving correctly, there is nothing you can do with your body that produce a poor shot. Conversely, if the club is moving incorrectly, there is nothing you can do with your body that will correct the problem and avoid the poor shot. By way of analogy, regardless of what he does with his body, if the marksman does the right thing with the rifle, the bullet must hit the target. If the golfer does the right thing with the golf club, the ball must go to the target. He therefore has made a life's career and many satisfied clients by diagnosing and then fixing the motion of the club.
Body-focused instruction is problematic because:
- no two golfers' bodies are exactly alike,
- it asks golfers to consciously control body motions that are by their nature unconsciously controlled,
- it asks the golfer to address too many things during the 2.5 seconds required for a golf swing, and
- demands that all body motions be correct in order to achieve the desired result.
By contrast, club-focused instruction teaches:
- how the club moves for an effective swing,
- the club's movement is universal for every player and every club, and
- a lesson simple enough to accomplish during those same 2.5 seconds.
Tournament wins
Prior to his victories as a professional, he played for Highland Park High School in 1940 and was individual state golf champion. He led the Giants to the school’s first state team title. Playing for Northwestern University in 1948 he was runner-up in the NCAA Championship.To put the following professional victories in context, these wins were accomplished while working full time (50+ hours weekly) as a club professional. While de la Torre competed in and placed in the top ten in various tour events, he was only able to play in those that were scheduled during the off-season of the country club at which he was engaged. This meant that the only tournaments available to him were those scheduled between October and April. De la Torre competed both in the U.S. tour and in the Caribbean tour (Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean Islands).
- 1952 Wisconsin State OpenWisconsin State OpenThe Wisconsin State Open is the Wisconsin state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Wisconsin section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1919 at a variety of courses around the state...
- 1953 Wisconsin State OpenWisconsin State OpenThe Wisconsin State Open is the Wisconsin state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Wisconsin section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1919 at a variety of courses around the state...
, Wisconsin PGA Professional Championship - 1955 Wisconsin State OpenWisconsin State OpenThe Wisconsin State Open is the Wisconsin state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Wisconsin section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1919 at a variety of courses around the state...
, Wisconsin PGA Professional Championship - 1957 Wisconsin PGA Professional Championship
- 1959 Wisconsin PGA Professional Championship
- 1961 Wisconsin State OpenWisconsin State OpenThe Wisconsin State Open is the Wisconsin state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Wisconsin section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1919 at a variety of courses around the state...
- 1963 Cherryland Open Championship
- 1964 Cherryland Open Championship
- 1964 Capital Times Invitational
- 1965 Hope of Tomorrow Championship
- 1968 Wisconsin State OpenWisconsin State OpenThe Wisconsin State Open is the Wisconsin state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Wisconsin section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1919 at a variety of courses around the state...
- 1970 Wisconsin PGA Professional Championship
- 1972 Westview Invitational
- 1973 National Open Seniors Classic
- 1976 Wisconsin PGA Match Play Championship
- 1987 Wisconsin PGA Senior Championship
External links
- Official site
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SPZ4WxaZxI Video Interview Part 1
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SPZ4WxaZxI Video Interview Part 2
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lyh6jq88L_U Excerpt from DVD, "Understanding The Golf Swing"
- http://heartlandgolfschools.com/manuel7.php The collection of magazine articles featuring Manuel de la Torre