Val Doonican passed away last year at the age of 88. Val was a very keen golfer and when I was the Head Professional at the Army Golf Club, Aldershot, UK in the 1980’s Val used to come to the golf club for lessons in my video studio.
If my memory serves me correctly he was playing off a handicap of four and he really loved the game. It was great seeing him on television and then seeing him in my studio. Val had an onscreen persona of being a very relaxed Irishman and he was exactly the same in real life. A true gentleman and very easy to teach as his only real problem was a hip sway to his right in his back swing. When he saw it on my screen monitor he solved the problem reasonably quickly.
Val was a keen student of the mechanics of golf and he gave me a signed copy of Alastair Cochrane and John Stobbs excellent book ‘The search for the Perfect Swing.’I use the book almost every day that I teach in my studio as the book is full of facts rather than theories.
I often think of Val’s wonderful outlook on life and his cool and relaxed manner, two attributes that I willingly pass on to my pupils.
