For the past seven years, Mesquite’s Sports and Events Complex has hosted the World Long Drive Championship. Hundreds of competitors come from all over the world to compete and qualify for the big money at the Las Vegas Final 8 in November. If you love watching someone hit a golf ball down the middle of the fairway with a sound that can only be generated by a 140 mph club head speed, you owe it to yourself to see these guys in action!
This year’s competition started a day early with a long drive clinic presented by Eric Jones. A PGA professional and NorCal PGA Teacher of the Year with two World Long Drive Championship titles on his resume, he also holds a master’s degree in sports psychology.
I had the opportunity to interview him after I watched his clinic this past weekend. It wasn’t a clinic on the fundamentals of the golf swing; this clinic focused entirely on hitting it long, with more consistency. It’s a rare experience indeed to learn from a two-time world champion like Jones. I think you’ll find his answers to my questions very enlightening. I certainly did…
Scott Dunford: You won the 2003 Senior and 2012 Super Senior events, one where you had to qualify to compete in Mesquite, the other where you paid an entry fee to participate. What’s your opinion on participants pre-qualifying versus paying their way in?
Eric Jones: There are pluses and minuses on both sides. When you have to go through the qualifying gauntlet of winning a local and then a regional tournament, you go to the Worlds with a sense of real accomplishment. No matter how a competitor does in the finals, they can always say they won a local and a regional.
On the other hand, I understand that the additional cost and overhead of running qualifiers for divisions where there is barely enough competitors to fill the brackets doesn’t necessarily make financial sense for the LDA [Long Drivers of America].
One could also make the argument that being able to simply buy your way into the event opens the door for golfers who aren’t really qualified to be there. But I haven’t really seen that. The guys who do pay their entry fee and show up all believe they have a chance to win the championship. In my opinion, the level of competition has gone up, and I think it’s great that more people have a chance to tee it up.
SD: Getting older, even by just a few years, takes its toll on our ability to hit the ball longer. How do you keep yourself fit? Hit lots of golf balls? Lift weights?
EJ: I’ve been doing yoga for years to maintain my flexibility. A few years ago, I tore my rotator cuff and had to get on a physical therapy and weight training program. I’ve kept up with that exercise routine, getting in the gym every other day. But my primary focus is to maintain strength without building bulk, so I focus on lighter weights with many repetitions.
Like many aging golfers, I have developed arthritis in my lower back, which has led to lower back pain. I really have to manage the balance between training and staying healthy. I’ve also worked hard to adjust my swing by keeping my hips level, which keeps my spine in a more neutral position throughout the swing. I’m practicing less, but practicing smarter.
At my age, it’s a battle just to stay even. But I’m committed to staying healthy and competing for a long time, so I’m investing the time now to develop good habits.
SD: Your clinic had eight to 10 participants who paid $1,000 for a two-day clinic with a two-time world champion. Do you offer any guarantees that they’ll increase their distance by X amount of yards? What are most of these folks hoping to gain from a two-day clinic, and what are the realistic expectations?
EJ: In our clinic marketing, we reference the success of past students. It’s very typical that students who work with me will pick up at least 10 to 20 yards, and some will pick up 50 to 60 yards. That’s exactly what we saw in the two-day Ultimate Driver School. Some picked up 20-30 yards, one picked up 40 yards, and one picked up 65 yards.
We recorded baseline stats first, using our Flightscope radar systems. Then we measured results again at the end. Not only did everybody pick up more yardage, they also dramatically improved their consistency, which I define as making center contact on the club face more often, and hitting the fairway with more regularity. One of the biggest benefits they took away was a much greater understanding of what they needed to do to improve, and a clear path to that improvement. And we were able to do that without getting overly focused on confusing swing mechanics.
To give you a specific example: I took a quarter, traced an outline in the middle of the club face with a Sharpie, then sprayed the club face with foot powder. Then I had them start paying attention to how often they were able to get the mid-point of the ball mark inside the quarter. At first they were shocked, and a little dismayed, at how poorly they did. But then I showed them a few simple adjustments, the most important of which was keeping their eye on the back of the ball at impact, and they all saw immediate improvement, not only in how often they hit the middle of the club face, but in how much straighter and farther they hit the ball. I then set a training objective for them: Learn to hit the middle of the club face on eight out of 10 drives.
So, in the end, what they really wanted was to know exactly what to do and to have an improvement path that would get them there. That’s what they got, and they walked away super happy. My goal now is to make this an annual tradition a couple of days before the Worlds each year.
SD: I know that most competitors in these events walk away with nothing more than the experience of competing. What do you think the average competitor spends to compete in Mesquite, and why do they do it?
EJ: The entry fee alone is $1,200. Add to that travel, meals, and hotel [costs], and you double that. Then add in the cost of four or five drivers at $300 to $400 each, as well as the cost of training and golf balls. They’re in to it for $4,000 to $5,000.
But, there are precious few opportunities for older guys like us to step up and put it all on the line in something that has such meaning. It’s an incredible thrill just to be in the competition. We all owe a great debt of thanks to the LDA for continuing to provide a first-class event in a world-class venue.
SD: I’ve heard rumors that RE/MAX will not be the major sponsor next year. Your thoughts?
Eric: RE/MAX has been an incredible title sponsor for 20 years, easily one of the longest-standing title sponsor relationships in any major sport. We are all extremely grateful for their support. But all businesses change, and my understanding is that RE/MAX has shifted all their marketing efforts from a national level to the regional level, and unfortunately, that means they will no longer be the title sponsor.
We will sorely miss them, and hope that another company will see the value in associating with long drive by stepping up as the new title sponsor.
SD: Thanks, Eric. Best of luck to you and your incredible ability to hit the ball a ton!
