This is NOT a review of the teaching product promoted by the TV ad in question. The teacher in question is an excellent teacher, and I have no doubt the product is a good one. But I'm really pissed off by what I think is a misleading TV commercial.Okay, here's the deal. No doubt you've seen the TV ads for the new Hank Haney Blueprint DVDs at haneyblueprint.com. The commercial tells you that if you go to that website you'll find a video that will tell you how you can cut 3, 6 or even 10 strokes off your game and furthermore add 4mph to your swing speed. You are led to believe that you will watch a video that tells you how to do this.
Technically, that's true. The video tells you to buy the DVDs. Wow, what a revelation.
But here's what really pisses me off:
- First of all, this "video" is essentially a slide show that flashes up the words being said. That's right, you watch the words being read to you. There are a few photos and a few seconds of Haney helping someone scattered through it, but it's a pitiful excuse for a video.
- To make things worse, the voice isn't even Haney's. That's right, the video that tells you how much you need these wondrous DVDs isn't even the voice of the teacher!
- And what really drove me nuts was the fact that this video gives you no idea how long it goes on. I watched somewhere around 15 minutes of it and then, since it showed no signs of stopping and I had already been told multiple times how Hank was singularly suited to fix my game, I simply left the site.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS HANEY TEACHING SERIES, LET ME SAVE YOU SOME TIME BY GIVING YOU THE BASIC INFO YOU NEED TO KNOW.
If you saw any of the Haney Project shows on GC, you know that Hank often used a two-plane swing method to try and fix his "projects." (Ray Romano and Charles Barkley come to mind.) The new DVDs use what they're calling "the Haney Parallel Plane Method," which the video eventually says is a one-plane swing method. This one-plane swing is, according to the info that finally came up, "...on plane according to your body’s unique mechanics and delivers a longer, more accurate ball."There are a variety of products and you can purchase various combinations of them:
- the basic DVD set (which you can also digitally download for $10 less -- and yes, you can buy both digital & DVDs together)
- the "Mini Clinic," a downloadable set of short videos geared to specific swing problems
- a "Swing Plane Caddie," which is apparently a reference card of some sort
- and a 14-day "test drive" of Haney University, his online golf school
Let me repeat myself: I'm not making any judgments about the quality of the teaching materials Haney has created. I'm certain these are high-quality materials from a well-respected teacher. But I'm terribly disappointed with the way he's chosen to market it.
Don't waste your time on that useless video. If you want Hank's new instructional materials, let the video run for a minute or so until the ordering info appears, then turn it off and place your order.
Thus endeth today's rant.
I agree totally. Also, I am not a fan. Haney is hard to follow... talks a lot about what not to do and I am convinced that part of Wood's problems are related to "over-cerebralizing". Tiger used to have great swing. His decline has occurred right along with all the swing correction work he has done with all the well meaning teachers he has employed since his problems occurred, including Haney! I think they have succeeded in "unmaking" Tiger's swing.
ReplyDeleteThat's a fair assessment -- regardless of whether you're a Haney fan or not -- but I would add that when you tinker with your swing as much as Tiger does, "over-cerebralizing" is a very real danger no matter who your instructor is. ;-)
DeleteI totally agree about the "video". I can read very well, thank you, and to spend 15+ minutes having someone else read words is not a video, and I could have read them much faster. A complete waste of time and a disappointment coming from Haney. I would have bought the system on his name alone, but I'm having doubts now.
DeleteI think you may have quit your search too soon. I registered at either haney blueprint or free haney and have been receiving free instructional video links in my e-mail every day. They are good sound instructions for set-up, swing thoughts, and drills... with nothing real heady or confusing.
ReplyDeleteI think you may have quit your search too soon. I registered at either haney blueprint or free haney and have been receiving free instructional video links in my e-mail every day. They are good sound instructions for set-up, swing thoughts, and drills... with nothing real heady or confusing.
ReplyDeleteYou'd better check your credit card statement because Haney and company have been charging you $29 every month for the instructions, and you probably didn't realize that you supposedly signed up for it.
DeleteThe preceding post is not true. The emailed videos are free. They don't take your card info to begin with.
DeleteSteve, this post is several months old... and at the time I wrote it, it was true. The site has been changed considerably since then.
DeleteThat's good to know, James. As I said, I didn't doubt that Haney had good stuff, I just questioned the confusing nature of the website. I know he can afford to get a clearer site done.
ReplyDeleteI purchased the video for $76, thinking that's all I was going to be charged, but have realized since that it had a hidden clause (I am guessing) that I was signing up for continued instruction for which I have been charged $29 each month since. I think this is a very deceptive method.
ReplyDeleteMartin, I'm curious: Did you sign up before they changed the site? I don't see anything about the pay videos on the new setup, and it specifically says you don't have to enter a credit card.
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