Q&A with Olin Browne

Three-time PGA Tour winner Olin Browne, who is currently recovering from an injury, recently granted Golf & Ski Warehouse the following exclusive interview. Thanks, Olin, we hope you have a fast and full recovery!

You got a late start in golf.

I really started taking to golf in college because of an injury playing football. Sometimes things take a funny turn in life.

You spent your high school years in New Hampshire, prepping at the Holderness School?

Yes, I played football at Holderness, but my real interest up there was skiing. Then I went to Occidental College in southern California, and that’s where I learned to play golf.

Any tips on how to best prepare for a new golf season?

I think the most important aspect is rest. Give your body a good break transitioning from one sport to the next. Certainly the most important and beneficial activity for all sports is proper stretching.

What’s your off-season exercise regime?

Golf is a very repetitive-motion game, so I make sure to rest, take some time away from the game. The time away also helps me recharge mentally; in addition, my chiropractor and I try to get out all the kinks so that I can be ready for the new season. Again, a good flexibility program is essential and a constant.

How about practicing putting on the carpet in the den? Useful or useless?

Any form of constructive practice is good. We pros are always fiddling and tinkering.

What new products excite you this year?

I represent Callaway Golf. It seems that every year there are new and exciting products. This year it’s the FTI driver which has an increased moment of inertia (less club head twisting at impact ) which leads to much straighter tee shots. This driver has a revolutionary and progressive design. The new FT5 driver offers similar performance enhancements in a more conventional look.

What is your timeline for returning from your injury?

I’m down for a couple of months with a hand injury. But I expect to be back in action by The Players Championship.

You’re one of the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour, yet you’ve won three PGA Tour events in an era of longer and longer hitters. What is the secret to your success?

If you can’t overpower the course, then you have to develop all around skills. I work hard to ensure that all facets of my game can be a help to me.

What can the average golfer learn from what you’ve accomplished?

The greatest athletes in any sport are so because they have a mental approach to what they do. There are lots of terrific and physically gifted individuals in every sport who don’t make it. The competitors who cultivate their physical and their mental skills are the ones destined for success.

Do you have goals for the new season?

I’m not much of a goal guy. I’ve always believed that if you set goals and reach them, you’ve set them too low; if you set goals and never achieve them, well, you might make yourself crazy. My focus every year is to improve. With that in mind, I can always frame things in a positive context.

How often should the average player take a lesson?

Golf is such a quirky game that everyone should first try and figure out his or her own style. Some people will respond well to lots of new information, and some will overdose. Start slowly and work your way into the game. The better you get, the more you will want to study and learn. Get with someone who understands this and you’ll find an easier path, but make sure you always have good info.

Can you recommend any specific golf books or instructional dvd’s?

Absolutely. My instructor, Jim Hardy, has made a series of videos called The Plane Truth For Golfers. I’m sure they’re available at Golf & Ski Warehouse. I believe these are the finest instruction videos because Jim’s teachings are revolutionary.

Do you have a swing thought—or thoughts?

I have a consistent set of swing fundamentals, and I try not to deviate from them. Some days, I’ll get a different feel, but fundamentals are constant. This is the most important key to good play—find something good and stick with it.

What do you read, watch, or think about for inspiration?

If you can’t get inspired by watching Tiger Woods warm up, then it’s time to move on to something else.

Who are your heroes?

Anyone with class and dignity. It’s not that easy in this day and age.

Do you plan to play on the Senior Tour someday?

I’ll have two kids in college. You bet!

Are you interested in designing golf courses?

I would very much like to, and I think I could do a good job because my skills are closer to the average person’s. Too many courses are being built to test the skills of only the elite player. Golf is still a game and should be fun.

What are the three biggest mistakes the average player makes during a round of golf?

First, overanalyzing. Second, overestimating the need for perfection in hitting any kind of shot. And third, playing with ill-fitted equipment.

We compete in a lot of match play tournaments up here. What advice can you share on how to win more of these matches?

A match can often be won by allowing the pressure to get to the opponent. Stay within yourself and play your own game. Don’t get caught up in the moment. Match play is as much about wits as skill.

You’re a longtime friend of Golf & Ski. What’s the connection?

I’ve known the guys at Golf & Ski for years, played golf with them at the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and we’ve become close through our mutual friend and one of life’s real characters, Richie Parker, who is now the golf coach at Dartmouth.

As a close friend of Jeff Julian and one of his biggest supporters, what is Jeff’s legacy in your view?

Jeff was one of those people that everyone loved. I’ve never heard anyone say anything negative about him. His battle with ALS affected me greatly and still does because he was so young, had just gotten married, and was just coming into his own as a golfer. He maintained his sense of humor and his dignity throughout the ordeal and left his mark on a lot of us. His passing still doesn’t make much sense. Kim, his wife, heads a foundation called Driving4Life out of Boston. She’s the one carrying the banner.

In a world of trash talking athletes, performance enhancing drugs, and over the top, in your face celebrations, is golf the last gentleman’s game?

There is no doubt about it, and yet, things are changing in golf as well. Hopefully the evolution will be slow.

 What are the lessons kids can learn on a golf course?

Golf teaches us so many lessons. There really are parallels between golf and life. The game teaches things like hard work, perseverance, dedication, resilience, accountability, and self reliance. It’s one thing to have all these things explained, and another entirely to be able to experience them.