What do teaching pros think of Kalen DeBoer and Nick Saban’s golf swings?
The past and future of Alabama football tied for third in the Regions Tradition Celebrity Pro-Am. Both current head coach Kalen DeBoer and the retired Nick Saban’s groups came in with 59s.
DeBoer, who holds a 17.7 handicap as of Thursday, recognized the value of appearing at the charity event, a staple of Saban’s schedule, though he tried to temper expectations of his golf game.
“The one thing I know is that the fans will never be worried about me playing too much golf,” he joked before teeing off.
DeBoer’s predecessor holds a 10.6 handicap. These days, Saban has far more time than DeBoer to perfect his golf game, though their swings will be compared by fans, fairly or not.
They might not be putting up PGA-level scores without serious help from talented pro-am groups, but teaching professionals who viewed both swings for AL.com said both were doing just fine by general population standards.
“He’s an athlete,” Ty Zimmerman, head golf professional at NorthRiver Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa, said of DeBoer, whose UA contract includes membership at the club. “He’s played baseball and you can see there’s some fundamentals there that are pretty good. And for a guy that doesn’t play that much, like not at all, it’s pretty darn good.”
Bob Lasken, director of instruction at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, Calif., shared Zimmerman’s view. Lasken applauded DeBoer’s setup and takeaway especially.
According to both pros, the baseball background shows up at address for DeBoer, with Zimmerman noting how square he stands to the ball.
“Coach DeBoer, much more in balance,” Lasken said. “Knees a little bit more over the shoelaces.”
Lasken pointed out how well DeBoer brought the club back. “Textbook.” He denoted the coach’s hands coming straight back, with the clubhead exactly where it needed to be.
The takeaway was also something Zimmerman pointed to as the best part of DeBoer’s swing.
“He keeps the club in front of him and on plane on the way back,” Zimmerman said. “That’s hard to do. With the amount of lessons I give, we’re correcting a lot of that.”
On the back half of the swing, Lasken gave Saban higher marks than DeBoer. He noted the retired coach got the club into the slot immediately, using more of his core to explode through the ball.
Lasken praised the end of Saban’s swing.
“With the finish, coach Saban’s facing the target,” Lasken said. “Belt buckle, belly button, sternum facing the target. Balance on the left side.”
Saban’s golf game has visibly improved through the years as he’s worked at it, with UA coach Jay Seawell instructing him. It’s gotten even better of late, as the ex-coach has more time to practice in retirement.
“He hits it pretty square,” Zimmerman said. “Every time, right in the middle of the club face, and if you can hit it in the middle, that’s all you want to do, so that’s pretty good.”
Zimmerman especially commended Saban’s short game. The NorthRiver pro said that’s where he’d spend the most time with DeBoer, noting issues there usually bleed into a player’s full swing.
For Saban, Lasken had one main suggestion: a little better extension.
“I would say he should be trying to do the Tiger (Woods) with Butch Harmon,” Lasken said. “Trying to get his hands as far away from his head as possible.”
Saban has one advantage over his successor: time. SEC football coaching is far more than a full time job, and having that burden lifted means the seven-time national champion is free to work on his swing, as much as he can around his ESPN gig and advisory role with UA.
For DeBoer, the job of a lifetime could be the force that holds back his golf game. Still, the potential for future birdies is there.
“If he could, and he had the ability to spend some time on it,” Zimmerman said. “He could get pretty good, pretty quick.”
