.”Rafa Cabrera-Bello is in a position to win a Grand Slam in the coming years.”

.”I am very pleasantly surprised by the level of the facilities at the Centre of Excellence.”

American golf coach David Leadbetter shared the final moments of his stay in Spain, where he led a seminar for golf coaches and professionals at the National Golf Centre in Madrid, with specialized media outlets. In a relaxed conversation, the veteran coach recounted his experiences from over 40 years in the profession.

David Leadbetter's stay consisted of two days of work: the first was open, and in it he shared his working method, explained the differences between before and now in the way of communicating to students, and gave a practical clinic in which he showed the keys to his methodology, analyzing, demonstrating and correcting different technical problems related to the students' game.

The second one has been aimed at teachers from the Autonomous Federations and coaches from the National Teams, to whom David Leadbetter has revealed some of his secrets as a teacher.

Presentation: “I try to make the swing work in each person’s body”

“I’ve been teaching golf for over 40 years, and I’m aware that I have to constantly reinvent myself and innovate, because otherwise people criticize me and say I was good years ago. 'The Golf Swing' is the book that has made me most popular, and in it I explain what can work for everyone, not just the best golfers in the world. The swing doesn’t have to be perfect, and I try to make it work for each person’s body, their individual morphology. People are always looking for greater consistency.‘.

What I want is to help golfers, whether they are men, women, children, seniors… In my 40 academies, we try to ensure that everyone who comes enjoys golf and stays with us. I am 66 years old, but the golf ball doesn't know your age.”.

His experience working with Rafael Cabrera-Bello: “From now on we will see his best version”

“At the academy, we call him 'Jesus' because he's a great guy. I've known Rafa and his family for many years, and five or six years ago Rafa asked me to collaborate. He's disciplined and a hard worker, a real perfectionist, he demands too much of himself. He's very focused on his goals. His short irons improve every year. He turned pro at 22, four or five years later than most players do these days.‘.

The truth is, he should have won more, because his game is already spectacular, and he's improving his short game. I just can't understand why he wasn't selected for the Ryder Cup, while Paul Casey, Henrik Stenson, and even Sergio Garcia, all very experienced golfers who aren't currently in top form, were.

If he stays healthy for the next three or four years, we'll see the best version of Rafa. He's 34, he just got married, and he's in great form. It's possible he'll win a Grand Slam in three or four years.

“Mental strength and self-confidence are key in golf”

“"The mind is the most important thing in this game, as it controls all other qualities. To that, of course, you have to add talent. Good players control all aspects and are mentally prepared; that's what makes them great.".

It's great to see how Enrique Martín (Director of Training at the RFEG) and his team are preparing coaches and players along this path. All players hit good shots, but the best control everything with their minds, especially in moments of maximum pressure. Tiger Woods used to be immortalized for his composure under pressure; now he's just an 'average' golfer.

Another key to growth is believing in yourself, and not all players do that. Seve Ballesteros, even after losing the match, continued to believe in himself. Jon Rahm is very self-confident, with talent, skill, attitude, and character. He doesn't like to lose. I want to see him compete in the Ryder Cup singles against Patrick Reed.”.

Ryder Cup 2018: “The United States has the best team in the tournament's history”

“Europe will have a tough time, but since it’s being played in Paris… Only Justin Thomas played in the French Open this year, and that’s an advantage for the Europeans, who know the course much better. I think Thomas Bjorn will have a difficult time. It’s a big risk to pick players with enormous experience but who are out of form, like Casey, Stenson,…

My heart says Europe will win, but my head says the United States is very strong. I think it's the best team ever, even better than the 1991 team. This American team has a different attitude than previous ones. It's always been the Europeans who have bonded on the circuits and the Americans who only share things every couple of years, but that's changed. Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth… they're young guys who are very close friends.

I expect it to be a close match. The weather, the crowd… everything could be a deciding factor. Sergio is a Ryder Cup player, but this time he might feel the pressure of being one of the picks.”.

Golf development in Asia: “Feng’s Olympic gold medal is key”

“Asia is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world for golf. Years ago, they revolutionized golf in China, but the perception that it was a capitalist sport slowed its growth. However, at the Rio Olympics, when Shanshan Feng won gold, they were reawakened. For them, the Games are the ultimate event. That medal has greatly contributed to the growth of golf there. They now have 450 courses open, and many talented players, both men and women, are emerging.”.

Korean women practically dominate women's golf worldwide. They pour all their energy into the sport. There, on indoor courses, they try to bring the experience of hitting a golf ball closer to people. In Asia, the concept of golf is different. Here, there are magnificent public facilities, like this National Golf Center.”.

His difficulties in working with certain players: “Parents should support their children, not negatively influence them.”

“Graeme McDowell came to see me and asked me to change his swing, but I told him it wasn't necessary, that he should continue working on his own. Changing your swing is very difficult once it's ingrained, which is usually around age 28. It's part of your DNA. In McDowell's case, the decision was the right one.”.

I could write a book about the parents of golfers. Asian parents have a lot of influence on their children, and not always for the better. Lydia Ko's father, who is a good player but not a great athlete, is a clear example of this. Her father, who never shot below 100, thinks he's very good and believes he can influence her swing. Michelle Wie's parents believe their daughter should win every week, and that's not the case. Parents should support their children, not have a negative influence.

Criticism received: “I don’t pay attention to what is said about me”

“I’ve received a lot of criticism throughout my life, of course. Journalists have criticized me, for example, about what I say about Lydia Ko’s parents, but of course, they haven’t met them. I don’t pay attention to what’s said about me. There’s always criticism at first, but I forget about it within a week.”.

Sometimes people tell me I'm too technical, for example… but it's not something to take too seriously. I try to be very careful about what I say and how I say it. I don't like to criticize my colleagues.”.

His experience with Severiano Ballesteros: “He had to work in a simple way”

“I worked with him in 1991. I was going to Japan a lot at the time, and I met him at a tournament there in Tokyo. He asked me to come and take a look at his swing. He had back problems then, and it wasn't working well for him on long shots, but he was still a genius at 100 meters to the flag.”.

I told him he needed to hit more fairways to keep winning, and that his swing was basically the same as when he was younger, when he won twice at Augusta. He had the same swing motion, but not the power of previous years. I told him that's why he needed to correct two things: stand more upright and play the fade. We worked really well that week, and he finished third. The following week went well too. In fact, it was one of Seve's best seasons, when he was ranked number 1 in Europe. He just needed to work in a simple way, without any technicality.

At that time, he was at odds with the PGA and refused to play The Players Championship. He was hitting more fairways, but his swing wasn't straight. The week before the Masters, we worked together, and he finished tenth; everything was going well. But then the Masters arrived, and he had completely changed his swing on the advice of his brother, who didn't see him regularly. When I went to see him, he suddenly stopped speaking to me. He missed the cut.

A year later I ran into him and he told me he needed to get back to his natural swing, but he never recovered it. I think Seve could have had a longer and more successful career.”.

RFEG's work with youth development: "the work with the boys is perfect"“

I'm very pleasantly surprised by the work being done here, as I've seen with the boys and girls at the Blume National School. I've met the coaches and the players, and the work is fantastic, not just technically.

For the number of registered players in Spain, it's incredible how many good players there are on the circuits. There will be more, because the work with the young players is excellent.

Before arriving, I wasn't aware of how good these RFEG facilities are, especially the Center of Excellence. I've seen similar ones in Korea and Sweden, but the weather there isn't as good as it is here.”.

A piece of advice for kids starting to play golf and for their coaches: “Passion, hard work and dreams”

“Passion, hard work, and dreams”—that’s what’s most important for young players starting out. As for coaches, it’s important that they know how to communicate and inspire their passion for golf. There are some very talented kids who don’t achieve great things because they lack motivation or don’t work hard enough. That’s where the coaches come in.”.

Check out the seminar photo gallery and other additional information below, in the Related Links section.