Almost Famous

Coston takes a holistic approach to teaching, enabling students to score as well as they can regardless of the technical merits of their swing.

“Too many golfers regard taking lessons, watching instructional DVDs, or reading tips in magazines as a massive buffet table,” he says. “They take a piece from this plate and a piece from another. Then they expect, or rather hope, this mix to create magic fairy dust, but it never will. They must make the decision to stick with one teacher, and fully commit to what he advises.”

Coston stresses his knowledge of the swing and how to play tournament golf didn’t come from reading a book or watching the Golf Channel, and adds there aren’t 10 teachers alive from whom he’d take a lesson himself.

“I put it like this; while most amateur golfers dial 911 for emergency, I would dial 411 for information.”

His favorite swings are Ben Hogan’s and Nick Faldo’s, though it isn’t so much the positions, planes and angles of each that he admires so much, but the fact both players had such complete control over their swings, and in turn, their ball.

“They understood their action so well,” he says. “They could make adjustments whenever they needed in order to hit the shots they wanted to, or get a round back on track. I think that’s why I’m in the hunt quite often in the tournaments I play; I understand my swing.”

One player apparently unable to grasp the formula for his own swing right now is Tiger Woods who, Coston believes, should go back to Butch Harmon.

“Actually, he should come and see me,” he jokes … sort of. “Tiger is a fine iron player but has always had problems with the driver. So it makes sense for him to swing the driver more like he does his irons, and that means hingeing his wrists sooner, not taking the club back so far, and slowing his hips in the downswing. Seriously, I do think he’s better off with Harmon. He doesn’t have an ideal of what every swing should look like and impose it on a player regardless of their height, strength, flexibility, etc. He would allow Tiger to swing how Tiger should swing.”

As he says in his bio, Coston is now a full-time teacher. But, unable to resist the lure of tournament golf, he is also a part-time player and has built a truly incredible record in local and regional events.

A 12-time PNWPGA Player of the Year, Coston surpassed Bob Duden’s record of 17 sectional major victories in May last year when he won his fourth Washington Open. In September, he took his total to 19 by winning the sectional championship for the eighth time.

Unfortunately for the competition, Coston shows no signs of slowing down.

“My kids don’t think I’ll ever retire,” he says. “That’s probably true. I just enjoy doing what I’m doing too much.”

This summer, on top of hosting instructional schools with Bender, Coston is planning to play 15 events, including the Northwest’s five major championships (PNWPGA Championship, Washington, Oregon, Northwest, Rosauers Opens). He has played in four of the six Boeing Classics, finishing T44, T33, T58, and T50 from 2006 to 2009. He didn’t receive an invite in 2010, but is hoping one will arrive this year.

Might he top 20 wins by the end of the season? And how many will he have by the time he does, eventually, call it a day; 25, perhaps? At that point, even 15-year-old Jeff Coston might be impressed.

Tony Dear is an award-winning author and freelance writer, and a frequent contributor to Cascade Golfer. Read more of his work online at thebellinghamgolfer.com.

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