Watching Bobby Jones make golf look too easy

Is this worth your time?

Honestly, only if you are a golf nerd or you just really like watching 1930s-era instructional shorts. If you’re looking for a plot, you’re in the wrong place. If you just want to see a guy with a smooth swing explain why you're probably slicing the ball into the woods, pull up a chair.

It’s fascinating, in a weird way. Bobby Jones has this calm, almost hypnotic way of explaining things. He makes the medium irons sound like the most logical tools on the planet. I caught myself nodding along, even though I haven't held a club in years. ⛳

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 5: 'the Medium Irons' (1931) through its definitive frames.

The pacing is… well, it’s a lesson. Don't expect any Back Stage-style dramatics here. It’s just guy-with-club, ball, and grass. The kids in the background, Georgie Billings and Frank Coghlan Jr., look like they’re trying their best to stay awake or just keep out of the frame. It’s actually kind of funny watching them hover.

Some random notes:

• The silence between his sentences is long. Like, really long.
• The way he holds his finish is just showing off, isn't it?
• I kept waiting for something to go wrong, like a rogue ball hitting a cameraman, but it never happened.
• It feels miles away from the chaos you see in something like The Road to Ruin.

There’s a specific bit where he talks about the stance that made me realize I’ve been doing it wrong for my entire life. Not that it matters, but it’s a nice feeling to be corrected by a guy who died before I was born. It’s simple, it’s dry, and it doesn’t try to be anything else.

It’s not going to win any awards for excitement. It’s just a clean, quiet look at a swing. Sometimes that’s enough. Just don't go in expecting a thriller. 🏌️‍♂️