[Yoda]

What exactly is the intent of the memorization? I'm not saying that I wouldn't do it. I probably will . . . but to what ends does it serve? Is this a "to be teachers" task? Or just a task that any serious student should take?

[Bold emphasis added.]

Bucket was writing his post as I was posting mine. He deleted his because he felt his question had already been answered. I have taken the liberty of resurrecting it -- it's fun to be an Administrator! -- because his post asks a very up front and to-the-point question I want to answer.

What is the intent of memorization?

To my mind, it is quite simple:

How can you teach the five alignments at the Finish unless you know them? And how can you know them unless you can recite them?

How can you teach the seven alignments at The Top?

How can you teach the four alignments in the Start Up?

How can you teach the six alignments at Impact Fix?

How can you guide your student step-by-step through the Basic Motion Curriculum unless you stone-cold know it?

After all...

You are the Teacher!

It is your job to know.

In his June 1981 G.O.L.F. Bulletin for Authorized Instructors, Homer Kelley wrote:

Self 1 and Self 2, right and left brain, ball-and-striker sports and the play-pen seem to have one thing in common. That is that Geometry and Physics have, early and late, had no advocate therein. The one obviously out-of-place member of that group that might some way be redeemed, appear to be the ball-and-striker sports inasmuch as The Golfing Machine is dedicated to removing at least one of these sports from the playpen syndrome.

Nothing has changed. To a large extent, Golf Instruction remains in "the Playpen." What has been missing all along is precision. And only The Golfing Machine can supply that precision.

So, our job as Instructors is to become true Authorities and, in time, to liberate Conventional Instruction from its Playpen status.

And if we don't -- because we are either unwilling or unable to pay the price to truly know our subject -- then...

Who will?