Golf's number one guru has preached such a sermon into many famous ears. They tend to listen. Nick Price, Nick Faldo and Ivan Lendl are among his disciples, and the message is delivered at a number of academies, invariably found in quality locations around the globe, bearing the Leadbetter name. No matter the time or place, the theme remains constant, and the concept of practice is at its heart.
When DJ Carey, an avid golfer, drove into the Lake Nona golfing facility near Orlando, Florida, shortly before Christmas, the trunk of his hired car contained a set of clubs, a video (fittingly of the 1993 season when Kilkenny beat Galway in the All-Ireland hurling final), a hurley and a sliotar, all part of his ice-breaking introduction to the master teacher.
To some, Carey is a freak of nature. It seems no matter what sport he takes up, he succeeds. "He's obviously a very fine athlete, with great hand-eye co-ordination," says Leadbetter. Carey's sporting prowess has been evident on GAA fields and handball alleys for over a decade. Two years ago, he took up golf and has seen his handicap in Callan Golf Club tumble from an initial 18 down to seven.
The meeting at Leadbetter's Florida base was arranged by Mark Reid, the professional attached to the David Leadbetter Academy in Mount Juliet. "When I heard DJ was going there on holidays, it just seemed too good an opportunity to miss," recounts Reid.
Fortunately, Leadbetter, who has a globe-trotting itinerary akin to an airline pilot, was home that week. Equally fortunately, the golf coach, through a long-standing friendship with horse breeder John Magnier, was familiar with hurling and was intrigued to meet Ireland's top exponent.
Before any golf tuition took place, Carey gave Leadbetter, a native of Zimbabwe, a quick lesson in the art of hurling. Given the constraints on Leadbetter's time, it was perhaps a tribute to Carey and his enthusiasm that the coach and his team spent almost two hours with the hurler, between video analysis and work on the range.
"DJ actually has a pretty good swing," insists Leadbetter, "and it was only necessary to make a couple of small changes. The keys were his posture and balance. But he is someone with a lot of athletic ability, somebody who can make the changes. With practice, and the work ethic, he could get down to a very low handicap. I know when he was out here, he played some golf and got an eagle and some birdies in a round, so he obviously has talent.
"I was aware of hurling from my contacts with John (Magnier) and I know these fellows have a lot of strength in their forearms. It is a matter of adapting to golf. But DJ is also very flexible and supple, and he hits the ball a long distance. I had a lot of fun working with him and he could go a long way," adds Leadbetter. Carey's visit to Lake Nona, which was the venue for the World Cup of Golf five years ago, opened his eyes as regards golfing matters, and he'd like to get his handicap even lower. However, hurling - naturally enough - remains his main priority and, as such, the time and practice required to reduce his handicap will be determined by Kilkenny's involvement in the championship and league.
"David made a small adjustment to my swing. He felt my right elbow flew a little bit, which explained my inconsistency in shot-making. I tended to splay the ball on occasions. He also suggested a minor change with my grip, but I've found any sort of change to your grip is a big thing. He felt my right hand was a little weak. However, I'm the type of player who will persevere until the changes are an integral part of my game," says Carey.
At some stage in the future, Carey would love to compete in some amateur championships. Last year, he was on the Callan team that reached the semi-final of the Provincials Town Cup, but he missed that match (where they lost 5-4 to Kilkenny) due to hurling commitments with his club, Young Irelands. That is the dilemma of his sporting menage a trois. Hurling comes first, then, possibly, handball, and after that golf.
"I know it's an amateur sport, but hurling is very much my profession," explains Carey. "It's my number one commitment. Personally, I hope Kilkenny do well for years to come - and that I'm part and parcel of that success. I'll only be able to get out and play golf when hurling allows it."
The bug has biten, nevertheless. In the space of two short years, Carey has developed what he considers "a good all-round game, with the potential to go fairly low".
"I'd love to take it seriously. Whenever I play, I'm very serious about my game. If I could get down to scratch, it would be tremendous. But I know you need a lot of time and practice to achieve that. Having said that, I'm also happy to play off seven, as now, and still enjoy it. I would hate to play off a very low handicap if I wasn't good enough."
That fear appears unfounded. "DJ is capable of hitting 15 or 16 greens in regulation every time he goes out," says Reid. Carey is looking further down the road, to when his hurling days are finished, to when he can devote more time to golf. "A lot of hurlers and footballers turn to golf when their careers finish," says Carey, "but at least I'll have some slight advantage in that I've already started."
