Although he's best known for his prowess on the golf course, Peter Jacobsen absolutely exemplifies that oft-misused phrase. Some people write a book and have a podcast and declare themselves renaissance men, but Peter Jacobsen actually deserves the moniker. From an early age, Peter loved golf. More than that, he knew he had something special inside him - a real talent for the game. So it was no surprise to him or to anyone around him when he started the PGA Tour in 1976. He approached the game with both levity and seriousness, earning him a reputation as a jokester and golfing pro. He was respected for his skill and liked for his good nature.

Peter Jacobsen's game took a turn for the better when he sought advice from Jim Hardy. Though Jim didn't have Peter's success on the Tour, he was always regarded as an expert teacher. It was early in both their careers, and Peter was floundering. His swing wasn't working, his confidence was mostly shot, and the balls simply weren't falling for him. Jim suggested he try a different sort of swing. Until then, Peter had just swung the club without much thought as to form. He had learned a certain way to swing - the only way to swing, as far as many golfers were concerned - and just stuck with it. It had got him this far, so why examine the mechanics of it?

Jim Hardy changed the way Peter Jacobsen played the game. Recently, Jim had begun realizing that perhaps his fortunes lay in instruction. Rather than focusing all his energy on playing the Tour, Jim realized that maybe he was best suited to teaching, to helping other golfers realize their talents. In Peter Jacobsen, Jim Hardy saw real potential. But he also saw a flawed swing. Jim urged Peter to try a "one plane swing"; as opposed to the more common "two plane swing," the one plane swing keeps the club head on a constant, steady trajectory. It stays on a single spatial plane, giving the swing additional power and follow through. Peter Jacobsen responded immediately. His new swing - with his arms and shoulders aligned, on the same plane throughout the entire swing of the club - gave him untold efficiency, accuracy, and power. His game improved by leaps and bounds, and he's still out there today, in 2008, winning seniors majors and loving life.