BP #8-"The Short Game" Summary and Analysis

Summary: The general argument made by directer Josh Greenbaum in his documentary, The Short Game, is that the best 7 year olds in the world have given up their childhood for the love of the game of golf. He proves that they don't have ordinary lives and spend as much time as possible on the green before and after school every single day when the children are interviewed about their daily routines. All of their hard work comes down to one weekend each year at the Junior Golf World Championships. Greenbaum suggests that the intensity of this sport is too much for a 7 year old when the game gets tough and the kids can't control their emotions and actions. In conclusion, Greenbaum's belief is that it is okay for a child to peruse their passions, but there must be a limit.

Analysis: In my view, Greenbaum is wrong because the children choose golf as more than a sport, but a lifestyle. They are obsessed with the game itself and the thrill of winning. More specifically, I believe that the 8 specific children followed for this documentary have the option of stopping if they don't want to compete anymore. Their parents support everything they do as long as they are not putting themselves in danger. They all have coaches and train in a safe manner. For example, Allen has a personal trainer and trains with him everyday, but he loves training and has a blast working up a sweat. This pushes him to be the best he can, and it paid off when he won the World Championship Tournament. Although Greenbaum might object that the children may not feel the choice to stop playing, I maintain that when the camera captures the laughter and fun that the kids have while on the course. Therefore, I conclude that the best junior golfers in the world play golf at such a high intensity because they want to prove to themselves that they can accomplish anything and because they absolutely love the game of golf.


Rhetorical Precis: In Josh Greenbaum's documentary "The Short Game"(2012) he shows the road to success of the best young golfers in the world. The directer first opens by showing each of the eight players personally, then captures the viewers with naive interviews, and to conclude he shows the outcome of the biggest tournament of the year, the world championship. He seems to have a public or general audience in mind because of the cultural diversity and laid back feel of the dialogue.