Bannon, a quietly-spoken and modest club pro at Bangor GC, County Down, has collaborated with technology-inspired teaching pro Pat Trainor, to produce a very different method of coaching by 'thinking outside the box'.

The drills themselves are not new - but the radical difference is that they are all carried out WITHOUT the ball.

'It's that desperate desire to hit that little white thing that can get in the way for many players,' explains Michael.

'We take it out of the equation until they learn how to swing.

'By the end of the course we want the student to be almost swinging without thinking. Hopefully this way they will groove a swing that the golf ball will eventually get in the way of.

'The other difference is that we teach the full follow-through before the backswing, which some people may think is back to front, but we have found is far better for getting the fundamentals right.'

This is the integral message of the double-DVD - designed for all ages and abilities.

The first disc includes a computerised version of Bannon's swing tutorials, which can be practised in the comfort of your own home.

The second disc shows Bannon out on the course, working on the techniques with 19-year-old international Victoria Bradshaw.

'The only promise we make is that if you follow the instructions for 10 minutes each day over a six week period you will develop a solid golf swing with great fundamentals which will stay with you for life,' says Michael.

But let the last word go to McIlroy : 'Michael is a wonderful teacher because he can explain things to simply and naturally,' says Rory. ' I am someone who just wants to get out there and play attacking golf and he knew instinctively how to get the best out of me.'

* Priced at £ 19.99 the double disc will be available from March at all leading golf stockists and internet sites.

Our Review

This is an excellent new arrival (on the teaching video scene) to show Bannon as a teacher of the highest calibre - if the successes of Rory McIlroy were not ample evidence of how to make the most of natural talent.

It is really a very simple method to encourage both the new golfer, and the player who hasn't found a swing plane that gives them the results they want or aspire to, to find the fundamentals of the take-away and then the path of the club through impact.

Michael's methodology isn't though about hitting the ball and the first part of the two disc set is animation to show a pupil practice routines to be done well away from the golf course. This is fine bar like most animation, some movements aren't full replicated, in this case hip rotation.

That particular movement is demonstrated perfectly in the main video disc, shot on the golf course. Its here you get to meet Bannon, and to like him as for all great teachers, there is an element of personality to go with expertise to produce the 'complete' package.

Having been through a decade or so of function and form based teaching where mechanics dominate, you can immediately see how Bannon leans much more to teaching a natural swing, His mix of demonstrating players is good with Victoria Bradshaw used to show excellent posture the better player always wants.

Our Rating: - 9/10