Mitch Robinson was headed to Indiana State on full basketball scholarship when he was paralyzed in a trampoline accident just after graduating from high school.
After about 18 months in the hospital, Robinson was able to walk again. Six months later, he wanted to play golf.
Robinson went to Dick’s Sporting Goods in Bloomington looking to buy a driver. The pro at Dick’s, who seemed a little unsure of whether Robinson would be able to play golf, sent him to Jeff Smith, who at the time, was a teaching pro at Otter Creek.
“I was kind of part of his therapy,” Smith said. “It’s a tragic story. Here’s this athlete headed off to college basketball, and all of a sudden, there’s a trampoline accident, and he’s paralyzed from the neck down. Here’s a guy that wasn’t going to make it out of bed, and miracles happened, and the next thing you know, a couple months later, he’s up and moving around. This guy is my hero. This is the coolest thing ever. I get to be a part of his rehab.”
Robinson, who returned to his hometown of Crown Point two years ago, still drives to Edinburgh to see Smith at his studio at Timbergate Golf Course. Robinson now can hit an 8-iron 140 yards and a driver 200 yards and can shoot 45 playing from the senior tees.
So when GOLF Magazine selected Smith as one of its Top 100 Teachers of America and asked its selections to write a few paragraphs about one of their favorite students, Smith had no trouble picking his subject.
“GOLF Magazine said, ‘We want you to tell us about one of your students,’ and I had to rack my brain for all of half-a-second,” Smith said. “This is why I teach. To have something like this really change his life and change mine, it really was a no-brainer to pick.”
Smith was selected for the Top 100 based on the strength of his overall resume. The former teaching pro at both Harrison Lake Country Club and Otter Creek, now is Director of Instruction at both Timbergate and The Sagamore Club in Noblesville. He also is one of 20 pros nationwide on the Faculty for Instruction for the PGA of America.
Among the other honors Smith has received include the 2018 Indiana PGA Player Development of the Year Award, 2020 Indiana PGA Teacher of the Year, 2019 and 2020 Golf Digest No. 1 Ranked Teacher in Indiana and 2021 GRAA Top 100 Teacher.
In addition, Smith is National Director of Instruction for Smart2Move, is on the Content Committee for Iconic Golf, is an Aimpoint Certified Instructor, is a Level 3 BioSwing Dynamics Certified Instructor and is Level 2 K-Vest Certified.
At the local level, Smith has worked with professional golfers Tyler Duncan and Michael VanDeventer and numerous kids who have gone on to play college golf, including his own three children.
“Somebody asked me one time what the hardest thing to do in teaching, and that was easy — it’s teaching your own three children and getting them into college golf,” Smith said. “It’s far and away the hardest thing I’ve done in coaching.”
Smith learned of his latest award from Luke Kerr-Dineen the Game Improvement Editor at GOLF Magazine.
“A lot of people see this as the Holy Grail of their profession,” Smith said. “The truth is, the Holy Grail is how you change lives. I’ve helped a lot of people who would have never had a chance to go to college. It’s great to see the success somebody has because I was helping.”
