The ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries are usually so entertaining and multifaceted that sports seems like a jumping off point to explore something different.

There is nothing wrong with a sports documentary per se, but there needs to be an underlying issue at work.

Hit it Hard, a sometimes amusing and often cringeworthy look at bad boy of gold John Daly by directors Gabe Spitzer and David Terry Fine.

The documentary has the full participation of John Daly, which is perhaps to its detriment. For although it purports to present the unvarnished truth about Daly, and does go to some pretty dark places, it ultimately feels like a redemptive tale.

There are so many issues that are quickly examined and then put aside, like the extent of Daly’s gambling (fifty million in debt!), the attitude of tour professionals towards this outsider figure (zero Ryder Cup appearances), and, ultimately, what makes a golfer more or less successful. Perhaps if it was a true outsider experience, it would have probed a little deeper. The film does look great though.

[star v=3]