[innercityteacher]

Another day of firsts with TGM!
41-39!!!!
First 39 ever!
First 4 birdie day, ever!
First birdie from a sand trap!
First time ever I have shot under my hcp. index 7 out of 8 times since it has been posted.
First time I have ever had 10 GIR's.


Most importantly, first time since college varsity tennis that I felt in control during an athletic competition through understanding my "stroke," and understood my ability to compete is based on will and focus not technique, or instruments quality.

I had 10 GIR's and 6 potential birdie putts I missed. 4 putts within 4 feet. I got greedy and turned three GIR's into bogeys! I left 5 chips stupidly short (not within 10 feet).

Ok, spilt milk save the lessons of taking one extra club and shoot to the middle of the green and don't leave chips short!

TGM informed improvments which yielded a ridiculous level of improvement since an "84," "83" "82," and the first "80."

(You might want to say and "80" is an "80," but I have never had 10 GIR's. 4 other balls were on the edge of the greens with short or middle pins.)

Balance! My back leg is 1.75" longer than my front or left leg as regular readers know. Many of you have suggested the "Wild Bill Drills, esp. the marching drill. I have been doing the drill, daily, since coming back from my MN posse. Last night, I realized that my physical imbalance is, well, unusual.

When I bend my right knee and sit on it, I am in perfect balance! Any move I make after tracing the BLP while on my right knee, sends my Pivot around very smoothly and strongly. ANY MOVE INCLUDES SIMPLY STRAIGHTENING MY RIGHT LEG WHEN ALL MY WEIGHT IS ON IT!

My longer right leg has a foot size that is almost one full size laarger than my left. Since a hip injury when I was 15, 37 years ago, and 11 operations ago, my right leg is accustomed to bearing my body weight every day. Doing the marching drill revealed, once I bothered to look and think, that straightening my right leg shifts my hips left and pivots me around.

My left leg weight and the artificial hip and metal rod running through my left leg (which gives the TSA something to do when I fly) simply act as an anchor and drag me sideways as I straighten my right knee! It's why I wear out the inside left edge of all my left shoes! I stride with my right leg and pivot over to my left inside foot, and drag it as I begin to step!

So on the range, today, I tried it out. Flared front and rear foot to promote PIVOT, slightly open stance, TSP with left hand tracing the BLP to shoulder height or lower. Frozen, Impact fix, mid-body hands verified by rehearsal of Both Arms Straight. Downswing waggle to guarantee the Power Package is solid well past impact with plenty of right arm. (The older men with me today, told me they could see exactly where I would hit my shots by my waggle or practice stroke, except for the fade at the end. So can I, Angle Hinge!!!! )

As I trace, my back shoulder comes back to the plane. As I straighten my right knee, my right shoulder slides down the plane. As my weight flows to my left foot, I drive my Primary Lever via PP # 1 or # 3.

I was in shock most of the day. Straight drives, and straight irons on the green or online close to the green with pro-trajectory. I forgot that I hit a straight ball several times.

I was so pumped after the first two holes, when I realized that the TGM techniques were as effective as advertised and could travel from driving range to the course, that I started forcing distances. Normally, 145 yards with 5 yards of roll is a good 8 iron for me. But I threw one up a 2 club elevation hill and was a club short. The ground has been so hard, and I have so little experience hitting the softer greens, that I have been shooting at the collars of greens expecting a bounce and run-up. But my irons are a longer by a club so I hit the edges of greens leaving really long birdie chances which I sometimes get really stupid with and try to make instead of lag.

"Shout-outs" to everyone including the people at Barclay's in NJ. Kevin and Gerry in MN (fun playing with Dodger and Bartly), OB and Daryl's very patient instruction and teasing about my "really" Bent Right Wrist, and EDZ's great exercises which I found searching "downswing," and Yoda's site, films, and his excellent site administrators have me seeing and believing par is my friend and my future.

Thanks!

Patrick