I like this thread, as I am a "hacker" who struggles with my game, and have had a bunch of conventional instruction with very little improvement. It's interesting to hear instructors talk about the frustration from their side.

I would gladly do hours of basic motion, but I am never completely sure if I am doing it correctly. how can I be sure that I am?

Secondly, I haven't completely grasped the relationship between basic motion (back two feet, forward two feet) and the other aspects of TGM, that being the up and down (out and forward) of the acquired and total motion. I have watched the LB/JH videos, and that has been somewhat helpful, but I seem to have a pretty thick coconut. How do I build on the lessons of basic motion to improve the full swing?

Thanks.

Wow
 

That is the funniest thing I have read in forever!!

I also love teaching the good player who just wants to know more and more.

If someone comes to you and has never heard about TGM, how deep would you take them in your first lesson?

Do you teach everyone speaking about TGM and using the terms after a full explanation?

Maybe since you are known for this style it is easier for you. I wish my students were living breathing and eating TGM. That would be so much fun!!

You are working on the same impact alignments with basic motion as you are total motion. The same compression and you are training yourself and your hands not to throw the club, instead the hands moving make the club head arrive to the ball and past the ball, into the ground. The reward is the sound and the feeling of compression.

Watch Jeff Hull and Lynn in the video section, and you should pick it up.

I just don’t see how a guy can hit a total motion eight iron somewhat decent, but try to get some good quality basic motion out of him and look out, FLIP! SCOOP! FLENCH! SKULL! CHUNK!

It is like forget this let me keep fighting club head throwaway.

Do y'all think that the Flat Left Wrist in the Basic Motion is the SAME Flat Left Wrist in Total Motion? This question is more geared toward the Swinger. The Hitter basically maintains the Impact Alignments in his Hands regardless of the length of the motion . . . The Swinger however has MUCH MORE going on as the motion gets longer.

I am not meaning that the student is preforming a correct total motion, but it seems that they have better luck with a larger motion in general, when compared to a basic motion stroke.

Maybe it is the quality of the student or could be more likely the instructor!

But I am always trying to get them on the road to great golf.

nd,

Thanks. Flench? I might be guilty of that. Chances are your student that can hit a decent 8 iron doesn't know what throwaway is. The terms, terminology and essential truth are what appeals to me about TGM. I am just struggling to implement.

Drewit, we're going to spend some time together this summer! (did you just flench when you read that?)

concepts always, terms seldom
 

If someone knows TGM, it makes the lesson flow, and it goes go very quickly. But, most of my lessons have zero exposure to TGM. They just want to hit the ball better. They could care less about all the variations or the terminology. So, I'll use the concepts, but I'll refrain from using words that they don't understand.

Thank you so much for sharing a little bit about how you go about teaching. It is so nice to see such a great instructor helping out. This may lead to better teaching from me as I continue.

I am going to be heading back down to the swamp either later in the spring or early summer. I sure hope to meet you this next trip.

Thought I would share my struggles in golf with you guys and see what you thought.

Basically, I struggle with this myself. I live hours from my golf pro and can only get down to see him every 3-4 months. I struggled for a long while with my practice, not really understanding the concept of discipline. I had to work out some way so that I could see the transition from basic to acquired motion. To be disciplined I came up with this system I only take 5 balls with me.

Basically,
1 shortest basic motion
2 longer basic motion
3 1/4 swing acquired motion

I have to hit 2 perfect shots from each of the chip shots... all 4 chips have to be perfect before I allow myself to attempt the acquired motion. If I screw a chip up I miss out on getting to hit the acquired motion.

I like this because I can see the progression from that basic motion and its alignments to the acquired motion. When I go to a range I do the same thing but put balls in groups of 7's and hit 2 perfect acquired motions before trying a full shot.

I have come to view basic and acquired motion as productive practice and wailing balls in my net as just exercise.

Its the only way I could discipline myself to persist with the basic motion because I could see the connectedness.

Nashville
 

I'll have to let you know when I'm coming to Nashville. My best friend lives there and is a member at the Legends in Franklin.