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Learning and Applying TGM w/disabilities by a 21 hcp.
Hi. I just wanted to thank the folks here at LBG with actions and not just words. I have been on the forums for a couple of weeks now and Kevin Carter and O. B. Left have been amazing in encouraging me and helping me learn this wonderful book and meditations on the theory and practice of TGM. :)
I have purchased the LBG videos, in addition. I also have 3 of Brian Manzella's videos but have not been able to get much from them in the last two months owing to the fact that I did not have the mentoring I found on this site. I do not even look at those DVD's. I also had the S&T videos and book but again, while the support was much better than the Manzella forum on all the S&T sites (the people there seem very nice), I simply could not get my artificial hip and shorter front leg to withstand the practice routines I tried to use to learn their system. In an attempt to withstand the wear and tear of the game, I even went to the Graves Golf Academy and have their impact bag, some dvd's, and their practice club. I found nothing like the precision and clarity of causality at Graves' that compares to the explanations and logic of TGM and this site's helpfulness. Imagine my delight when I realized that much of Moe norman's incredible golfing skill, Ben Hogan's, Tommy Armour and even Faldo and Ledbetter (my first golf videos and books), are easily explained in the circle of TGM! I have played five 9-hole tracts yesterday and today, on three different par 35's which are part of my public course in Ambler, PA, Limekiln Golf Course. The course is very soft and all the greens have been top-dresed. Yesterday, I shot a 47 and 46, trying to employ the elbow-controlled putting insight and the "punch elbow" style of golf stroke as I interpret them through LBG postings and dvd's. Today, another beautiful day weather wise, saw me shoot a 46, 45 and 43. How did I screw-up? Yesterday, I had 30 putts in 18 holes. I had 23 ineffective or "complicating" chips that did not get me close enough to the hole to achieve a "gimme" putt. I also had 6 bad drives or first shots defined as a shot that forced me to hit an escape shot to the middle of the fairway. One such shot was caused by my snapping the handle of my driver as I attempted to use my version of "punch elbow." That and two other bad first shots resulted in two 8's and one 7. Good news, yesterday? Almost every shot I made was struck with purpose and struck hard. I had two pars and one birdie amongst the wreckage. I actually got in trouble trying draws and fades I would never attempt before. And, I had 8 putts in the last 7 holes as I learned to shoten the elbow stroke and trust the mechanism. I had some great pitches and chips. I never felt lost or overwhelmed. And, physically, I was able to play 27 more holes today, which I never could have done last year!(Seniors take note!) In the 27 holes I played today,I had 48 putts. One of my regular foursome from a year ago said "you are dropping them from everywhere!" "How are you doing that?" Again, the greens sometimes had 1" of sand on them in very odd places! Bad news? 22 bad chips on 27 hole including several shanks in the first 10 holes. Two 8's and five 6's resulted. I finally extended my left arm with my thumb on the aft side built my flying wedge and started chipping to the whole leaving several chips within 2 feet. (I used this technique again and again.) I hit only 4 bad first shots/drives in 27 holes! In the last 9 holes I learned several important things. 1) I can tee the drive much lower, not above the driver, and punch hit more down and through to the ground to get a very hot, penetrating shot. 2) I must stay on plane with all shots. Visualizing the plane allows me to swing with the shoulders or drop the elbow, or punch the heck out of the ball. The last three holes of practice I simply imagined the plane and swung or punched on plane without thinking of the mechanics. Two drives plugged underground at 230+ yards making me dig the ball out. All the "plane" shots were penetrating and straight with a little draw at most. In the last three holes I had two birdie puts. Anyway,yesterday's 93 gave way to a 91 and lower, today. :laughing9 And a 43 where I had shot a 46 earlier in the day was very encouraging. Patrick |
Drag the Mop
That is a great start, Patrick. You are on the way. Congratulations.
As for the chipping, may I suggest my favorite drill as a starter. Drag the Mop! Basic motion. I have a bad hip, but can do basic motion for hours and seem to learn something on every swing. It reinforces the 3 imperatives and gets you very well acquainted with your wedge. The two of you will become the best of friends. I have your regular e-mail address and will send you the video clip of Drag the Mop. Way to go Patrick! |
Thanks, Jerry and I have the clip! I have a question, also.
Hi Jerry and thanks!
Do you have a hip replacement? Does it cause you much pain? I hope not. My plastic hip is stiff but mercifully pain free and I am grateful! I have been using my limited understanding of a hitting motion. My right tricep is sore after 18 then 27 holes but your note has me thinking so I went back to the book, 6th edition. \\:D/ I was afraid of my shorter front leg throwing my plane off balance. So, I put more weight on the front leg, use the bicep to curl the arm up, bent the right wrist way back and froze it. The motion I made was like waving a big circular hello from the belt to the top. My shoulders seemed to glide along with this motion. I was able to extend my right arm down to the ball and knock the stuffing out of it and it was very playable. :happy3: My sore right tricep and shoulder might mean that I am not doing the hitting correctly. Yesterday, toward the end, I simply rotated my shoulders up plane as I visualized the plane for each club, and then locked my back elbow to the side as I slid the shoulders down, out and forward! It was very straight and way cool!:laughing9 But today, after your note, I read about the underhand toss. At first I thought "Big deal, I understand the plane and I'll never be hungry (GWTW) again!" But I know that TGM is serious stuff. So I tried it with a broom, a yardstick and now at home, my clubs. I ripped a hole in the impact bag with a five iron and knocked it up in the air. The pivot led to the underhanded toss which first went down then followed the pivot as I extended my back elbow. :laughing9 So is that what Jim Furyk uses so effectively? Is that a hit or, because of the pivot, a less than manly girly swing (which I'm not too proud to employ.) "Bueller? Bueller?" Dragging the mop will help my chips alot! :) Thanks Jerry! Patrick Quote:
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Great start Patrick!!!
Chipping will come, there is a lot of "feel" involved there along with the mechanics. We have spoken a lot about the Magic of the Right Forearm, but recently YODA has shown us also how important it is to keep the left wrist level during basic motion. He has shown us pics of Brian Gay and Steve Stricker where that left wrist starts level, and remains that way during the entire stroke. Talk about structure and consistency!!! Keep it going! Kevin |
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I had a half dozen of my high schoolers for practice today and we started with a discussion of cocked, level and uncocked lead wrist and bent right wrist (Thanks Yoda, those dowels sure come in handy). We then did just basic motion off mats (it was 31* after all) with level wrists and 5 of the 6 were doing wonderfully. I should have taken a couple photos of the looks on their faces when they saw the ball fly so easily after all that compression. It was like they just found something good to eat. Tomorrow we are going to the huge practice green and set those flying wedges, level left wrists and bent right wrists and start chipping. I had one of Kevin's newest students in the practice bunker maintaining his flying wedges and landing EVERY ball in position for easy two putts and many tap-ins. I might have to have him teach the rest when they come in next week after spring break. If we keep this up we could be called the Machinists' Union. Thanks Yoda and Kev. 20 years of coaching high school golf and it has never been so much fun. |
Way cool Jerry!
I plan to start a first Tee program here in my school. I will copy these notes as a potential curriculum!
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Starting a 1st Tee program is a wonderful idea. I wish you all the luck. With the help of these fine folks at LBG Forum, I'll bet your curriculum will be better than any other available.
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Patrick, when you get started Jerry and I would love to share ideas. That would be FANTASTIC! Kevin |
A question about straight-line thrusting/punch shot
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Hi Kevin, OB, Jerry :) I have watched Yoda's instruction on basic motion on the free video site and have seen the pitch elbow swing and punch elbow hit progressions. Sometimes, Yoda looks like he is exaggerating the underhand toss, which I feel as a "heavy back elbow," imhno (in my humble, neophyte opinion). Sometimes, it seems like he is just firing his right arm at a 45 degree angle and cutting across the plane. I'm feeling this as a "straight-line thrust or punch." Is that what is meant by the term "cross-line action?" Regardless of it's name, am I observing a truly different stroke? Is there a different purpose to those two different strokes? :eh: Yesterday, I incorporated a true pivot with an underhanded toss and it is straight and powerful. The range ball made a dull popping noise and my 7 iron flew almost 160 yards with a very high, softly landing arc. Very straight. There was a feeling of tremendous weight to the stroke. All shots I hit like that made that popping noise and seemed effective. :thumleft: By way of comparison, I used the straight-arm thrust without a pivot and body very quiet. It felt like most of my weight was on my trail side. Then the shots made a clear "zzzzzzz" sound and I felt the ball soften and saw the ball leave on a much more penetrating trajectory. I was also much more aware of my right hand/trail hand palm being used. :sunny: Was the toss a swing and a different effect as a result? The thrust was perhaps a true "hit?" Or, does the thrust simply allow me to find the sweet spot more effectively given my body geometry? It has also just occurred to me that I might have reverted to a flip at the bottom of the pivot driven toss as a flashback to the bad old days. :dontknow: That's funny because TGM is such a powerful insight that it can even help a really bad swing action be more effective. :eyes: I also hit an entire bucket of swinging chips and pitches yesterday, also. I felt like I was practicing the musical scale. I can hit a chip, but with my flying wedges intact, it is so much fun to simply turn and turn, and know that the chip is straight and will stop, unless I slide it back in my stance. I know the guy next to me thought I was nuts but it was just so cool to have such control over something that has been so difficult. My first official TGM lesson with a golf machine person is April 4th. I will keep these notes going throughout as a way of personal learning and encouraging others with artificial parts and slanted geometries. :laughing9 Patrick Quote:
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Hey Partick
The success you are seeing is as a result of a better clubhead orbit Id say. Your geometry is getting better. You arent Steering the club straight down the target line etc. And your questions are really good ones too as this geometry is pretty confusing unless you are so inclined. Even then it takes some work to see how it isnt what you first think it should be. Linear Force. 2-C-0 is a great study in how to apply force to golf ball with a whirling and non linear, circular motion. I think all the geometry is extrapolated from 2-C-0 solution. We try to make it Linear (Steering) but to our own detriment cause it cant be, for full compression anyways. Not for this side on stick and ball game of ours. Linear force for low compression works though, ask any hacker (driver) or any tour pro (lob shot). See 2-C-3. Kev will come in here and knock this one otta the park but in the mean time here's a couple of things to think about. -given the inclined plane, for balls played back of low point a straight line or a curve drawn from impact to separation will point towards the plane line, your "cross line" if you will. See 2-C-1 #2B. Not to be mistaken with a Cross Line Stroke (a plane line that points out to right field), its an inside out Delivery Line of the Clubhead for a straight plane line. This curve is relates to the concept of Tracing, the straight line to Covering. 2-J-3 (but if you read this your head will explode). - The closer the balls position gets to low point the less the cross line nature of this inside out, Clubhead Delivery Line. So Hogan hit the inside aft of the ball, yes , but the point of contact changed, got closer to the back of the ball as the ball position approached low point. The guys who tee a ball up in front of Low Point will have the curve pointing away from the plane line as the clubhead moves up and in. Which you can also see in that diagram. -For swingers or hitters using the Arc of Approach the Clubhead blur can be seen by the eye , during address routine waggles (8-0) and during the actual strike to travel the Inside Outside curve that connects these same two points. Impact and Low point. A great thing with which to wage war against Steering. 3-F-7-A. Cause it aint straight at the hole. Unless you are trying to hit a floater, lob shot. See diagram 2-C-3 #2 The Lob Shot . No (or very little) compression. - The Machine 1-L-15 "The club starts up-and-in after Low Point but the thrust continues down plane during Follow Through". Meaning that though the clubshaft (or pp#3) traces the straight line Plane Line and the clubhead moves up and in post low point, the thrust of the right arm, be it passive as in Swinging or Active as in Hitting continues down plane and therefor out towards the plane line until the right arm is straight. Follow Through. This is "going all the way down" to my mind. So thrust is cross line and the delivery line of the clubhead and the delivery line of the hands is inside out. Getting to Both ARms Straight completes the Orbit and the ball really likes that. Compression plus. A non bent plane line. -Hitting makes this cross line thrust of the right arm and getting to both arms straight more apparent. The fact you say Yoda looked like he was extending his right arm in a linear way suggests Hitting to me. This would be Push Basic 10-3-C Major Basic Stroke. A hitting procedure but for short shots only. Long shots having a different arm motion employing a non linear, fanning and bending Right Arm Motion. I dont know what film you were looking at but if it is Alignment Golf with VJ Trolio. From memory Id say VJ was demonstrating Push Basic, but not Lynn. There is a little fanning in there I believe. -Which brings me a point I got stuck on and maybe you are too, if I read you correctly. I mistakenly tried to make all hitting shots a linear Push Basic type deal which set me back some. See the Major and Minor Strokes 10-3. The Arm Motion when seen in isolation changes as the stoke lengthens. For longer shots you must fan and bend the right arm, like a side arm throw , like skipping a stone or maybe a slightly more linear fish spearing. The Hitter with a Punch 10-3-A Elbow, the Swingers Pitch 10-3-B Elbow. See this video here of Yoda and watch the right arm only motion he displays towards the end of it. He maybe wasnt expecting us to look at this microscopically or anything but it sure isnt a Push Basic linear motion for hitting is it? No Sir. http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/index.p....-Hitting.html |
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I love that zeroed out accumulator in my left palm as a ticket to controlling the distance of a soft landing, high-flying pitch or chip with a vertical club face. I'm just really excited about out-driving opponents with every club when appropriate using the "minor to you, major to me" punch shot that is a thrust and not a trace. :laughing9 OB, I do believe you have explained why I was pushing lots of shots last weekend and lots of cool stuff that will help me shoot lower scores. Thanks. :) Patrick |
I feel elated and sad at the same time
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I was looking at the golfingmachinist.com I noticed a deep back knee bump. I went to youtube and looked at Nicklaus/Watson/Nelson et.al. I slowly practiced my trail arm thrust from the elbow as if I wanted to hit a low drive or ram my frozen impact hands straight into the ground. Because of my tilt of a longer back leg, I have to bump my back knee forward to get down to the ball, all the time, which tips my front knee in, all the time, which allows me to squeeze that ball into the ground with real power. :laughing1 I feel like an idiot because I thought all the power was coming from the weight of my shoulder tilt and right elbow smash down! :eyes: Sorry, OB for pulling at a thread and missing the whole cloth! Patrick Quote:
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This is what I have been trying to describe, OB.
I got this from the advanced lab part of the Forum. If I bump my right knee in, this happens almost automatically. I simply forget I do it, since I have been doing it for 35 years or so.
"Correctly executed, both produce identical Impact Alignments and Line of Compression through the Ball. 12 piece bucket Senior Member Boss, This here's from the 4th . . . It ain't exactly "tracing" . . . And this didn't make the cut. 6-E-2. He speaks to this too in the audio. This Aiming Point procedure seems more easily acquired if introduced as a Feel. At the top of the Backstroke - even at the End (10-21-C) - mentally construct a line from the Hands to the Aiming Point. Let a careful Downstroke Pivot move the Hands precisely along this line - they will Feel as though they remain at the top of the stroke. Don't question that Feel - just sustain (monitor) it per 5-0, all ready for Release at the preselected Release Point (10-19, 10-24). Drive the Hands (Clubhead Feel 7-19) down the line (2-N) until both arms are straight - i.e., NO QUITTING. That procedure merely utilizes a long used method for drawing freehand straight lines between two points. Using the Clubshaft as the pencil is an effective equivalent."[/color] Quote:
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Ok. Got you. Sorry. Words, they some times fail us in that when we think we are talking about the same thing , we often arent. For this reason Homer really wanted us to stick to his definitions lest we enter the tower of babble. You'd be crazy to take the book of riddles into the tower of babble wouldnt you? Its hard enough to comprehend or discuss already. So to bring this into Homer vocabulary , we must adhere to Geometry of the Circle. Center, Radius, Circumference , chords, tangents etc. The Circle itself represents the clubhead's orbit or Line of flight and lies on the Inclined Plane. It is two dimensional! It must be both to lie flat on a plane and for the Radius (the clubshaft or sweetspot plane more correctly ) to point at a Straight Line Base Line. Which it must. Steering misdirects the clubhead towards the target, making the Orbit 3 dimensional , bending the plane line. Like the circling satellite , once the orbit is disturbed , disaster awaits. I think your great results , after getting to Both Arms Straight could very well be the product of an undisturbed, 2 dimensional orbit. Straight line plan line. One of the Three Imperatives, check it off. To go all the way down plane to Low Point, to keep on thrusting towards the plane line till the right arm is straight makes Steering the clubhead anyways, impossible. Steering the clubhead when viewed on the Geometry of the Circle shows the clubhead going down plane and therefore out given any angle to the Inclined Plane but then veering prematurely along a chord, a Target Line prior to low point. The club stops going down and therefor out and shallows out early, ruining Three Dimensional Impact. Down , OUt and Forward. False logic, Linear force 2-C-0 raises its ugly , "seems like it should work" head, again. I dream of a golf world where for decades hackers the world over had cried "Keep your clubhead going down" instead of the usual free advice. I like your "trajectory" observations. This relates to the Plane Angle, The Angle of Attack see 2-C-1 #2B and also the Divergent Vectors of 2-N-1. Generally speaking more pivot means more Horizontal , turning motion. Better suited to Tracing, ARc of Approach etc. The Right Arm itself is subject to the forces of the coming on stream pivot and so it must adjust to maintain its on the inclined plane Alignment and the ability to Trace. See Pivot in the Glossary. This is Hands to Pivot to my mind as opposed to an idea that the Hands must proceed the pivot sequentially or something. They just direct thats all. Like raising a coffee to your mouth while the taxi driver takes a corner at high speed. The hands adjust quite nicely despite the introduction of forces with contrary vectors. The Hands net out on plane. Unless the forces are too much and too divergent, then you have a mess to clean up. In the cab or on the course. Bent Plane Line or coffee on your dress shirt. The Neeman video is great. 12-5-0 comes alive and unplugged at one point there too. When you said linear and punch I thought you were talking hitting chipping, Push Basic, lawn mower cord pulling, elbow sawing or whatever. Which is not on display in that particular video. No Sir. Not displayed in any video by Yoda personally, I dont believe. Trying to remember. Its a catalogues procedure , for short shots , not long. Glad to hear you are fanning and bending your right arm then. You avoided my Hitting stumbling block. Id say you can "punch" a shot either Hitting or Swinging although we commonly associate it with Hitting. If you feel better punching your way around the course then go for it. To me its sort of a more driving, stacatto, compact motion normally with the ball played back a tad , which given the geometry of the circle means there'll be more turf taken post impact as you make it all the way down to low point. More inside out to the clubheads Delivery Line then too. Trevino comes to mind. He Angled Hinged it too. Normally fades resulting with a push tendency. Need to rotate the clubface in the grip maybe. If it seems like you are Covering a straight line out to right field dont get gun shy, you're probably Hitting using the Angle of Approach. A true cross line stroke for a straight shot. 2-J-3 But dont read that or you'll go insane. Wait a bit. You've been at TGM for what like a month or two now? Wow. |
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Patrick :golf: :golf: :golf: :golf: :golf: |
Your geometry and visual thinking is really good, do you teach it? Or art maybe? I do perspective drawings , studied architecture and art way back when , see lines, curves geometric shapes in all things. Often more curves to my golf shots than I want but.
Homer said that the Relationships could be described by a 2 D geometric figure.......that lies on an inclined plane. The clubheads orbit is a circle, the concept of the Right Elbow cocking the left Wrist is a triangle which sees the shortening of one side increase the angle opposite. Etc etc etc. One end of the club or the other points at the Plane Line unless the club is parallel to the ground, reminds me a vanishing point (although in that case even the parallel to the ground club would see the end point to the vanishing point on the horizon line) Thats the way I see the Plane anyways. Homer did say to always imagine it as having four corners each at 90 degrees. I see it in perspective. I totally agree that drawings, animations even are needed. Maybe some day. It would be "ah now I get it" kinda deal for most all of us. From some GSED's on down. I have a few things Id like to see drawn out, that for sure. I wonder if Homer had some drawings that didnt make the book??? Homer at first thought the 1-L Machine diagram was all that was needed to convey its implications. It wasnt until later that he included the 21 point list. Which I have learned to love. I imagine the machine and the circle when reading though it. You say "Impact Line". Referring I think to the Impact Plane Line. But remember, Impact and Separation are not the same point, there is an Impact interval , however short, less than an inch. In the diagrams Homer assumes Separation to be at Low Point (but it often isnt for balls more than an inch back of Low Point I would assume). The point is that the Impact Interval , that period when the ball is acquiring all of the information that the club will provide it, exists (some scientists assumed separation to be instantaneous) and that is not, despite first appearances, governed by a Linear Force concept. Given that the Circle lies on an Inclined Plane. See 2-C-0 if you havent already. This is what the book is all about to my mind. Three Dimensional Impact. For maximum compression the point of contact between the ball and clubface stays together ("as if welded together") and is taken Down , Out and Forward . Down and Out , literally for straight line Plane Lines. The ball leaves at right angles to the face at separation so the face at impact must be .....open. Horizontal Hinging required. I went to the range last night and hit some 12-5 stuff as I always do and remembered the Neeman tape of yours. Id forgotten about the "chip, pitch, punch , punch with swivel" thing. Thanks, thats a great Yoda drill to work through. It reminded me of Mr Yoda's remarks from the Premium video he did with Jeff Hull. Cant remember which one but they both really good if you havent seen them. Anyways, the "punch" is additional force or Lag Pressure applied to the same length of swing, Acquired Motion be you hitting or swinging. Stopping at Both ARms Straight ensures that you have competed the orbit something often missing when you swing past there , especially for Swingers. It feels so simple, so powerful even despite the abreviated motion. Yoda notes how its only 5 or 10 yards short of full distance. That going from Acquired with its parallel to the ground right arm to Top ( Right Shoulder high), Total Motion is only a few more inches......... That Allan Doyle Acquired Motions his way around the course. We tend to overdo Total Motion , its only a few inches and a Finish Swivel past Acquired to get to full distance. Getting to Both ARms straight is a must prior to Swiveling to Finish. Something you wont read in other forms of instruction. But the Orbit it completes, drives the crap out of the ball. In the Neeman tape Yoda chuckles to himself.........."hear those compressions?" I did, in person , thats why Im here right now. Starting to to hear it more often in my own shots too. I was four under on the back nine of my first game down in Florida. Two over front , four under back with a bogey on 17. Thank you Yoda , Ted and Homer. Got a ways to go though. More work to be done. |
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Im 51, live in Toronto. Dont play for more than a beer. Still like to play in some amateur tournaments. My "goto" is whatever is working. When I grind, I dont know what Im thinking about to tell you the truth. Not mechanics , not if Im grinding well anyways. Maybe its as simple as how to get from A to B when things are working. Sort of like playing for shape in snooker or pool. If im thinking about mechanics Im either practicing or in big trouble when playing. Which happens to everyone I guess. I saw Justin Rose on Masters Saturday getting a full on lesson. He'd lead after round one , blew up round two and was searching for something for round three. For me I find it best to just find something, a punch shot or whatever to get you out of there. Its like acting , you just cant be in your own head, I dont think.
Crappsmacker is a new convert to Hitting I believe. Notice the Hitters Top. Only Lynn would now if he was Hitting or Swinging there. Its really hard to notice the difference visually with some people. Maybe a bit of thrusting in that last pass at the bag at Both Arms Straight, just guessing though. Yes if the shortening right side of the triangle cocks the left wrist, lengthening it will uncock the left wrist. I see this in my downswing when I dont necessarily want it...........as the left arm pulls away from the shoulders (which can only mean the right arm is lengthening) , the Left Wrist uncocks. So for me anyways, I have to keep that Right shoulder turning to delay the release. Its not a wrist thing, despite first appearances. Hanging on to wrist cock in an effort to delay release is ill advised. A slightly bent left arm at address isnt all bad. Lots of great players do it. I believe there is a post in here somewhere where Lynn introduces Brian Gay to Larry Nelson and the two discuss that very issue. Both those players have a soft arm at address, I think. CF or an adoption of Extensor Action will stretch the Radius to full length. Id imagine you'd have to straighten it out for Impact Fix so your Radius from left shoulder to ball, is properly measured. To properly establish the point in 3D space for the left shoulder. Never thought about that before though. That would mean the clubface would not be directly behind the ball given the shortened radius I think? More towards the toe when the club is hovered slightly off the ground even. Your push is clubface related, Id imagine. Open face. It could be a product of many different things. Hopefully your pro can give you the diagnosis you need to fix it. Dont blame the new inside out Arc of Approach for it, its not that. Not if you are tracing a straight plane line. Its not clubshaft in other words. The ball leaves at right angles to the clubface at separation. |
I took my children to Toronto years ago.
Very fun town with great food, Hockey Hall of Fame, CN Tower, ball park, island with a zoo!
Very nice. 51, eh? I'm 52. I need to get with the program and drop my hcp by 23 strokes so I can play you straight up unless you get to a +6 or so, which is possible. Thanks for all your answers, OB. Patrick Quote:
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I finished with an 89 on a 46/43 thanks to some good chips and two birdies. Where is this method mentioned in TGM? I'm sure it's in there somewhere. I start my first TGM lesson, tomorrow! :laughing9 Patrick |
Can't wait to read about your lesson tomorrow. Break a leg (not literally)!
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Jerry, did you play today?
Cmon man! Stop holding out on us! I know you beasted :golf: on some teenagers and took their cash!
Did the last snow melt in MN, yet? :laughing9 On the last 9, I shut out my two opponents. They both gave me 3 strokes and I beat them 4-0. I'll never get that deal again!!!! :crybaby: Patrick Quote:
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The snow is gone and the ice is off the lakes. Life is grand on the tundra.
The golf team is wonderful. 44 9th-12th graders ranging from brand new beginners to state tournament vets. We are making no cuts and keeping everybody. Life is also grand on the practice tee and the practice green. I'm convinced you are going to reach your goal so get out there and place as many bets as you can before that hcp tumbles out of control. |
Our first TGM lesson
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OHYEAHBABYOOOOOOOOOBABYOOOOOOOOOOOBABYOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOO:occasion: Background/Prologomena Ok, let's get to the context. My wifey and I drove one hour and fifteen minutes north to South Hampton, PA, to meet with John Savage, GSEB! John is about 73, and calmly states that he can shoot his age, regularly. Indeed, at the end of our first lessons which lasted 90 minutes, though we were only charged for 30 minutes each, a fellow teacher and disciple of John's came to pick him up for their Sunday game. Mike, a fellow middle-school teacher, confessed that he was one of John's disciples, and that John was a very good player. Mike reported that last time out, he shot a 73, and John shot a 68. John had indicated to us that Mike had beaten him only once, but it was just a matter of time before he would loose to Mike regularly. John had Mike hit some 7 irons to show off. Mike hardly moved and the ball lept to the 200 yard marker or thereabouts, and it was obvious that Mike, at least, knew what he was doing. Start of the lesson John welcomed both of us, warmly. He established that I played golf and my wifey had never played. His temperment was good for both of us. Patient with my wife and serious/teasing with me. He had me stand in front of marks on a wall. He had me close my eyes and turn facing to the right and then left. He explained that he believed balance was important to any machine and "We were machines." (My wife's only imbalance is that she married me.) He videotaped my turning and said he would send the film to his chiropractor. (He also wanted me to send an email to him describing my 9 hip surgeries.) The purpose of including this discussion in his lessons (1/3 rd the price of a Golftec 8pak)was to find out the optimum range of motion and balance points for my shortness of my front leg and artificial front hip. John watched me warm-up with about 10 shots. He asked me if I had a swing thought. I said it depended on the day and how badly my round was going. After warming up, John asked me if I knew which foot I place my weight on when I started the swing because I hadn't shifted the weight at all in any of my warm-ups. I said that I was always afraid to go to my right since it felt like I was climbing uphill. John said it looked like it, too. He asked me why I double-cocked my left wrist. (I thought I wasn't but I was.) He asked me if I knew where the plane line was and I said it was the clubshaft. He laughed. '"Boy, do we have a lot to talk about. Are you sure you really want to work in this system and with me?" I told him I had tried everything else. John told me to hit my best shots with a 7 iron and he videoaped the shots. He then gave my wife a grip lesson and told me to keep warming up. Insight He took us both to another side of the range. Using a "Smart-Stick," he demonstrated how the green laser moved along the plane unless the club was parallel to the plane. My wife did the plane tracing on her third try. It took me 20 minutes and multiple adjustments and explanations about not using my hands, arms or knees to trace the infinte plane line. I was able to keep the plane line, but only with difficulty. John moved us back to another set of bays. He showed me a weighted stick with clicking mechanism. John demonstrated to us how we had to carry the club to impact and that the click should happen at the bottom of the swing. Uhmm, we could not do it for awhile. Finally, John had me stand behind him and watch how he had his hips turn straight back. My Mrs. snapped the stick at the right spot. Then I did it and I noticed I was on plane. I asked John what his swing thought was. he said he turned his sternum. That was it! Snap stick snapped and 7 irons flew effortlessly. :rambo: John began to work with my Mrs. on her grip and plane line. Her swing looked better than most of the guys on my course! I hit 7 irons/5 woods/driver with the same swing! As I experimented with ball positions I would hit draws, hooks, fades and shanks. John kept saying, "Do not react to the ball, think of the plane. Do what you are supposed to do and then feel that." He introduced my Mrs. to the light feel of a club on plane and continued to work with her. My Mrs. is not an athlete. She has a grad. degree in fine arts and learning technology. Before we finished, she hit the ball down the middle several times, on a perfect sand wedge chip trajectory. Her backswing looked great! :headbang: What John helped me with was seeing the plane-line in two dimensions. He also helped me understand the simplicity of the swing and full extension! When I placed all my weight on my back heel to start, I felt in line and stacked. I sat into that heel and rotated with no sense of sway. I reversed the rotation and hept my head down. NO LOSS OF BALANCE. The ball was usually down the middle and I could've stood there all day with my head down as my club wrapped around my neck like a real golfer!!! :laughing9 My club was around my neck so quickly and effortlessly, I did not have to think about it! John swung and showed me "palm down (backswing) and palm up (post impact follow through). Do your swing slowly." My palm went down and came up BY THEMSElVES! :clap: Evaluation Christians celebrate Christ rising from the dead on Easter, today. Don't look now, but here is one golfer that will never shoot a dead, uncompetitive score again! Thanks to TGM and y'all I will see you and write you again! :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy I would have to give John a 9/10 rating reserving a 10 for Yoda, 9.5 for Kevin and OB, and a 9.1 for JerryG (based on attitude, alone)! This was the best one-on-one lesson I had ever experienced. In comparison, the golftec people and various pros along the way were sub 3 experiences. Patrick Quote:
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Now there's a feel good story.
Thanks for sharing it with us. Wonder what the clicking stick was called? |
Thanks for sharing that story. It sounds like you have found a fantastic teacher in Mr. Savage! It wouldn't surprise me if he hangs out here, sounds like he would fit in perfectly.
I use the Smart Stick as well. Wonderful tool for learning, and I think it is fun to fool around with. It sounds like Mr. Savage teaches good ole God fearing TGM and makes it fun at the same time. I LOVE it. Patrick, you are on a wonderful path, I am so happy you found a great instructor in your area to help you stay on it! Kevin |
Patrick,
That missive is just wonderful. I think I had a tear in the corner of my eye (or it could have been the dog's gas). Kev had me on a Smart Stick once in the dome. I had that sucker pointed in places that now had light that had not seen light since the joint opened. I sent rats scurrying for cover. Great stuff, Patrick. I am extremely happy for you. Palms down... Great stuff. |
5 over for my last 7 holes, today!
:laughing1 The bad news Jerry, Kevin, Jeff, Sean and everyone was that it was 40 degrees with a 30 mph wind at 7am this morning. :confused1
I was sooooo cold, my brain froze with everything else. I should've worn the ski pants but it was SUPPOSED to be 65 degrees. :confused1 On my first two holes on the front 10 holes, I lost my ball positon! Then I lost my infinite plane line. I was so f'n cold that my ball position was too far back and I snapped everything left or I hit everything at a 45 degree angle to the right. I kept varying my take-away and down-stroke. Then, I started varying my hinges like a f'n moron. :sad2: I couldn't think! I shot 53 on the front! :crybaby: Finally, the wind died down, the sun came out and it broke 50 degrees. I kept doing my chips and pitches with a zero accumulator and distance-controled backstroke. At least that was working even though the front 10 greens were sand boxes. I remember looking down and deciding to slide the chip up in my stance to get more float. AND THEN IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I NEEDED TO PUT THE BALL FORWARD IN MY FULL STROKE. :laughing1 OK, so what did everybody else shoot and why? Patrick Quote:
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Jerry, speaking of light in dark places. and gas...
My wife just scheduled me for a colonoscopy. If I have to have this, you guys do, too!
The gown ties in the back, Jerry. You can hold the smartstick if it'll make you feel better. LMFAO :eyes: Patrick Quote:
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2nd lesson : Flipperrado escapes and is recaptured!
My second lesson with John Savage (GSEB), in Southhampton, PA
After asking about my play during the week, we got to work. John set up a ball to my address position and one ball to my right, even with my toe line. John demonstrated that as I turned, my triangle was breaking down, first with my wedges and then with my arms! Years of tennis and bad information, AND NEVER HAVING A PROPERLY TRAINED TGM INSTRUCTOR, allowed me to ingrain years of bad feelings in my hands and wrists and consider those feelings normal. :naughty: From address position as I rotated back, my hands could not come close to the ball at my toe line! :crybaby: It took me about fifteen minutes to generate my pivot with my right hip. Then with my sternum. I had to completely ignore my hands. :salut: John then layed down a club in front of me to a 45 degree angle to show me how my handle should move around my body at a 45 degr. angle as I PIVOT PROPERLY USING MY LEFT SIDE/RIBCAGE TO MOVE THE CLUB, NOT ARMS OR HANDS. :thumright As I sat on my right hip and rotated to the toe line ball, I realized that the feeling of ease and speed in my right hip was balanced from an undamaged hip. I cannot feel anything like that in my left hip. So, I switched back to my feeling of sternum rotation and my handle came all the way through to a 45 degree angle. :clap: John was just getting started, however. After 20 or so 110 yard pw's which did draw after hitting the sweet spot and travel on a very high arc, John said "take your 7 iron." :-| I repeated my new swing and hit a 150/10 yard high flying hook. "Do it again, and stop after your backswing." "Why isn't your left palm turned down?" (BECAUSE I AM AN IDIOT WHO DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO GOLF, JOHN.) We practiced palm down-FEEL IT, DON'T LOOK AT IT, FEEL IT." The 7 iron popped straight out to the 150 yard angel on an egg-shape that was towering in the air. "Again" Sternum-put a leash on that puppy-sternum! :) :3gears: Mike, a fellow middle school teacher came by. Both commented on how my swing looked "sub-80." Mike started hitting balls and John told him he was not balanced in his down swing and too quick. John launched into a very good discussion of power needing balance for effectiveness. So I tried it. Sternum-feel the leash or palm down rest-sternum. "Linear first then down!" :violent: John explained "Down the line, out to the ball, and forward." "I thought down meant literally down," says me. "Yes, I know," says John, "you have many strange ideas." "The club must be carried by the pivot! It will hit the ball without any manipulations. Let the pivot do the work!" :iamwithst "One other thing, would you like another 20 yards?" :pray: "Why do you have your back elbow stuck on your back hip?" :dontknow: "Because I saw it in the Ben Hogan book?" John explained that without width of swing on plane, there is no power. John showed me how the stuck elbow deflects the thrust line of the pivot away from the plane line. I tried a few five woods and pushed everything out to the right. I realized I was concentrating so hard on feeling the elbow hip seperation, that I had no idea where the plain or my balance was. John said "It'll take you awhile to find your balance with the elbow seperated from your hip, keep the palm down on the backswing. Remember the plane line." I have a lot to work on, keep you posted! Patrick Quote:
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You may have a lot to work on Patrick, but finally, you are working on the proper concepts. This is going to be a fun summer watching you, Jerry, and Sean do nothing but get better and better, and smarter and smarter!
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Thanks Kevin and Jerry.
BTW, Jerry, You are a kinder man than I am. A Bowie knife coming out of a locker would've been stuffed back in the locker with the student attatched. :)
Back to golf, my practice swings felt effortless, today. I felt the sweetspot following the plane line. The right arm extension on the plane line produces almost as much power? WOW. Have a safe/good week men! Nice round, again, Jerry. Kevin prob. shoots 69's to warm-up, right Kevin? :sleepy: Patrick Quote:
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I believe Yoda wrote this awhile ago...
"Bagger,
The Slap is a sharp smack with the palm of the Right Hand and with a Bent Right Wrist. It is the Swinger's Major Basic Stroke (10-3-B) delivered using the Arc of Approach procedure (2-J-3-A). The Punch is a straight line thrust of the Right Forearm and Bent Right Wrist. It is the Hitter's Major Basic Stroke (10-3-A) delivered using the Angle of Approach procedure (2-J-3-B). Slapping or Punching, the entire Right Forearm Flying Wedge (6-B-3-0-1) -- the On-Plane Right Forearm with the Bent (4-A-2), Level (4-B-1) and Motionless (Frozen) Right Wrist, the Lag-Loaded Right Forefinger #3 Pressure Point and Clubshaft -- is thrown (Swinging) or driven (Hitting) into Impact per 7-3. As always, Educated Hands control the Stroke, utilizing the Lag-Loaded #3 Pressure Point to trace the Straight Plane Line (10-5-A Swinging Arc of Approach or 10-5-E Hitting Angle of Approach) and thus maintain the essential Geometry per 5-0." For me, these simple concepts have revolutionized my enjoyment of the game. I know I need to learn a strong pivot, but after 11 hip operations over man years it is soooooo cool:) to be able to hit under trees, from the fairway, anywhere, with this stroke. I can put my 3 wood 200 yards or so more or less straight with this. Can anyone tell me how to max out my drives with this? :idea1: There has to be a way to build a club/hold a club/ buy a ball and manage this TQ to get 250 or so yards. If we can dream it, we can do it!:) Patrick Quote:
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And Yoda said this...
And they do this by learning to hit the Ball with the heel of the Right Hand (and its Pressure against the Left Hand Thumb). Learn to hit the Ball with the Pressure Points in your Hands. The Club becomes irrelevant. Maybe, this will give me my 250 with the driver! |
Our third lesson with John Savage, GSEB: Hinge Progressions!
John started our lesson stressing that he had looked at my tape many times and fond me flipping constantly.
I confessed I had lost my wedges all day in my round yesterday, while trying to concentrate on turning my sternum. I shot a 96 yesterday, starting with a 46 and totally falling apart on the back 9 holes. John said he realized I did not understand the wedges or how to tie my wedges to my pivot. Chipping progressions were on tap. John started by showing me how the handle of the club travels on a level swing with basic motion. It took me awhile to fire the handle level and left using my right pocket as my pivot point. From about 20 feet away, John showed me how to take swing progressions, slowly, and hit angle hinges, horizontal hinges, and vertical hinges. :salut: :read: With John's help, I was able to stop chips on astroturf from the short distance, using all three hinges with my 54 degree sand wedge. From 35 or 40 feet, we did the same thing. Then from 30 yards, we did pitch shots using all three hinges. I learned how my pivot has real power and that a level handle must be my starting point if I am ever going to use "address hands," and discover where both arms are fully extended. :golf: We then went to the sand bunker where a double cock wrists combined with my pocket pivot allowed me to hit every kind of sand shot, but mostly vertical hinged, out of dry and very wet sand, ON PURPOSE! :thumright My sand game yesterday, cost me 12 shots. If I had been able to hit a cut lob shot and reasonably stop the ball near any pin, I would have saved another 10 shots. :redface: As John helped my lovely 5-2" wife learn her pivot with several clever drills, I tried some level handle/ right pocket progressions. The driving range has a hockey net at 55 yards. I pretended I was a Philly Flyer, (not a Minnesota North Star, not a Chicago Black Hawk, and not a Toronto Maple Leaf, ) and I filled that net up with chips using all three hinge progressions. :dance: Later in the day, I realized that a full level pivot makes the the seperation of the back elbow from the back hip and left palm down, automatic. I figured out the differences in PW and my 54 and 58 degree sand wedges with all three hinges and my 9 iron.:read: Using my other clubs including my woods and driver, I was able to hit shots that drew or screamed low and ran on purpose (HH), flew straight and high (AH), and shots that dropped from the sky and stopped very quickly (VH). John showed me how to trust my pivot, today, and helped me create a full, powerful swing by starting with the smallest level movement of the handle and turning my pocket fully left. :laughing9 I stopped balls dead on astro turf from 30 yards away hitting full-blooded vertical hinges. :thumleft: I hit 20 sand shots from 2 feet away of a 4 foot lip out of wet sand AND.....I LIKED IT....ALOT...when they stopped a few feet of the plastic bucket I was aimed at. :snooty: I also got to hear some neat Ben Doyle stories from a man that took lessons from him, including a neat way to square my stance and body to the plane of a sand wedge. We also figured my Mrs. needs a set of women's petite's clubs. Thanks John for a very good day, and all of you great folks for your encouragement! :happy3: :happy3: Pat Quote:
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Hinge actions and pressure points. That's all our buddy Jerry thinks about and his game is going so well he's giddy. You have found a WONDERFUL teacher!!!
We see guys come and go, most don't want to do the work, you are a TGM'er for life and I couldn't be happier for you! Kevin Quote:
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