New with some questions!
 

Hi,

I am new to this site and pretty new to the golfing machine but after watching all of lynn blakes videos on the gallery I now know the basics! I am 16 and now a 5 handicap (played the game for 3 years and 2 months)I would like to use this site and the videos to help me on my way to the European Tour which is what I want to do.

So, Set-up: I learned the way to set-up by putting the right big toe inline with the ball, moving the left foot into the correct position (1 inch infront of the right foot) and all that!

After watchign Brian Gay and John Reiger on the gallery I have learned the right wrist bent at address and the left wrist flat with hands further ahead of the ball than what I have done in the past!

I know the basics of Horizontal hingeing, angled hingeing and vertical hingeing! One of my questions is, the reason you have to learn these different hingeing actions is because?? (is it just to train the correct impact positions, or to help you hit different types of shots? or am i totally wrong? hehe).

2nd question is: Do I need the Golfing Machine book? Or can i learn everything I need to learn on this website and watching Brian Gay and John Reiger swing on there videos on the range.

3rd question: Can you explain to me what straight plane line is? I see John Reiger practices with a work station on the range, is it basically swinging back along a straight line and keeping the sweetspot faceing the ball untill you get into the aquired motion position? (right forearm level to ground).

The one thing I dont want is to know TOO MUCH about the golfing machine, in other words I dont want my head to be fulled up with things I dont really need to know about! (this summer that buggerd me up, one of the reasons I didnt play know where near my expectations).

Hope you can answer my questions.

Thanks,
Ricky

I'll Take a Shot at #1
 

First, depending upon your stroke pattern, you will end up primarily using either horizontal or angled hinging for your full shots. Knowing these hinge actions well will allow you to monitor your stroke so that you maintain your preferred action.

Second, creativity in the short game is enabled by knowing and using the various hinge actions. Using horizontal hinge actions for long bump and runs is ideal as it promotes a lower ball flight and gets the ball rolling quickly. Conversely, flop shots are ideally executed using vertical hinging with a cut (outside to in) path. Trajectory control, key to short game strokes, relies on the 3 hinge actions.

Now we can see if others concur! :happy3:

Get the dowels kid!

So what do I do with the dowells :-s!?!?!?

What I need to know is this: Where do I start? On the range, shall I start hitting balls with a basic motion 2ft back 2ft through doing the different hinge actions for 2-3 days? (I am pretty much full time golf). WHAT THINGS DO I REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT, AND NEED TO WORK ON TO BE A GREAT PLAYER USEING TGM?

Do I really need the TGM book? Or is this website just fine?

Thanks,
rick

Get the book, its invaluable. The more you learn the more you will reference it. I'm pretty new to TGM also but I find the book is a great companion whilst surfing this site and BM's.

My $0.02 CW

Im scared of becoming like I did this summer, I couldent keep the same swing for 1 week without changeing something but i was still shooting low seventies!

What I want is a swing and drills, drills what i can work on day in day out and they will build me a good golf swing. I dont want to know all the ins and outs, I want to know the fundamentals and drills that will give me a consistent golf swing which i will not need to change!

I want to see how good i can be next year, but im not going to be very good if I fill ym head with things i dont need to know which i will always be experimenting with and stuff because ill never have a consistent golf swing from which i can build a game around.

Yo Yo Yoooooo you're sixteen. Chill my friend. Get the book. Go see your local Authorized Instructor of the Golfing Machine...if you don't have a local AI...save up the money and go see Lynn. Just because Michele Wie is on tour at 16 doesn't everyone gets that opportunity. Take it a day at a time...build your swing one component at a time...learn the machine inside and out....you have a big advantage today with this awesome website....and so many great minds to tap into. Just have fun with the learning experience that you have available here....before you know it all of this stuff will become second nature. "the only shortcut is more knowledge"...if you want to be a serious tour player, I recommend learning both hitting and swinging. You won't regret it.

DG

Thanks! One of my problems is I expect my swing to get good NOW!

Im in Britain (wales), theres no flamin good instructors in britain! Is Ian Clarke any good? He is on the golfing machine website under instructors in britain. Ill save up for a flight to america and then see lynn :-)! joke!

So before starting work on anything, I need to get the book?

Get the book...ASAP. PM Lynn about studying with Ian. I believe Lynn was over your way recently giving Ian instruction.

DG

Maybe you should stop jumping around from site to site to site looking for a magic pill.

Quinton's to Chuck's to Brian's and now to Lynn's. I wonder how many other "stops" there have been in between.

Rick,
You can learn alot on this site. But what I have found is that this site works best as a translator/commentary for The Golfing Machine book. It still works best learning from the text and then asking questions about it.

As for not learning all of TGM, you probably shouldn't. But you should learn about such topics as the 3 imperatives, 12 stations, 3 zones, etc. Why? Because these explain the mechanics and geometry of the golf swing, which doesn't change over time. Once you get with an AI and create your swing with the proper components, it is easier to fix when things go wrong. Most other golfing instruction is based on conveying feel of a golf swing to a student.

Good luck on it. It's fun. Sometimes feels like trying to swallow a riverful of information, but it does get clearer.

It sounds like you want golf to be your profession. Just like any profession (medicine, engineering, law, carpentry, bartending), you have to spend a lot of time up front just to learn the lingo and basics. Then it becomes easier and you can be more proficient.

RH

It's funny that you are concerned that the book is going to become a roadblock to your success...that working to understand how the machine works is somehow going to be a detriment. You've asked these questions before ...and you are still not sure which path to take. The planet is filled with 16 year olds that probably can shoot your numbers...believe it or not. No one can tell you for sure with any degree of certainty how you can reach tour level. Mechanics is only part of the formula. What are your gut instincts telling you what to do? Tiger Woods the greatest golfer on the planet has a teacher ...why wouldn't you need one? Oh yea...buy the book and get working on programming that computer of yours. Don't expect to understand it overnight...don't expect to learn it on your own. I wonder if Brian Gay, John Riegger, and Jeff Hull wished they would have started to learn what they know now at your tender age of 16?

I do know alot about the golf swing for my age I think. And it can hurt you sometimes knowing to much, but once I learn how to use the things I know in a good way. Jim, what has it got to do with you what I want to do with my golf swing? Its my swing, my game and I need to do what i think is best! Im not searching for a magic pill ive always known that good golf comes from hard work and good fundamentals THERE IS NO SECRET I KNOW! Its just I am very much a perfectionist and I dont know if im right to do this but I want to build a swing for LIFE! I dont care if I dont win top amatuer tournaments at this moment in time, im trying to PREPARE TO BE A PRO, and the first step is building a solid re-peatable swing for life, the reason I go on these website is because I enjoy learning alot about the golf swing. Going on these websites doesent mean I am trying to swing like they say too, its because I like to learn and experiment and see what works, what doesent, what I can add into my swing, and so on.

Its not like I cant PLAY GOLF well, although I do like to learn about the mechanics I ca still PLAY the game pretty well! Ive shot under par, i have won plenty of junior competitions and practice my short game for 3 hours a day 4 days a week, if I thought there was a magic pill you really think i would practice golf 5 hours a day?

Anyway, im ordering the book off of amazon right now.

WOW! I was going to order it off Amazon untill I saw the price of it! £49.95 is the cheapest I saw thats so expensive for a book! Thats the 2006 book, do I need the NEWEST version?

Ricky,

No offense, but with working 40 hours a week I have spent twice that amount of time on the short game, and the kids that are going to be pros someday probably are too! I'm only telling you this to motivate you, NOT A CHEAP SHOT!

Ricky,

Get the newest version from the TGM website...7th edition.

DG