New to TGM, hitting vrs swinging for me
 

My first post at LBG. I am new to TGM, got my first lesson from Greg Smith, GSEM in Mesa AZ. It was good, worked on my pivot and right forearm takeaway. I tend to extend and straighten my left arm on the the takeaway and while not swaying it is quickly getting me off plane.

An interesting thing happened yesterday. I dont know if I am a swinger or hitter, always guess a swinger. I decided to film each move. I cant explain why but as you can see I am in much better positions hitting. This was with no practice. just a couple minutes of working on right arm extension through the ball. I always struggle keeping the tilt at the top and then I generally slide my whole body and the head creeps forward towards impact, yet you can see hitting that does not happen. Impact is much better as well.

Swinging vid - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDhKxxwyS-M

top swinging


impact swinging


Here is the vid hitting - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WakMKkZAkZ0

top hitting - much better


impact - some throwaway but thats not bad at all


I would welcome any comments, things that look wrong.

I can already see some differences. Good luck on your journey.




3JACK

Ya know its an interesting thing and I went down the same path you are on too.

Ive been playing for just barely over a year now and after about 9 months I ran into a wall where I couldn't progress anymore swinging due to flexibility issues so I started hitting but I could never get comfortable with it. I had only been "hitting" for 2 weeks and I broke 80 for the first time in my life but I hated it the entire time.

I'm guessing you've spent your entire life swinging and are now considering hitting as well.

My advice is to pick a style and STICK WITH IT NO MATTER WHAT which I couldn't do. I would swing and be happy doing it until I ran into consistency issues due to lack of flexibility and then I would start hitting and hit the ball great but dislike the feel of it the entire time.


So whatever you decide to do, do it. Don't do one on one day and then another on another. If you are going to switch then commit and never "swing" again.

Best of luck,

JGC

My advice is to learn the #1 PP, the #3 PP and that it is a S-L-O-W startdown.



3JACK

Thanks for responding Richie and JGC.

I basically started as a low 90's shooter, worked to get down to low 80's, got hooked watching Shawn Clement's stuff and got even better and then hit a wall. I found Jeff Manns site and thought TGM looked very interesting. I basically am down to 7.5 handicap, am 35 and feel like I got one last push to get that down.

Hitting or swinging, dont really know which one is best, I am going to rely on my new instructor to help me down that road. I always think I swung the club, never felt the hit, yet I know I would hit on punch shots which was something I really always executed better than my full swing (I can play well in wind). Hitting makes a lot of sense, I am a big strong guy and dont have loads of flexibility.

Just got done playing, shot 84 and the short game was pretty poor, lots of putts. I did a little of both. I started swinging and it was a disaster, with my new RFT the club is no longer shut so I was hitting big blocks. After 5 holes I decided to hit and it was much much better. Whats funny is I really struggled hitting the short shots, 100 in, hit many fat. Yet the long irons and driver where pretty good, had great control of the club face and felt I knew where it was going.

I always struggle releasing my hips and rotating through the shot. Today it seem like that was even worse with a hitting motion, I was going down the line with the thrust but I could just tell I had little to no rotation working. Do other hitters have that issue? Is it an issue anyways?

I hit the ball low, but I have no issue with that if I make solid contact, I can control low shows and always though myself a links style player.

Thanks for all your help,

Greg

I would imagine that you've been swinging your entire golfing life since about 99% of popular golf instruction teaches components and philosophies of swinging. While I like Shawn's work, he teaches a swinging pattern (although he does a very good job of it). Just remember, there is no 'best' or 'worst', just a best for that particular golfer.



3JACK

One thing I have noticed following your swing changes on your blog is how much more deliberate your backswing and transition are...for a life long over early accelerator, whether swinging or hitting I think that is going to be an important step to make.

Hands Controlled Pivot. Learn it and love it. :golfcart: :golf:



3JACK

Are you sure Shawn is a swinger? I've always seen him as a hitter, as he stresses letting gravity start the downswing and then push the swing (slow startdown) and skipping stones over water which is like hitting.

Funny, I thought the same thing, the skipping stones is a hitting like motion. I do agree with Richie though that many of his lessons seem more geared to swinging than any right arm thrusting. I also think he uses the skipping stones analogy to get the proper tilt into the impact position while maintaining the right elbow position.

Absolutely. The 'toss, plant and drop' is straight swinger. He also uses pitch elbow. He has a fantastic swing and it's very much based on 7-17 of TGM.



3JACK

I am still trying to sort out what I like to do, hit or swing. I think its more complex than just picking one and its going to be some trial and error. I am swinging better than hitting in general, but when I have "it" going I am a better player hitting, the misses are just very playable versus my smother hook miss swinging.

Anyways, wondering if this has happened to anyone. I was playing with a buddy for the first time since starting this journey and explained to him a little of what I had been learning. My buddy is pretty skeptical at anything that goes technical with the swing, to him its swing it back and swing it forward and for him it works, he is a great player.

I had been struggling with my usual hook and had no control of the club face. The worst feeling on the course if you ask me. My buddy said the swing looked short and fast, which he was probably correct. I had just come off bogey on 10 to take me to +9 for the round (eeeeek:crybaby: ). So on the 11th I decided to go to hitting and told my friend I was going to change the physics of my swing and start hitting, he was flabbergasted that a) there was two ways b) I could just switch like that. I explained how I was going to load the shaft different and use my right arm, etc.

First shot, 162 yard 8 iron to 8 feet, never left its initial line just left of the pin. Next hole, 290 piped drive and just off the green in 2 on a 550 yard par 5. Played the last 8 holes in 3 over for a 83.

The interesting comment my friend made a few holes in which really struck me. He said man you sure look like you are smooth swinging (hitting :happy3: ) with great tempo now. I know I have a shorter swing hitting but I guess when the pieces are fitting correctly the swing does not look so fast.

I just have to get the "it" down before I can really have the confidence in using a hitting motion. :golf:

Sean Clement teaches Gravity Golf without saying so.
Pivot-controlled hands, swinging.
Think he may have backed off that right arm "assist".
10-24-F