When a Weakness Turns Into a Weapon
 

I had taken an 8 year layoff from the game before seeing YodasLuke in late February. Before that, even in my college playing days, the driver was usually something that gave me issues and the goal was mostly to keep it in play throughout the round and put myself in position to allow my short game to do the work.

For about the past 10 weeks I'm hitting 78% of my fairways. And I don't count fairways when I hit the ball poorly and luck into staying in the fairway. So I need to hit a pretty good shot off the tee and be in the fairway for me to count it.

Anyway, in the pat two rounds I hit 24 fairways in a row! And in the past 3 round, I've hit 38 out of 41 fairways. That's a 92.7% rate!




3JACK

Very impressive 3Jack, the magic of the right forearm is the real deal! :salut:

Kevin

What do you attribute it too? Single wrist action or?

Ted and I first fixed my grip (had a very strong grip) and worked on squaring the clubface in the backswing (had a very closed face at the top of the swing). Then we worked a bit on right forearm on plane at address and tracing the plane line. Then on the right forearm takeaway.

In our last lesson I was swinging so well that we really didn't change anything except for talking about making my irons a little more upright because the wear mark on the clubface was on the sweetspot, but angled at a direction towards the toe. We then worked on putting. But before that lesson I would get a couple of shots a round where I would get OTT and steer the crap out of it.

So after we got done with my putting we went back to the range and I asked to hit some drivers and I then started coming OTT and steer it. Ted pointed out that I was getting way too fast in the start down and that would throw my body out of place. So we worked with that, basically another way of learning feel from mechanics.

As a hitter, I focus a lot on my #1 pressure point on the way down. What I eventually noticed is that for me, pressure = speed. So I thought to myself 'maximum pressure in that #1 pressure point at impact.' If I get the maximum pressure on the startdown, then my startdown is too fast and I'll almost assuredly come OTT and steer it.

Once I stopped thinking about speed and started to think more about pressure, things really took off for me. In fact, if I need to hit one really long, I don't even think for one minute about swinging harder or trying to generate more speed. Just try to generate more pressure at impact.

As far as other parts of my game, reading thru Jeff Hull's Mental Management posts has helped a great deal as well.




3JACK

Nice post thanks

soft clay
 

Every potter needs soft clay, and Richie needed no hammer or chisle. Dude's got game.

Thanks Ted, you don't know how much that means to me.

One of the fabulous things about my improvements is my consistency. I still have some issues with sluggish starts, but in the past if I had a sluggish start I could count on a poor score, something in the high 70's to mid 80's.

Today I started off +5 after the sixth hole (raining and windy) and then was +7 after the tenth hole. But no real worries these days as I go -3 on the last 8 holes and shoot a respectable 75. Now I just need to curb those sluggish starts.



3JACK

do as I say, not as I do
 

When I get a chance to play outside of tournaments, I'm rushing to the tee and tying my shoes after the first drive. Are you using a consistent routine when preparing to play?

I'm trying to. I'm trying to figure out a routine I think would work for me. I usually do put some range time and practice green time in. I think part of it is that I am almost certain I suffer from sleep apnea. Usually the sluggish starts happen in the morning and I'm usually a much better player if I tee off in the afternoon.

I also think part of it is that I need to be a bit smarter out on the course and understand when I have my 'A' game and when I have my B or C or D game going. I've done some statistical work on my game and have figured that if I hit 14 GIR, I have an excellent chance of shooting under par and a decent shot at getting into the upper 60's. But I get way too greedy at times and instead of hitting the middle of the green and giving myself a shot at birdie with a 20 foot putt, I tend to short side myself. Getting out of this mentality has been a bit tougher than I thought.




3JACK

Richie,

The deeper you go with this stuff, the more exciting your ideas get for me. I can't begin to tell you how much fun it is to watch your journey with TGM Hitting, and how much satisfaction and confidence in the theories I get from what you are accomplishing. It's a very exciting journey, and you have been the icing on the cake for me. DOUBLE CHOCOLATE! :salut:

Keep it going 3Jack!

Kevin

Richie, I've been following your blog off and on and agree that its great to read about your development. Do you mind if I ask you to expand a little more on your background?

What age are you, do you work and is it your ambition to turn pro (now or at age 50)?

I'd love to know the answers to these questions.

Thanks.

Sure.

Started playing when I was 11 in Upstate NY and was pretty much self taught. Had a friend who was 6 years older than mean that played D-1 golf and some mini-tours and was considered a 'swing buff' and he would help me occasionally, but not much real instruction. I then went to play at Coastal Carolina and my swing really got screwed up and I couldn't correct it. Saw a bunch of teaching pros that taught 'position golf', 'learning mechanics from feel' and trying to create one swing for all the students. Really screwed me up. My friend suggested I see Tom Tomasello as he knew that he was a 'swing guru', but when I went to see Tom at Deer Track, he had unfortunately passed away. Met up with one of Tom's understudies, a GSED, and we worked on a 'swinging' pattern and he introduced me to TGM.

Tried to read TGM and understood about 4 pages of it, but I knew the concepts were pretty brilliant. Helped my game a bit too, but I was still a guy that basically had to really try and hit about 12 greens a round. Fortunately I had a fantastic short game, so if I hit 12 greens and stayed out of trouble, I could shoot under par easily. I played a few mini-tour events and I aspired to be a teaching pro. Really didn't want to be working at a club and be a glorified credit card swiper. I had a job lined up to develop into a teaching pro, but it fell thru the day before I was supposed to start. So after graduation, I just hung out in Myrtle Beach for about a year (I was dating a girl at the time that had another semester to graduate) and then I moved to Atlanta to get a 'real job.'

I was a bit burned out on golf at the time. Plus, at the time golf in Atlanta was pretty much unaffordable. It's affordable now because the club I'm a member at has a bit of a unique business model that makes golf affordable and I can play 23 different golf courses. But back then any decent golf course in Atlanta pretty much was unaffordable to 95% of the golfing public. What pretty much happened is many of those courses were going bankrupt and the club I belong to bought them up as distressed properties.

Anyway, I quit playing the game for 8 years. Mainly playing about 2-3 times a year, if that. In 2008 I started getting sick and found that I needed a kidney transplant. I had one back on October 29, 2009 and the one thing I vowed was to get back into the game of golf. I had become a bit disillusioned with the game at times in my life, but I realized that whether I like it or not I am a golfer and life is to short to avoid doing things that you love and are passionate about. I couldn't play golf until January.

I had become a bit disillusioned by the golf instruction process as well. I knew I was violating the #1 imperative of TGM, but couldn't figure out why. So in the meantime I made a goal for myself to finally understand TGM. I reasoned that the way my mind works is that I am better off understanding everything I can because if I don't, I get MORE CONFUSED and try to emulate successful golfer when their swing is not for me. So learn the components of say, Hogan's swing or Moe Norman's swing and why it works and then I can figure out what components I need to make an effective and consistent golf swing.

I also tried to do the comeback by myself and it was working pretty well at first, but by month 2 I really did not like my progress and I called up Ted after a horrible round of golf.

At the time I was playing to 4.5 handicap. Now, about 5 months later I am at +0.5 and there's been many other small successes. If there's one hugecredit I have to give to Ted, it's that he believes I have some talent to play this game and be successful on some levels in this game. He's also freely answered any questions I've had about the yellow book. Other instructors pretty much gave the vibe that I probably wasn't going to do much with my golfing career and sort of got sick of me coming to them when I had struggles or got really frustrated if I came back from a bad showing at a tournament. I had far, far more potential back then versus today and it's sad to look back and see the difference in those instructor's attitude towards me and the game versus Ted's attitude and interest towards my game.

Hey, you gotta know your stuff and know how to convey your point, but Ted reminds me of what Bill Parcells once said when asked why he always goes to teams that are miserable and why not take over a team that has a pretty good record and just needs a little nudge over the top, Parcells would reply 'where's the fun in that?'

My main ambition right now is to win my Club Championship which doesn't take place until October. I have no idea whether I can win or not, I just want to put in a solid effort and see where my score falls from there.

Then after that, I would love to qualify for the US Amateur. My biggest goal would be to qualify for the US Open, my favorite tournament ever, but that would be an extremely lofty goal to say the least.

Sadly, I doubt there will even be a Champions Tour around by the time I turn 50, so I don't imagine myself turning pro in the near future or in 18 years when I'm eligible for a Champions Tour.




3JACK

Thanks for that informative reply! Wow, sorry to hear about your kidney problems, I have a friend who has had a transplant, if its something you might be interested in, he represented Ireland in Golf at (I think) The Transplant Games. Something like that anyway. Might be something for you to look in to.

Your handicap reduction is amazing and testament to Ted's instruction and your own hard work.

Can I ask what you work as, you do seem to be very flexible and get to play a lot.

Keep up the good work, I'm trying to get to scratch myself and have gone from 3.9 to 2.6 recently. The biggest challenge for me is to really go low, I mean 5 or 6 under. At the minute 1 or 2 under is as good as I expect to do.

I'm sure the Champs Tour will be around when you turn 50, the only problem is a certain Eldrick Woods might be playing on it!

I am currently unemployed. I used to work in the field of sales/data analysis and statistics.




3JACK

Richie,

I am glad you got your transplant and have taken up the game again, golf is better with you around!

I saw you got into a pretty good thread with Brian M on hitting and swinging a week or so ago, till our friend Jeff jumped in and got it closed down (errrr, not saying he was right or wrong, it just always happens). I dont like how he deleted other peoples posts and cherry picked the info so I might have missed some of your posts compared to what I read today.

I understood what Brian was saying that there is no true hitter or swinger and what feels like hitting is invariably still a swinging motion. I guess what I don't understand is for a guy who seems to promote patterns of swinging a club he is so opposed to using a hitting stroke, which to me could be just as much one of his patterns as NSA. Its also disconcerting to hear him say how trying to hit has ruined many a golfer, as you know I am digging into hitting.

I really studied the hitting posts around here all weekend and made a serious attempt to hit last night, too many changes to implement to make any determination but I can say for certain I did not go from 85% to 65% power as he suggested in that thread. What caught me by the biggest surprise is even with new impact fix hands which made the club look open at address I was still pulling the ball, is that the typical miss hitting, a pull or pull cut?

I think the study of 2-J-1 and 2-J-2 and 2-J-3 would be of great benefit. You must understand these sections to learn where to drive that magic right forearm.

Kevin

Thanks, I got the book on order. I bought it on ebay from some GSEM, first one was lost shipping according to USPS, second was the wrong address so going on three weeks.....maybe its a sign on TGM for me:laughing9

I will be sure to check out those sections, thanks.

Please shoot me your email address:

kevinpgapro1234@mac.com

Kevin

As Yoda has mentioned, you don't need to have impact fix when hitting. Yoda doesn't do it...I don't either. Impact or mid-body with the hitting procedure is preferential. I only ue impact fix when I want to keep the ball low. One of the things I love about impact fix is that you can clearly see the right forearm flying wedge and just maintain that wedge throughout the swing.

But again, impact or mid-body hands are preferential. I prefer mid-body because I can more easily use the right forearm takeaway with that.

As far as the pull, that's probably my most common leave. I do come down on the Turned Shoulder Plane which is common for hitters IIRC and since that is a bit steeper of a plane, the leave is likely to the left. You may be doing the same thing.

As far as hitting vs. swinging goes, in my experience most teachers...even TGM AI's avoid teaching hitting. I hear a lot of 'only 10% of golfer are meant for hitting' and stuff like that. I certainly do not buy that or have yet to see evidence that can convince me that's true. Especially since hitting is known best for golfers with a lack of flexibility and it's not like I am seeing a bunch of yoga instructors when I go out to the range. So if an instructor is against hitting, get used to it.




3JACK

Im seeing Hitters all over the place now. Swingers who thrust. Even little kids, women you name it, if the lever is too heavy for them they push it with there dominant side I guess. Whether you agree with me or not as to their numbers you have to agree that these types are ignored by swing centric golf magazines. In fact most tips are contra indicated for the hitter Id say. Let the hitter beware.

Yes, you really have the wedge set up with impact fix and there is little manipulation which I definitely like but.....

as you say its definitely harder to work the right forearm takeaway, and really hard to have any fanning motion.

I kind of feel like a doctor in a lab experimenting trying to come up with the right combination,...its kind of fun from that aspect (fun, not always easy):eyes:

I like to say that my swing and my game took off once I understood what Homer Kelley meant by learning feel from mechanics. A very big chunck of that is putting the lab coat on and experimenting with things. So, you're on the right track.



3JACK

Thanks for some of your background 3Jack. I found it particularly interesting that a life threatening illness brought you back to golf...more advisedly G.O.L.F. From personal experience I can tell you that it is futile trying not to do what you love doing! That of course does not change the fact that golf like Gary Player once said is "...a game of sorrows."

Kevin,

Read through the sections, Section 2-J-1 AND 2-J-2 were pretty clear to understand, obviously implementation will take some work, but section 2-J-3-B, while I understand the concept of the cross line thrust my question is what do you use for the direction of the thrust? Its obviously down, out, forward but its my thinking that this is a little bit different than an aiming point concept as explained in Clampetts book?

gmbtempe,

While I truly love TGM, I am just learning, and around these parts, I am the village idiot. I would prefer to have one of the many experts answer your question. I will learn from their answer as well.

Kevin

Thanks for the kind words. While I was sick I often thought about two things in particular.

1) I had to get shots to help with my low blood counts at a particular clinic. The main customers in this clinic were cancer patients whose future was looking bleak, to say the very least.

2) My Grandfather, a WWII veteran who was awarded the Silver Star and was a member of Patton's 3rd Army.

I'm sure there were times when my Grandfather wanted to be in other places besides having to fight the Nazis and as bad as my condition was, I know the cancer patients would give just about anything to be in my shoes then and especially now that I'm healthy.

I can only say that I feel that I owe it to them to do the things I love doing to the fullest.




3JACK

Another milestone for me today. After a horrendous round yesterday (well, I didn't play that bad, but I had some of the worst luck you had ever seen --- even one of my playing partners said that I had worse luck on the front side than he had all year combined), I rallied back and shot (-1) 71 at a course where my lowest score was a 74. That doesn't seem much to brag about, but this course is 6,900, but almost every hole is uphill, with very small greens and tough lies. Even more gratifying is that I hit 15 greens. Such a tough course my best was only 11 GIR's (I've only played it about a dozen times). Lots of 400+ yard par 4's that are straight up hill and none of the par 5's are reachable in two.



3JACK

Nice one Richie.

On another site I frequent you are the subject of debate. Myself and another user (also on both sites) admire you and hold you up as what can be achieved by using TGM to learn golf.

On the site though there are people dismissing you because they see the US handicap system as flawed and a scratch golfer in the US would not be as capable in the UK.

I understand if that might be hurtful, what are your thoughts?

Richly deserved handicap
 

I ain't Richie, but I have an opinion on this! The USGA handicap system has flaws, but so does the R & A. What makes Richies handicap credible is not only the gross scores themselves but also that he is playing a variety of courses, meaning he shoots great golf most places he plays. I am a plus handicap where I play regularly but take me to a couple other tracks around town say Golf Club of Oklahoma (7200 yards or so...75.something rating) and I turn into a 3-5 handicaper quickly! Sounds like a little mother-country envy!

I agree okie, my point wa sthat once someone breaks par on a regular basis it doesn't matter what their handicap is or what country they live in - they can golf their ball!

The nay sayers claim that you yanks can pick and choose which rounds you submit for handicapping.

I guess they are judging people by their own poor standards!

I am genuinely interested in the flaws of the USGA handicap system vs. the R&A handicap system. I'll point out a few things:

1. I played on a D-1 college golf scholarship. Not a lot of Europeans I know that had that amount of talent.

2. I took 8 years away from the game before getting back into it this January.

3. I had major surgery back in late October.

The club I am a member at owns 23 courses around the Atlanta area. I've played 15 of them and they are all quality courses that are pretty difficult. Actually the easiest course of them all (IMO) is a Fazio design called 'The Frog' and that has a 142 slope and has been the host of numerous prestigious events. I'm sure Yoda and Luke have played it and can vouch for it.

With that, I play different courses constantly because I have the ability to and I think it helps my game immensely. The past 2 weeks alone I've played 6 different courses. And next week I plan on playing 2 courses I've never played before. So I'm certainly 'taking it on the road.'

Most of my problems with the USGA's rating system is how they rank the handicap holes (almost always rank the par 5's the hardest and the par 3's the easiest, when they should rank them by average score over par in tournaments) and I think the slope rating is usually off. And in my case, most of the courses have had too LOW of a course slope IMO.

I really challenge anybody to go out and play Hamilton Mill in Dacula, GA. It is a tough track. Or Bentwater GC in Acworth, GA. Or Windermere in Cumming, GA. Heron Bay GC in Locust Grove, GA recently held the Atlanta Open there and former Tour player Dewitt Weaver couldn't break 80 there. I shot 76 there about 3 weeks ago (75.3 handicap, 7300 from the tips).

I play them all, from the tips and have scored as low as 67 on these courses and had three consecutive rounds in the 60's not too long ago.

I'm not really offended by the thought of dismissing the US handicap system and thus questioning my ability to a degree. But, I think it's a bit short sighted unless you've played the courses I play and shot scores similar to mine or better than I have.





3JACK

Good answer Richie, is it ok to copy and paste it to the site in question?

The other argument (they mentioned) is that knock up rounds in US count for handicap. So if you are relaxed playing with your mates, you will play better than in a competition round. They also say that you don't have to return every card - is that right? You could keep your handicap artificially low by not returning bad cards is the accusation I guess.

WOW, really surprised at how some people think. You can look at Richie's swing, and read his blog. It is OBVIOUS to me how much his action has improved and how much TGM knowledge he has gained. I don't care what the index says:

GREAT WORK RICHIE!

Kevin

I have only not turned in one round of golf and that was coming off an injury and I was hitting a couple of balls, so it really would not have counted anyway. Other than that, I turn in every score. Also, I usually play 2 times a week in money matches with a large group of friends, we play the ball down and we putt everything out.

The best I can suggest is that to somehow get on a course of one of my member clubs and see how you do, playing from the tips and playing it down. If somebody can tell me that they honestly think Hamilton Mill is easy to shoot under par on, then they must be on the level of play of Jeff Hull or better. And I have a tremendous amount of respect for Jeff's golf skill level.

For a list of the clubs I play, go to www.canongategolf.com.





3JACK

Only in the UK would someone want to keep their handicap artificially low! Socialists don't like money! (Inserted tongue in cheek) Over here everyone is looking for "shots!" And without a doubt Richie would be giving me a few! In all fairness to the golfers of the island that once ruled the world I would not mind seeing more of their brand of golf etiquette, especially pace of play.