Information Overload

[stags14]

While I may not be the expert you are asking advice from...TGM is a study in progress for me...starting just this last winter. I did PM you regarding a very good series of short video clips by Paul Hart, a GSED in TGM, along with Peter Croker. Did you happen to look? The short clips are a very good companion to the book. They go over such basics as the

• 3 imperatives
• 3 essentials
• 4 power accumulators
• shoulder planes
• plane angle variations
• hinge actions
• release types
• pressure points
• trigger types
• loading
• controlling the club
• power assembly & delivery sequence
• aiming points

As Yoda said in his recent video lesson with Brian Gay...an understanding of the concepts is very important to get all that is in the book. This forum is the best supplement for a broader understanding...alot of people give so much of their own time to promote an understanding. As a student of TGM for many years...Mr. Blake is truely the expert as I am sure all will agree.

Enjoy the journey!

Thanks a lot for the info...

I am very curious as to how TGM will help someone at my level (~2.0 index). I have read on the forums of other players making significant strides in a very short time after seeing Lynn or Ted and learning TGM. I can see how some solid fundamentals would greatly help the player with the 15 handicap and above.

What I don't know is how much TGM will help the guy at my level. I do not consistently hit the ball as well as many other low single digit players. But having said that, I still hit the ball well enough to get myself in the 2.0 range.

I would love to hear from other low index guys that started TGM and what it did for their game.

[mrodock]

stags,

Quite honestly, I don't think you have to look any further than Brian Gay. He is coming into some very solid play on account of his work with Lynn Blake. Brian before he started undoubtedly hit it light years better than you or I and he is hitting it much better now. No matter how good you are, better understanding and better mechanics make for better ballstriking. Until you hit it like Trevino, Moe, or Hogan did in their prime a very knowledgeable instructor and a good work ethic will make for better ballstriking. Whether that means you become a scratch, or leak into the plus handicaps only time will tell.

Matt

[psheehan]

Stags....
I find this an interesting question, one that haunts me. Over the past 4 yrs (since retirement)the lowest my index has ever been is .8, probably the highest was mid 4's... I started TGM instruction in 2/05 with Ted Fort. When I started with Ted I was 3.2 and disappointed in my scoring consistency and my inability to control and repeat my swing. I could shoot 70-72 and then 82, and to be honest there were more than a few "newspaper" 85-86 rounds. I often went 4 or 5 rounds without solid ballstriking and then followed up with a couple of very good rounds. More practice didn't seem to equal more improvement for ANY part of my game, it was almost as if my scores were determined by some random force I didn't understand and I sure as heck didn't control.

I've seen Ted twice, a total of 4 hrs. each time. The first 4 hrs. were a bear... they included a general overview of TGM (thankfully I had spent some time with the book and on the various forums)AND a conversion from swinging to hitting. I returned home and played very well immediately and my index went down to 1.6. I was very straight and consistent with irons, more consistent off the tee but still had a tendency to hit a left shoot now and then... but it left me almost as quickly. I went back to see Ted again in December 05, my index was back up to 3.6 and I was frustrated. Oddly enough, my ballstriking still was better than it was pre-TGM but nowhere as good as when I first returned from Marietta. Ted actually determined what my problem was without even having me hit a ball.... the hitting only confirmed that he was correct. I was switting not hitting and I had not made as much progress as I thought. Since returning from Marietta this last time, I am much more aware of what I do wrong and what I do right. My index went down to 1.9 and back up to 2.8. The weather this winter was warm but very windy and some days it was very hard to control the golf ball. Since TGM, I've had a 68, lowest ever in my life, 69 which tied my previous low made in 1966 or 67. I hit the ball straighter now than ever before and my gir are up almost 2 per round.

That is background, Sunday I played well and was -2, 70. But what made me really think was I made 4 birdies...inside a foot, 3 ft, 3f, 5 ft. But I had 6 putts on the back nine inside of 10 feet and only made the 8 inch putt. And it started me thinking.... I KNOW I hit the ball better now, than I ever have in my life (potential distance hasn't changed much if you were curious, but avg. is much more predictable) YET I don't know if I'll ever be a plus hc (one of my goals). Golf is a funny game, it is a game of inches and feet, and while I have improved alot, it doesn't show up significantly in handicaps per se..(although I do win more of the weekly bets because I'm more consistent than almost anyone I play with). I think my average score is much better, since I've eliminated the very bad rounds that the hc system throws out anyway. I can still go out and have a very good ball striking round and hit maybe 15greens and still walk away with a 75. For me to go from a 2-ish kinda golfer to a plus, I either have to make a lot more putts of 10-15 ft. or hit a lot more balls inside of 10 ft. AND not just inside of 10 ft. but on the correct side of the hole. I don't know if I have the talent to make a much larger improvement. So.... I'm not sure how much anyone can improve when measured by hc.

I can tell you that TGM is not as complex as the book first appears (I'm familiar with about 20% of the book) it is CONSISTENT, it is TRUE, it is CHANGELESS and it allows you to do a pretty good job of analyzing what is going on when your swing goes off. It eliminates the need for membership in the swing theory of the month club ... if I never get much better it has been worth it, because it will allow me to be as good as I can be. Beside...my friends used to say "you shot 73????, wow it looked like 80" now they say "you shot 73 .. it looked like 69, or how did you shot 75?, you didn't hit one bad shot."

[Mathew]

If I were the no.1 in the world I'd pick Yoda and Ted to help me....

[12 piece bucket]

Stags....
I find this an interesting question, one that haunts me. Over the past 4 yrs (since retirement)the lowest my index has ever been is .8, probably the highest was mid 4's... I started TGM instruction in 2/05 with Ted Fort. When I started with Ted I was 3.2 and disappointed in my scoring consistency and my inability to control and repeat my swing. I could shoot 70-72 and then 82, and to be honest there were more than a few "newspaper" 85-86 rounds. I often went 4 or 5 rounds without solid ballstriking and then followed up with a couple of very good rounds. More practice didn't seem to equal more improvement for ANY part of my game, it was almost as if my scores were determined by some random force I didn't understand and I sure as heck didn't control.

I've seen Ted twice, a total of 4 hrs. each time. The first 4 hrs. were a bear... they included a general overview of TGM (thankfully I had spent some time with the book and on the various forums)AND a conversion from swinging to hitting. I returned home and played very well immediately and my index went down to 1.6. I was very straight and consistent with irons, more consistent off the tee but still had a tendency to hit a left shoot now and then... but it left me almost as quickly. I went back to see Ted again in December 05, my index was back up to 3.6 and I was frustrated. Oddly enough, my ballstriking still was better than it was pre-TGM but nowhere as good as when I first returned from Marietta. Ted actually determined what my problem was without even having me hit a ball.... the hitting only confirmed that he was correct. I was switting not hitting and I had not made as much progress as I thought. Since returning from Marietta this last time, I am much more aware of what I do wrong and what I do right. My index went down to 1.9 and back up to 2.8. The weather this winter was warm but very windy and some days it was very hard to control the golf ball. Since TGM, I've had a 68, lowest ever in my life, 69 which tied my previous low made in 1966 or 67. I hit the ball straighter now than ever before and my gir are up almost 2 per round.

That is background, Sunday I played well and was -2, 70. But what made me really think was I made 4 birdies...inside a foot, 3 ft, 3f, 5 ft. But I had 6 putts on the back nine inside of 10 feet and only made the 8 inch putt. And it started me thinking.... I KNOW I hit the ball better now, than I ever have in my life (potential distance hasn't changed much if you were curious, but avg. is much more predictable) YET I don't know if I'll ever be a plus hc (one of my goals). Golf is a funny game, it is a game of inches and feet, and while I have improved alot, it doesn't show up significantly in handicaps per se..(although I do win more of the weekly bets because I'm more consistent than almost anyone I play with). I think my average score is much better, since I've eliminated the very bad rounds that the hc system throws out anyway. I can still go out and have a very good ball striking round and hit maybe 15greens and still walk away with a 75. For me to go from a 2-ish kinda golfer to a plus, I either have to make a lot more putts of 10-15 ft. or hit a lot more balls inside of 10 ft. AND not just inside of 10 ft. but on the correct side of the hole. I don't know if I have the talent to make a much larger improvement. So.... I'm not sure how much anyone can improve when measured by hc.

I can tell you that TGM is not as complex as the book first appears (I'm familiar with about 20% of the book) it is CONSISTENT, it is TRUE, it is CHANGELESS and it allows you to do a pretty good job of analyzing what is going on when your swing goes off. It eliminates the need for membership in the swing theory of the month club ... if I never get much better it has been worth it, because it will allow me to be as good as I can be. Beside...my friends used to say "you shot 73????, wow it looked like 80" now they say "you shot 73 .. it looked like 69, or how did you shot 75?, you didn't hit one bad shot."

I love these kind of posts! Great work man.

[ThinkingPlus]

Thanks a lot for the info...

I am very curious as to how TGM will help someone at my level (~2.0 index). I have read on the forums of other players making significant strides in a very short time after seeing Lynn or Ted and learning TGM. I can see how some solid fundamentals would greatly help the player with the 15 handicap and above.

What I don't know is how much TGM will help the guy at my level. I do not consistently hit the ball as well as many other low single digit players. But having said that, I still hit the ball well enough to get myself in the 2.0 range.

I would love to hear from other low index guys that started TGM and what it did for their game.

Stags,

I can give you a little insight into my own experience. I attended an LBG school in SoCal October of 2005. My index at that time was +0.3 or so (women's - you can verify the index in my profile). I was looking to get to the next level and figured consistent ball striking was the ticket since my putting and chipping were OK (not great, but...).

It has been 6 months. I have not had the opportunity to work on my game as much as I would like. I have not incorporated all that I learned at the school and my index has fallen back a bit (currently +0.1, but not really playing to it). My play has generally been erratic trying to learn new things as you might guess. There have been some bright spots though. I equaled my career best 9 holes a couple of months ago (33). It was not a lucky 33 like the first time either (no birdie putt made was greater than 15 feet). I have also gotten two eagles in the last 6 months (hole-outs from the fairway ~ 100 - 125 yards) and just missed another one a couple weeks ago (lipped out from 100 yards - misread ).

I am still getting all the pieces to fit together, but my ball striking is starting to gel. I feel like I have a good chance of making it to a +1 this year. While the consistent scoring hasn't come quite yet, I am beginning to feel confident that it is just a matter of time. So, mixed results, but certainly encouraging from my perspective. The basic information and instruction I received at the LBG school from Ted and Lynn was invaluable. I base every swing I make these days on those basics and while my index hasn't dropped yet, I am looking to have a good summer and break that +1 barrier.