My Lesson with Yoda Courtesy of Yodasluke (long post)

[Marks23]

Being determined to convert to a hitting stroke, I made arrangements with Ted to see him the Friday before July 4th for a half day session. He called on Wednesday to say his wife was going to be induced so that my lesson would be canceled but the good news was that Yoda would be my instructor in his place. I met Yoda a little after nine and we proceeded to discuss many important fundamentals through pictures and various gadgets he brought with him in a duffle bag. Yoda's enthusiasm was evident right from the get-go. I now understand right forearm tracing and the bench drill, concepts I've read about but was unsure of. We then proceeded to the practice green and did drills and exercises without a club and then with a club. He would quiz me along the way to see if I could articulate the concepts I was trying to add to my game. I was surprised how much we covered without even hitting a ball. We then worked on the 3 hinge actions with small chip shots. Yoda showed me a short game chip shot I have never heard of in over 30 years of golf. He had me grip the club in the palm of the left hand to eliminate a power accumulator and thereafter hit chips with the various accumulators. I was hitting chips consisitently within the leather and even holed one out. These were all from tight lie conditions and each one was pure center face contact. Yoda stressed the importance of knowing the proper mechanics in order to then get the feel down. I now appreciate the significance of spending time with the small shots in this process before jumping into the deep end with full shots. I then asked about sand shots and we used TGM hitting principals in the sand as well.
I lost track of time but I know we did this for quite some time before taking a brief break from the extreme heat that day. We then went to the range to hit fuller shots. It was harder for me to keep the bent right wrist and flat left wrist with fuller swings. Yoda added the extensor action concept and I could see some improvement . Not only did it make my backswing more compact than it already was, it allowed me a better chance to avoid my natural tendency to pull the club too much to the inside. I knew changes were already taking effect based on the shape of my divots. Gone were the "windshield wiper" shape divots as Yoda calls them. I still missed my share of shots to the left which, as I understand but maybe Yoda can explain if I'm wrong, is due to my tendency to have PP#3 overpower PP#1. As I went back and read the yellow book, I noted the passages about overacceleration and clubhead throwaway. Is this another way of describing my mishits? Further, does overacceleration defeat the hitter's notion of deliberate, positive and heavy?

Not once in the course of my almost six hours with Yoda did he talk to me about weight shift, more shoulder turn etc., ideas that seem to permeate much on nonTGM instruction. I now have a new pre-shot routine (see Ben Doyle videos with setting up to a line of balls) to set up to the shot with greater consistency and precision. I have also changed my practice range routine to spend more time with the short chips and pitches to commit to the hinge action mechanics and feel. For me, it is some much easier to monitor what is happening and I can better feel the lag and compression. I then can add the fuller shots with extensor action and PP#1 monitoring.

I was exhausted after hitting the largest bucket of balls I've ever seen and I still had the nerve to ask Yoda about TGM and putting. He graciously walked me out to the putting green and watched me putt and changed my set up position as my right forearm was off plane. I can't believe how much more solid my putts feel coming off the face. I now realize that I was losing my right wrist bend in all shots throughout the bag.

My sincerest thanks to both Yoda and Yodasluke. These guys are truly class acts and true professionals. Yoda shared with me his encyclopedic knowledge of TGM. While I know I have much more to learn and incorporate, Yoda explained concepts from the book in an understadable manner. Before the lesson, somehow I missed just how important precision alignments are to TGM. Now when I read and reread parts of the yellow book, I hear Yoda's voice. I have had golf lessons before but nothing comes close to my recent experience.

[Mathew]

I can't wait till 2006 when he comes to st andrews ....

He is totally cool and is the best instructor out there IMO.....

Glad to hear you've done well but then with Yoda your always going to do well ....

Best instructor ever !

[dcg1952]

Marks23
Nice post and welcome to the Swamp Club. Lynn and Ted really make the book come alive. It's an experience everyone should have. The great thing you will notice, as time goes on, is practice becomes more focused and more fun, your game will improve as a result, and the book makes much more sense. Many "ah ha" moments await you. Quit reading my post and proceed on your journey! Have a wonderful trip. Dr Dave

[Bendet2]

Marks23 , glad to hear that you had such a great time with Yoda. Would you mind elaborating on what you two covered in terms of Extensor action as I often fight a swing that is too long, especially with the driver. Thanks.

[Marks23]

Bendet2, with regards to extensor action, Yoda covered this with me on my backswing. With the club gripped in my hands, he got behind me and pulled my left hand straight back along the target line. The feel seems like your left arm is very straight and your trying to stretch things out as far as they can go. Yoda explained that the right arm is stretching back and the left arms serves as the leash to ultimately limit how far the right can stretch. Another sensation is that my right palm is pushing away on the left thumb. My top of swing feels very short when I do this, almost as though the straight left arm is only parallel to the ground. For me, the extensor action shortens my new backswing without me consciously trying to shorten it. Although this new position still feels strange, I can't believe how far the ball goes with what now feels like a half-swing. I hope this helps.

[Yoda]

My sincerest thanks to both Yoda and Yodasluke. These guys are truly class acts and true professionals.

Thank you, Mark.

It is such a privilege for the Instructor to inform and explain...when the Pupil is so eager to absorb and apply.