Yes, the order is laid out in my post. I believe it is very important to first get an overview of TGM before delving into the details. Remember the devil is in the details!

Thanks for the welcome home...:) Hope to be of assistance!

The Disciplined Golfer
 

Below are excerpts from observations over the years...I did think of compiling it into an e-book when the observations got more substantial. I have entitled it "The Disciplined Golfer" because I believe the mastery of the golf swing is akin to mastering a skill like playing the piano and requires discipline to a process of learning. I welcome your thoughts.

The Disciplined Golfer

Golf is deceptively simple, or so it seems. The ball is not in motion like a football. You neither have to worry about someone wrestling you to the ground nor does the equipment require Herculean strength to manipulate. Why then do we have so many problems with the golf ball?

This manual was written to address the disparity between the perceived ease and actual difficulty of golf. The truth of the matter is that golf is both easy and difficult.

Today, we have more knowledge of the golf swing today than centuries past, yet a visit to the range will show that the problems that plagued our golfing brothers of yesteryear still infect the enthusiasts that take up the game each year. If knowledge equals power, we should be better. Yet, that isn’t the case. The key is being objective with information and judge it against a quantifiable benchmark.

Each new comer to the sport will be infected with well meaning advice from friends who can barely hit the ball efficiently. Old saws like “keep your left arm straight” and “keep your head down” are the usual suspects.

Should such simplistic advice were to be the “be all and end all” of a golfer’s problems, then golfers should have no problems playing to a decent level (below 80s).

Take another golfer and prescribe scientifically correct information as part of an improvement program, and his fate won’t be very much different from the new comer described above. Why?

The two golfers above though they differed in knowledge, they were united in a lack of understanding of themselves. Proper information plus a proper understanding of self is like sodium and chloride together – they produce something beneficial. Apart from each other, they are deadly.

Most of us cede control and ascribe our golfing weakness to elements outside of ourselves and control. The magic bullet is not some secret technique, being stronger or even practicing more. The barrier that prevents us from becoming as good as we are capable of lies within.

I am not referring to golf psychology where one pictures the shot before pulling the trigger or deep breathing techniques to conquer stress etc.

You can visualize all you care for, but if you have faulty mechanics, the shots are just not going to happen. If you are 70 yrs old, visualize all you want, you won’t be airmailing your tee shots 300 yards. Visualization must be tempered with a realistic assessment of one’s capability.

What I am referring to is an understanding of how you work. I will be outlining:

1) Beliefs and their impact on perception
2) The role of information and knowledge
3) The relationship between mental know how and physical execution.
4) A process to bridge the gap.

Once you accept responsibility for your improvement and not ascribe it to external forces, understand and apply these 4 principles, then the game that you once thought easy will become easy and you can improve as much as you want to.

Match Play Magic

The key to winning golf especially match play is to have zero expectations.
By zero expectations, I don’t mean to say that one should have a careless attitude about everything.

You ought to have expectations about what you are personal capability, your composure, shot selection – things you are able to control.

What you ought to have zero expectations about are things without your control. Some examples of these things are wind strength, direction, the distance your opponent smashes his drives, whether or not he is able to make his putt; and if you play in tournaments – whether the referee rules to or away from your favor.

If one gets excited (happy or angry) with things outside of one’s control, it can only lead to one’s emotions to the subject to the whims of others (human or otherwise). Sure, you may be able to catch lightning in a bottle twice, but sooner or later the law of probabilities will catch up with you.

After you have assimilated the sections teaching you how to learn, improve as much as you desire; and having a game plan, the next step would be to master yourself, specifically your emotions.

Emotion is defined as a feeling; of anger, peace, courage or fear.

Having a zero expectation about things outside your control is very beneficial. When you have the mindset that anything can happen on the golf course, you cease to have any unrealistic or imagined expectations.

An example of these are, your opponent fluffing a tap in putt and your opponent double bogeying the entire back nine.

If you do not have any expectations, you then cease to have any emotions when things go for or against you. When your opponent does miss a short putt, you do not get excited. When you opponent makes a 60 footer, you do not get excited. When you are able to keep your emotions on an even keel, then you retain control over yourself. Positive or negative excitement causes your adrenal glands to pump adrenaline into your system. An “adrenalized” state can be recognized by a state of short shallow breaths, shaking hands and feet among others.

Instead of the usual antidote of taking deep breaths and focusing on something else other than the match at hand, wouldn’t it be easier on the golfer had the adrenaline not been pumped in the first place? We all know how effective deep breathing is on the course.

The number one killer of match play games is fear. Fear stems from a situation of not knowing what might happen in the future. If you know what will happen in the next minute, then how can you fear? On the other hand, if you know that what will happen next is out of your control and you expect anything to happen, then what is there to fear or defend against? Why fear or worry about what you cannot do anything about?

What should you do then in a match play?

1. Be evenly matched up – which means either squaring off with a person of the same playing ability or taking strokes off a better opponent. Pride leads to a man’s fall.
2. Be clear about your own golfing abilities; of the distance you are able to achieve, the shots you are able to hit etc. Once you have taken stock of these, you are then able to calculate percentages into the shots at hand. Again this is described in preceding sections about your personal game plan.

You should only hit high percentage shots even though this may be nothing more than a 10 meter punch from under the trees to set up a bogey play. In the long run, if you have a solid game plan that requires you to hit your high percentage shots, you will save more shots in the long run and hopefully win more matches.

3. Be non-expectant about the things outside of your control. Some of the worse students I have had used to admit to playing “Hail Mary” golf; that is keep doing what he wants to do instead of what he needs to do and hope and pray things go their way.

Such an attitude reflects cessation of control and without control; you will not be in control emotionally to stick to your game plan and let your percentages work in your favor.

Instead of allowing the situation to cause you to react, read the situation for what it is, adjust your game plan accordingly, all the while making sure the percentages still remain in your favor.

The Practice Swing vs the Real Swing

One of the most frustrating things a golfer can be told is that he has a great practice swing but his score sucks. If you have been in this game long enough, you would surely have heard something along those lines.

Intuitively most golfers assume that their practice swing equals their actual swing; after all they sure feel the same. Well not really. You see quite a few variables change when you actually want to hit the ball for real.

Being Ball Bound

You become ball bound and want to get into positions rather than go through positions
What you feel is not what you are doing
Force of habit comes into play when you exceed your threshold speed.

The golf swing is a series of positions that can be broken down by relating the golf shaft and the left arm in relation to the base of the plane or what some people most commonly refer to as the target line.

These positions are not meant to be arrived at but rather to be passed through. What this means is that you do not consciously try to reach and stop at those positions. It means that
in your practice sessions, you have already identified these positions as well as the transitory moves from position to position. It also means that you have “blended” all these feels into one fluid motion. Then the only thing left to do is to start and finish the swing with the ball merely getting in the way.

Feeling Vs Reality

At the risk of kicking a dead horse, I reiterate again one of the most important concepts in learning golf: make sure you are doing what you feel / think you are doing. Simplistically, make sure you are eating what you think you are eating. Beef and lamb may look the same but they sure taste very different!

Threshold Speed

Threshold speed is the speed where a motion becomes dictated by habit. Remember the flight or fight syndrome where in an emergency, your instincts take over? Well, in the same way, when you subject your golf swing past a certain speed, changes become all but impossible to make. Ever had a lesson where no matter how hard you tried to follow your pro’s instruction, it couldn’t be done? That’s a violation of the threshold speed concept there.

When you started learning how to write, did you do it at full speed?
When you started learning how to cycle, did you do a Lance Armstrong?

Below are three drills that address the three hurdles outlined above:

Hold and Feel Drill
Go to the correct positions in the swing in front of the mirror and allow your brain to associate what it sees with what your body feels. Work your way up from the impact then 1st to the 9th position. When you are sure what you see is what you feel, test yourself!

Move and Feel Drill
This drill is designed to be worked with 2 positions. If you are working with say, position 1 and 2, you want to start with startup and then move to 1 and then 2. Again this drill is to be done in front of a mirror for the purpose of association. Instead of identifying the feels of the different positions, this time identify the feels of the transitions from position to position.

Slo-Mo Drill
This drill is to be done once you are confident that the feels for the positions and transitions have been identified and that you are ready to incorporate it into the full swing.

Again, assuming an integration of positions 1 and 2; start directly from startup to 1 and then 2 and then to impact with a ball. Disregard the quality of the strike at the start. When your body learns the correct motion, impact quality will come.

The principle here is Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand or SAID. Its useless trying to groove your practice swing as you are not going to practice swing your way around the golf course!

What we are doing here is imposing on your body a specific demand to build neuromuscular pathways for a certain move – slowly but surely.

The Real Secret of Golf

Most golfers eschew good, hard and correct practice and instead indulge themselves in the age old quest for the Holy Grail – the secret of golf.

People thought that Ben Hogan – revered as the greatest ball striker of all time – had a secret that explained his phenomenal striking ability. Much has been debated about this. Some claim that it was his cupped left wrist at the top that allowed Mr. Hogan to “release” his hands as hard as he wanted without hooking the ball.

Still others claim that it was his unusual hip action on his backswing that resembled a reverse pivot that allowed him to make a strong move into the ball on his downswing.

Mr. Hogan was not the only one whom the masses thought were hiding a secret. Scores have also been written about Tiger Woods’ whiplash hip action as the key to smashing 300 yard drives. Sergio Garcia’s “buggy whip” swing action was the key to increasing distance. Homer Kelley said the secret was “clubhead lag”. They may all be true.

If you are the prototypical average golfer who watches The Golf Channel and reads Golf Digest occasionally, then you can testify to seeing at least one article which claims to have finally unlocked the secret code to better golf.

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” – Alvin Toffler, Futurist

The real secret to golf in my opinion is the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn.
There can be no progress in one’s golf swing without the ability to do these three things.
These three things are truly the key to learning the secrets of golf, now that’s some food for thought.

You have just touched the "third rail" .

Those simple truths can be both the greatest motivator and the greatest impediment in all of golf.

I may return with comment but first I have to reason its shareable value.

The Bear

WOW Justin. Thank you for such wonderful posts. I have seen your name in older posts, and I'm excited that you are back. Looking forward to getting to know you!

Kevin

I agree Bear. Nice find.

Its why I highly recommend a full day lesson with Yoda at some point , maybe make it the first day. I did. He's got to wear you out , make you lose control , break you like a wild horse before you give way to a new way, a new motion. A motion much like the lambada , no just kidding.

I personally think the way he does this is perhaps outside of TGM. Or prior to TGM in its origin at the very least. Not sure if it originated with Melhourne or McDonald or Vardon or a Scottish sheppard swinging a crook ....but its old, old, old and it works, works, works... Im talking MOTION.

Oh Homer for sure understood it, dont get me wrong. The book is all about Motion (and Alignments). .

The first sentences of 12-5 alludes to it; Indeed TGM ultimates in its own simplification , the Star System Triad which it self culminates in the Three Stations. Impact, Top , Finish .....of which Impact does not rank.

Another way of thinking about that ......swing like the ball doesnt lie in front of you. Make the ball disappear. Which gets us back to Homer and his dandelions again. Steering.

Dance like no ones watching, swing like the ball aint there. Brush brush, left , right , left , right, brush , brush.........."First without a ball then with a ball". As an aside Ive read that some of Paul Bertholy's ( another of Lynns golf mentors) students would go for two years without hitting a single golf ball. Now that is some serious training. Not sure I could stick with that one.

Do you read the NT a lot, Jerry?
 

You little zealot! :) And here I was cursing a blue-streak in MN just to help you feel like you were back in the army!


ICT

Anytime my friend!

Ahhh, the good old days. I mean August when you were here, not the 60's and being in the Army.
Just think how much better at this stuff we are going to be when you return. Maybe Kevin can come out and play.

I'll be back! :golf:

Alignment Golf
 

I received Alignment Golf and was really disappointed. Seemed to go all over the place and not very well organized. In fact, I sent several emails requesting my $$ back and/or keeping my money and I would return Alignment Golf and apply the $$ to Alignment Golf 11. Much to my disappointed I never got a reply.

Really did expect more for the price.

Complaint Department
 

Interesting. Your emails never made it to me, and I'm routinely copied on all questions relating to Alignment Golf and its fulfillment issues (which, until now, have dealt exclusively with shipping dates and the very occasional defective disk problem). I'll check into it. Meanwhile, PM me your name and address (or email me at lynn@lynnblakegolf.com), and a check will go out tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, keep your set of Alignment Golf DVDs with my compliments. Watch it again -- especially Disks 1, 2 and 3 :smile: -- several times in the coming year. There is no question that the more than four hours of interaction between V.J. Trolio (champion golfer; author; and co-inventor of one of best-selling golf training aids in history) and myself is rapid-fire, intense and quite unlike the introductory pablum that is de rigueur on most golf DVDs.
All at a fraction of the price you would pay for just one hour of our combined personal time. As you become more familiar with the concepts and terminology -- the 'pause' and 'reverse' buttons on your remote should become good friends -- you may find the three DVDs better organized than you currently think.

Most important, use at least part of your practice time to actually do the things you see V.J. and I demonstrate. Just 'watching' isn't enough (no matter how well organized the material). Trust me -- and the many customers who have taken the time to write us of their positive experience -- this stuff works.

In any event, sorry you're disappointed. I have plans for a more conventional Series that perhaps will be just what you're looking for. When it's out, give us another shot, and let me know what you think.

:salut:

To me, that's a bit odd. I watch mine A LOT. Every time I watch it I find something to refocus my practice upon. For several months I would find something new just about every time I cued it up on the dvd machine.
The discussion on basic motion and the hinges got me going. In the second disc, where Yoda is chopping down with the left arm, I've used that and done some variations on it for my particular edification.
I'm sorry you didn't find it as helpful as I have. To me it is a treasure.

I agree 100% Jerry. I think the desire to learn TGM may take a little more patience than some other systems. We have to be willing to spend a lot of time perfecting Basic Motion before we take change to Total Motion. I think a lot of people just feel they can skip right to Nirvana. Never happens...

Kevin

Satisfied customer here! It does take time to absorb and you do need to watch it many times to get fullest value, but I always highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn. Can't wait for A.G. II...

I gave my one copy to my 72 year old dad, in TN.
 

I can't get him to stop calling me! I saw him in August. "Why does this work? and That?" "Just do the drills, dad!"
:)



ICT

I think I can understand what you're saying. For how long have you been studying the book?
I started at the beginning of this year and got rather confused. I'm sure that if at that time I'd watched AG, I would have been confused too. But I found LBG, watched the videos here and learned from the discussion in the forum and then bought the AG DVD. There are tons of gems to be found there. I'm still digging to unearth them but I would have been able to do much about it six months ago.

Retraction
 

I would like to retract the above statement. On futher review, I did ask for a refund but emailed the message to myself rather than LynnBlakeGolf. Also my other message was for information which Customer Service did respond to. I truly regret getting the facts wrong and Lynn has responded in a very professional and caring manner.

That's what everybody here was hoping for. Well done.

Think I'm gonna get me some of that Alignment Golf.

Right now.

You already have the DVD, right?

Not yet, but soon.

Better late than never

No wonder you've just passed me in number of posts ...

... but I'll do my best ...

to stay ahead until christmas:toothy1:

Little did I know about TGM/Homer until Lynn came to our Summit 2006 in Sweden.

After his and Hennings presentation, I wished them "good luck" - this was tooooo complicated..

but I went home, started to read and, for me most important, watch all his videos(downloaded so I could re-watch whenever I wanted) and started to see things that made sense.

As Lynn says at 4,57 min into this clip
http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/index.p...oel-Class.html

" Toto....Look where we are...!" :laughing9

Later that year I got Joe Daniels to come over to Sweden and conduct a GSEB class....
Only 3 persons attended....

During the pre-study to the class, I dont know how many times the book got thrown at the wall. My wife.... well lets say she wasn't pleased. But I found consolation and encouragement here.

I even asked Lynn for some guidance. his reply can be found here
http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/thread3491.html

Thank you Lynn! :notworthy

May the best man win..

Did you manage to memorize all this?

Honest Mistakes
 

Thanks for this, Tom. For some reason, it is very easy to "reply to self" when there's been a series of emails in our LBG 'Admin' box. I've done it myself more than once!

:eyes:

Great testimony Amen Corner !

Da må du stå på.

The incubation process can never be hurried. It only took me 5 years before I could start quoting chapter / verse and cross referencing the different chapters.

Mano A Mano With the Singapore Slinger
 

Nice beginning, Justin.

:shock:

Luv ya, man!

:laughing9

We gotta do something together down Singapore way.

You be the Home Town Preacher (and 'go to' guy). Me, the evangelist (from afar).

Same message.

Same results.

Only more of'em!

In Bucket's immortal words . . .

"Holla."

:salut:

That would be fantastic Lynn - Barclays Singapore Open.

When the Evangelist comes, the Home Town Preacher will be a-sittin' in the crowd learnin'.

And just to add to learning TGM...I like to add that my students have been successful understanding it when they accept that TGM is an encyclopedia and not a how-to book.

The how-to happens when you understand the principles embedded therein and then apply it in the construction of ones stroke. Even then, one must acknowledge the limitations of one's physiology when selecting the various components.

Little Red Engines That Could
 

Justin,

After five years of success in the USA and Scotland, I have earned huge support at Barclays. Thus far, however -- other than to discuss these issues -- we've done nothing at the Barclays Singapore Open. http://singaporeopen.barclaysgolf.com/

This -- the only 'Asian Major' -- is largely controlled by the Asian Tour and constrained (for me and others) by language and budgets.

This year's results and next year's expanded visibility puts the tournament 'on the map'.

Let's work together here.

You from the outside . . .

Me from the inside . . .

Together, we can make it happen!

:salut:

Its already happening. On 23rd Jan, I will be conducting what will be the first TGM clinic in Singapore. Baby steps to be sure, but get there we will. Merry Xmas Yoda!

Passing the Baton -- From One Hand To Another -- Across the Globe
 

Congrats, Justin.

Homer would be so pleased.

I know I am!

:salut: