Advice on improvement

[jonnygrouville]

Like so many other people sharing this planet, I am looking to improve my golf. However, I am looking for some advice on how to do so constructively and independently, being in a different country from what looks like the majority of you guys and probably hundreds of miles from the nearest Trackman.

I get to play every week or so and get to the range every week. Is there anything else I can be doing in the comfort of my own home to look to improve? I am obviously putting around the place (as I have always done) and, since watching Confessions, have been thumping the back of a sofa with a towel (watch out for Confusions of a Former Flipper’s Girlfriend on YouTube). Going to get some air-balls and start chipping around as well.

Using Brian’s videos and the advice kindly offered here, I have started to see some improvement (in both ball-striking, flight, poor shots, and on video), but have been thinking about going for a lesson. The pro at a local course is a mate, but I am not sure how to go about explaining what I am doing or think I am doing or where I want be or think I want to be, if that makes any sense. Any recommendations on how to go about this to make the most of it?

Thanks.

 

[hue]

Work on your basic,aquired and then the full motion. I am teaching a beginner Russian girl friend of mine and taught her from scratch. Once a week for an hour for the last 4 months. She now has a good single shift swing but limited physical ability. What I noticed that was important was teaching her to start down smoothly and send the right shoulder down plane and transport the arms in start down with the pivot. I got her out of throwing the arms out straight away from the top. I got her chipping a lot checking getting her into impact fix and concentrating on a bent right wrist/flat left taking her to low point and the point where the right arm is straight to get rid any flip ideas. She now makes the compression sound when hitting the ball. When I work on her motion and teach her new things I keep her away from the range and do the Ben Doyle bunker drill,where you draw a line in the sand set up to it drag the club on take away and hit the sand in front of the line. Because there is no ball there she just gets into learning the movement taking the swing to the low point and builds confidence.At Woodford Ben told me this is how you teach beginners,I remember a story Brian told me where he said Ben had someone doing bunker work for 3 1/2 hours before he let them hit a ball. No doubt Ben could see if he let them have a go early the pupil would flip straight away. Agne loves the bunker now as soon as she feels she is not getting it when hitting balls she goes straight into the bunker gets her motion and confidence going then hits a few balls. I then get her hitting some balls which usually goes well straight after the bunker work but when it breaks down it is straight back into the bunker. With her I work on motion not finding the ball, beginners can get ball bound and get more concerned with hitting the ball than making a good motion. Also I found that once she was hitting from matts she started picking the ball as instinct stopped her wanting to take the club to the low point in front of the ball. This did not happen when I get her hitting from soft turf she took a divot after I trained her to do so. So at the range for now I get her to tee the ball up a bit but get her thumping the matt past the ball. Getting the thump is part of her drill,no thump no good. She is lucky because she has me looking after her and Brian and other TGMers have taught me a lot, I realise if she went and saw a normal pro she would be no where right now. I have had several people watching me teach her asking me to teach them. But I have also found that by teaching her my understanding of TGM has got a lot deeper it has also helped my swing as I noticed that I had little cheating moves in my motion. When I spot incorrect motions in Agnes swing very often I realise I do the same thing to a lesser extent and start to iron them out in my motion. I realise I had learned a lot but was not fully applying what I understood to my own motion . I did not expect that when I started teaching someone from scratch.

 

[Kevin Shields]

I dont remember anything after " Russian girlfriend..."

 

[Kevin Shields]

Like so many other people sharing this planet, I am looking to improve my golf. However, I am looking for some advice on how to do so constructively and independently, being in a different country from what looks like the majority of you guys and probably hundreds of miles from the nearest Trackman.

I get to play every week or so and get to the range every week. Is there anything else I can be doing in the comfort of my own home to look to improve? I am obviously putting around the place (as I have always done) and, since watching Confessions, have been thumping the back of a sofa with a towel (watch out for Confusions of a Former Flipper’s Girlfriend on YouTube). Going to get some air-balls and start chipping around as well.

Using Brian’s videos and the advice kindly offered here, I have started to see some improvement (in both ball-striking, flight, poor shots, and on video), but have been thinking about going for a lesson. The pro at a local course is a mate, but I am not sure how to go about explaining what I am doing or think I am doing or where I want be or think I want to be, if that makes any sense. Any recommendations on how to go about this to make the most of it?

Thanks.

Since you've been doing the towel thumping already, keep doing it. It will help your dynamics and ability to snap your chain. Real imperatives. Then work on directing the towel to different directions and you'll learn you you best snap it. Away from your lead leg or across it? Kinda forward and to the right or downish and to the left. Applied to a golf club you should then be able to make a dynamic move in a pre-chosen direction.

Lastly, and maybe most important, decide on a grip type and face control mechanism and stick with it so you can hit shots the same direction your swing is going.

Then its all 100 yds and in.

 

[Bigwill]

Since you've been doing the towel thumping already, keep doing it. It will help your dynamics and ability to snap your chain. Real imperatives. Then work on directing the towel to different directions and you'll learn you you best snap it...

Kevin,

How do you determine your best snap? How loud the impact is (the better the snap, the louder the sound)?

 

[GPM1985]

Any recommendations on how to go about this to make the most of it?

Always have a club at hand when you're at home. I feel that just being able to hold a club when you're sitting around helps to instill a level of comfort with your grip and the weight of the club. You can also practice your waggle and your preshot routine. You can do everything but hit the ball.

If you have a large mirror or window, you can practice your backswing, monitor your takeaway, etc. Just know that it'll probably be a little different when you're actually hitting a ball.

If you're only hitting balls and playing once a week, you should be pretty deliberate with each shot. Think about each swing, try to figure out what went wrong and what went right after each shot.

I actually think that your limited playing/practcing can be beneficial in the sense that you'll probably value your time spent on the range or course more than the guy who plays or hits balls every day. This isn't necessarily true; there are guys who golf a lot and value each minute on the course. They're rare though. I think if you take a cerebral approach to the game, pay attention to your game, and savor your time on the range and course you'll do very well.

 

[Bill Miracle]

As a mid-lifer (51).....

that's only been playing for 4 years.......let me add.....

Be willing to perservere through the "lows" that come with golfing.

I always have my best breakthroughs regarding improvement after a period when I've played well and consistent (for me at that period of time) then hit a bad streak.

This game has not come easy for me. Wish I picked it up when I was much younger. This year, my handicap index started at a 21 and dropped down to a 13.9. I could see and feel improvement and my confidence was growing. Then, out of the blue...I hit a period for about a month where I struggled so terribly that I wanted to quit.

But, I hung in there...kept asking questions here (I don't go anywhere else for golf instruction) and hit another eureka moment where I was able to figure out what went wrong and the add some things that will be permanently with me. I improved!

I set this as a goal at the beginning of this year... and really believe that..with the latest breakthrough... I can get down to a 10 index by spring. But the lows are really hard to muster when you can't run to a Manzella staff member in person. Learn to muster them no matter how bad it gets.

 

[Richie3Jack]

I'd take 3 months of just playing the game and keep statistics on your game. My statistics are more extensive than most people, they include:

Avg. Score on Each Hole
Total Score
Fairways
GIR
Putts/Round
Putts/GIR
'Go For Its' (% of time you legitimately go for a par-5 in two)
Scramble %
Birdie/Round
Double Bogey or Worse Rate
% of putts made from certain distances (3-5 feet, 6-10 feet, 11-15 feet, etc)

Take those down, see what you come up with.

Tough to tell where you need to improve if you don't know where you stand. For instance, if I was going to give you driving directions to find a place, I need to know where you are coming from. The same applies with golf.



3JACK

 

[Kevin Shields]

Kevin,

How do you determine your best snap? How loud the impact is (the better the snap, the louder the sound)?

Not to be coy, but I would think you would feel which one is better. Basically, would you shake the sugar or throw a left handed frisbee better?

 

[Bigwill]

Not to be coy, but I would think you would feel which one is better. Basically, would you shake the sugar or throw a left handed frisbee better?

I dunno. I s'pose I'll have to compare the two and see.

 

[spktho]

Since you've been doing the towel thumping already, keep doing it. It will help your dynamics and ability to snap your chain. Real imperatives. Then work on directing the towel to different directions and you'll learn you you best snap it. Away from your lead leg or across it? Kinda forward and to the right or downish and to the left. Applied to a golf club you should then be able to make a dynamic move in a pre-chosen direction.

Lastly, and maybe most important, decide on a grip type and face control mechanism and stick with it so you can hit shots the same direction your swing is going.

Then its all 100 yds and in.

What are the grip types and face control mechanisms that go best with each type of snap?

 

[jonnygrouville]

Thanks guys. Great stuff.

Interesting to hear on the towel side of things! Has been going well and will keep at it, regardless of the bemused looks from my other half.

It is definitely a different mind-set from hitting balls pretty much every day and having regular coaching at college. I feel that I have a much clearer idea of what I am working on and a better understanding of my swing. Just need to make sure I am keeping a check on progress myself.

I have been keeping statistics, but will keep going. Part of this is what has prompted me to have a look at my swing. I have been averaging 50% of fairways and 67% of greens, shooting 12 overs. Not great (especially not for a supposed four handicap) – primarily because I lose an average of three balls a round. My bad shots are so poor I either lose the ball or leave myself so far away from a green that I can’t stand a hope of getting up and down. My putting could obviously improve, but I’m not striking it well enough to get close to any pins, then you go for one, miss, short-side yourself, another dropped shot, you know the story.

I know lows! Having been off scratch, my handicap is as high now as it has been since I was fifteen, with very little indication of improvement. Hence this thread.