softconsult
New
Just a short story.
Yesterday, I show up to hit balls on our local public course shag area. There are just two of us. I hear instructions coming from the other guy's area. So after a while I allow my curious nature to go over and investigate.
The guy is listening to the above referenced DVD. He's a Senior, like me, and is clearly having no success. So we chatted and I asked him what he was working on specifically. He just said he couldn't stop slicing, and/or snap hooking. I asked whether he would let me work with him a little bit. He was all ears.
He was a long time golfer, but had quit for 15 years and was starting back into golf. So I showed him three things.
The first was to improve his left hand grip, but more importantly to get is right hand on there more in the fingers. He mentioned that Haney said to have it more in the palm. After some repetitive grip taking, he started to get it right. Immediately his swing speed improved and he was getting some better contact. Ball was still going right.
Next I asked him how he determined ball position. He didn't know how he did it. I explained what a difference it would make if he moved the ball at least to the center of his stance from where it was. He had it behind the center to varying degrees shot after shot. Moved it forward. Slices went away.
The guy is smiling from ear to ear.
Finally, reverse pivot. Showed him about axis tilt and how to pivot away from target as contrasted to toward the target. Early in the conversation he mentioned being frustrated because he was hitting line drives into greens. Couldn't hit it high enough to stop on the green. I swear within 10 minutes of showing him the pivot, he was doing it. Not well, but doing it.
The result was amazing. I was cheering him on. He began to hit nice crisp high 9 irons dead straight. He was in dis-belief. I warned him that he will have to practice and to go home and make notes. I also explained the "Method Instructor" thing, told him to loose the Haney DVD, wrote down the Manzella website address for him.
I used do a little dance instruction. That was satisfying when you helped someone breakout of their embarassment and actually start to get the hang of it. However, helping a struggling golfer change just a few things and watching their face when they, in this case, see improved results, beats the dance thing all to hell.
Yesterday, I show up to hit balls on our local public course shag area. There are just two of us. I hear instructions coming from the other guy's area. So after a while I allow my curious nature to go over and investigate.
The guy is listening to the above referenced DVD. He's a Senior, like me, and is clearly having no success. So we chatted and I asked him what he was working on specifically. He just said he couldn't stop slicing, and/or snap hooking. I asked whether he would let me work with him a little bit. He was all ears.
He was a long time golfer, but had quit for 15 years and was starting back into golf. So I showed him three things.
The first was to improve his left hand grip, but more importantly to get is right hand on there more in the fingers. He mentioned that Haney said to have it more in the palm. After some repetitive grip taking, he started to get it right. Immediately his swing speed improved and he was getting some better contact. Ball was still going right.
Next I asked him how he determined ball position. He didn't know how he did it. I explained what a difference it would make if he moved the ball at least to the center of his stance from where it was. He had it behind the center to varying degrees shot after shot. Moved it forward. Slices went away.
The guy is smiling from ear to ear.
Finally, reverse pivot. Showed him about axis tilt and how to pivot away from target as contrasted to toward the target. Early in the conversation he mentioned being frustrated because he was hitting line drives into greens. Couldn't hit it high enough to stop on the green. I swear within 10 minutes of showing him the pivot, he was doing it. Not well, but doing it.
The result was amazing. I was cheering him on. He began to hit nice crisp high 9 irons dead straight. He was in dis-belief. I warned him that he will have to practice and to go home and make notes. I also explained the "Method Instructor" thing, told him to loose the Haney DVD, wrote down the Manzella website address for him.
I used do a little dance instruction. That was satisfying when you helped someone breakout of their embarassment and actually start to get the hang of it. However, helping a struggling golfer change just a few things and watching their face when they, in this case, see improved results, beats the dance thing all to hell.
