how my old idea of "TGM swinging" (vs. hitting) was hurting my SD pattern
I've been struggling to understand four things lately: (1) why is my distance not any better even though everything else about my game is far better, (2) why is my left elbow still killing me when I play golf, (3) why do I have so much trouble with the tour pitch, and (4) is the only reason I can't get deep and high behind me in the backswing my lack of flexibility (and why on my backswing when I do tryo to get deeper do I also sometimes seem to lose touch of the grip with the palm of my my right hand?)...???
I spent a lot of time last weekend looking at the video Brian posted of his student last week (since removed) and of videos Brian has posted before, and I focused on use of right arm and wrist at the top of the backswing. After reading here a lot and letting it all percolate, I actually figured it out on the course during the middle of a round (waiting for some SLOW players)-- I'm not applying right side hit when the club is last horizontal to the ground and my extensor action wasn't correct, I was applying pressure through my left hand, not my right hand. My golf swing was 80 per cent left side, 20 per cent right side.
It was like a different player played the back nine. It was even better later on the range.
Basically through that remnant of a "TGM swinging" approach I had picked up before taking ever taking lessons with Brian I have been swinging with the left side, keeping a rigid left arm, and adding very little punch with the right side. The right armI added was very late and close to impact. The position of my left forearm in my backswing (and my right hand grip) was meaningless to me because I didn't intend to use the right arm on the downswing. I couldn't get a good wrist position at the top of the backswing because everything was controlled by left hand/arm.
I was, I realize now, still working under that feel that I created when I had the delusion that people were either "swingers" or "hitters" and had eliminated the right side of my body in my swing -- even though intellectually I knew from reading here in the past year that this was totally incorrect.
Now with a feeling of getting ready to add some right arm on the downswing and having a more relaxed left arm and extensor action through my right arm, I can actually get much higher and deeper on the backswing. My backswing pivot feels much more natural to me as I feel like I am just getting in a position to apply my right side during the downswing, just like I do when I play racquetball.
Big improvement! So in two days time that missing distance "arrived" and ballstriking has improved. I am hitting the ball so well this week I've been hitting balls at lunch time in the rain just to enjoy it.
I've been struggling to understand four things lately: (1) why is my distance not any better even though everything else about my game is far better, (2) why is my left elbow still killing me when I play golf, (3) why do I have so much trouble with the tour pitch, and (4) is the only reason I can't get deep and high behind me in the backswing my lack of flexibility (and why on my backswing when I do tryo to get deeper do I also sometimes seem to lose touch of the grip with the palm of my my right hand?)...???
I spent a lot of time last weekend looking at the video Brian posted of his student last week (since removed) and of videos Brian has posted before, and I focused on use of right arm and wrist at the top of the backswing. After reading here a lot and letting it all percolate, I actually figured it out on the course during the middle of a round (waiting for some SLOW players)-- I'm not applying right side hit when the club is last horizontal to the ground and my extensor action wasn't correct, I was applying pressure through my left hand, not my right hand. My golf swing was 80 per cent left side, 20 per cent right side.
It was like a different player played the back nine. It was even better later on the range.
Basically through that remnant of a "TGM swinging" approach I had picked up before taking ever taking lessons with Brian I have been swinging with the left side, keeping a rigid left arm, and adding very little punch with the right side. The right armI added was very late and close to impact. The position of my left forearm in my backswing (and my right hand grip) was meaningless to me because I didn't intend to use the right arm on the downswing. I couldn't get a good wrist position at the top of the backswing because everything was controlled by left hand/arm.
I was, I realize now, still working under that feel that I created when I had the delusion that people were either "swingers" or "hitters" and had eliminated the right side of my body in my swing -- even though intellectually I knew from reading here in the past year that this was totally incorrect.
Now with a feeling of getting ready to add some right arm on the downswing and having a more relaxed left arm and extensor action through my right arm, I can actually get much higher and deeper on the backswing. My backswing pivot feels much more natural to me as I feel like I am just getting in a position to apply my right side during the downswing, just like I do when I play racquetball.
Big improvement! So in two days time that missing distance "arrived" and ballstriking has improved. I am hitting the ball so well this week I've been hitting balls at lunch time in the rain just to enjoy it.
Last edited:
