I've been soaking up information here for about 3 months now, and I've been meaning to make a somewhat longer post to say thanks to all who participate in the forum and to chime in with my own thoughts about (and praise for) Brian Manzella's golf instruction. I'm finally getting around to it today, as I'll explain at the end of this somewhat lengthy (apologies!) post.
I started playing golf at the age of 13; played competitively in high school and college; then played hardly at all for about 10 years. I started the game again this summer after not hitting a ball for 3 years.
I've had 4 swings in my life:
1. The one my dad taught me (and I learned from watching Nicklaus's 'Golf My Way' video a 1000 times when I was very young), a version of my dad's swing: everything a bit too upright, weak grip, hit down on the ball. I learned to hit some pretty good iron shots, but didn't have much chance of driving the ball well (especially at that age). I hit the ball right, but with a great short game, I was quickly shooting in the mid-80s.
2. The one my first and only pro taught me, a swing designed to work for a young junior golfer (playing old balls and persimmon woods) that would repeat under pressure. Very strong grip, so much so that every shot was really a blocked shot to the right. The grip made me draw the ball, but I quickly learned how to keep the clubace open and still hit a fade (my misses were thus still cuts). I used this swing throughout high school and college. I was never much of a ball striker, but I could routinely break 80 and I managed to shoot 73 during the second round of my college division championships.
3. Hogan's swing from Five Lessons, which I taught myself when I last played regularly a few years back. I knew that blocking every shot was not the proper way to play golf. I improved my grip (but made it TOO weak, especially the right hand, by following Hogan), improved my plane, but was in such a weak position that I had to learn how to time the flip (only someone with Hogan's strength can make the 5 Lessons swing work without hitting the ball right). By playing regularly, I did this fairly well and whittled my handicap down to 4. But this swing was very inconsistent, and even when I played well I wasn't exactly sure why. I had no clubface control. I still missed the ball right.
4. My own construction of a swing from within the Manzella Matrix. It started with the NSA pattern and was quickly balanced out by some of the NHA material.
This summer I stumbled across this site by Googling for 'flat left wrist'. I knew that my cupped left wrist at the top of the backswing was not right (a product of the very weak hogan grip combined with my old habit of opening the clubface). I'd been playing golf for 22 years, but NSA was a revelation for me! I had never fixed the clubface, and once I did, the game got so much easier and more interesting. I went from having hit and missed the ball right all my life to almost immediately playing a draw and having my misses go left. I understand so much more about clubface control and the plane than I ever have before.
But I had to relearn so many instincts, as I had also spent 20 years either blocking everything or flipping. This was hard in the long game, but even harder in the short game, where I had been playing everything off my right foot for so long. Even after working out most of my short game and hitting some great shots (confessions might be the best video of the lot), I then had to completely relearn how to hit out of sand (I had been flipping big time and once I stopped I literally didn't know what to do in the and - luckily, Brian does know what to do).
I practiced and practiced, bought every video Brian sells, and started getting better and better. For about the past month I've been striking the ball better than I ever have in my life. But I couldn't score, particularly under pressure. Part of this is because in addition to changing my swing, I've also moved from the US to the UK. Golf at my home club is a completely different game, especially around the greens. I've had to learn to run the ball and to accept that distance means nothing, wind means everything (on the front 9 I often hit 5 iron on the 160 yd par 3, followed by 8 iron on the 190 yd par 3). I've also had to establish a handicap that really means something, since the only scores that count are competitive scores.
This morning I played in the last competition of the summer at my club (with the wind and rain today, perhaps they should have had the last comp last week!). I 3-putted the third and fourth holes. But then I put my head back on straight and played solid for the remainder of the front 9. I made an early bogie on the back, but then I birdied 3 of the last 6 holes (including a 35 footer on the last) to shoot 74.
In this round I controlled my ball flight better than I have in my life, and hit some great shots. I also played a 35 yard sand shot from the face of the bunker with confidence (a long splash to 10 feet), hit the ball left, right, and low (never high, not in this wind!), and hit low pitch shots with spin and higher (angled hinging) shots that landed soft. It was a great way to finish the competitive season.
All of this is thanks to this site, Brian's teachings, and the community here. I spent at least 10 years of my life devoted to learning about the golf game, and Brian taught me more (without ever meeting him or taking a lesson from him!) in 3 months. My just-purchased Sanyo HD2 is waiting in my office and I'll be filming my swing next week in preparation for Brian's new video lessons. I've also got a call in to a colleague who leaves in Lousville, in hopes that I can get an invitation to speak at her university (you see my ulterior motives!).
Apologies again for the very long post, but thanks to Brian and the Manzella forums community, my passion for golf is reignited.
I started playing golf at the age of 13; played competitively in high school and college; then played hardly at all for about 10 years. I started the game again this summer after not hitting a ball for 3 years.
I've had 4 swings in my life:
1. The one my dad taught me (and I learned from watching Nicklaus's 'Golf My Way' video a 1000 times when I was very young), a version of my dad's swing: everything a bit too upright, weak grip, hit down on the ball. I learned to hit some pretty good iron shots, but didn't have much chance of driving the ball well (especially at that age). I hit the ball right, but with a great short game, I was quickly shooting in the mid-80s.
2. The one my first and only pro taught me, a swing designed to work for a young junior golfer (playing old balls and persimmon woods) that would repeat under pressure. Very strong grip, so much so that every shot was really a blocked shot to the right. The grip made me draw the ball, but I quickly learned how to keep the clubace open and still hit a fade (my misses were thus still cuts). I used this swing throughout high school and college. I was never much of a ball striker, but I could routinely break 80 and I managed to shoot 73 during the second round of my college division championships.
3. Hogan's swing from Five Lessons, which I taught myself when I last played regularly a few years back. I knew that blocking every shot was not the proper way to play golf. I improved my grip (but made it TOO weak, especially the right hand, by following Hogan), improved my plane, but was in such a weak position that I had to learn how to time the flip (only someone with Hogan's strength can make the 5 Lessons swing work without hitting the ball right). By playing regularly, I did this fairly well and whittled my handicap down to 4. But this swing was very inconsistent, and even when I played well I wasn't exactly sure why. I had no clubface control. I still missed the ball right.
4. My own construction of a swing from within the Manzella Matrix. It started with the NSA pattern and was quickly balanced out by some of the NHA material.
This summer I stumbled across this site by Googling for 'flat left wrist'. I knew that my cupped left wrist at the top of the backswing was not right (a product of the very weak hogan grip combined with my old habit of opening the clubface). I'd been playing golf for 22 years, but NSA was a revelation for me! I had never fixed the clubface, and once I did, the game got so much easier and more interesting. I went from having hit and missed the ball right all my life to almost immediately playing a draw and having my misses go left. I understand so much more about clubface control and the plane than I ever have before.
But I had to relearn so many instincts, as I had also spent 20 years either blocking everything or flipping. This was hard in the long game, but even harder in the short game, where I had been playing everything off my right foot for so long. Even after working out most of my short game and hitting some great shots (confessions might be the best video of the lot), I then had to completely relearn how to hit out of sand (I had been flipping big time and once I stopped I literally didn't know what to do in the and - luckily, Brian does know what to do).
I practiced and practiced, bought every video Brian sells, and started getting better and better. For about the past month I've been striking the ball better than I ever have in my life. But I couldn't score, particularly under pressure. Part of this is because in addition to changing my swing, I've also moved from the US to the UK. Golf at my home club is a completely different game, especially around the greens. I've had to learn to run the ball and to accept that distance means nothing, wind means everything (on the front 9 I often hit 5 iron on the 160 yd par 3, followed by 8 iron on the 190 yd par 3). I've also had to establish a handicap that really means something, since the only scores that count are competitive scores.
This morning I played in the last competition of the summer at my club (with the wind and rain today, perhaps they should have had the last comp last week!). I 3-putted the third and fourth holes. But then I put my head back on straight and played solid for the remainder of the front 9. I made an early bogie on the back, but then I birdied 3 of the last 6 holes (including a 35 footer on the last) to shoot 74.
In this round I controlled my ball flight better than I have in my life, and hit some great shots. I also played a 35 yard sand shot from the face of the bunker with confidence (a long splash to 10 feet), hit the ball left, right, and low (never high, not in this wind!), and hit low pitch shots with spin and higher (angled hinging) shots that landed soft. It was a great way to finish the competitive season.
All of this is thanks to this site, Brian's teachings, and the community here. I spent at least 10 years of my life devoted to learning about the golf game, and Brian taught me more (without ever meeting him or taking a lesson from him!) in 3 months. My just-purchased Sanyo HD2 is waiting in my office and I'll be filming my swing next week in preparation for Brian's new video lessons. I've also got a call in to a colleague who leaves in Lousville, in hopes that I can get an invitation to speak at her university (you see my ulterior motives!).
Apologies again for the very long post, but thanks to Brian and the Manzella forums community, my passion for golf is reignited.
