If you never gave a lesson, but thought of once trying. Here's my experiene:
You may or may not want to try this at home.
As I and my buddy walked to the 12th tee we concluded that I'd won todays match 8/7. It wasn't really a match. For one thing I played my best round of golf this season and lowered my HCP. Secondly my buddy basically experienced a complete swing meltdown leading to fat shots, hooks, even completely missing the ball and what have you. He is not a great golfer, but still a 12-marker so his game was way below his standards.
As we headed back he said he badly neeeded to drive by the driving range to see if he could do something. The words "we'll get you fixed" slipped my mouth. After contemplating my statement I clarified: "I know a few things about the golf swing - so I will be able to identify some of your swing flaws. But I am not a trained instructor so it is not certain that I'll be able to prioritize what you need to work on. But let's at least give it a try.
As we got there the first person we met was his (professional) instructor. Did not know he'd been taking lessons. I asked what the instructor had him working on.
- We spent 3 lessons where he tried to get me to hit down steeper on the ball
Considering that my buddy hit a bunch of fat shots that might be a pretty logic statement - at least by a layman - but it did not sound a bit TGM-ish.
I thought: - Hit down steeper? What on earth is that??
While having a coffee and a cookie (the up front charge for my lesson - LOL) I thought about what I had seen but not commented much on during our game. I was sure about one thing: Throwaway. I explained some of the fundamentals. Especially the role of PP#3 (clubhead control and sweetspot) and what throwaway actually is - leading me to the importance of the Bent Right Wrist.
Coffee done, got a bucket of 150 ball and jumped on the launching pad.
I strapped his left wrist with a Tac-Tic, explained what it did. Asked him to make a practice swing. There was a click, but it was pretty late - i.e. negotiable. I then put down a ball and said: - Now hit the ball. I am pretty sure the click will come a lot earlier
(Held my breath)
It did. The click came much earlier - as expected. I talked some about the hit reflex, the wrist break-down and such. He got it. I said to get rid of that you should start by chipping, then pitching and only when you are not clicking while pitching we'll go to full swing. But there we were with a bucket of 150 balls. So: Ok. Full swing it is.
I asked him to hit a few balls. Walked around him more or less randomly checking details:
- Single-shift more or less on plane - CHECK
- Clearing the hip - CHECK
- Extensor action - CHECK
(All while he continued alter duck-hook his 7-iron with fat shots)
- Stationary head - CHECK
- Shoulder turn on plane - CHECK with A-grade!
- Clubface v/s plane o top - CHE..... Wait. That's NOT good.
Bottom edge of clubface indicated a severly closed clubface.
Only then I noticed that his grip was as strong as I've seen any grip.
I had him hold his club parallell to the ground and repeated that the left wrist has a very imporant assignment: Clubface control. He could see that his clubface was closed some 30 degrees in relation to the top of his wrist.
- This will make everything feel horrible and awkward, but lets try to fit you with a neutral grip.
The power of left wrist clubface control argumentation made him quickly accept it as a good idea.
After some tweaking he got it right.
The very first ball be hit was the best I'd see him hit all day. Wow.
He was struggling pretty much with getting the grip right and felt very uncomfortable at first, but the result of the first swing was enough motivation to keep going in that direction. Only with occasional mis-hits and some re-neutralizing of his grip he kept hitting the best shots he hit all day. It was very encouraging. The hook was all gone, but some shots resulted in a draw that was a tad too much.
I noticed he sometimes sneked in a re-strengthening of his grip and made sure to communicate impact and address hands location + waggle to avoid early fall-backs to a strongish attitide.
And then I watched the clubface on top again. Still hooded, but a lot less so. And there it was: The broken down left wrist on top.
We already went through the idea of eliminating any movement that does not contribute to either precision alignments, power or precision so it was easy to communicate that the left wrist breakdown on top was something we should probably get rid of.
And we did. Flat left wrist on top.
He was striping them.
He got his driver out. The club that created significant problems all day.
And striped it. And striped it again. And hit it bad. And striped it.
The bucket was getting empty. He was happy. I was happy.
He said I had done a Great Job and that the "TGM lesson" was a ton more productive and conclusive than any lesson he'd taken from the pro.
I did not expect to be able to do much spending 150 balls (especially involving a grip change) and never having given a swing lesson before. This was a very encouraging experience with results exceeding even my highest expectations. I had a BLAST!
In short thanks to Homer, this forum, to Yoda, Yodasluke, golfingrandy, Chuck and all the folks in Destin for making my day!
Tomorrow it's back to the office and the desk again. At least I had one day in the sun. Now over to another delicate business: HCP adjustment.
I'm an "unauthorized" instructor and i give lessons to people who ask for them (family and friends)
I usually have them hitting a better shot within 10 balls most of the time.
One thing i have learned about the grip is that you don't want to RADICALLY change someone's grip right away. For instance your friend's grip was very strong which is "ok." As long as the PPs are on the grip correctly.
What you could've explained to him is that the strong grip is ok but the COCKING of the right wrist is not. So with that strong of a grip a "small cup" in the left wrist is going to be normal.
Just some ideas......
__________________
I'm not a TGM or PGA certified Pro, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night
Thanks for your comments jim_0068. I will definetely forward thoughts along with what you said and see which way he wants to go.
Originally Posted by Theodan
Always leave them hungry: "How far down the rabbit hole are you willing to go?"
Awesome comment. I'll remember that. I also like the rewrite: "There is no ball".
Originally Posted by wolfman
What does one see during the swing that makes you know someone is using extensor action?
His left arm was dead straight. I also asked him how he got it straight. He did not give the textbook answer, but it was negotiable. He has background from hockey. I do not know if that background provided him with the ability to achieve a straight left arm with no particular effort on his side.
In real time and in sequence photo, you've seen children -- small children -- swinging a golf club back with a straight left arm. At no time have they been advised to keep their left arm straight, nor are they attempting to do so. So why is their left arm so straight?
It is because they are swinging the club back with their right arm. And that right arm is stretching the left in the process. It's the same motion we make when we wind up to throw a ball.
This is not hard.
This is a very natural thing to do.
Put your mind in your Right Forearm, keep your Head stationary, wind up and let it happen.
Put your mind in your Right Forearm, keep your Head stationary, wind up and let it happen.
And who says this Yellow Book stuff can't be simple! This is an awsome quote!!!! I did exactly this today. Slipped out of work for a "lunch" 9. Hit 9 straight greens. Bucket don't hit 9 straight greens. Once you know the Wedge Alignments, just stand there and take it up.
In real time and in sequence photo, you've seen children -- small children -- swinging a golf club back with a straight left arm. At no time have they been advised to keep their left arm straight, nor are they attempting to do so. So why is their left arm so straight?
It is because they are swinging the club back with their right arm. And that right arm is stretching the left in the process. It's the same motion we make when we wind up to throw a ball.
This is not hard.
This is a very natural thing to do.
Put your mind in your Right Forearm, keep your Head stationary, wind up and let it happen.
I've been doing this straight left arm thing my whole golfing life (since I was 8 ), about 30 years, but don't remember anyone explaining extensor action this way. For the last 18 months I've read everything on all the TGM forums. Even my own AI hasn't described it this way.
I could use a book called "TGM for Dummies" simple easy common sense explainations for "Dummies" like me.
A little off topic, but there is a book called "The Message" - modern day translation of the Bible, using everyday conversational speech. I'm told it is selling like hotcakes!
Hybrid Mode
