I'm a new member to the site and just recently discovered TGM and thought I'd take the opportunity to post my first topic about my first golf lesson with Ted Fort.
First, a little background on my game. I've been playing the game seriously since I got out of college 10 years ago. I managed to get my index down to the mid-high single digits with no instruction. In 2002 I started working with a local instructor who helped me bring more consistency to my game and who also helped me a ton with the mental aspects of playing the game (though he is not a TGM instructor). I have hovered in the 2-5 index range the past couple years without any real improvements in my ball striking. Lately, my ball striking had been awful (especially with the driver).
I was in Atlanta visiting my brother in late March and decided to spend a half day with Ted Fort at Marietta Golf Center. Ted started off with video of my swing in it's present state and then he went right to work on the issues that were causing trouble.
The issues that were causing my problems were a poor grip and an overly outside takeaway/startup with a very shut club face. (Ahh, that explains why I've been hitting those low bullets lately ) I had too long of a left thumb and my right hand was turned under the club too much (PP3 was more under the club shaft than aft of it). He also explained the startup swivel and how to execute it.
Also, my hands were very "uneducated". Ted's nickname for me was Zorro and if you could have seen the way I was wobbling the club at the top, you'd understand why he chose that name.
We also spent some time working on hinging and the differences among the various hinges. With my habit of taking the club way outside with a shut face, I had gotten into holding on through the ball trying to "steer" it so that I wouldn't hook it off the planet. Ted also confirmed my suspicions that I was a "swinger".
Once we starting hitting balls with the 7 iron working on the corrections, it was like night and day. Crap! Did you hear that? I haven't heard that sound off the club ever! Wow, these 7 irons are all going the same direction at the same trajectory. After what felt like 20 minutes of hitting 7 irons (it was more like an hour+ probably), we went on to the tee ball. Immediately, I knew I was putting a better club face on the ball and none of them were hooking. In fact, most were going right and fading. Ted explained that since I had been taking the club back outside and shut, it would take a while to get the proper rotation through the ball. We kept working with the driver and by the time I hit the last 4 or 5 balls, they came off better than any drivers I have ever hit. Straight, nice high, boring trajectory and compressed! By that time, the 4 hours was up ( it felt like about 2 hours ).
I have been working diligently with the things Ted taught me in the 2 weeks since I came back home. I went to Home Depot to buy dowels the day I returned. I've worked with the dowels daily and hit balls every day except the last two. I have hit the ball better over the last 2 weeks than I have ever hit it over ANY 2 week period in my life. I can't wait to go back to Atlanta to "visit my brother" .
Ted is an excellent instructor...if you're in Atlanta, you owe it to yourself to go see him. A better game awaits those who do.
Brandon
P.S. Ted, I met Brian Nash last Saturday. He was in Raleigh doing an exhibition during the Golfweek Golfest. It was absolutely ridiculous watching him hit a driver I couldn't track the ball he hits it so far and so high.
) I had too long of a left thumb and my right hand was turned under the club too much (PP3 was more under the club shaft than aft of it). He also explained the startup swivel and how to execute it.
I couldn't track the ball he hits it so far and so high.
Hybrid Mode
