I know the TGM theme has been beat to death however I thought I'd share my experience. I went to Marietta to see YodasLuke..Ted Fort. Ted works with Lynn Blake (Yoda) and is a pretty impressive 'hitter.' I was pretty confidant that TGM was the real deal before going, but the visit verified that it is the simplest and most efficient way of hitting a golf ball I've been introduced to.
First, who am I...I'm 58, 5'8" 180..my index is currently 2.6...I played as a teenager and then stopped playing for more then 20 yrs...restarted in 1992. I have gone to Rick Smith school in treetops, had a playing lesson from Gary and Wayne Player, been to McLean in Doral, and have had lessons from about 6 club pros. Some of the instruction has been pretty good (Rick Smith school and Gary and Wayne in particular), but some of it was a bit incomplete and at least one piece of received instruction was incorrect and caused something I am just beginning to understand and am trying to eliminate today. I would characterize myself as the worst 2 or 3 hc I've seen. No part of my game stands out, although I can get hot and play well for short stretches. I made the cut in the State Sr. Am. last year but played poorly in the 3rd round and ended up around 25th. I've finished 2nd the last 2 yrs. in our Club Championship (both times 1 shot back-54 hole medal play...talk about heartbreak...and it won't happen this year..lol).
I bought the 'yellow book' as a result of reading DukeNasty's thread's on TGM. I browsed Chuck Evans, the golfing machine and Yoda's forums. I experimented with a bent right wrist(ironically this is what got me interested in TGM because I'd used it in the past on my own to clear up pitching and chipping problems.) and got some results. I used 'my version' of the extensor action and the right forearm take away.... occasionally I would have 10-12 holes of straight penetrating ballflight and I could hear and feel the compression difference, but it would go away and I knew I didn't really have any idea of what I was doing or why. I didn't know if I was supposed to be swinging or hitting and I didn't have enough years of life left to find out on my own.
Ted introduced me to impact fix as it should be, focused on the parts of the yellow book that applied to me (now a hitter) and made the book very understandable. We decided on hitting because a) I already employed angled hinging when swinging and b) my pivot needed to be fixed for swinging so why not just remove most of it (quiet the right shoulder). I spent 4 hrs. there(we covered all parts of the game, including putting) and I came away with a clear plan....a very simple plan btw. Contrary to the opinion one can form (or the opinion I formed) when reading the book, the suggested TGM hitting stroke is a very logical and simple motion. One thing that surprised me (although I'd seen video of Yoda hitting and swinging and I'd read how far Ted could hit the ball) was how far the ball can be hit with such a short motion. I now have enough of an understanding of what needs to be done in my stroke; I have the taped lesson; I have dowels; I already had an impact bag. I'm very excited about the upcoming golf season.
I went to the range the day after returning to see how much I was able to do on my own versus with Ted watching. I wasn't disappointed. My new stroke is much shorter than what I went to Marietta with...about 8 to 10 inches shorter and I'm aiming to take another 4 -6 inches off that....ballflight is straighter, much straighter and more penetrating..I still don't keep the wrist bent through impact often enough or far enough thru impact....I still have some of the pivot problem and I think the dowel drills will help minimize it. Length is roughly the same as I had, maybe 3 or 4 yds longer with irons and the occasional 7-10 yds longer drive when the wrist stays bent, but on average I hit the ball more solidly and much straighter. I do expect to be longer when I'm able to execute all the changes unconsciously, since I don't have much lag in my swing and once the changes are made, I think more lag will occur. Today is 2/24... I'm giving myself 5 weeks (April fools day) and I'll report back on progress.....I have no vested interest in TGM, in fact I selfishly wonder what happens if too many people learn about this and get good quick BUT I'm going to say this one more time because anyone who has the book and doesn't really understand it, won't think this.....TGM is the SIMPLEST approach to playing the game of golf correctly, that I've encountered. A good AI makes the book seem like a comic book in simplicity....Ted is an excellent instructor and a great guy. This was time (including 7 hrs drive there and 7 hrs back) and money well spent. Good golfing to all........
I'm glad you put this on.... I tried to be pretty vanilla on TGM, because I didn't want to accidentally offend anyone there. So, I was going to post something here but I've been spending so much time with dowels and trying to get lag, I haven't done it yet.
Actually.... I was much more impressed than I let on....I wish I'd known how easy it was to hit a golf ball in 1992. I wouldn't have band aided my swing for 13 yrs. I'm still a long way from being 'there' but I now know where 'there' is... and I have a solid plan to get there.
I've played one round since being back. 49 and windy (10-13 mph), hit 7 greens on the front, went to heck on the back, 4 greens (1 par 5 in two though, w/ a 255yd wind aided 3 wood). I found myself backsliding on impact fix as the round wore on.... but that should be simple to fix, I just spend an hour a day addressing and re-addressing with the dowels. I was a bit surprised that in addition to carry, I get more roll with my driver. Some of the steepness is leaving the swing, I think.
Ted, the chipping and pitching is improved, but I still putt like Ray Charles (rip).....lol... actually I did stroke it well for 3 holes the first round back, but I've got a lot on my mind. None of this is auto pilot yet. Practice is getting there, but again it requires concious thought and the right shoulder comes out, and I slide back into more turn then I should have hitting. I'm committed! It will come!
I want to thank Ted, he is an excellent instructor who made the book appear to be easy reading.
Thanks for the Great post psheehan! This is very motivating and gets me excited about going to Destin in June. I am currently working on many of the same things that you are, and am looking forward to having the understanding of what I need to do in my stroke.
You're going to love it. I have not had any more fun learning golf, nor have I had a clearer idea of what I have to change and accomplish.... and I've done a lot of varied instruction.
I'm glad you put this on.... I tried to be pretty vanilla on TGM, because I didn't want to accidentally offend anyone there. So, I was going to post something here but I've been spending so much time with dowels and trying to get lag, I haven't done it yet.
Actually.... I was much more impressed than I let on....I wish I'd known how easy it was to hit a golf ball in 1992. I wouldn't have band aided my swing for 13 yrs. I'm still a long way from being 'there' but I now know where 'there' is... and I have a solid plan to get there.
I've played one round since being back. 49 and windy (10-13 mph), hit 7 greens on the front, went to heck on the back, 4 greens (1 par 5 in two though, w/ a 255yd wind aided 3 wood). I found myself backsliding on impact fix as the round wore on.... but that should be simple to fix, I just spend an hour a day addressing and re-addressing with the dowels. I was a bit surprised that in addition to carry, I get more roll with my driver. Some of the steepness is leaving the swing, I think.
Ted, the chipping and pitching is improved, but I still putt like Ray Charles (rip).....lol... actually I did stroke it well for 3 holes the first round back, but I've got a lot on my mind. None of this is auto pilot yet. Practice is getting there, but again it requires concious thought and the right shoulder comes out, and I slide back into more turn then I should have hitting. I'm committed! It will come!
I want to thank Ted, he is an excellent instructor who made the book appear to be easy reading.
I have no doubt that when the weather improves, you'll see the full effect of the things that we changed. As an additional putting drill, try to putt on a chalk line, or on a yardstick. With the alignments that you have now, this will only become easier and easier. Thanks for all of the kind words.
Luke
heres someone who is a far better golfer than I and who has far more experience with swing techniques. yet even he could not get solid results from TGM using the book and all the forums. what hope is there for the majority of us who will never meet one of the AI A-team? Is there any plan to train up and send forth a whole bunch of Yoda inspired instructors?
congrats psheehan, i am excited for you.. as well as insanely jealous
I'm not sure you can count my experiences "with swing techniques" as good experience. I would also say that I was getting some results with the book.... but I'm 58 and I am running out of time...lol. I found enough in the book to really motivate my finding a good AI to clear up things I couldn't figure out on my own. Was I a swinger? or a hitter? Actually my old stroke was probably neither but was closer to swinging. Had I pursued this on my own I'd have a lot of work to do, and I would never be sure in my mind if I was doing what I was supposed to do..... But enough about me.... get yourself on a plane to Atlanta! Airfares are cheap now (it is probably a lot better than driving.... Atlanta traffic reminds me a bit of NYC)
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