The Bucket Stratagem
 

Yellow Spined Bruvaz,

This post will be the formal documentation of the Bucket Axioms. This strategy I believe to be foolproof to improving your G.O.L.F.ing life. There are some prerequesite tools that you will need inorder to begin the journey of improving your craft. And I will list those for you. But first . . .

I have spent much of my limited free time devoting myself to developing what I believe to be a very concrete and fundamental understanding of The Golfing Machine. I have read, viewed, question, debated and incubated for the past 3 years. Many many heartfelt thanks to those that have guided me on my fullfilling journey (Eddie Cox, Lynn Collard Greenz Blake, David Chapter 10 Orr, Ted thatreallyhurt Fort, Drew Silver Surfer Chapman, and even Mo and Ron on the "other" team). And now is the time for IMPLEMENTATION . . . .

The items I BELIEVE that will be invaluable to you in your success are listed below

A NET - I have a pop-up net got it for less than $100. (I also have I big cage that will not fit in my basement . . . I'll ship it to the first person to PM me for $50 via Paypal).

A MAT - I snagged a mat off ebay for $80 shipped that allows you to feel if you hit it fat.

A MIRROR - You can get one cheap at the Wallmizzie.

A VIDEO CAMERA - This could run you some smackers but you can get a cheap old one off ebay.

A OLD SET OF BLADES - You need something that has a sweetspot that requires PRECISION even if you don't plan on playing these clubs. The are your "training" models. I picked up a 60's vintage set of Hogan Precisions off this old codger JW for $60.

Once you have the materials . . . it is time to begin implementing what you have learned out here.

You need to consistently practice and consistently MONITOR your practice via video. You should primarily practice into the net during your "off-season" if you have one. Why? There is no distraction of target and distance. When you have a target and you are trying to hit it . . . it will take over your subconscious and your focus will not be on what you are trying to change in your motion. For me anyway the only way not to be mezmorized by ball flight was to take it TOTALLY out of the equation.

Now there are plenty of drills and basic acquired and total motions you can do . . . but the main thing is . . . TO JUST PLAIN DO SOMETHING AND MONITOR IT!!! The David Orr Doctrine is to MONITOR ALL PRACTICE . . . think he actually films almost every swing. I don't do that but I do think you should check what you are doing about every 4 to 5 sessions.

And last but not least . . . Put your mind into your hands. Per Homer Kelley, "TOO HELL WITH THE CLUBHEAD . . . YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUBHEAD!!!!" Just totally start listening to your hands. Hear there message even though you may not speak there language yet. Just tune in . . . .You'll start understanding what the are telling you. And get those clubs that are HARD TO HIT. Make your training difficult and "live" golf won't seem as hard.

This is what I am now doing and I firmly believe that I will come up for air a much better golfer and G.O.L.F.er.

Holla back.

George Peppard in his A Team days used to say "I love it when a plan comes together!"

Looks like a "road map" to G.O.L.F level precision!

I agree with it all... but maybe even more video monitoring...

Where is Eddie Cox? Been a long time.

Bucket...
How 'big' is a 'big' cage? My ceilings in my basement are 8 ft.

The Basement Cage
 

Uh Oh...I hear footsteps...Mike O is on his way. :confused1 :laughing9

Need to know more about the mat. PM me or point me to some details in the training aid room bud.

I wunder....
 

I wunder how many moon pies and Grape Nehis this thread is going to use?

My ceilings are 9 I think . . . it fits with room to spare. It was too wide for my basement. It's like 11 feet wide 7 feet tall and 5 deep. I can't fit it between the poles . . . the poles are from another life . . . I'm still available for bachelorette parties though.

Holla if you want to hook it up.

This here's pretty much what I got . . . mine is like 4X4 I think. It's pretty good and wasn't $300 like them others. I think I paid $80 plus shipping.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Premium-Golf-Mat-Hitting-Strip-10x30-GolfMat-GolfMatt_W0QQitemZ110088403083QQihZ001QQcategoryZ5 0876QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Eddie still lurks . . . He's one of THE best as you know. Let's go see him when the weather warms up . . . give me a holla and we'll make him let us come hang out.

And I love the course. Went from the car dragging the sticks, and sliding on the footjoys to the first tee. Without a practice swing, mini-sliced my tee shot and found it in the middle of the fairway. Got to love that right to left down hill slope.

Sounds like a plan. Then off to Pine Needles.

Bucket,
First of all, this may be incriminating, but, I have to say that we must think a lot alike, because almost every time I read one of your questions about TGM, I think, "I am glad he asked that, because I have the same question." I have learned MUCH through your questions and the answers and illustrations you have posted. Thanks much!

I am trying to set up my practice studio and I still need a digital video camera and a mirror.

What kind of video camera do you have? I want to spend as little money as possible, but still have something that will work for golf swing analysis.

What are the dimensions of your mirror? Is it adjustable? Wall mount or floor standing?

Thanks,
Kit

If you can learn to hit and watch yourself in the mirror at the same time, you can monitor your practice during your practice. Its a bit tricky at first, but you learn to trust your stroke and your plane.

Thanks for the kind words KIT . . . You ever talk to David Hassleoff anymore? You shoulda never drove him to Bay Watch . . .



My "studio"/meth-lab is OLD SKOOL cheap. I have an 8mm video camera. You don't need all that analysis stuff IMO. You just film it and watch it. You'll know what the biggest wobble is.

My mirror is just an old Walmart jobbie. It's adjustable . . . just prop him up against the wall. I got an old TV and VCR down there. I guess could actually film and swing at the same time.

Do crazy stuff down there (not THAT crazy). Experiment. I was hitting chips into the net and letting my follow through happen into the impact bag at the same time. I hit balls with my eyes closed. I hit balls like doing a downstroke waggle drill. I make flickdid swings and video those to just to see how the whole "feel" vs. REAL deal looks . . .you'd be suprised how "normal" the spaz feeling swings look. Hit shots one handed. Do dowel swings and then hit a ball and film it. Experiment with different swing thoughts and see how that changes the motion.

It's a lab . . . experiment . . . muuuuuuuuuuu hhhhhhaaaaa haaaaaaaa!!!!

Gad- that picture drives the German side of me nuts.:laughing1

The Yellow Lab
 

Bucket,

Sounds like Mr. Kelley's garage only more high tech. Are there still dimples on your golf balls?

Get yourself some grease pens and a ruler so you can draw on the T.V. screen (not animals figures) and check out you alignments.

elliskit,

You need a camera with a MANUAL shutter speed as without it the clubshaft will be blurred. Indoors without lighting you can see the clubshaft with a little blurr at 1/250. 1/500 or 1/1000 is better. It will however darken the screen.

With respect to a mirror,
When indoors, I like to put a small 13" TV on the floor, tilted up so you can look at it. This way you do not have to move your head to see your swing when drilling slowly. Lines can be drawn with a dry erase marker. You can set up your own practice lab at home but will need to learn from someone how to position the cameras correctly, esp. the DTL camera when working on plane. You can run a cable from the camcorder video-out to the TV so what is on the camcorder is now on the TV. You do not have to put a tape in if you do not want to. That's the best mirror I know of.

Lee Deitrick

Trying to catch that plane
 

Hello,

Site rookie hear who has turned to the machine. Trying to purge twenty years of articles, tips, theories etc...Just wanted to know if anyone has seen www.explanar.com and if it fits in with G.O.L.F

Thanks,

Mtracy

Camera
 

Bucket,
No, I am not a car.
I like the way you think - CHEAP!

Lee,
Thanks for the input. I have a 13" TV I can use. That setup sounds good.

I was considering a Sony DV/DCR-HC26 camera. It is just under $300, which is about the high end of my price range right now. One of the things that was interesting about this camera is that one of the Auto Exposure modes is "Sports Lesson". It has a max shutter speed of 1/4000sec. One thing that concerned me is that I read in one review that the video quality was "grainy", but I thought that maybe they were comparing it with really high end cameras. Are you familiar with this camera or is there another one in the $300 range you think would work better?

I found a post by Martee in the thread below that gives a pretty detailed explanation of how to set up the camera:
http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=231

Thanks,
Kit

Shouldn't we get to know each other better before we talk dimples?

You mean you can draw on TV's with grease. . . man! This is going to rock!

elliskit,

Video may be grainy because of low light. That will happen when the light is low for the shutter speed used. My preference is a camcorder with manual shutter speeds so you can go to say 1/500th. Most Sony's do not have manual, I know Panasonic does. Others may give there opinions here to help.

TV on the floor is a great way to learn to plane the clubshaft.

Lee

Lee Deit,
Where are you teaching on Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon?
Hopefully it's in the Inland Empire.

Don't Forget De Plane Board
 

This winter I also set up the basement "practice range" and in addition to the items you listed, I found a "mini-plane board" to be indispensible. I had fully intended to build a full size "Homer-style" plastic sheet thingy, but never got around to completing it. I did, however, manage to build a mini-plane board out of scraps of plywood and 2 x 4s that I designed to be used with a putter. I discovered, though, that it was far more valuable for my full swing.

Despite close to 2 years studying the Yellow Book and using lasers and flashlights and what not, my swing plane was way off. I knew WHAT I wanted to do, but couldn't translate that into the correct action. The problem for me was getting the stroke started correctly, and the plane board was just what I needed. My default habit was to take the club too much to the inside and not enough up. The plane board allowed me to understand, and more importantly FEEL what the proper three dimensional takeaway is supposed to be like. I found it far better than a flashlight or laser because I was using an actual club to feel the correct motion and alignments.

"De Plane! De Plane!" Important to Tattoo and Mr. Roarke. Absolutely critical for my golf stroke.

cage
 

PM sent. Is the cage still available?

explanar
 

There are some photos of Brian Gay working with the Explanar in this thread:
http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/s...?t=2383&page=9

One comment I have heard regarding the explanar is that because the shaft only contacts the plane at one point, you could still have the sweet spot off plane. You need to look, look, look...