Learning and Applying TGM w/disabilities by a 21 hcp.

[innercityteacher]

Hi. I just wanted to thank the folks here at LBG with actions and not just words. I have been on the forums for a couple of weeks now and Kevin Carter and O. B. Left have been amazing in encouraging me and helping me learn this wonderful book and meditations on the theory and practice of TGM.

I have purchased the LBG videos, in addition.

I also have 3 of Brian Manzella's videos but have not been able to get much from them in the last two months owing to the fact that I did not have the mentoring I found on this site. I do not even look at those DVD's.

I also had the S&T videos and book but again, while the support was much better than the Manzella forum on all the S&T sites (the people there seem very nice), I simply could not get my artificial hip and shorter front leg to withstand the practice routines I tried to use to learn their system.

In an attempt to withstand the wear and tear of the game, I even went to the Graves Golf Academy and have their impact bag, some dvd's, and their practice club. I found nothing like the precision and clarity of causality at Graves' that compares to the explanations and logic of TGM and this site's helpfulness.

Imagine my delight when I realized that much of Moe norman's incredible golfing skill, Ben Hogan's, Tommy Armour and even Faldo and Ledbetter (my first golf videos and books), are easily explained in the circle of TGM!

I have played five 9-hole tracts yesterday and today, on three different par 35's which are part of my public course in Ambler, PA, Limekiln Golf Course. The course is very soft and all the greens have been top-dresed.

Yesterday, I shot a 47 and 46, trying to employ the elbow-controlled putting insight and the "punch elbow" style of golf stroke as I interpret them through LBG postings and dvd's. Today, another beautiful day weather wise, saw me shoot a 46, 45 and 43.

How did I screw-up? Yesterday, I had 30 putts in 18 holes. I had 23 ineffective or "complicating" chips that did not get me close enough to the hole to achieve a "gimme" putt. I also had 6 bad drives or first shots defined as a shot that forced me to hit an escape shot to the middle of the fairway. One such shot was caused by my snapping the handle of my driver as I attempted to use my version of "punch elbow." That and two other bad first shots resulted in two 8's and one 7.

Good news, yesterday? Almost every shot I made was struck with purpose and struck hard. I had two pars and one birdie amongst the wreckage. I actually got in trouble trying draws and fades I would never attempt before. And, I had 8 putts in the last 7 holes as I learned to shoten the elbow stroke and trust the mechanism. I had some great pitches and chips. I never felt lost or overwhelmed. And, physically, I was able to play 27 more holes today, which I never could have done last year!(Seniors take note!)


In the 27 holes I played today,I had 48 putts. One of my regular foursome from a year ago said "you are dropping them from everywhere!" "How are you doing that?" Again, the greens sometimes had 1" of sand on them in very odd places! Bad news? 22 bad chips on 27 hole including several shanks in the first 10 holes. Two 8's and five 6's resulted. I finally extended my left arm with my thumb on the aft side built my flying wedge and started chipping to the whole leaving several chips within 2 feet. (I used this technique again and again.)

I hit only 4 bad first shots/drives in 27 holes! In the last 9 holes I learned several important things. 1) I can tee the drive much lower, not above the driver, and punch hit more down and through to the ground to get a very hot, penetrating shot. 2) I must stay on plane with all shots. Visualizing the plane allows me to swing with the shoulders or drop the elbow, or punch the heck out of the ball. The last three holes of practice I simply imagined the plane and swung or punched on plane without thinking of the mechanics. Two drives plugged underground at 230+ yards making me dig the ball out. All the "plane" shots were penetrating and straight with a little draw at most. In the last three holes I had two birdie puts.

Anyway,yesterday's 93 gave way to a 91 and lower, today. And a 43 where I had shot a 46 earlier in the day was very encouraging.

Patrick

[JerryG]

That is a great start, Patrick. You are on the way. Congratulations.
As for the chipping, may I suggest my favorite drill as a starter. Drag the Mop! Basic motion. I have a bad hip, but can do basic motion for hours and seem to learn something on every swing. It reinforces the 3 imperatives and gets you very well acquainted with your wedge. The two of you will become the best of friends.

I have your regular e-mail address and will send you the video clip of Drag the Mop.
Way to go Patrick!

[innercityteacher]

Hi Jerry and thanks!

Do you have a hip replacement? Does it cause you much pain? I hope not. My plastic hip is stiff but mercifully pain free and I am grateful!

I have been using my limited understanding of a hitting motion. My right tricep is sore after 18 then 27 holes but your note has me thinking so I went back to the book, 6th edition.

I was afraid of my shorter front leg throwing my plane off balance. So, I put more weight on the front leg, use the bicep to curl the arm up, bent the right wrist way back and froze it. The motion I made was like waving a big circular hello from the belt to the top. My shoulders seemed to glide along with this motion. I was able to extend my right arm down to the ball and knock the stuffing out of it and it was very playable.


My sore right tricep and shoulder might mean that I am not doing the hitting correctly. Yesterday, toward the end, I simply rotated my shoulders up plane as I visualized the plane for each club, and then locked my back elbow to the side as I slid the shoulders down, out and forward! It was very straight and way cool!


But today, after your note, I read about the underhand toss. At first I thought "Big deal, I understand the plane and I'll never be hungry (GWTW) again!" But I know that TGM is serious stuff. So I tried it with a broom, a yardstick and now at home, my clubs. I ripped a hole in the impact bag with a five iron and knocked it up in the air. The pivot led to the underhanded toss which first went down then followed the pivot as I extended my back elbow.

So is that what Jim Furyk uses so effectively? Is that a hit or, because of the pivot, a less than manly girly swing (which I'm not too proud to employ.) "Bueller? Bueller?"


Dragging the mop will help my chips alot!

Thanks Jerry!

Patrick

That is a great start, Patrick. You are on the way. Congratulations.
As for the chipping, may I suggest my favorite drill as a starter. Drag the Mop! Basic motion. I have a bad hip, but can do basic motion for hours and seem to learn something on every swing. It reinforces the 3 imperatives and gets you very well acquainted with your wedge. The two of you will become the best of friends.

I have your regular e-mail address and will send you the video clip of Drag the Mop.
Way to go Patrick!

[KevCarter]

Great start Patrick!!!

Chipping will come, there is a lot of "feel" involved there along with the mechanics. We have spoken a lot about the Magic of the Right Forearm, but recently YODA has shown us also how important it is to keep the left wrist level during basic motion. He has shown us pics of Brian Gay and Steve Stricker where that left wrist starts level, and remains that way during the entire stroke. Talk about structure and consistency!!!

Keep it going!

Kevin

[JerryG]

Great start Patrick!!!

Chipping will come, there is a lot of "feel" involved there along with the mechanics. We have spoken a lot about the Magic of the Right Forearm, but recently YODA has shown us also how important it is to keep the left wrist level during basic motion. He has shown us pics of Brian Gay and Steve Stricker where that left wrist starts level, and remains that way during the entire stroke. Talk about structure and consistency!!!

Keep it going!

Kevin

Patrick,
I had a half dozen of my high schoolers for practice today and we started with a discussion of cocked, level and uncocked lead wrist and bent right wrist (Thanks Yoda, those dowels sure come in handy). We then did just basic motion off mats (it was 31* after all) with level wrists and 5 of the 6 were doing wonderfully. I should have taken a couple photos of the looks on their faces when they saw the ball fly so easily after all that compression. It was like they just found something good to eat. Tomorrow we are going to the huge practice green and set those flying wedges, level left wrists and bent right wrists and start chipping.
I had one of Kevin's newest students in the practice bunker maintaining his flying wedges and landing EVERY ball in position for easy two putts and many tap-ins. I might have to have him teach the rest when they come in next week after spring break.
If we keep this up we could be called the Machinists' Union.
Thanks Yoda and Kev. 20 years of coaching high school golf and it has never been so much fun.

[innercityteacher]

I plan to start a first Tee program here in my school. I will copy these notes as a potential curriculum!

Patrick

Patrick,
I had a half dozen of my high schoolers for practice today and we started with a discussion of cocked, level and uncocked lead wrist and bent right wrist (Thanks Yoda, those dowels sure come in handy). We then did just basic motion off mats (it was 31* after all) with level wrists and 5 of the 6 were doing wonderfully. I should have taken a couple photos of the looks on their faces when they saw the ball fly so easily after all that compression. It was like they just found something good to eat. Tomorrow we are going to the huge practice green and set those flying wedges, level left wrists and bent right wrists and start chipping.
I had one of Kevin's newest students in the practice bunker maintaining his flying wedges and landing EVERY ball in position for easy two putts and many tap-ins. I might have to have him teach the rest when they come in next week after spring break.
If we keep this up we could be called the Machinists' Union.
Thanks Yoda and Kev. 20 years of coaching high school golf and it has never been so much fun.

[KevCarter]

Patrick,
I had a half dozen of my high schoolers for practice today and we started with a discussion of cocked, level and uncocked lead wrist and bent right wrist (Thanks Yoda, those dowels sure come in handy). We then did just basic motion off mats (it was 31* after all) with level wrists and 5 of the 6 were doing wonderfully. I should have taken a couple photos of the looks on their faces when they saw the ball fly so easily after all that compression. It was like they just found something good to eat. Tomorrow we are going to the huge practice green and set those flying wedges, level left wrists and bent right wrists and start chipping.
I had one of Kevin's newest students in the practice bunker maintaining his flying wedges and landing EVERY ball in position for easy two putts and many tap-ins. I might have to have him teach the rest when they come in next week after spring break.
If we keep this up we could be called the Machinists' Union.
Thanks Yoda and Kev. 20 years of coaching high school golf and it has never been so much fun.

Jerry, you mean thanks Homer and YODA, I'm just trying to keep up with you!!!

Patrick, when you get started Jerry and I would love to share ideas. That would be FANTASTIC!

Kevin