When I give a lesson, I don’t pick off things on a standard list of do’s and don’ts. I look at the swing and ask myself what would make things easier for this golfer…but more importantly, I WILL NOT change something that may not be “right” but is integral in the way this person swings the club successfully.
If an anomaly is not causing an issue…or even helping, I will not touch it.
Myself as an example. I have a high waist and I need to stand a little farther from the ball than would be “correct” to have room for my arms to swing and for me to get the club deep enough. Problem is I tend to crowd the ball, but it doesn’t look crowded to even an expert observer…including myself.
Worst of all I find myself neglecting this fact over weeks and months until I start hitting driver sideways with a really good looking swing.
Then I drop my head in shame when it dawns on me what I have done.
The point is to not only share my stories of my game, but also make the point that all bodies are different and have different fundamentals.
That is why it is so important to have someone who REALLY knows what they are looking at and not just running you through a standard checklist.
A flaw is only a flaw if it is creating a problem.
PS-I had a really good round yesterday from a feel perspective. Didn’t shoot all that low (69), but it was easy.
I am not tournament ready…because I haven’t played in on since July.
I need to get mentally adept at tournament golf again…and I especially need to get mentally adept at pulling the trigger on shots that make me uncomfortable instead of steering the ball…a result of years of having swing problems and hitting foul balls.
The only way to do these things…PLAY MORE!!!!!
My physical game through the bag is better than it was at any time in my career. My confidence and comfort level on the course is the physical equivalent of a 120 pound weakling.
That is what I am working on now.
Posted by Calvin on January 18, 2012 at 5:58 am
I really like that post. It gives me a lot of thought material. A long waisted guy like Duval would have to set up differently than a long legged guy like you. Makes me understand my own foursome better. You shoot 69′s and are not tournament ready; in my amateur tournaments the adrenaline and heightened alertness factors make me capable of shooting 5 shots better than casual rounds. I think you should go ahead and schedule at least 5 tournaments for 2012 and play in them. I used to criticize Nicklaus and Hogan for playing so few events every year but you make me appreciate that it was brilliant because of the adrenaline/alertness factor. Grinding every week would tend to dampen that down to as much as zero. When I steer the ball it makes me crazy; if my alignment is done properly it should be just me executing the swing in relation to my stance. Ike Handy said that the target can be handled 100% better by your sub-conscious than by your conscious mind. I have proved that to myself but I haven’t beaten the control bug yet either.
Thanks for the mental grist. Please straighten me out if I have mis-interpreted something.
Posted by Ant Lockyer on January 18, 2012 at 7:13 am
“I think you should go ahead and schedule at least 5 tournaments for 2012 and play in them.”
I absolutely agree, get in the ring, make a commitment.
Posted by woody on January 18, 2012 at 7:19 am
Yeah, an anomaly might not be bad, and may not be able to be rooted-out anyway. But, the arrogance of some instructors…Lorena Ochoa’s instructor tried to make her get rid of her characteristic head motion, while she was world #1. Haney said that he wanted Tiger to try a new way of gripping the club…while he was world #1.
–”I need to stand a little farther from the ball.” Well, good for you, because that’s what Hogan said to do in “Power Golf” (1948). Moe Norman too…the two best ball strikers who ever lived?
–”all bodies are different and have different fundamentals.” Also, all bodies are the same. But, there are variations and choices. People can do things the easy way, or they can expend a lot of effort to accomplish the same thing, and risk injuring themselves. Tiger’s downswing knee-snap might have seemed like a good thing…but it took some years off his career.
Posted by Calvin on January 18, 2012 at 8:52 am
I “discovered” this on my own yesterday and then I thought, wait, didn’t Monte do a vid on this? I don’t know why it took so long to sink in but damn man. Absolutely freaking brilliant and I haven’t seen this anywhere else in mountains of instruction. Geez. It changes everything.
http://montescheinblum.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/day-3-the-benefits-of-a-proper-release/
Posted by Wally on January 18, 2012 at 10:35 am
Monte
Stop being so freaking ANAL about your golf swing and Play, Play, Play
Your biggest fan Wally
Posted by Monte Scheinblum on January 18, 2012 at 11:07 am
Not being anal anymore.
I am searching for something that feels good and produces good shots.
That’s all.
Posted by woody on January 18, 2012 at 12:01 pm
You already know what it is. “In Sync” is prehaps your greatest contribution to golf instruction.
Now, if people only knew what was in sync with what…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s9mnavVMjk&feature=related (0:15) Stricker,
Posted by Calvin on January 18, 2012 at 12:11 pm
Monte, if you use your vid that I posted above with a weak grip and the right hand on top like BH you should get a hard fade you can play all day. That video is monumental. It explained release to me. It’s not a release of radial deviation of the left wrist as so many think, although that happens. It’s supination of the left wrist or counter clockwise turning of the left wrist. It’s also not bowing of the left wrist as so many interpret Hogan (not what supination means).
Posted by Jabrch (Jason) on January 18, 2012 at 10:53 am
I like your approach Monte. Too many instructors want to force a player into a particular swing (look at this guy – he’s a hall of famer – you should swing like him) – rather than mold a player’s swing into a consistent and viable approach to the game. If a swing has some really good components, build off them.
Posted by Jason on January 18, 2012 at 2:19 pm
I was at the range yesterday and all I did was picture my shot and 9/10 that shot happened exactly the way I wanted because I maintained that picture as I hit the ball. I was target focused, not ball or swing focused.
Posted by Brian on January 18, 2012 at 2:46 pm
So relating a bit to this, there was a thread started by cbrian on wrx about alignment with one of his students. He basically said that the train tracks method of alignment is not necessary unless it is the reason for the poor ball striking. Do you agree with this and:
What would you tell a plus handicap who plays best when he aligns right of the target and hits a push draw (15-20 yard) that crosses where he was aimed and ends up on target? This would not be considered conventional but would he be more successful with a switch?
Posted by Monte Scheinblum on January 18, 2012 at 6:35 pm
I agree with #1.
On #2, if it was a long time thing, i would not touch it till it became problematic. However, if it was something he found during a bad round, it’s a bandaid and would have to go.
Posted by rojoass on January 18, 2012 at 5:29 pm
Sneads bread n butter wuz pull……….he had a decent career….
Posted by woody on January 18, 2012 at 6:47 pm
That is hard to believe…that Snead’s go-to shot was a pull.
In A.J. Bonar’s infomercial (A.J.’s Truth About Golf) he said Snead wanted a “chandelle” which AJ described as a fade. Dictionary says chandelle is “an abrupt climbing turn in which an aircraft almost stalls.”
Doesn’t sound like a pull. When I picture a pull, I picture something bouncing off trees.
Posted by rojoass on January 18, 2012 at 8:50 pm
AJ says lots of stuff that is BS.
Snead lined up his stock shot with his body closed to the target line. If he hit it straight to body line, it would be right of target.
He “pulled” it straight to the target or with a slight draw.
Mind this is a “stock” shot. He could certainly move it both ways as well as up & down.
He also stated this “pull” was preferred because it was his most solid strike. Rarely a swipe.
Posted by woody on January 18, 2012 at 9:10 pm
True on AJ…kind of. The B.S. is just his basic thesis.
I guess Hogan was a puller too because he lined up closed, at least with long irons and driver.
Posted by rojoass on January 18, 2012 at 9:22 pm
I suppose it depends on yer definition of “pull”.
To me…..if the ball comes back across the body line…….it has been pulled.
Where it goes from there is a different situation.
Posted by rojoass on January 18, 2012 at 8:58 pm
Carl Petterson is a modern day “puller”.
A “pull” is not a bad way to play. It can be pulled from an open or closed stance. It can be a pull draw or a pull cut. Very effective. Upper body engine. If you can repeat it go with it. It’s better than lining up square & blockin it off the map.
Craig Perry is another fellow that made a pretty good living pulling the ball.
I don’t know about bouncing off the trees. All kinds of swings do that.