My First Post!

[Trane]

Hello Everybody!

I have been studying this website for the last several months. As you all know, this is the BEST website and group of golfers & instructors out there. I have learned so much in such a short time...from the hundreds of posts that I have studied and the many videos...Yoda and Company...THANK YOU!! from the bottom of my heart.

OK, I little quick history. I studied some other TGM websites and their vidoes, next I studied the Tommy Tommasilo videos and began to implement them in my game. His techniques or representation of TGM were simple for me to follow and most important worked for me! My golf shots were long and straight. I played in several short rounds including a scramble where I contributed the most in my group. Anyway, after about 5 rounds or so with my handicapping dropping to a 15.6 my shots started going left...for no apparent reason.

Next, as I studied Yoda's website I watched the Jeff Hull & John Reiger vidoes. You see I feel that during that scramble I hit the ball better then ever. I could feel the club head, lag, and I didn't think about anything. I must have been on plane, using my body correctly, and maintained a flat left wrist. The contact was sooo solid. But, like I said its slipped away from me so these videos along with countless mentions from many of you about plane lines, tracing, & the basic motion seemed to be the next answer.

Now just to let you gents know. I have ordered the 7th edition on-line. I can't wait! I have been working strictly on the basic motion at home (in the house & in the back yard) & at the driving range. Here is what I found today. Sorry for being so long winded, but since its my first of MANY posts to come, I knida of wanted to say HI and give some quick background on what's going on....anyway....

At the driving range with BASIC motion my balls go straight, bounce tightly like it has some spin to it and has almost always finished spinning to the right. I'm not sure if I'm actually using angled hinging. Here is my problem. I start getting the shanks. I go back to tracing and it goes away, but as soon as I think I'm getting into the routine...SHANK. And then another 10 shanks! OUCH. On my drive home from the driving range, it hit me....Can you guys confirm if I'm on the right track?

In my living room, since my shots have to go only like 10 yards, I swing easy. Outside at the range, I go way over 30 yard most are about 15-20 yards with a 56 wedge and many go like 60 yards. Many of those were very solid, but like I said once the shanks started, it was hard to shake. My divots are still shaped like they are when I strike the ball good, but more outward. So I worked on how far I stood from the ball and arm position from my body, bu they didn't really help shot after shot. Here is my thought...on the way down I'm trying to hit the ball, even if its not from the top & I go DOWN first, at some point before the ball, I try to hit it. It dawned on me when I try to hit the ball, my right elbow extends fully, and woolah....I extend the clubface and the hosel right into those pretty little yellow balls! When I do this, I'm going outside the plane line. Its easier for me to trace on the takeaway than to trace back down...its so knew to me!!

Anyway, guys am on looking st this correctly? I should keep the flex of my right elbow until reaching lowpoint before full extension. If I do this than I can finish with both arms straight point at the plane line instead of WAY left of the plane line like when I pre-extend my elbow. I also found the drill about tossing the ball with a bent right wrist under your left arm (left arm maintains address location) while the right arm must take a backstroke and then go back under the left arm and toss the ball while not crashing into the left.

Am I getting this stuff for a beginner to TGM? Its awesome stuff! Again sorry for the long post. Take care.

Trane

[Martee]

Just a comment aside from welcome to the wonderful world of LBG, G.O.L.F., etc.

Basic motion carry for me with a wedge is about 10 yds to 15 yds. Since this is basically either a Left or Right arm powered motion of a 2 foot backstroke and 2 foot forward, that is about all I get. I also get a lower than normal trajectory with the wedge, say maybe not higher than 4 feet, if that.

It will be interesting to hear others comment on their results as well.

My initial thought regarding you issues with basic motion is that you mixing basic and some of acquired motion.

I believe if you do a quick search on 'Basic Motion' and Yoda as the author, he posted some of the pitfalls that can happen when basic motion is done making it more than it actually is.

The picture I have for Basic Motion is that this nothing more that a putting stroke but with a different club. Keeps me focused so I don't try and squeeze more out of it. I used to try and 20 to 25 yds with the wedge, I stopped that and will use a lower iron to achieve that.

Hopefully others will give what they get for distances and their thoughts.

Love those Jeff Hull tapes...

[Trane]

Martee,

Thanks for your input. When I watch the John Riegger's basic motion, he takes the club to parallel the stance line. When I watch the Jeff Hull/Yoda videos it is like you say. They also comment on taking it back 2 feet and follow thru 2 feet.

I aggree with you idea that I'm mixing basic and acquired. I'm going to try to find the pitfalls of mixing the two on the old posts. If anybody has a link on it that would be cool!

Thanks

[KnighT]

Trane,

First of all, welcome aboard. LBG feels like home to me since I found it recently.

Regarding shanking....from my favorite book(since you do not have a copy yet I will type):

5-0 - "If you feel your game isn't reflecting your understanding of Alignments - STOP MONITORING THE CLUBHFACE INSTEAD OF YOUR HANDS. Unless otherwise specified, at all times - but especially during Start Down - maintain the Clubhead Lag relationship to the Plane Line - not the body. That - failure to clear the Right Hip (Roundhousing) can initiate almost every alignment disruption, including SHANKING."

2-F - "Clubhead "Feel" is Sweet Spot feel for #3 Pressure Point sensing functions. If Lag Pressure is lost, the Hands tend to start the hosel (instead of the sweet spot) toward Impact - that mysterious "Shank." When in doubt, "Turn" the Clubface so both the Clubshaft and the Sweet Spot will be on the same Plane at the Start Down. Both Planes always pass through the Lag Pressure Point.

You also say "I'm not sure if I'm using angled hinging." My first question to you is are you hitting or swinging? I think it is very important to program with practice swings beforehand weather you will hit or swing. As per the STAR SYSTEM TRIAD. A general guidline is: if hitting, use angled hinging....if swinging use horizontal hinging. They are more compatibale with eachother.

I think basic motion is the best place to work on hinge action (among every other part of your stroke). Just hold that finish. I like holding my basic motion finish with the programmed hinge action and, and I say to myself "vertical", "angled", "horizontal". Sometimes I will do all 3 in a row. Sometimes I will focus on hitting and only use angled. Yoda explains and demonstrates this many times in his videos very clearly. Actually, before I understood the 3 hinge actions (before I found LBG when the pictures in 10-10 were mysterious to me) I did not know what type of hinge action I used in any swing I made. Now I know it is 1/3 of the basic golf stroke, therefore I program it before every swing.

2-G - Learning only one (hinge) Action isn't helpful because you won't know their differences.

[Trane]

I like your quote...there is a lot of truth to that statement! You know, I've been thinking about whether I hit or swing the basic motion. Well I hit, but I use the swinging set-up. Ido this because of the Tommy T. videos. He advocates firing the right arm thru as you turn the hips. He mentions the flail analogy that prevents flipping.

Anyway, I was at the range today & I'm surely using angled hinging. I believe, Martee that is why my motion produces higher shots than you low-straight-draw spin horizontal hinging basic motions.

I tried to use horizontal hinging, but its hard to do when hitting. When I got home I tried to swing the basic motions...and wouldn't you know...I got shots like Martee.

My thinking in my first post about what I thought I was doing to cause the shanks seemed to be true. When I concenrated on keeping the bend on my right elbow and extending it to low point not cotact or before contact...I hit those types of shots that Yoda talks about....downward, outward, and forward sound that tells evrybody around about it!!! I love that qoute.

On my last 10 balls or so I tried acquired motion and AWESOME!!! TGM rocks!!

I have another question: When you set-up at imoact fix & you adjust your self back to adjusted hands or mid-body hands, does your club face appear slightly close? I read about this on other sites months ago, but wanted to ask you gents about it as well. Just curious if I'm maybe doing something else wrong!

Thanks guys!