Training Aids

I've tried them all, feeling at times like Tin Cup. Recently I came across the Orange Whip. It seems like a simple, and perhaps effective, tool. The Orange Whip is supposed to help groove the timing of the swing. With my focus back on a simple arm swinging motion as prescribed by Manuel de la Torre, it seems like this might be a tool that could shorten the re-learning process.

I hit balls over the weekend, thinking of nothing but taking the club back with the hands, forward with the arms, throwing the club towards my target. I hit a number of thin shots and a fair number of blocked shots. I also hit some beautiful soaring shots right at the target. I was most effective when I kept some attention on the clubhead swinging in a circular fashion. That focus seemed to smooth out my swing considerably. It will take time to eliminate my "hitting" action I've developed over the past four years. I can't wait to get rid of it!

Today - November 16, 2010

I've played golf for 41 years. I've never broken par, even for 9 holes. I've never had a hole-in-one, although I've hit the pin, lipped out, hit in the cup and bounced out. Just last week I rolled one straight at the pin and it curved right at the last moment leaving a 4 inch put. My best score is a 75, which I've shot more than once. I'm self-taught with the help of numerous books, beginning with How to Become a Complete Golfer by Bob Toski written in the 70s. That was my bible for years. My lowest handicap was a six, but for the past few years it has floated between 9 and 12. In the 90s I took lessons from Mike McGetrick, well actually one of his teachers. My game didn't improve. In the mid-2000s I switched to a One Plane Swing as taught by Jim Hardy. I took several lessons from Chris O'Connell who is Matt Kuchar's current instructor. I didn't improve. In 2008 I won a contest. First prize was three days at Hank Haney's golf ranch in Texas. I was there at the same time as Charles Barkley - they were filming for The Golf Channel. Hank teaches his own method - keeping the club on plane is key, but it is more of a two-plane swing as defined by Jim Hardy. It didn't help.

With each instructor, and with each method I was sucked further into the morass of swing positions and swing details. Yes, I'd occasionally shoot a terrific round and I always thought, "this is it; I've got it now". It didn't last. In fact, I've gotten to the point where my game is awful. Really, it's embarrassing at times. I feel like I'm completely lost. Lost in my brain; in trying to do things with my arms, my chest, my hands, yada, yada, yada.

I'm done with it. I recently discovered another guru (okay I'm not ready to trust myself). Manuel De La Torre is my new mentor. Well his book is. He boils the golf swing down to this: Swing the club back with your hands to a position above your right shoulder, and back down with your arms all the way through towards the target, finishing with your hands over your left shoulder. Think circular with your swing. That's it.

I'll post my progress....