Hi Paul;
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better tip, or even gotten 1 from a teaching pro. For myself & many others,learning the swing by being able to feel it is just as important as learning technique which can really be overdone & produce a very mechanical swing without much flow from 1 position to the next. Obviously the proper technique is required for the proper positions, but not so much that feel is taken away & not allow the swing to happen rather than forcing it to happen, which for me helps eliminate hitting with my arms. I was wondering if you might recommend not keeping score occasionally so there’s no reason to even think about it while you are working on your swing under playing conditions rather than just banging balls on the range. As I personally know, it can be difficult to take your range game to the course. I think I remember you mentioning this in a tip long ago, but may have been stated in a way that meant do it when playing by yourself when you can also do it while playing with a group. The best score is obviously the goal but as you say, it’s more important to be concerned with making great swings & the score will follow.
Dear Mr Michael RODRICK ,I don’t want to interfere with PAUL’s excellent teaching but I can’t help advising you not to go to the driving range and play on the course instead :if there’s nobody around ,you can put in play two or three balls.Playing the course and playing the Driving range are two completely different games.
Then you shouldn’t add up your scores while playing ,just take note of them and add them up when you’re finished .
Don’t play “GOLF SWING “,play going from “Point A to Point B” ,don’t give a damn to what your swing looks like as long as it takes you where you want to go .
Sorry to seem and be preposterous ,but at 80 years of age, I feel my experience may be of some help to other lost golfers !
Paul ,Would you recommend to swing the club the eyes closed (The ball is in position),like being blind ,in order not to be “Ball Bound”and swing more freely?
BEN HOGAN used to say he didn’t hit more than 3 perfect shots in a round of golf.
As for me ,my mistakes are always the same ,when I endeavor to “muscle “the ball off the fairway with the longer clubs ,and I tighten up .
I never have this problem with the Driver off the tee ;
I feel then more relaxed .
My best shots are from 100 yards in and less from the green ,when I look for precison ,not distance .
My mental state of mind isn’t at all the same in the two situations .
Maybe DAVE BRESLOW could give us a lecture on how to cure this!
Dear Raymond;
While range games are fine to a certain point, they don’t give you real world feedback. You have the same lie for all shots rather than different lies, different stances, sidehill, uphill, downhill, different lengths of rough, etc. As for playing when no one’s around, when is that time available for you to play 2 balls when “no one’s around?” I can do it if I’m behind slow players who aren’t considerate enough to let faster players through. Even given that,thinking about your score rather than your swing or learning course management can be detrimental to improvement. As Paul states, worry about making great swings, which IMO is done on the range. Taking your range game to the course is a whole different animal.
You can swing with your eyes closed if you want. This allows you to feel certain things in the swing. I never do it.
You just need to make the right choice when looking for power. Think about your legs driving harder not hitting harder. It is natural to want more power. Problem is people choose the wrong power source to do it.
Really need your reinforcing comments that include with the arms fully extended at the key points, ignoring the ball; swinging from A to B, what then are the further key factors to maintain consistent contact with the ball that avoids body sway and hitting thin or fat shots. The truly proficient golfer might have the better chance to ignore the ball; this is so challenging otherwise to maintain accurate contact and the arc swing on a consistent basis. Thank You.
To gain consistency you need to base your swing on things in life that are consistent. This is what I teach. Torque it the coiling and uncoiling of your body. This is what you arm are connected to. Powerless arms to allow the forces to act on the mass. If you are inconsistent you are manipulating the mass and/or no basing your swing on torque.
I was inconsistent for many, many years. The day I stopped trying to hit the ball in any way with my arms was the day I became consistent.
So to become consistent you are not trying to purposely hit anything. You are basing your swing on coiling until you feel tightly coiled (this tells you that you have torque and torque will repeat 100% of the time in life). Once coiled, you uncoil with the lower body. So COIL/UNCOIL then the arms go along for the ride.
Unfortunately, most people are thinking HIT. In no way am I thinking this. I am purely trying to hit the ball with my body.
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9 Responses to “Feelings Series – Impact”
October 19, 2014
MichaelRodrickHi Paul;
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better tip, or even gotten 1 from a teaching pro. For myself & many others,learning the swing by being able to feel it is just as important as learning technique which can really be overdone & produce a very mechanical swing without much flow from 1 position to the next. Obviously the proper technique is required for the proper positions, but not so much that feel is taken away & not allow the swing to happen rather than forcing it to happen, which for me helps eliminate hitting with my arms. I was wondering if you might recommend not keeping score occasionally so there’s no reason to even think about it while you are working on your swing under playing conditions rather than just banging balls on the range. As I personally know, it can be difficult to take your range game to the course. I think I remember you mentioning this in a tip long ago, but may have been stated in a way that meant do it when playing by yourself when you can also do it while playing with a group. The best score is obviously the goal but as you say, it’s more important to be concerned with making great swings & the score will follow.
October 22, 2014
RaymondCHASTELDear Mr Michael RODRICK ,I don’t want to interfere with PAUL’s excellent teaching but I can’t help advising you not to go to the driving range and play on the course instead :if there’s nobody around ,you can put in play two or three balls.Playing the course and playing the Driving range are two completely different games.
Then you shouldn’t add up your scores while playing ,just take note of them and add them up when you’re finished .
Don’t play “GOLF SWING “,play going from “Point A to Point B” ,don’t give a damn to what your swing looks like as long as it takes you where you want to go .
Sorry to seem and be preposterous ,but at 80 years of age, I feel my experience may be of some help to other lost golfers !
October 22, 2014
RaymondCHASTELPaul ,Would you recommend to swing the club the eyes closed (The ball is in position),like being blind ,in order not to be “Ball Bound”and swing more freely?
BEN HOGAN used to say he didn’t hit more than 3 perfect shots in a round of golf.
As for me ,my mistakes are always the same ,when I endeavor to “muscle “the ball off the fairway with the longer clubs ,and I tighten up .
I never have this problem with the Driver off the tee ;
I feel then more relaxed .
My best shots are from 100 yards in and less from the green ,when I look for precison ,not distance .
My mental state of mind isn’t at all the same in the two situations .
Maybe DAVE BRESLOW could give us a lecture on how to cure this!
October 22, 2014
MichaelRodrickDear Raymond;
While range games are fine to a certain point, they don’t give you real world feedback. You have the same lie for all shots rather than different lies, different stances, sidehill, uphill, downhill, different lengths of rough, etc. As for playing when no one’s around, when is that time available for you to play 2 balls when “no one’s around?” I can do it if I’m behind slow players who aren’t considerate enough to let faster players through. Even given that,thinking about your score rather than your swing or learning course management can be detrimental to improvement. As Paul states, worry about making great swings, which IMO is done on the range. Taking your range game to the course is a whole different animal.
October 22, 2014
Paul WilsonMichael,
You go out late at night 2 hours before dark. No one will be teeing off then. You play 9 holes.
Also:
Uphill: https://ignitiongolf.com/uphill-lies
Downhill: https://ignitiongolf.com/shot-downhill-lie
Ball Below Feet: https://ignitiongolf.com/shot-ball-below-feet
Ball Above Feet: https://ignitiongolf.com/ball-above-your-feet
October 22, 2014
Paul WilsonRaymond,
You can swing with your eyes closed if you want. This allows you to feel certain things in the swing. I never do it.
You just need to make the right choice when looking for power. Think about your legs driving harder not hitting harder. It is natural to want more power. Problem is people choose the wrong power source to do it.
October 25, 2014
marcrosenRaymond Chastel is relentless with his comments…….
November 13, 2014
CraigMinnerHello Paul,
Really need your reinforcing comments that include with the arms fully extended at the key points, ignoring the ball; swinging from A to B, what then are the further key factors to maintain consistent contact with the ball that avoids body sway and hitting thin or fat shots. The truly proficient golfer might have the better chance to ignore the ball; this is so challenging otherwise to maintain accurate contact and the arc swing on a consistent basis. Thank You.
November 13, 2014
Paul WilsonCraig,
To gain consistency you need to base your swing on things in life that are consistent. This is what I teach. Torque it the coiling and uncoiling of your body. This is what you arm are connected to. Powerless arms to allow the forces to act on the mass. If you are inconsistent you are manipulating the mass and/or no basing your swing on torque.
I was inconsistent for many, many years. The day I stopped trying to hit the ball in any way with my arms was the day I became consistent.
So to become consistent you are not trying to purposely hit anything. You are basing your swing on coiling until you feel tightly coiled (this tells you that you have torque and torque will repeat 100% of the time in life). Once coiled, you uncoil with the lower body. So COIL/UNCOIL then the arms go along for the ride.
Unfortunately, most people are thinking HIT. In no way am I thinking this. I am purely trying to hit the ball with my body.