jlukes' Swing Overhaul

[hartrick11 513]

@jlukes This has been very useful, and really appreciate you sharing. I am working through a similar process on my end over the last few months (trying to fix a stall with the lower body rotation that leads to early release, flip, pull hook )  and it has often felt like 2 steps forward followed by 1 (sometimes 1.9) steps back. Seeing the written and video updates at each step along the way must be helpful for you to look back on as well, right? I have been keeping notes on my phone but I like what you've done better.

I got an initial 3 lessons and have been working through drills since then on my own to try and save money. As you alluded to, with family and work obligations, the time spent on golf is never as much as you hope, so it's hard to commit to focused practice on a Saturday when that would be your only chance to get out on the course with your buddies, but I think another 6-pack of lessons would be money well spent for me in the long run...

Please keep sharing as the season picks up for you. Best of luck exiting the 80s on a more permanent basis!

[jlukes 12,775]

4 minutes ago, hartrick11 said:

@jlukes This has been very useful, and really appreciate you sharing. I am working through a similar process on my end over the last few months (trying to fix a stall with the lower body rotation that leads to early release, flip, pull hook )  and it has often felt like 2 steps forward followed by 1 (sometimes 1.9) steps back. Seeing the written and video updates at each step along the way must be helpful for you to look back on as well, right? I have been keeping notes on my phone but I like what you've done better.

I got an initial 3 lessons and have been working through drills since then on my own to try and save money. As you alluded to, with family and work obligations, the time spent on golf is never as much as you hope, so it's hard to commit to focused practice on a Saturday when that would be your only chance to get out on the course with your buddies, but I think another 6-pack of lessons would be money well spent for me in the long run...

Please keep sharing as the season picks up for you. Best of luck exiting the 80s on a more permanent basis!

Absolutely. Documenting everything here really helped me digest what I was trying to do and it kept me honest with just how much improvement I was having. 

I definitely plan to provide updates throughout the season 

[cksurfdude 7,937]

Somewhat related to the slow motion practice idea, and without holding a club, here's a tip from the inimitable Martin Hall about structure in the arms...

It definitely addresses one of my big problems!

Oh, note: the tip ends at about the 3:00 Mark, then a Revolution Golf ad is spliced on.

[cksurfdude 7,937]

And here's what I thought to be a really interesting note on why we must practice practice practice what we've been shown...

"We forget 40% of what we learn immediately upon leaving the learning environment and without proper review, we lose almost 90% in one week without proper review cycles. (Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve)"

-- This was in an email newsletter from the founder of the "Coach Now" app.

[jlukes 12,775]

39 minutes ago, cksurfdude said:

And here's what I thought to be a really interesting note on why we must practice practice practice what we've been shown...

"We forget 40% of what we learn immediately upon leaving the learning environment and without proper review, we lose almost 90% in one week without proper review cycles. (Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve)"

-- This was in an email newsletter from the founder of the "Coach Now" app.

Ain't this the truth. Between my elbow injury and flu, I didn't hit golf balls for most of March. Definitely took a step or two backwards 

[PAgolfer2017 1,933]

Really enjoyed reading this thread. Feel like I need to start one now and track how my lessons have gone.

Just curious. Did your new swing overhaul ever give you reservations about doing fittings, or did you feel like your foundation already was enough for you to get fit even with the changes you were doing?


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[ncwoz 1,483]

Little late to the party here, but really appreciated taking us through the journey jlukes! Might have just convinced me to get into some lessons

[jlukes 12,775]

5 hours ago, ncwoz said:

Little late to the party here, but really appreciated taking us through the journey jlukes! Might have just convinced me to get into some lessons

Thanks man! It's definitely a bumpy ride, but if have been seeing more and more glimpses of the correct swing on the course over the first part of of the year. 

I'd love to to be able to practice more to speed up the changes along but that's just not realistic and thus I have to manage my expectations. But I really am pleased with where everything is trending long term. This wasn't a quick fix and I knew that going in 

[jlukes 12,775]

Going to sign up for George Ganka's online swing program that lasts a year.  I've been watching GGSwing Tips well before the Matt Wolff stuff started happening and love his teaching style and how he explains things.  

[Golfspy_CG2 25,123]

33 minutes ago, jlukes said:

Going to sign up for George Ganka's online swing program that lasts a year.  I've been watching GGSwing Tips well before the Matt Wolff stuff started happening and love his teaching style and how he explains things.  

I commented in another thread on here somewhere about GG and how my instructor friend likes his philosophy, but knows it won't fit a lot of people, just from watching your swing and knowing what I know about you, I can definitely see you as being one that could definitely incorporate it.  

[jlukes 12,775]

21 minutes ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

I commented in another thread on here somewhere about GG and how my instructor friend likes his philosophy, but knows it won't fit a lot of people, just from watching your swing and knowing what I know about you, I can definitely see you as being one that could definitely incorporate it.  

Yup. Plus he isn't a one swing for all guy. So that's a huge appeal. 

In the past I would have never signed up for online lessons/programs, but after my winter program and my fitting I am so comfortable with my knowledge of my game, my swing and the golf swing that I am confident that I can make strides in a solid online program. 

 

[THEZIPR23 5,149]

1 hour ago, jlukes said:

Going to sign up for George Ganka's online swing program that lasts a year.  I've been watching GGSwing Tips well before the Matt Wolff stuff started happening and love his teaching style and how he explains things.  

I have thought about doing this as well. I like the way he teaches. 

[jlukes 12,775]

Going for a lesson with a new instructor.  Feel like this guy can get me over the hump.  Shares a lot of the same principles of Gankas .

I will report back after my lesson.

https://www.bs3golf.com/

[jlukes 12,775]

The lesson yesterday was fantastic.  Bill was incredible to work with.  The main things he noticed after a few swings was 1) My grip had gotten too weak.  2) My pivot in the backswing was too lateral and I had to much front/forward bend and 3) My hands exit too much too the right through impact.

First thing we did was strengthen my grip, getting it more into my fingers and out of part of my palm.  He explained that this alone would lead to more hooks, so we need to fix the pivot on the backswing and the rotation and hand path on the downswing to make sure the hands work in front of the club head.  We alternated between drills and swings.  We took lots of half swings and half follow throughs.  The one drill the really helped me was putting a stick in the ground about two feet or so off of my lead foot and stopping my swing before I hit the stick with the feeling that the hands where exiting to the left of the stick and higher than the club head (bowed wrist).  It felt very unnatural, but I began seeing some great results.

 He showed my numbers on the trackman that really showed me how the changes were working.  It gave me a more negative angle off attack with my irons (I was just about zero or even a little up during my fitting at True Spec) and it also gave me a better face to path ratio. He explained that an ideal face to path ration is about 2:1, meaning that for every degree the path is, the face should be "half" as closed.  So if my path is 4 degrees in to out, then my face should be around 2 degrees closed to the path for a nice push draw.

We went through a few more off-the-ball drills that I could do at home in my living room as well as another drill I could do while hitting balls.  Overall, I was extremely happy with Bill and his assistant Val, and I could see why Bill gets all of the accolades that he does. 

I know it is going to take a lot more work to get these feelings and moves into my swing, but I am fully confident in my ability to do it.

Which brings me to today.  I already had planned to play with my buddy this morning, and I didn't want to cancel on him just because I had a lesson less than 24 hours prior with pretty much no practice in between.  I went into the round fully expecting a disaster and on the front 9, it just about was.  I couldn't get off the tee with the driver.  Lots of hooks.  I hit some really promising iron shots that gave me glimpses of what I saw during my lesson, but they were sporadic.  I was flustered.  Thankfully, my putter was red hot.  If it wasn't I would have probably walked off after 9 holes.  At around the 7th hole, my buddy said to me "why don't you just go back to your old swing for the rest of the round", but I didn't want to.  I wanted to push through. 

I got to the 9th tee at +5 and something just kinda clicked.  I striped a 4 iron off the tee and then hit a great pitching wedge to about 12 feet but missed the birdie putt (one of only 8 two-putts on the day).  I tapped in my par and went onto the back 9.  I still struggled off the tee on the back 9 with the driver, but the irons seemed to come to life.  I hit some of the best irons shots I have hit in years and really started to click.  I shot +1 on the back, and that was with a penalty stroke on a Par 5 due to a duck hook.  Now, my 26 putts absolutely had something to do with my great round, but I left the course feeling so positive about the changes I am making as I hit enough great shots to make me want to stick with the changes.  

I probably won't see Bill again for at least another 3 months or so, but I am comfortable with the tools he gave me to continue to improve on my own.  As always, I will continue to keep everyone updated on my swing journey, as documenting everything here  and interacting with fellow members helps keep me honest and motivated.

[THEZIPR23 5,149]

What prompted the instructor change?

Impact position after adjustment is a very positive change. 

[jlukes 12,775]

20 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said:

What prompted the instructor change?

Impact position after adjustment is a very positive change. 

Technology, and just needed to find someone who could give me a different message to help get a feeling that really resonated with the moves I'm trying to make 

[edteergolf 312]

On 4/3/2019 at 3:47 PM, hartrick11 said:

@jlukes This has been very useful, and really appreciate you sharing. I am working through a similar process on my end over the last few months (trying to fix a stall with the lower body rotation that leads to early release, flip, pull hook )  and it has often felt like 2 steps forward followed by 1 (sometimes 1.9) steps back. Seeing the written and video updates at each step along the way must be helpful for you to look back on as well, right? I have been keeping notes on my phone but I like what you've done better.

I got an initial 3 lessons and have been working through drills since then on my own to try and save money. As you alluded to, with family and work obligations, the time spent on golf is never as much as you hope, so it's hard to commit to focused practice on a Saturday when that would be your only chance to get out on the course with your buddies, but I think another 6-pack of lessons would be money well spent for me in the long run...

Please keep sharing as the season picks up for you. Best of luck exiting the 80s on a more permanent basis!

You mean in three lessons you weren't able to see the solutions to your swing?  Don't forget there are online options and when it comes to changing movement patterns, much of the work should be done without a ball when you have limited time to devote to practice.  I'm sure you could find 10-15 minutes a day doing movement work.  You would be amazed and the change is possible.  

I still can't believe that you didn't have a full plan of attack over three lessons.  Doing the work is one thing but knowing what is needed is an hours work.  

[hartrick11 513]

No, I just mean time and money were constraints on continuing in-person lessons, which I think would otherwise be the best option for working through swing overhauls. I have my own plan and online resources & individual drills have been very helpful in their own right (especially Rebellion Golf), but for me at least, additional individual lessons would likely prove to be more beneficial than just what is online.   

[jlukes 12,775]

Went to the range this evening and worked on the drills I learned last week. Man I can already see and feel the difference in my ball striking. I'm flushing my irons and really compressing the ball. Working on maintaining my posture through the downswing and feeling like I'm having the club exit more around my body to the left rather than up and to the left. Towel drill really helped me actually start hitting down on my irons. Coming together nicely. 

 

 

 

 

[jlukes 12,775]

Swing Overhaul Part 2 has commenced