Can't hit the darn thing straight.

[Jeff]

Completed day 26. Went to play for the first time this season in the Northeast. Had the absolute worst round in 10 years. I have been going to the range in advance and worked hard on this surfing the knees, pull back with the forward hip, etc. Same results…fades and all out slices. Two seasons ago, I visited a golf instructor who told me I “gripped the club like a gorilla”. I was taught to lighten up, come through with a “light” grip because my “clenching” grip forced the clubhead to remain open with my forearms looking like Popeye. Needless to say, I am going from a very light grip with good results to immediate shots to the right at impact. This past weekend I played the front 9 the Tathata way, and the back 9 my previous way. Night and day difference. I had my game back with my old softer, less tension swing. I felt more calm going back easy with full rotation over this 2-9 pressure thing. So again, immediate slice with the newly taught 2-6 pressure, then went back to my “light” grip and had my shots going straight/draw again. What am I doing incorrectly? I realize that this takes time, but I have really worked on pushing back the left hip and lost the draw I had last year to an immediate fade. Anyone else here have this happen?

[Les]

I’ve always had a tight grip and like you say have developed popeye forearms. Over the last few years I worked to develop a fade-type shot shape and continue to do so with Tathata. I don’t mind the fade as I have really worked hard on eliminating the left side of the course except when needed. I still have a hard time making a draw shot on demand.

When you swing with the pressures advised by Tathata the club face really isn’t rotating much through the impact zone, so if you are coming from a light grip where you are timing the closing of the club face you are probably coming through now with an open face. Also, Tathata swing has some left swing path coming out of impact. Where I would look is where is your club face when you do the baseball throw move. It’s important to have a toe-down orientation at the finish of the baseball throw.

Until you can regain that forearm strength I suspect you are going to struggle with a fade/slice shot shape. My issue is not that I don’t have the strength, but more that for the last few years I have trained myself to have an open club face prior to impact then use forearm rotation to close it up. With Tathata I too still have an open face so I need to work more on getting that toe-down orientation prior to impact.

As a drill, try taking only quarter or half length swings where you get the club parallel with the ground on your take away, then swing back through from there concentrating on having that toe-down face orientation. This should give you a feeling for where the face needs to be.

[Jeff]

I appreciate the feedback, and will report my results following the next time at the range or course. I want to make sure this fault is taken care of before the next chapter.

[David]

Jeff,

Not to overload you with opinions, but here are a couple of other thoughts to consider. But a quick caveat before I start: without seeing your swing, all any of us can do is guess. If you want an informed opinion, feel free to post a video for us to see. Alternatively, you can always submit a video for the Tathata experts to review and provide you with a detailed program specific to you.

In addition to Les’ theory about timing and hands, with pressure it is also possible that you may be turning your shoulders a bit quick causing an outside-in swing path. As you swing the club see if you can tell from the blur of the club what path it is taking. If this is the cause, then focus on your snap-to-level move.

Along the same line, you might check to see how you’re taking the club back. If the club goes too much behind instead of being pushed to the side, then the arms can get trapped, which forces them along an outside-in pathway. By adding the pressure, it is possible that the arms might get stuck behind while with your free-wheeling swing you’ve learned to make some sort of compensation.

If you’re looking for a draw with the Tathata swing, my recommendation is as follows: 1) make sure the back foot is flared out about 10 degrees, 2) back foot should also be dropped back at least four inches, and 3) make sure that your shoulders are closed five to 10 degrees as you surf to level.

There are other factors like avoiding early extension and high hands at impact, but these three items will deliver a draw if everything else is done correctly.

One final note, Jim McLean’s cornerstone drill works very good with Tathata. Just focus on slamming the arms on the body while maintaining other correct body movement and you’ll see great progress toward hitting the ball straight as an arrow.

[Jeff]

Follow up to this post. Pressure 2-9 has been tossed out the window. I have played 3 rounds, and have frequented the range following work since this post. I have tried all kinds of variations of the gradual “pressure” and the increase in pressure still results in a fade/slice. I really think the increased grip pressure inhibits the club face from naturally closing at impact. (for me anyways) I have since switched to a pressure level of “4” at impact and have successfully made the ball fly straight, if not drawing to the left. I’ve even gone back to a more neutral grip to compensate for the draw.

This is an excellent program, don’t get me wrong. However, in my case, the “8 at impact” pressure isn’t working out so well for me. I have noticed a more repeatable swing since starting this program, but I have edited my swing to a much lighter grip pressure on the downswing, and it has helped out my game a lot.

I don’t know if anyone else has inherited the doomed slice by starting this program, but this is what I have found to work for my swing. Now that I think of it, my “4” at impact may be someone else’s “8”.

[Andreas]

Same here, the pressure thing does not work for me unless I maybe mixing tension and pressure, where I cannot see how to produce one without the other. I posted a comment also in the “slice” chapter support (cannot find it right now, so no link here). The hand/wrist just won’t close and swing naturally with the pressure build up, resulting in either a slice (or at least a string spin to the right) or a catastrophic pull.

Would be nice to hear from the tathata team concerning this problem, from which several people here seem to suffer.

[Tathata Staff]

Thank you all for your feedback and comments! The word pressure has had tremendous success for students but it also may bring about a sense of tension for others equating in a sense of being rigid or too tight! This is perfectly okay! While you are training and playing see if replacing the word pressure with the word “Energy” helps! Think of swinging from a 2-9 in energy as you sense something new and incredible out in front.

Many of you have experienced playing other sports with a sense of having fun and playing with energy! The same thing is possible in the game of golf!. Sense energy out in front sense swinging with the energy building in your golf swing so that the speed and pressure happens naturally rather than thinking about it and allowing tension to build.

Thank you for everything you guys are doing to help us, we look forward to the moments ahead as you continue to build greatness out in front!