First time on range after day 25

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Just spent about 45 minutes on the range, first time hitting balls after day 25.just used 7 iron hit some good but some really bad (shanks). I recognize not to focus on the results at this point. The back swing with the weight in the ground or balancing my upper body with my rear end out is beneficial and a new move for me. I’ve always struggled with what a turn really is and this method takes the focus off of that. However, struggled with the swing into impact and follow through. I did think about pressurizing my body throughout the swing but I’m certain it wasn’t a building(or gradually 2-9) as you train.For a golf swing that takes less than a second how do you focus on the impact and follow through area? I know I reverted back to old habits with getting my arms/hands involved and that created the nasty results. Advice please, I want this to work and am serious about making a dramatic and permanent change to have a reliable and effective golf swing. Thank you Al

[Michael]

Hi Al. I share your pain. Taking the lessons from the living room to the range has been challenging for me too. Hopefully, someone from Tathata will have some good feedback for you(us). While we’re waiting, here are a few things that I’ve found useful.

First, it’s been helpful to me to disregard my results on the range while I’m still working on my swing movements. Just having a real ball in play is a big change from swinging at a broad swath of empty carpet in my living room. I try to keep my expectations in check while on the range. After all, my initial goal is to just get the swing down. I view my shanks, etc as meaning that I don’t have some part of the swing down yet, so I need to figure out what it is and work on it. I’ll look for the results later.

Second, I take a tripod and camera with me each time I go to the range. I video record swings using several different clubs and then review the video at home, comparing my swing movements to the Tathata body, arm and hand movements to see if something sticks out. When I see something (which I often do), I go back to the lesson for that movement and review and practice it until it starts to become more automatic.

Finally, I’ve found it useful to go back and re-do lessons that I did several weeks ago. When I do this, I almost always come across some little ah-ha item that I missed in the previous go-around. Most recently, I discovered that I was sloppy in my execution of body movement 10 – I wasn’t keeping my arms on the body through impact and follow through. Practicing to improve my execution of this one body movement has really rewarded me with better results on the range.

I hope this gives you some ideas. Good luck with your learning.

[Tathata Staff]

Great question Al. Michael, thank you for taking the time to share your response and recommendations. Below is a link to a video response that we have filmed specifically to support you and your question. Enjoy!

Forum Response – Surfing with Strength

[Michael]

Thanks for the great video response to this question Alex. The video was very helpful for me and easier to understand than if you had written the explanation.

[Tathata Staff]

We are glad to hear it was helpful Michael. We agree with you, video responses can be quite helpful and we look forward to providing more of these within the forum. Thanks Michael.

[Gilbert]

Alex, WOW! This was a great video! Many thanks! I was suffering from the same thing, shanking the ball at the range while attempting to keep my ribs up and after watching this video, i see that if i didn’t maintain that pressure in my lower body then my pelvis moves closer to the ball resulting in SHANKS!!!!!

Appreciate this kind of feedback… Cannot tell you how much I am enjoying the material.. Going to the range right now to practice! lol!

Gil

[Tathata Staff]

Thank you for the feedback Gilbert, we are happy you have stumbled upon this video and you have found value in it as well.

[Joseph]

I found that after day 24, it was very beneficial to review day 13 Deeper Discussion: Swing Plane at 56:50. Helps explain in more detail the reasons for correct hand and body movement at impact.

[Ryan]

I found this video very helpful as well. Last summer I started shanking, and it all happened after practicing a rotation drill. I now realize I was isolating my upperbody and not engaging my legs which caused the hosel to move closer to the ball.

Thank you again,

Ryan

[Chris]

I’m having just the opposite problem. I hit way too many balls off the toe of the club. HELP!

I’m a 7 hdcp, but the toe shots are driving my handicap up (even though the increase in opportunities to engage my short game has noticeably improved my chipping!).

Chris

[Clement]

Here’s something that helped me stop the shanks. During the impact practice routine check that pre-impact the arms come back to the body and the club head is pointing OUT towards the back toe (i.e. It’s not LAGGING behind the grip). Second, practice impact with your right hand on the club from the above position (baseball throw), left hand holding the top of the left pocket and pull up and left as you move through impact to get the feeling that you don’t turn or bump during the follow through. Hope that helps.

[Chester]

I’ll keep this short because I have shanked, toed, and excavated the turf behind the ball. I’ve mostly moved beyond those three faults by doing these things: 1) Take the cover off your driver and stick it under your right armpit. Keep it there throughout your swing until after you hit the golf ball. If you have made a good swing, the cover will pop out onto the ground in front of you and the divot you just made. 2) Don’t over-swing or under-swing. If my body stops turning, I stop swinging. Few of us are as flexible as our coach. 3) I’ve watched Bryon and I’ve watched that kid in the yellow shirt. I’ve noticed that at the very end of his backswing, he makes sure a) his right elbow is pointing down and b) he makes sure his left wrist is flat. I believe in that a whole lot because everybody on the PGA tour and the LPGA tour does that before they swing down. I’ve watched lots of video, and if it is good enough for them, it is good enough for me. 4) I don’t think of a damn thing when I swing. I’m just enjoying the motion. I don’t believe that you can think and perform at the same time. I’m sure you must move beyond thought. I do think of this and that when I make my practice swing, but I believe what Yogi Berra said, “Think? You can’t think and hit at the same time.” Finally, I know I’m not Jordan Spieth; I’m going to hit some stinkers. I also know that after 21 lessons, I’m going to hit some good ones too.

[Jay]

Hit the range after day 25. Hit most of the shots a little in the heel and to the right. Went back to the chapter and found that I was surfing to far into impact. My left hip pulled back after contact that left the face open. Once I surfed to level then tugged the left hip back the contact went to the center of the club and ball flight is on line.

[Chester]

Outforcoffee,
Here are two different fixes for you: 1) review your surfing technique and your transfer of weight to the target side glute technique, 2) take a discarded head cover from a driver and glue a 2″-3″ thick sponge inside of it. Before you make a practice swing, or even a striking swing, stick the driver head cover beneath your right armpit (off target armpit) and keep it there throughout the Hepler golf swing. It should never drop out. Never! Pressure on the sponge will vary, but here is the best part, the pressure on that sponge when it reconnects with your right pec should be sufficient to squeeze it enough so that your right triceps drives your torso around and through a complete turn. That’s true, but it is also an oversimplification because both triceps muscles and both pecs are involved in a Hepler golf swing, but I recommend you start with one head cover, one sponge, one arm, and one pec. If this drill is good enough for everyone on the PGA & LPGA tour, it is good enough for you & me.

[Chester]

Forum Response,
Of course, your instruction is a certainty, but I have an alternate suggestion. For a couple of years, I have tried to think of the golf swing as two separate dance movements which, with drill, can be combined into one fluid movement. Let’s take the kid in the background as a prime example. I believe that a camera should be put on him from above, behind, down the line, facing, etc. Have him wear black leotards and get all five views of him against and on top of a white background. Use close up and slow motion photography; so, we can see the movements he is making. I want to see three videos: the first should emphasize the torso, head, and legs, the second should focus on the arms; while, the third should combine all three. The reason I state this is that the kid seems to make the whole movement in one fluid motion – like a dance. That’s the way I want Hepler’s swing taught. I do not want to learn it as if I were breaking a board, or smashing through a cinder block. In fact, I’m damn sure I could hurt myself if I tried to execute those micro weight changes, lifts, and pressure adjustments. Trust me, I’m long past trying to satisfy a demanding and talented coach, especially when I’m not being paid to perform. That’s why I’ll look and think about what Hepler suggests, but I’m not going to throw my back out or tear a muscle in my glute to hit a golf ball. My suggestion is to take Hepler’s macho, violent, martial arts golf swing and give it a rhythmic, well balanced Fred Astaire treatment, even if that means focusing on the kid in the yellow shirt instead of the fire breather in the red shirt.

[Chester]

Hello, I had my golf instructor video tape my new, Tathata-like golf swing. His name is John Marshall and he’s given me about 10 lessons. I improved with him, but decided I needed a bit more; so, I bought the Tathata program. I have watched videos one through 27 and taken all the tests. Every day, I do the exercises and many days I go to the driving range to try to execute what I’ve learned. My video can be found on YouTube under chetsgolfswing. In the video I’m clobbering a Martin Chuck, Tour Striker 7-iron. As you can see, my swing is nowhere as good as Brian Hepler’s, but it is much better than it was. Also, as you can see, the golf ball is on a good trajectory and flying at the hole.

[Chester]

For the first time, I hit the ball the way Brian Hepler is teaching. Formerly, I hit it the way most professionals do, ie, reverse K and pointing the butt end of the shaft at at the ground for an iron, and out in front of the ball for the driver. This time I felt like everything was unwinding as a unit while keeping the club head in front of my torso. I didn’t film it, but the feel was like doing coordinated windmills on plane. I liked the feeling and made good contact with an impressive number of balls.
Of course, I watched all the videos more than once, took all the tests, and did the exercises, but I did one more thing. i started hitting wedge shots with my right (off target side) triceps laying on the side seam of my shirt. That discipline gave me excellent control and it forced me to rotate my torso. A angel must have kissed my brain because the thought “keep the magic Hogan triangle intact” through the swing came into my conscious mind. I did just that and for the first time in my life, I felt in control of my golf swing.
Here’s the best part. I know I can do this the next time out and I know the results are good. I’ll just start off with the wedge and my mind and body will respond. This golf swing is a very safe way to stay in the short grass from tee to green.

[Tathata Staff]

Hi Chester,

Thank you for sharing your feedback and experiences throughout your training, it’s great to hear how you are progressing and how you feel what you have been training and building is repeatable and will not leave you. This is an incredible strength you have built, thank you for sharing this will us and we look forward to hearing more.