Golfing with Bentshaft

[bentshaft]

Golf has been even more frustrating than usual the last few weeks. I have pretty much given up playing any rounds of golf, maybe 9 holes a week at this point. I just cannot get off the tee, so that just makes for no fun at all. I have been working on the range quite a bit, just trying to not be so freaking tense (I have a HUGE hit reflex-jerk from the top etc) and just trying to "feel" what is going on in my swing.

Like all of us, I manage to hit my share of good looking shots, but the inconsistency is driving me mad. When I finally manage to come inside, then I pop out of my spine tilt; when I try to stay in the tilt, I try too hard and come OTT again! Arghhhh!!

I have had a few swings where I feel my arms tighter and more connected, and have been pretty happy with the ball flight. On a positive note, I am using a more neutral grip now, as I used to slice the hell out of everything. With my old, super strong grip, I would now be hooking (or pull-hooking) badly. I believe that's the reason I resisted R3J's idea about getting on Trackman...I just don't see the benefit if I can't swing the same more than two times in a row!

The good news is I feel more of what my body is doing WHEN I'm not trying to kill the ball...Ringer has helped me with my balance and set up quite a bit...I may not be on the 4:30 line, but at least it's not on the 2:30 line!...grip is better...I'm plenty long when I do things correctly (for an old guy!)...

The really good news is I have managed to set up a clinic with Dan (Iteach) in about 10 days from now. It will be an all day deal and I am really looking forward to that. I am sure I will have a shorter backswing pretty soon!! I had to grab him before he ran off to Florida and gets famous teaching all those Nationwide boys!! That should be a FUN post to write about!!

bent

[cloran]

Do you have passive arms and hands, or are you actively hitting (right arm hitting, tgm) or swinging?

Just curious because I've always had that same "HIT" mentality from the top. As I've tried to curtail that I've become more and more passive with my arms... and I believe robbed myself of consistency.

I've just recently started working on a hitters motion into an angled hinge release and I have seen a good improvement in solid contact and compression.

[bentshaft]

cloran
I wish I could answer you more definitively...

I have/had? WAY too much arm swing, including a very ugly shoulder, body lunge at the ball, so right now I am just trying to use the pivot as my power point and not even think about arms, other than keeping them closer to the body. You have to understand, I didn't truly know or understand what the "pivot" meant until a couple months ago ... As far as hands go, I just try to hold the flex as long as possible, but that happens rarely.

Honestly, nothing in my swing feels passive...

Some things really are better, but putting it all together---YIKES!
thanks for reading
bent

[bentshaft]

Dan Carraher (Iteachgolf) is a very good golf instuctor...
details later...

[slalomdude]

Sept 21, 2010 15:02:42 GMT -5 bentshaft said:

Dan Carraher (Iteachgolf) is a very good golf instuctor...
details later...

Leave us hanging why don't you!

[bentshaft]

slalomdude---you actually made me LOL in real time!!

I was fortunate enough to arrange a clinic out here in the boonies with Dan (Iteachgolf)...There were 5 of us, and I think we all felt it was a very worthwhile day.

First of all, Dan is a nice guy. Easy to be around with plenty of stories during lunch! It was also kinda fun to hear how Brian Smock and Clay Ogden (he checked in after his round) were doing at the Nationwide event.

Overall, the day was similar to R3J's experience in Florida. Dan spent some time talking and explaining several things that he deemed important in the golf swing, hit a few balls to show some examples while talking short game ideas, and off we went. He took videos of all our swings for comparison purposes, then went on down the line with suggestions, critiques and ideas.

I hit ONE ball, and he says "so, you have problem pulling it, huh?" LOL YES!!

We all worked, hit a ton of balls, Dan took a lot of video so we could actually see what he was talking about. I hit a few shots and made a crack about never hitting a driver, so he said "I want to some driver swings after lunch" (great-I hate that club)

After a nice lunch, more of the same...lots of balls, lots of teaching...great stuff...

For me personally, just learning to turn with hands close to the body was interesting...keeping the clubhead outside the hands on the takeaway...arms straight...And yes, I hit a ton of drivers. The driver was hit and miss, but the important part was that I did understand what we wanted me to do. So now I set up to the target and think about pushing the ball; simple as that. My shot is a push draw for now...I will think about a fade when I get this new stuff figured out.

There was very little of TGM or S&T mentioned, Dan just worked with each one of us and did what he could to get us going in the right direction. I think my buddy Steve who attended is a VERY happy camper...He was doing a bunch of good stuff, with some unneeded movement, and Dan had him going pretty good at the end of the day.

All in all, a great day, a great experience and I am very happy I took the time to set this up.

[bentshaft]

Dan's Mac crapped out, so no video at this time---

before and after---

Attachments:

[bentshaft]

part 2

Attachments:

[bentshaft]

part 3

Attachments:

[gmbtempe]

nice changes dude....i am working with dan in two weeks. I consider it my continuing education classes......wife does not see it that way.

[bentshaft]

and for the finale---part 4

Dan must have had to look hard to find this one! I'm not sure I have had a look like this more than twice in my life...Lots of work to do but pretty cool after a one day deal...

Attachments:

[Richie3Jack]

Looking good.




3JACK

[slalomdude]

Sept 21, 2010 22:39:40 GMT -5 bentshaft said:

and for the finale---part 4

Dan must have had to look hard to find this one! I'm not sure I have had a look like this more than twice in my life...Lots of work to do but pretty cool after a one day deal...

Now that's one long lever!. Good stuff, congrats

[bentshaft]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the kind words.

It has been a struggle all week to incorporate the simple things that Dan and I were working on, but yesterday did give me some hope. One of my main things to work on is very simple-QUIT TRYING TO KILL THE BALL!! If I can relax just enough to feel where things are, my golfing life would be immeasurably easier...Truly a constant struggle.

Greg---I really think you will enjoy your clinic with Iteach...I know you read most, if not all his posts on G-WRX as do I...I have to admit I was amazed at his relative youth and having so much knowledge-very impressive.

It's mildly amusing to read some other posts here regarding Hogan's swing being the gold standard. IMHO, it was the gold standard for HIM! I really don't understand how anyone could think otherwise (which is why I rarely post in threads like that LOL), but all you have to do is go look at 500 golfers on any muni range and find even ONE who has the strength and flexibility to make his moves. His hand strength was out of this world; the great Ted Williams said after shaking hands that they felt like bands of steel! I really think the only guys who could swing like him are pro's and top ams, and even they don't look like Hogan.

Of course that's coming from a guy who is built like a fire hydrant and 30# of extra beer around the middle!

I'll try to get a video up here when I find one that isn't too embarrassing...

[bentshaft]

My Latest Golf Stuff and Comments

---I was planning on updating here at least once a week, but life (and laziness) gets in the way! I really have to admire R3J who works more hours than I do, works on his golf AND posts a bunch, plus the moderation duties...And then handicaps the NFL is his spare time...all of a sudden I have no excuse ;D

---I appreciate Greg and his level headed responses to the many posts about the golf swing

---I am still working hard to reduce tension, mainly in the upper arms and shoulder area. It has paid dividends in a big way as I am striking the ball much more consistently. Keeping the club outside my hands, and staying relaxed enough to feel the weight has been eye-opening. I like to feel that the clubface is a bit closed on the take away; It's kind of a modified dante/RFT move that seems to work for me. The RFT part seems to help me make a full shoulder turn which I seem to forget to do sometimes.

---Keeping the club outside my hands FEELS like a big loop, but it really doesn't look like it on video; this allows me to actually feel the club drop, and believe me, THAT is a new feeling!

---I got a little carried away with taking my hands back inside; I was overdoing that and getting a bit stuck, but that is pretty much fixed.

---Even on my "good" swings, I still come "up and out" too much, so that is a work in progress

---I can actually feel the difference on a more upright swing as opposed to a longer, shallower swing

---another new feel; forearm rotation on the downswing into the ball WOW when the timing is on, I need new yardages for all my clubs LOL I think I am usually more of a dead arm swinger, but who knows where I will be next week or next month.

---I took a lesson from my main man about 10 days ago... I really wanted him to give me the "OK" that everything I have been working on was looking good. I have so many new feels that I wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything too horribly wrong. I got an A+ from him, as most of it were things we have worked on in the past; it just took me forever to feel what he wanted me to do.

---The driver still gives me fits, but it's getting better. I have added some compensating adjustments for now, but at least I can hit the damn thing. I have to place the ball further in front of me than most anyone and added a 10 finger grip (driver only) and it seems to working well.

---I played 9 last Thursday with an out-of town client/friend/PGA pro---I didnt score all that well, but had 4 pars, so that was fun...

---I love my Wood Bros Texan (pics in the equipment/WITB section)

---I had purchased a "snake eyes" 685BX 60/8 degree wedge about a year ago...I always have liked the feel (they are forged) so I recently ordered a 56/14 and a 52/8 and dropped in a Rifle 7.0 in each of them. I have a matching set of wedges for the first time and I love them. That 56 is MONEY out of the sand!! I have no doubt they would be more popular with marketing money behind them

---I had a couple of hybrids that were OK, but I started hating the offset, so I picked up a Hogan Edge CFT 19 degree 2 hybrid (for 7 bucks LOL). I assume it was made by Callaway; in any case it has a better look (very litle offset) to it and I'm hitting it pretty well.

---It has been pretty cold here in the mornings, but that usually means sunshine in the afternoon, so I can get out for about 90 minutes after work and before it gets dark. I usually hit about 40 or 50 balls these days, then play a few holes. By then it's getting cold again and semi dark

---Golf is a funny game! It seems like most guys here are pretty competitive and we all know scoring is the name of the game. I just have never cared...It will be 4 years in April on this goofy golf journey, and all I ever wanted to be was a good ballstriker. A long way to go, but I feel closer to the goal. I want to be a good enough ball striker to be really pissed at my short game!!

---Short game needs work LOL (especially chipping)

---I still pull out my Hagens/Hogans/Macs from time to to time. They sure show you how much work is left to be done.
my main gamers are

Maltby 10 degree CT250 Pro Driver/ UST Pro Force Stiff tipped to X

Cobra Speed Pro XST 15 degree 3 wood/UST Pro Force Stiff tipped to X

Hogan Edge CFT 2 Hybrid 19 degree/Apex 4-need to re shaft

4-PW Max Fli Revolution (Black dot) about 3 flat/Rifle 7.0
( I have the 1-2 and 3 irons to go with these irons)

60/56/52 Snake Eye 685BX forged/Rifle 7.0

no name putter
soon to have one made by my buddy here
thefundamentalgolfcompany.com/

Golf has been a lot more fun lately...