New to TGM. Need help

I just recently purchased TGM after becoming frustrated with my golf game over the last year. I have had a handicap between 7 and 10 for a couple of years and felt like I was stuck in one spot as far as golfing goes. Last year I suddenly lost the ability to compress the ball and consequently lost yardage and accuracy. Ultimately this is what led me to TGM. I started working on the basic motion this week and have found it tougher than I thought it would be, don't understand what I am doing, making it more complicated than it needs to be, or just over thinking it... maybe all of the above. I attempted acquired motion tonight at the range and mostly just kept sticking the club in the ground and hitting the ball fat. I have watched all the videos in the gallery and have been reading TGM manual and believe it is starting to make sense to me but I am getting extremely frustrated. I am almost starting to think there is so much information in the yellow book that I am over thinking everything. I am tempted to go back to just swinging the club without thinking about it or taking a break from the game altogether. Any encouragement would be wonderful.

Originally Posted by dvdpfstr I just recently purchased TGM after becoming frustrated with my golf game over the last year. I have had a handicap between 7 and 10 for a couple of years and felt like I was stuck in one spot as far as golfing goes. Last year I suddenly lost the ability to compress the ball and consequently lost yardage and accuracy. Ultimately this is what led me to TGM. I started working on the basic motion this week and have found it tougher than I thought it would be, don't understand what I am doing, making it more complicated than it needs to be, or just over thinking it... maybe all of the above. I attempted acquired motion tonight at the range and mostly just kept sticking the club in the ground and hitting the ball fat. I have watched all the videos in the gallery and have been reading TGM manual and believe it is starting to make sense to me but I am getting extremely frustrated. I am almost starting to think there is so much information in the yellow book that I am over thinking everything. I am tempted to go back to just swinging the club without thinking about it or taking a break from the game altogether. Any encouragement would be wonderful.

dvdpfstr,

I felt a lot like you until I bought and watched Alignment Golf from Yoda available in the Pro Shop right here at LBG. Mr. Blake and Mr. Trolio do a FANTASTIC job of explaining the fundamentals of TGM. It's hard work, but worth every minute of study.

Please read everything you can both here and at iSeek, once it starts becoming clear, the sky is the limit!

Kevin

I would suggest you take advantage of the massive amount of information Mr. Blake has provided for no cost on this wonderful site to supplement your close reading of TGM. Not to mention all the free videos. Do searches for the topics you are struggling with. It really is amazing how much information is here thanks to Yoda. I would also highly recommend you buy Alignment Golf DVD! It's amazing. Also everyone goes at their own pace understanding TGM, so even if you think you don't understand something today it will come to you in time, incubate those chicks they will hatch in time believe me. Of course finding an AI in your area is ideal as well.

we're on the same journey - bon voyage!

Birdie Chance
Bronx, NY

I would suggest seeing an Authorized Instructor of TGM. When I met Ted I probably understood about 50% of TGM and in particular the basics of TGM. Ted and I then worked on a lot of things that are not exactly what most golfers who get in TGM focus upon. We changed my grip, where my weight was in my feet at address, footwork, getting the club square on the backswing (it was incredibly shut at the top of the swing), etc. Some of that stuff may be tripping you up as well or perhaps you're trying to fix things in an order that doesn't work best for you.

I still highly recommend reading this site and watching the videos. I've only furthered my understanding of TGM and improved my swing by learning from the great posts and videos here. There's been some times where I've caught myself applying the methods incorrectly and didn't realize it until I read a post or watched a video. And I plan on purchasing the 'Alignment Golf' DVD very soon for the very same reason, to learn more and to improve.




3JACK

Originally Posted by dvdpfstr I just recently purchased TGM after becoming frustrated with my golf game over the last year. I have had a handicap between 7 and 10 for a couple of years and felt like I was stuck in one spot as far as golfing goes. Last year I suddenly lost the ability to compress the ball and consequently lost yardage and accuracy. Ultimately this is what led me to TGM. I started working on the basic motion this week and have found it tougher than I thought it would be, don't understand what I am doing, making it more complicated than it needs to be, or just over thinking it... maybe all of the above. I attempted acquired motion tonight at the range and mostly just kept sticking the club in the ground and hitting the ball fat. I have watched all the videos in the gallery and have been reading TGM manual and believe it is starting to make sense to me but I am getting extremely frustrated. I am almost starting to think there is so much information in the yellow book that I am over thinking everything. I am tempted to go back to just swinging the club without thinking about it or taking a break from the game altogether. Any encouragement would be wonderful.

Oh man. You opened a can of worms by buying that book. You break it you fix it. If you live within 6 hours of one of the contributing Pro's on this site, better get a motel reservation and gas up the car.

Did you buy the Cliff Notes or did ya just go cheap and buy the yellow book? You ain't gettin anyhow without them cliff notes.

Advice? sure. 1 four hour lesson from one of these guys is worth 1 year of reading that book.

Originally Posted by Daryl Oh man. You opened a can of worms by buying that book. You break it you fix it. If you live within 6 hours of one of the contributing Pro's on this site, better get a motel reservation and gas up the car.

Did you buy the Cliff Notes or did ya just go cheap and buy the yellow book? You ain't gettin anyhow without them cliff notes.

Advice? sure. 1 four hour lesson from one of these guys is worth 1 year of reading that book.

WOW! Doesn't sound very good for me. I didn't have any intention of going "cheap", I just found out about TGM on another sites forum and thought I would buy the book and read as much about it on this website and others. Sounds like TGM might be too complicated by that response. I might just need to get out the old "Five Lessons" and re-focus on that. Thanks for the input guys.

Originally Posted by dvdpfstr WOW! Doesn't sound very good for me. I didn't have any intention of going "cheap", I just found out about TGM on another sites forum and thought I would buy the book and read as much about it on this website and others. Sounds like TGM might be too complicated by that response. I might just need to get out the old "Five Lessons" and re-focus on that. Thanks for the input guys.

Go back to basic motion and stay there for a while. The club head moves two feet back and two feet through. No pivot, flat left wrist, steady head and you will start to get it. Go slow, even if you only hit the ball 10 yards it doesn't matter, just get the club moving back, up and in - down, out and forward with that flat left wrist, no scooping! Results will come, this is a journey and not a sprint.

"getting the club square on the backswing (it was incredibly shut at the top of the swing)"

Does the hitter suppose to have a shut clubface at the top due to impact address, less fanning (swifle than the swinger)?

At the top they look very similar. It is more how they get into that look that is different between hitter and swinger.

You will get to SEE this soon

Originally Posted by dvdpfstr WOW! Doesn't sound very good for me. I didn't have any intention of going "cheap", I just found out about TGM on another sites forum and thought I would buy the book and read as much about it on this website and others. Sounds like TGM might be too complicated by that response. I might just need to get out the old "Five Lessons" and re-focus on that. Thanks for the input guys.

I think that I scared that guy away. I don't know. Was it something I said? Whoa, Sorry about that.

Originally Posted by Yoda Let's see now, dvdpfstr . . .

You signed on with your first post at 9:39 p.m.

The author of the book in question spent forty years producing the work that ranked him #6 on Sport's Illustrated's All Time Great Gurus list (as ranked by Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructors / 2007).

You got four, non-combative and well-intentioned responses in 39 minutes.

And you're 'opting out' in favor of an already well-worn Five Lessons?



My advice: Embrace that 'old' lamp. Things won't change, of course, but it is much more comfortable (and much less challenging) than the 'new'.

I thought it would be reasonable that my first post would be to ask for help understanding TGM. But, if a senior member of these forums(forums that were suggested to me from members of other forums) say's the only way I will make any progress with TGM is by gassing up the car and driving 6 hours to stay in a motel to get a lesson from a contributor to this website, that's a little tough for me. As a father of three young children, a husband, full time career, and a part time college student, makes that option a little tough.

Like I said, I am a legitimate single digit handicap who plays in the mid- to low-80's with occasional rounds in the 70's who is just now starting to practice during the week to improve my game. I don't think that's too bad. I didn't mean to offend anyone and I apologize if I did. Seems like TGM aficionados are a little defensive.

For what it's worth though, Ben Hogan was pretty good.

Originally Posted by dvdpfstr I thought it would be reasonable that my first post would be to ask for help understanding TGM. But, if a senior member of these forums(forums that were suggested to me from members of other forums) say's the only way I will make any progress with TGM is by gassing up the car and driving 6 hours to stay in a motel to get a lesson from a contributor to this website, that's a little tough for me. As a father of three young children, a husband, full time career, and a part time college student, makes that option a little tough.

Like I said, I am a legitimate single digit handicap who plays in the mid- to low-80's with occasional rounds in the 70's who is just now starting to practice during the week to improve my game. I don't think that's too bad. I didn't mean to offend anyone and I apologize if I did. Seems like TGM aficionados are a little defensive.

For what it's worth though, Ben Hogan was pretty good.

I'm not dissing you dvdpfstr. Ben Hogan was one of the worlds greatest Golfers and It took him Twenty years of grueling hard work to start becoming one of them.

You aren't starting out any different than any of us. But, I had my first lesson after reading the book on my own for over twenty years and though I hate to admit, I learned more in that one lesson about the Golf Swing than I had during the previous twenty years on my own. But, I didn't have the INTERNET and all of the help from members on this web-site. I'm trying to save you time and agony. The truth is, why would anyone want to go through this just to improve their Golf Game?

You said "single digit handicap". Do you really want to study and learn everything about the golf stroke before you can apply that knowledge or are you simply seeking a few tips to get back into the single digits? It's an honest question.

If you only need a few component changes, why would you study the book? You wouldn't study X amount of years to become a Dentist so that you could "pull your own teeth".

But the Golf Stroke seems simple and innocent. Anyone can learn it. Right? Everyone has time and understanding enough, especially if someone can just tell you the answers. But hey, anyway, it should only take a few days, right?

During these past 25 years, I could have become a Physicist, Doctor, Lawyer, and Dentist. And, I'm just beginning to learn what took Homer Kelley 40 years of his life to understand. Call me stupid.

I'm just trying to save you time.

Defensive. Hmm? Maybe. It's my time as well as your time.

Originally Posted by dvdpfstr WOW! Doesn't sound very good for me. I didn't have any intention of going "cheap", I just found out about TGM on another sites forum and thought I would buy the book and read as much about it on this website and others. Sounds like TGM might be too complicated by that response. I might just need to get out the old "Five Lessons" and re-focus on that. Thanks for the input guys.

TGM is not complicated if you focus on the core concepts. Just understanding the 'flying wedges' can really be a big shortcut.

flying wedges = left arm and shaft in line (face on view) and right forearm and shaft in line (down the line view)

flat left wrist, bent and 'level' right wrist

Read the drills linked in my signature, and focus on the diagram in 1-L.

TGM has a lot of detail, but you don't need to understand the details to play well if you understand the concepts.

Originally Posted by Daryl
Did you buy the Cliff Notes or did ya just go cheap and buy the yellow book? You ain't gettin anyhow without them cliff notes.

Are there really Cliff Notes or something similar for TGM? What are you referring to here Daryl?

OB

Originally Posted by O.B.Left Are there really Cliff Notes or something similar for TGM? What are you referring to here Daryl?

OB

It's just my sense of humor. It would be illegal to publish a TGM book, but not to publish the Cliffnotes. Wouldn't you want both? And if I did have the Cliffnotes, how much would they be worth? Where are the Cliffnotes? There are right here on Lynnblakegolf.com They just need a little touchin up. The Archives.

Originally Posted by Daryl It's just my sense of humor. It would be illegal to publish a TGM book, but not to publish the Cliffnotes. Wouldn't you want both? And if I did have the Cliffnotes, how much would they be worth? Where are the Cliffnotes? There are right here on Lynnblakegolf.com They just need a little touchin up. The Archives.

Got a feeling the Cliff notes would be four thousand pages long and omitting much of the original content.

Congrats on the Black Hawks making it to the Eastern Finals.

oB

Originally Posted by O.B.Left Got a feeling the Cliff notes would be four thousand pages long and omitting much of the original content.

Congrats on the Black Hawks making it to the Eastern Finals.

oB

You bet... I bought Cliffnotes in College and if the book was 200 pages, the Cliffnotes boiled it down to 20. Can you imagine the Golfing Machine Cliffnotes? 200 pages for TGM and 2,000 pages of cliffnotes. Man, it's encrypted.