Manual de la Torre Method

[wmblake2000]

Steve and Pearl ... That's interesting about l hand and not inconsistent with what I have been thinking.

 

But here's my question. The thing I like the most about this idea is the focus outside the body and feels. The image of the club seems like a great step in the direction of thinking about target and shot - imagery that I believe is optimal.

 

So I was thinking the 'solution' was a new image of the club path early in the backswing - more upright, head higher quicker. This leads to a different role for the r hand - but this is subordinate to the image of the club plane.

 

So what's you real life experience - how much 'seepage' from the image of the club to body do you experience? Obviously I am thinking hands in bs and arms in fs but these are intimately tied to image of club plane. How does this work for you?

 

Thx

[juststeve]

Taking the club back with both hands is not and end in itself, nor will in guarantee a proper position at the top. Pearl simply observed that top hand dominance will lead to the problem you are experiencing. Manny would have agreed. Ultimately it must be your intention to swing the club back and over your trail shoulder. Ideally when you reach the top, if the club is parallel to the ground it would also be parallel to the target line. Club over the trail shoulder, parallel to the ground and the target line is the image to work toward.

 

Some time ago someone, it might have been Pearl posted a video of Manny hitting some balls. His top of the back swing club position is what to work towards.

 

Steve

[The Pearl]

 

Manuel addresses the hand movement's during this broadcast.

 

 

Poetry in motion.

 

 

I would also urge you to get a copy of John Hayes's book:

 

 

http://www.learninggolfwithmanuel.com/

 

 

( I don't know Mr. Hayes at all in full disclosure)

[wmblake2000]

Thanks guys.

 

I watched the youtube video. The most powerful idea in it for me was he says on every shot he thinks the same thought - hands take the club over r shoulder, arms swing it through to the target. A swing thought for life for him. Nice.

 

I still like to use video to see objective outcome. If I swing hands more inside going back, both hands hinge the club much more upward on plane. That might be just another way of thinking about this left hand dominant idea which also looks like it moves butt of handle away from body and shaft inside. Anyway, much more on plane and great results. Played 9, +1. I

 

[media=]

[/media]

[The Pearl]

Your move looks pretty sweet to me. I am obviously not an instructor, but that sure looks easy and repeatable.

[wmblake2000]

It took this discussion to get that to happen. Both hands was an eyeopener. And the video. I have been fighting this rolled off classic l hand dominant move for 5 yrs. I think it might be solved. So thanks a lot!

[wmblake2000]

The thing I really like about MDLT is the focus on the club swinging (and not body and not target) is right on. We control the club. This is the right externality.

 

But this is not the same as denying the details of the body. Nor is every swing of the club correct. For example, I can get the club more-or-less on plane coming down but then I 'break the circle' and swing to right field. The correlate to this is my hips don't open. If I try to swing the club back inside then I flip the head and hit a weak hook. But if I swing the arms inside, I immediately sense I need to rotate and keep body, arms and club in sync. These are not trivial things - but what it seems like is by focusing primarily on the swing of the club led by the arms, the thinking about the body actions needed become 'background' and while I can't say the opening of the hips and arms/club in sync happens without any intention, nonetheless the intention is not what I would call 'fragmented' but are a part of this one core swing principle. Which leaves me thinking much more clearly and simply - and confidently. Less tension, much less tension is the result.

[mikkav]

Couldn't agree more with last post. What's very important about swinging the whole club is exactly that-swinging the WHOLE club. Not the handle or the clubhead. Once that idea is grasped its an eye opener.

[juststeve]

The thing I really like about MDLT is the focus on the club swinging (and not body and not target) is right on. We control the club. This is the right externality.

 

But this is not the same as denying the details of the body. Nor is every swing of the club correct. For example, I can get the club more-or-less on plane coming down but then I 'break the circle' and swing to right field. The correlate to this is my hips don't open. If I try to swing the club back inside then I flip the head and hit a weak hook. But if I swing the arms inside, I immediately sense I need to rotate and keep body, arms and club in sync. These are not trivial things - but what it seems like is by focusing primarily on the swing of the club led by the arms, the thinking about the body actions needed become 'background' and while I can't say the opening of the hips and arms/club in sync happens without any intention, nonetheless the intention is not what I would call 'fragmented' but are a part of this one core swing principle. Which leaves me thinking much more clearly and simply - and confidently. Less tension, much less tension is the result.

 

I was going to comment on the swing video you posted but I refrained because I'm just not good at analyzing videos. This comment however confirmed my suspicions so I will comment in the way I believe Manny would have.

 

Whenever the motion of your hips becomes anything other than a reaction to the motion of the club you must ask yourself, when do move my hips, how far, how fast. You have to ask that question separately for each club in your bag and for each swing you make with each club. When, how far and how fast will differ from club to club and between full shots and part shots. Unless you intend to spend all day every day practicing that is just too much to do consistently.

 

In your video just after impact I saw what appeared to me to be an unnatural turning of your hips. You should try to eliminate body movement that is not purely reactive to the club. I would recommend focusing on keeping the body relaxed so it able to respond. If your body is tight, or if you are trying to move it in a conscious manner, in can never react as it should.

 

Take this for what it's worth, its just my opinion.

 

Steve .

[wmblake2000]

 

I was going to comment on the swing video you posted but I refrained because I'm just not good at analyzing videos. This comment however confirmed my suspicions so I will comment in the way I believe Manny would have.

 

Whenever the motion of your hips becomes anything other than a reaction to the motion of the club you must ask yourself, when do move my hips, how far, how fast. You have to ask that question separately for each club in your bag and for each swing you make with each club. When, how far and how fast will differ from club to club and between full shots and part shots. Unless you intend to spend all day every day practicing that is just too much to do consistently.

 

In your video just after impact I saw what appeared to me to be an unnatural turning of your hips. You should try to eliminate body movement that is not purely reactive to the club. I would recommend focusing on keeping the body relaxed so it able to respond. If your body is tight, or if you are trying to move it in a conscious manner, in can never react as it should.

 

Take this for what it's worth, its just my opinion.

 

Steve .

 

Thx for the input. Ironically, I think on this swing there was no thought re hips at all. It was just back with hands thru with arms. It's only when I also think 'back inside with the shaft' that I think about rotating more (chest and hips). The thing about changing long-standing habits is I rarely have seen any change that didn't require some intention and/or conscious recognition.

 

I think that mainly there is a stiffness (calcified mind and body!) and I am definitely conscious of 'relaxing the body and let it react' so I share your core thought about leaving the body relaxed and let it respond. That's part of what is so attractive. It's just that I also am not sure all changes will come without some conscious attending to them.

 

But I really like this approach after 10 days. Going to keep at it, and for a while, maybe permanently. This might be a swing thought for life. That's kind of the holy grail in my book.

[juststeve]

If you have only been at it ten days I'm not surprised you're not all the way there yet. The method is simple but not necessarily easy.

 

Try hitting balls with your feet together. The body will respond more readily with the feet together and you will get the feel for arms swing, body reacts.

 

Steve.

[wmblake2000]

The thing I like about this is a clear idea of what to focus on. One of the core things I got from Monte was a very clear and limited set of principles that I focused on for a couple of years - and I improved a lot for me. Now MLDT provides an even simpler set of principles that are 100% consistent with what I have learned. The main shift is from a body/feel focus to a club focus. I know this will guide my golf for the long term.

 

The feet together drill tells me what I know. Let the body react to the swing. My body has to unlearn a habit but that's what learning is.

 

The other thing is this core idea (swing the club) is now part of chipping, pitching and putting. It is a shift in what I pay attention to. This all seems like a step forward for me.

[The Pearl]

The thing I like about this is a clear idea of what to focus on. One of the core things I got from Monte was a very clear and limited set of principles that I focused on for a couple of years - and I improved a lot for me. Now MLDT provides an even simpler set of principles that are 100% consistent with what I have learned. The main shift is from a body/feel focus to a club focus. I know this will guide my golf for the long term. The feet together drill tells me what I know. Let the body react to the swing. My body has to unlearn a habit but that's what learning is. The other thing is this core idea (swing the club) is now part of chipping, pitching and putting. It is a shift in what I pay attention to. This all seems like a step forward for me.

 

It will take you quite a while to be able to free the mind. After all this time I believe the greatest challenge is mental, not physical. The mind wants to intervene and try to tweek the concepts. All of my set backs have been because I got off track and tried to complicate things and by complicating things I don't always mean by getting away from Manuel's principles. I often complicated things within Manuel's concepts. REMEMBER, his concepts are intentions rather than concepts to precisely executed. FOR ME, trying to precisely execute the concepts by purposeful action has always turned out bad, particularly on the course. Any tweeks always added tension and resulted in a swing that was rigid and off balance. At some point towards the fall I just gave up and tried to simply relax my entire upper body and swing the club back and toward the target in one continuous motion without any sense of tension throughout.

 

Bingo, that was the breakthrough moment that has stayed permanent. I am playing the best golf of my life now. Now I just picture the target and try to make a tension free swing in one continuous motion without an abrupt transition or trying to add hand speed at the bottom as I approach impact.

 

It is also important to keep in mind that tension free IS NOT the same as "swing easy."

[SuperPunch]

Steve,

I saw in another post that you've used a whippy club, or a bendy club, as a training aid before. Do you think one of the iron sized orange whips would be the same effect? And is the idea to keep the club from bending, meaning that you are swinging the whole club?

 

Haven't been able to play or pick up a club in over a week. Have been rereading the book to try and keep the method fresh in my head, but was wondering if there was a training aid to help keep the feels.

 

Anyone else?

 

Thanks

[juststeve]

SuperPunch:

 

I think you talking about what was marketed as the Tempo Master. I didn't really us it as a training aid myself but discovered that swinging the whole club without leverage makes it easy to hit. Swing it and its easy, lever it and its hard to even make contact. If you have one use it. Same principle as the weight on the string, except you can hit balls and make full swings.

 

Steve

[SuperPunch]

The thing I like about this is a clear idea of what to focus on. One of the core things I got from Monte was a very clear and limited set of principles that I focused on for a couple of years - and I improved a lot for me. Now MLDT provides an even simpler set of principles that are 100% consistent with what I have learned. The main shift is from a body/feel focus to a club focus. I know this will guide my golf for the long term. The feet together drill tells me what I know. Let the body react to the swing. My body has to unlearn a habit but that's what learning is. The other thing is this core idea (swing the club) is now part of chipping, pitching and putting. It is a shift in what I pay attention to. This all seems like a step forward for me.

 

It will take you quite a while to be able to free the mind. After all this time I believe the greatest challenge is mental, not physical. The mind wants to intervene and try to tweek the concepts. All of my set backs have been because I got off track and tried to complicate things and by complicating things I don't always mean by getting away from Manuel's principles. I often complicated things within Manuel's concepts. REMEMBER, his concepts are intentions rather than concepts to precisely executed. FOR ME, trying to precisely execute the concepts by purposeful action has always turned out bad, particularly on the course. Any tweeks always added tension and resulted in a swing that was rigid and off balance. At some point towards the fall I just gave up and tried to simply relax my entire upper body and swing the club back and toward the target in one continuous motion without any sense of tension throughout.

 

Bingo, that was the breakthrough moment that has stayed permanent. I am playing the best golf of my life now. Now I just picture the target and try to make a tension free swing in one continuous motion without an abrupt transition or trying to add hand speed at the bottom as I approach impact.

 

It is also important to keep in mind that tension free IS NOT the same as "swing easy."

 

I needed to read this again. Just got back from the range, first time I was able to hit any balls in a couple weeks due to being out of town. The last time I played, which was actually on the course, went great. Loved everything about it.

 

This practice session, as I had feared, I lost that feeling. I kept on reminding myself the method, but maybe I was over doing it. I was hitting a lot of pulls coming in pretty steep. Also some pushes. Here and there some good shots, but looking at the video, I was still dominating the swing with my shoulders.

 

I was also getting some really weird backswing positions, a flying elbow feeling at time or even the club below my shoulder line. Basically, I was all over the place.

 

When I really, really focused on just being completely relaxed and kept the swing thought of clubhead with hands over the shoulder and then the whole club in the direction of the target (still keeping in mind the arc), the contact was much better. I suppose that's the main thing — trying to be completely relaxed, let the body react and trust it. I play tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

[steka]

I'm interested in this, and you guy's discussion made me buy the ebook.

Simply because I'm very interested to learn what Manuel taught. I was a fond follower of Shawn Clement and really like his style and videos etc.. But i just couldn't make it work. It seems it is still too body concentrated for me, as Shawn is preaching his "out of the way" move. My usual move is to get to the top of the backswing, TURN everything and then coming OTT. I was able to minimise the effect with Monte's teachings but it is a lot to let sink in and indeed it means constant thinking about positions at least as a beginner.

 

With what i see from the short insight i have to MDLT's teachings he takes that completely away by concentrating on the club to be swung to the target.

I've been a good tennis player in my youth, and starting golf I've alway hit the ball, not swung at it, and results were good. Two years of trying to interpret traditional teachings of "swinging" didn't change a whole lot. I do have a repetitive swing though.

Will give MDLT's book a shot and try to interpret it.

[The Pearl]

I'm interested in this, and you guy's discussion made me buy the ebook.

Simply because I'm very interested to learn what Manuel taught. I was a fond follower of Shawn Clement and really like his style and videos etc.. But i just couldn't make it work. It seems it is still too body concentrated for me, as Shawn is preaching his "out of the way" move. My usual move is to get to the top of the backswing, TURN everything and then coming OTT. I was able to minimise the effect with Monte's teachings but it is a lot to let sink in and indeed it means constant thinking about positions at least as a beginner.

 

With what i see from the short insight i have to MDLT's teachings he takes that completely away by concentrating on the club to be swung to the target.

I've been a good tennis player in my youth, and starting golf I've alway hit the ball, not swung at it, and results were good. Two years of trying to interpret traditional teachings of "swinging" didn't change a whole lot. I do have a repetitive swing though.

Will give MDLT's book a shot and try to interpret it.

 

Steka,

 

As always, Juststeve is our direct link to MDLT so anything I might try to help with he may correct or improve upon, but I will see if I can help.

 

Relative to your tennis experience, there are a thing or two you can translate over into what MDLT teaches:

 

1. When you are executing a ground stroke, what is your mental picture? I would assume for good players they are visualizing the court, where there opponent might be and where they are trying to hit the ball. Basically, you are visualizing the other side of the court and zeroing in on the target, perhaps the opposite corner of the court or something similar.

 

2. If the target is the opposite corner of the court, where do you swing the racquet?

 

3. You swing the racquet at the target through the ball. The ball gets in the way.

 

4. You swing the entire racquet in the direction of the target, using your arm. Using MDLT principles, you swing the entire club toward the target using both upper arms. Upper arms meaning from the shoulder to the elbow. In tennis, you don't hit at the ball with your hands. Same in golf. We have all seen beginning tennis players swatting at the ball.

 

5. Your focus is the target, you swing the racquet in the direction of the target, your body responds to the swinging of the racquet. Obviously in Tennis, you must move your body to get to the point so you can execute the shot as opposed to golf whereby we start from a static position. But once you are set to hit the tennis ball, you simply swing the racquet to the target, through the ball, and the body naturally responds.

 

That was long winded so here you go:

 

Visualize your target on the court (the flag stick), swing the racquet (entire golf club), toward your target (flag stick), with your arm (upper arms). The ball gets in the way and the body responds.

 

Perhaps, in terms of tennis, thinking about how you execute a serve (static starting position) might help you translate to MDLT for easily.

 

The biggest transition for you will be the same as it was for me, initiating the swing with the body, mostly the shoulders, in a direction that was down toward the ball, rather than executing a swinging motion at the target. You get OTT the top with all your energy largely directed down toward the ball.

[birly-shirly]

Nice work. Having played some racquet sports and a bit of golf, I might perhaps caution one point of difference. I think the swinging concept works so well in golf partly because of the physical attributes of the club and ball. The clubhead acquires speed, and then transfers momentum to the ball at impact as if the clubhead were moving freely in space, disconnected from the handle of the club or the player. There is no opportunity for the player to add force or weight AT IMPACT. In consequence, there is what I think must be a greater premium on rhythm and a lack of tension in golf than there is in tennis, where I believe that to hit the ball hard and effectively, you had better be pretty braced through impact.

[steka]

Thank you Pearl.

 

Well, Tennis has the major difference versus Golf that the tennis ball is a moving object.

As Shawn Clement says "we are gravity geniuses", so the human is able to interpolate where the ball will be at the desired time where the tennis racquet is square to the target line.

Other than that, yes, the motion goes to the target. No active thinking about body positions, but a thinking of i want to launch that ball in that direction.

[steka]

Question on Setup.

Manuel says we should set up the way just like we're facing another human being.

Doing that, my feet are slightly flared.

 

However describing the setup Manuel also describes how front foot or back foot placed away from target line + flared away have an impact on the swing.

 

So which is the neutral setup he prefers for the feet ? Flared or not flared ?

 

 

Second:

Manuel says the Grip should be running across the palm of the lead hand. Currently i'm holidng the club for maximum hinge, which is right across the inside of the knuckles. Much like holding a suitcase. If i were to hold an umbrella i can see what Manuel means, but i just have been taught to do differently to allow maximum hinge !?

[birly-shirly]

Steka - re your stance, my understanding from the book is that having both feet flared a natural and comfortable amount is fine. What affects your swing and ballflight is if you pull either foot back from the target line AND increase the amount of flare. It would seem natural to me then an equal amount of flare in both feet at address would be preferred, but it appears to me that in the photos of Manuel, his left foot is flared somewhat more than his right foot.

 

I don't really want to say anything about your grip. What you're describing is certainly a conventional grip according to some other fine teachers - but I do not want to stray into a discussion of what style of grip is compatible with the rest of Manuel's teachings.

[The Pearl]

Steka,

 

The book reads: "The club rests diagonally across the palm of the high hand." Perhaps the word "diagonally" is key here? In my own grip, I consider this meaning that the club runs somewhere below where the hand creases which puts some part of the fatty part of your upper hand slightly on top of the grip and so that the club than runs "diagonally" downward across the palm so that the club crosses about where the index finger begins. That is how I grip with the upper hand.

 

I am only taking a stab at Manuel's words here, but it seems to me he is trying to avoid people gripping the club with the upper hand so that the club goes across the palm or across the first part of the fingers. Hence the importance of the word diagonal.

 

Again, I am just throwing something out there for discussion.

 

 

I don't have the textbook grip. My grip tends to be somewhat separated and my right hand a tad bit strong so that the V points just slightly right of my center. I have very small hands. I can remember reading either in an article/interview or John Hayes's book that if a player is pretty decent and has been playing for a long period of time that Manuel does not usually fool with his/her grip.

 

This appeared to be the case with me as I asked him about it and he said that he would changed it if he thought it might be an issue.

[stuboy]

Steka,

 

The book reads: "The club rests diagonally across the palm of the high hand." Perhaps the word "diagonally" is key here? In my own grip, I consider this meaning that the club runs somewhere below where the hand creases which puts some part of the fatty part of your upper hand slightly on top of the grip and so that the club than runs "diagonally" downward across the palm so that the club crosses about where the index finger begins. That is how I grip with the upper hand.

 

I am only taking a stab at Manuel's words here, but it seems to me he is trying to avoid people gripping the club with the upper hand so that the club goes across the palm or across the first part of the fingers. Hence the importance of the word diagonal.

 

Again, I am just throwing something out there for discussion.

 

 

I don't have the textbook grip. My grip tends to be somewhat separated and my right hand a tad bit strong so that the V points just slightly right of my center. I have very small hands. I can remember reading either in an article/interview or John Hayes's book that if a player is pretty decent and has been playing for a long period of time that Manuel does not usually fool with his/her grip.

 

This appeared to be the case with me as I asked him about it and he said that he would changed it if he thought it might be an issue.

 

I think in the Golf Channel show with him he demonstrates the grip in the section where people phone in

[juststeve]

In my left hand grip, which I learned from Manny, the butt of the club is under the pad of the left hand and runs diagonally to the second joint of my index finger. If I apply the hand correctly I can open my fingers and the club will be supported between the heel pad and the crook of the index finger. Control of the club can thus be maintained with very little tension.

 

Steve

[wmblake2000]

I also got John Hayes' book that the Pearl suggested and recommend it. While some of the language Hayes and MDLT use is still confusing to me, one thing that was in the Hayes book that helped was his mention that MDLT says the r leg drives body motion - be on your r toe by impact. Arms swing club, r leg moves body on downswing. This new action really works for me. It helps lessen the feeling of trying to force speed with the arms. Result is tremendous speed a lot of relaxed feel and ending the swing fully on the left side. Just swing around the center and get on that toe quickly (relative to my habit).

 

The thing that impresses me the most about this is I really think MLDT clarifies the focus to the root controllers of the shot. It is simple because it's brilliant. The other concept that strikes me a flat out brilliant is the one of focusing on this core simple set of principles. If you think the swing idea works, then stay focused on it. This is how I understand real improvement to happen.

[SuperPunch]

One thing conceptually I'm still struggling with is swinging in the direction of the target. Mentally when I picture this, and at times swing, it gets steep and over the top. I think part of it is that I get a bit anxious and my shoulders get involved. Is there a mental picture anyone uses that helps you get a better direction or path from the top? My guess is that it's kind of like Ben Hogan's glass plane from the shoulders and swinging the club with the upper arms back down that way, keeping in mind that the swing is an arc and from the top the club still has to go back instead of a straight line forward. Am I close?

 

Wmblake: Is getting up on the right toe still a reaction to the swing or a conscious effort?

[birly-shirly]

Just wanted to post my thanks for this thread, and in particular the Pearl, WilliamBlake and the eternal MDLT stalwart and source of wisdom that is Steve.

 

Manuel's teachings are not new to me - but for various reasons in which it would be fair to include my level of understanding and circumstances in recent years, I did not initially get the results I had hoped for. Unfortunately, being based in the UK has precluded me from getting one to one instruction with Manuel or anyone who directly espouses his teachings. The lack of results did not so much alter the affection that I have for his book and method, although I ultimately looked elsewhere for teaching that I was better able to apply at the time.

 

However, this thread has both reawakened my interest, and clarified a few basic concepts for me. Special thanks to the Pearl, as it has been your posts in particular that have switched me on to the importance of NOT overanalysing, or complicating the basic concept of swinging the club. The missteps that you documented were very familiar to me, and gave me a route back to having another crack at this.

 

To be fair to Steve, he has said very similar things in the past. But for me, there was particular resonance in how the Pearl described how he repeatedly fell out of sync with the method. Sometimes it's easier to learn from a sinner than a saint!

 

As has been said before (but which has until now escaped me), there seems to be great value in a simple concept that can be repeated through the bag in many different situations. Previously, I always thought that the way to succeed with this was to sweat the detail of the direction and motion of the swing. Now, I'm beginning to see the value in a broad brush picture that leaves room for intuitive interpretation from shot to shot.

 

Historically, my full swing and ball striking has generally run a bit ahead of my short game, and my wedge play has often been downright awful. The swing concept has helped tie both together. I know the use the bounce and kinetic sequence guys are going to come out in a rash over this, but I am striking my wedges so much better now just trying to make the same swing as I do from the tee or fairway.

 

I have also come off two or three rounds of the best, most consistent ball striking I can remember. I've always hit a fair number of GiR relative to my scoring, but what I'm noticing now is a much narrower gap between my good shots and bad shots. I have become a LOT more confident off the tee as a result.

 

The swing feels relatively effortless. It's still early days to judge, but if feels like I may have lost a little yardage compared to my longest shots previously. But then I'm in play and if I'm hitting an extra club into the green, I'm feeling a lot more confident with that club in my hand. And in any event, I have a feeling that my better timed swings are actually just as long as I was before. There is certainly more run out to be had in the fairway than in the rough.

 

Once again, thanks guys for quite literally transforming my understanding of Manuel's book.

[The Pearl]

Birly,

 

Thanks for the kind words. Steve was very blessed in that he learned the game and swinging from Manuel from day one. He was a blank slate. The rest of us just played, took a few lessons, or were largely self-taught. Other than the usual group, half-a**, junior lessons, I was self taught. My lessons with Manny were my first lessons with a professional instructor. This was not all tragic as golf was never my main sport, and I simply played it to kill time in the summer. I did not seriously pick it back up until 10 or so years ago.

 

Unlike Steve, You and I and others who are jumping into the MDLT band wagon have to tackle this with the double the load. We have to learn Manuel's concepts while simultaneously unlearning/deprogramming from decades of swinging the club while integrating multiple approaches. Not an easy task. It has been 3 years for me and I am not fully there. My failures are all mine and not related to the concepts. There are still plenty of rounds, here and there, where my mind and body just doesn't want to let go of the old way.

 

As I repeatedly have said, don't add anything from anybody else or any self-tweeks. Your improvement will be faster and more consistent. It is all there in the book. Pay attention to the words he uses. He used the same words in the lessons. He spent his whole life thinking about EXACTLY the words to use in his instruction and subsequently his book.

 

I will also repeat one other thing that I have written about. The mental aspect is just as, if not more important than the physical concepts. The lessons, while working on the concepts, were really more focused on the mental aspect. He really makes you focus on the mental aspect in person. It is just impossible to convey this intensity through print.

[Noke]

For me it's been all about the feet-together drill while visualizing the target. If the wheels come off on the course I will play a few shots with my feet together and then I'm fixed.