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Manual de la Torre Method


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I have tendency to get to close to the butt of the club at address and was wondering if there was a distance that MDLT preferred. Anything that he may have noted in a lesson or in the John Hayes book? I have his book and know that he wrote, I'm paraphrasing here, but he says to make a swing, but do it looking like yourself, but I think (hope) my standing too close to the ball is making it more difficult to properly swing. I also remember him saying his student was too close in the Golf Channel video, but don't remember hearing about any proper minimum distance. Thank you.

 

If you set up with a good comfortable posture, slight flex in the knees, tilted forward at the hips, arms hanging below the shoulders, the club in your hand will tell you how far to stand from the ball. Closer with a wedge than with a driver. Everything else somewhere in between.

 

Steve

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I'd like to entitle this post, "the importance of staying centered."

 

It is important to stay centered.

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Pepsi:

 

Its not a swinging motion unless the swing center is stationary, or at least as stationary as possible.

 

Steve

 

Indeed. I discovered this on the range this morning. I've been hitting a lot of pulls, thin shots, and weak fades. I realized that I've been moving my swing center forward on the forward swing. Simply envisioning the circle that the club swings on with the bottom of the circle at the ball has helped tremendously.

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Pepsi:

 

Its not a swinging motion unless the swing center is stationary, or at least as stationary as possible.

 

Steve

 

Indeed. I discovered this on the range this morning. I've been hitting a lot of pulls, thin shots, and weak fades. I realized that I've been moving my swing center forward on the forward swing. Simply envisioning the circle that the club swings on with the bottom of the circle at the ball has helped tremendously.

 

That's the ticket!

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So I had the opportunity to play a round with David Frost today, and he commented that my hips and shoulders are still opening up way too early, leaving my arms behind. He recommended the feeling of keeping my back to the target longer as well as allowing my knees to laterally shift toward the target on the forward swing, rather than immediately turning.

 

Are there any MDLT-approved thoughts, feelings or intents that accomplish this? I just don't know whether conscious restriction of my body's motion is consistent with MDLT.

 

Thoughts?

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So I had the opportunity to play a round with David Frost today, and he commented that my hips and shoulders are still opening up way too early, leaving my arms behind. He recommended the feeling of keeping my back to the target longer as well as allowing my knees to laterally shift toward the target on the forward swing, rather than immediately turning.

 

Are there any MDLT-approved thoughts, feelings or intents that accomplish this? I just don't know whether conscious restriction of my body's motion is consistent with MDLT.

 

Thoughts?

 

I'm thinking the feet together drill would be good. I imagine it would be pretty difficult to make a fullish swing like that and maintain your balance of your hips are firing too much out of sequence.

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So I had the opportunity to play a round with David Frost today, and he commented that my hips and shoulders are still opening up way too early, leaving my arms behind. He recommended the feeling of keeping my back to the target longer as well as allowing my knees to laterally shift toward the target on the forward swing, rather than immediately turning.

 

Are there any MDLT-approved thoughts, feelings or intents that accomplish this? I just don't know whether conscious restriction of my body's motion is consistent with MDLT.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

Cool that you got top play with Frosty. A good guy.

 

As to the diagnosis and recommended cure, they might work but they are not what Manny would recommend. Manny always focused on the motion of the club, which directly effects the ball, and not the motion of the body which will vary from player to player and does not directly effect the ball. His analysis would be that your body is active, not reactive, and suggest that you give the full responsibility for the forward swing to both arms, allowing the body to merely respond.

 

The feet together drill suggested by Cicero might well help you. Remember when doing it, that the club should move your body, the body doesn't move the club.

 

Steve

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Thoughts on straight arms and "extension" on the backswing? In the book, at shaft horizontal in the backswing, his arms are still relatively straight and extended. After an absolutely abymal day on the course, I went back to the range and found this little tidbit to help tremendously. I think I had been allowing my right elbow to bend (or even collapse...?) too soon.

 

EDIT: Just watched the Golf Channel feature with MDLT, and the first question he addressed was about radius on the backswing...he said simply, "keep your hands away [from your body] as far as you can"...

 

Still would be curious about everyone else's thoughts and experiences...

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I didn't see what you saw but I suspect that you are taking what you heard out of context. Manny taught us to keep the swing radius as constant as possible. The only time I ever heard him say to keeps your hands away from the head was at the end of the back swing and he said it to those who were losing the radius by getting too narrow. Were I get my hands as far from my body as I can in the back swing I would be increasing the radius and need to find a new way to meet the ball squarely at impact.

 

Steve

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  • 2 weeks later...

I didn't see what you saw but I suspect that you are taking what you heard out of context. Manny taught us to keep the swing radius as constant as possible. The only time I ever heard him say to keeps your hands away from the head was at the end of the back swing and he said it to those who were losing the radius by getting too narrow. Were I get my hands as far from my body as I can in the back swing I would be increasing the radius and need to find a new way to meet the ball squarely at impact.

 

Steve

 

Steve, I've been reading quite a bit of this topic. Very interesting stuff. Could it in any way be a detriment to hit A LOT of balls with your feet together?

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I didn't see what you saw but I suspect that you are taking what you heard out of context. Manny taught us to keep the swing radius as constant as possible. The only time I ever heard him say to keeps your hands away from the head was at the end of the back swing and he said it to those who were losing the radius by getting too narrow. Were I get my hands as far from my body as I can in the back swing I would be increasing the radius and need to find a new way to meet the ball squarely at impact.

 

Steve

 

Steve, I've been reading quite a bit of this topic. Very interesting stuff. Could it in any way be a detriment to hit A LOT of balls with your feet together?

 

Not detrimental at all provided you adhere to back with the hands, forward toward the target with the arms, the body merely responds.

 

It will help you in a few ways:

 

1. Your swing center will remain steady and not be shifting back and forth. A crucial element in the swing Manny taught.

 

2. It will help you identify the body responding to the motion of the club. The swinging club moves your body, your body doesn't swing the club. Another fundamental of Manny's swing.

 

3. You will get the feel of swinging the club past your body without interference from the body.

 

4. It's good for balance which you need to execute any swing I can think of.

 

Lots of balls with the feet together, gradually making your stance wider until your body response begins to feel constricted.

 

Steve

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Hello, first time poster here from Ireland.

 

I stumbled across the manuel de la torre method on my journey to better golf and love the simplicity of the intentions of swinging the club. Being a very analytical person I think it will help me get out of my own way to try and perfect this intention. However, being a very analytical person I am struggling to get the feel of the swing and find some of the applications of the intention confusing.

 

As i have had no instructions on how to feel the swing I find it hard to repeat a feel. I spend hours in the back garden without a ball trying to ingrain a feel but think I am wasting my time as I don't know what the feel is like.

 

Some questions I'd have about some of the concerns with my application of Manuels intentions.

 

1. Swing the clubhead back in the direction of the right shoulder - does this feel like the wrists are close together all the way through the backswing? as if you were a Catholic saying a prayer?

2. If I swing the clubhead in the direction of the right shoulder it feels like my arms are behind me, how then can I swing the club forward towards the target with my arms, it feels my body is in the way of my arms. Am I to swing my arms forward and hope the motion will move my body out of the way?

3. When you swing the entire club forward with the arms - which part of the arms (i know from shoulder to elbow) but that is a large area, if you think of front (biceps), back (triceps), the part of arms facing the target or facing away?

4. the concept of being loose and producing coil is very difficult for me. I try to swing with a loose intention but never feel like I coil anything and end up producing very high weak shots. It feels too loose and I feel like everything moves away from the target and very often, because I know the outcome from here I find myself lunging at the ball and getting into OTT nightmares. tops, slices, big fat divots etc.

 

I know feel differs from person to person and swing to swing but I was hoping a proponent of Manuels teachings could give me some base guidelines of what it feels like to produce the swing, this feeling of relaxed coil.

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Hello, first time poster here from Ireland.

 

I stumbled across the manuel de la torre method on my journey to better golf and love the simplicity of the intentions of swinging the club. Being a very analytical person I think it will help me get out of my own way to try and perfect this intention. However, being a very analytical person I am struggling to get the feel of the swing and find some of the applications of the intention confusing.

 

As i have had no instructions on how to feel the swing I find it hard to repeat a feel. I spend hours in the back garden without a ball trying to ingrain a feel but think I am wasting my time as I don't know what the feel is like.

 

Some questions I'd have about some of the concerns with my application of Manuels intentions.

 

1. Swing the clubhead back in the direction of the right shoulder - does this feel like the wrists are close together all the way through the backswing? as if you were a Catholic saying a prayer?

2. If I swing the clubhead in the direction of the right shoulder it feels like my arms are behind me, how then can I swing the club forward towards the target with my arms, it feels my body is in the way of my arms. Am I to swing my arms forward and hope the motion will move my body out of the way?

3. When you swing the entire club forward with the arms - which part of the arms (i know from shoulder to elbow) but that is a large area, if you think of front (biceps), back (triceps), the part of arms facing the target or facing away?

4. the concept of being loose and producing coil is very difficult for me. I try to swing with a loose intention but never feel like I coil anything and end up producing very high weak shots. It feels too loose and I feel like everything moves away from the target and very often, because I know the outcome from here I find myself lunging at the ball and getting into OTT nightmares. tops, slices, big fat divots etc.

 

I know feel differs from person to person and swing to swing but I was hoping a proponent of Manuels teachings could give me some base guidelines of what it feels like to produce the swing, this feeling of relaxed coil.

 

It is hard to prescribe feels for your swing since what I feel is likely to be different than what you feel. Manny never taught in terms of feels, only in terms of how to move the club. I can offer few suggestions though.

 

1. You are way to analytical. You can't play golf or any other sport analyzing how every motion is produced. You know its a problem and you can fix it.

 

2. You ought not be thinking about the position of your wrists as you swing the club back. What you should be doing is swinging the club back, in the direction of your trail shoulder, with both hands. If you are too flat at the end of the back swing it may well be due to being left hand dominant in the back swing. Both hand must contribute equally.

 

3. It seems you don't have the book so a word about what it means to swing the club. A swing is the motion of the club, on an arc, around a fixed swing center. If the club is swinging both ends of the club are moving in the same direction and at the same rate. Manny teaches this with a weight on a string and asks the student to swing the weight back and forth, waist high to waist high, keeping the string taught. There is a practice device called the Whippy Tempo Master that I love. It has an ultra flexible shaft, To keep the shaft straight and hit balls you must swing the club and not lever the club.

 

4. You problem with the coil may start at set up. I have a tendency to set up with my trail shoulder too far forward, (shoulders open). When I do the coil is much less natural. Check your shoulders at address. Even a bit closed is better than open. Also check your weight distribution. Weight is equally distributed on both beet at address, at the end of the back swing, and in the forward swing until the momentum of the swing moves it to the front foot. Get sloppy with your weight and the coil will be difficult to achieve.

 

5. When you address the ball your arms are hanging naturally and the club head is in the center of your stance. Your body is out of the way at address and will stay out of the way unless you do something to get it in the way. That's what folks around here call goat humping or early extension. That just won't happen if you relegate your body to the role of a responder. Just swing the whole club in the direction of the target with both arms and you will have plenty of room to swing.

 

As to my feel, I feel the club swinging rapidly, toward the target, in an orbit around my swing center which is round the bottom of my sternum. That's me. You need to find your own feel that produces the correct motion of the club.

 

Steve

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Hello, first time poster here from Ireland.

 

I stumbled across the manuel de la torre method on my journey to better golf and love the simplicity of the intentions of swinging the club. Being a very analytical person I think it will help me get out of my own way to try and perfect this intention. However, being a very analytical person I am struggling to get the feel of the swing and find some of the applications of the intention confusing.

 

As i have had no instructions on how to feel the swing I find it hard to repeat a feel. I spend hours in the back garden without a ball trying to ingrain a feel but think I am wasting my time as I don't know what the feel is like.

 

Some questions I'd have about some of the concerns with my application of Manuels intentions.

 

1. Swing the clubhead back in the direction of the right shoulder - does this feel like the wrists are close together all the way through the backswing? as if you were a Catholic saying a prayer?

2. If I swing the clubhead in the direction of the right shoulder it feels like my arms are behind me, how then can I swing the club forward towards the target with my arms, it feels my body is in the way of my arms. Am I to swing my arms forward and hope the motion will move my body out of the way?

3. When you swing the entire club forward with the arms - which part of the arms (i know from shoulder to elbow) but that is a large area, if you think of front (biceps), back (triceps), the part of arms facing the target or facing away?

4. the concept of being loose and producing coil is very difficult for me. I try to swing with a loose intention but never feel like I coil anything and end up producing very high weak shots. It feels too loose and I feel like everything moves away from the target and very often, because I know the outcome from here I find myself lunging at the ball and getting into OTT nightmares. tops, slices, big fat divots etc.

 

I know feel differs from person to person and swing to swing but I was hoping a proponent of Manuels teachings could give me some base guidelines of what it feels like to produce the swing, this feeling of relaxed coil.

 

It is hard to prescribe feels for your swing since what I feel is likely to be different than what you feel. Manny never taught in terms of feels, only in terms of how to move the club. I can offer few suggestions though.

 

1. You are way to analytical. You can't play golf or any other sport analyzing how every motion is produced. You know its a problem and you can fix it.

 

2. You ought not be thinking about the position of your wrists as you swing the club back. What you should be doing is swinging the club back, in the direction of your trail shoulder, with both hands. If you are too flat at the end of the back swing it may well be due to being left hand dominant in the back swing. Both hand must contribute equally.

 

3. It seems you don't have the book so a word about what it means to swing the club. A swing is the motion of the club, on an arc, around a fixed swing center. If the club is swinging both ends of the club are moving in the same direction and at the same rate. Manny teaches this with a weight on a string and asks the student to swing the weight back and forth, waist high to waist high, keeping the string taught. There is a practice device called the Whippy Tempo Master that I love. It has an ultra flexible shaft, To keep the shaft straight and hit balls you must swing the club and not lever the club.

 

4. You problem with the coil may start at set up. I have a tendency to set up with my trail shoulder too far forward, (shoulders open). When I do the coil is much less natural. Check your shoulders at address. Even a bit closed is better than open. Also check your weight distribution. Weight is equally distributed on both beet at address, at the end of the back swing, and in the forward swing until the momentum of the swing moves it to the front foot. Get sloppy with your weight and the coil will be difficult to achieve.

 

5. When you address the ball your arms are hanging naturally and the club head is in the center of your stance. Your body is out of the way at address and will stay out of the way unless you do something to get it in the way. That's what folks around here call goat humping or early extension. That just won't happen if you relegate your body to the role of a responder. Just swing the whole club in the direction of the target with both arms and you will have plenty of room to swing.

 

As to my feel, I feel the club swinging rapidly, toward the target, in an orbit around my swing center which is round the bottom of my sternum. That's me. You need to find your own feel that produces the correct motion of the club.

 

Steve

 

Thanks Steve. I've over read the book and am guilty of finding complexity in it's simplicity.

Re: point 2. I know. I've played sports to a high level, I was a professional soccer player until a recent injury, without ever really having to think about it.

 

Golf is the first sport I've tried where I've had no natural talent. I played hurling a lot, which involves striking a ball with a bigger stick and a bigger ball, on the run, i used to have a crosshanded grip because that is the hurling grip, went for a lesson with a local pro, while i was hitting it well, looking to improve, he changed my grip and it's messed up my head.

 

I'm sticking with this method. I'll try get out of my way. Thanks for the advice.

 

You are a great resource on here for anyone looking to follow this method.

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Just for anyone who is interested and to document it myself, I think I've made progress.

 

I was overdoing the swinging the club back with both hands to the point where I was getting off the ball. Literally swinging the clubhead back in the direction of the right shoulder makes me feel like nothing can go wrong from the position I'm in, and 7 shots out of 10 were acceptable, the other 3 weren't topped or pushed/pulled so it was amazing, and that is without worrying about the target or forward swing.

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Just for anyone who is interested and to document it myself, I think I've made progress.

 

I was overdoing the swinging the club back with both hands to the point where I was getting off the ball. Literally swinging the clubhead back in the direction of the right shoulder makes me feel like nothing can go wrong from the position I'm in, and 7 shots out of 10 were acceptable, the other 3 weren't topped or pushed/pulled so it was amazing, and that is without worrying about the target or forward swing.

 

Keeping your weight between your feet is key to producing an effective coil, as you are discovering. Keep up the good work.

 

Steve

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MDLT swing is the real deal. I shot -1 today after a two month layoff with zero thoughts about stupid body parts.How the club moves is what matters.

 

It works. You just need to know what to do with the club and then do it.

 

Steve

 

Played one of my worst rounds of the year yesterday. No practice lately, stayed up late watching the World Series, went to the course in a stressed state of mind. I started thinking about what my body was doing, how to turn etc.

 

Finally the last 3 holes I just focused on the club and swinging it to the target. Didn't hit them all solid but they started going straight. Lesson learned.

 

That being said, my previous two rounds, both a week to 10 day apart, I played really well, just thinking of swinging the club to the target. The other real key for me is just staying relaxed, I like to feel like my arms are tension free.

 

Love this game.

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I would like to talk about what I think is the most underrated part of his book. Putting.

 

The simple thought of just rolling the ball on a line toward the target unclutters the mind. Truth be told I stumbled upon this thought process before reading the book, but it reinforced it. For those struggling with putting the simplicity of this thought process works the same as his swing philosophy.

 

Do I hit poor putts? Sure. but I feel I am a very consistent putter with good distance control. Visualize the line you want to start the putt on, visualize the speed and roll the ball on the starting line. Don't worry about he mechanics of the stroke. The only other thing I concern myself with is keeping my swing center, moving my head is death for my stroke, I just swing the putter on an arch with a steady head and roll the ball on my starting line.

 

I am not quoting the book verbatim here, but it is how I process it in my mind.

Ping G400 Testing G410.  10.5 set at small -
Ping G410 3, 5 and 7 wood

Ping G410 5 hybrid-not much use.  
Mizuno JPX 921 Hot Metal. 5-G
Vokey 54.10, 2009 58.12 M, Testing TM MG2 60* TW grind and MG3 56* TW grind.  Or Ping Glide Stealth, 54,58 SS.  
Odyssey Pro #1 black
Hoofer, Ecco, Bushnell
ProV1x-mostly
 

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on the swinging the whole club towards the target, how do you achieve this on the same arc if the club is vertical at the top? are the arcs defined by the back/forward the same? I find if I try to trace the arc I need to manipulate it, which obviously isn't right.

 

i found last night even with the correct intentions on the backswing, i couldn't switch my intention from the clubhead to the whole club or from my hands to my arms. I still see amazing results (compared to previous) for me.

 

Has anyone gone through similar?

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on the swinging the whole club towards the target, how do you achieve this on the same arc if the club is vertical at the top? are the arcs defined by the back/forward the same? I find if I try to trace the arc I need to manipulate it, which obviously isn't right.

 

i found last night even with the correct intentions on the backswing, i couldn't switch my intention from the clubhead to the whole club or from my hands to my arms. I still see amazing results (compared to previous) for me.

 

Has anyone gone through similar?

 

I believe that you might be trying to have the arc going back and forth be exactly the same. If I understand the instruction correctly the direction has to be the same but the path cannot be.

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on the swinging the whole club towards the target, how do you achieve this on the same arc if the club is vertical at the top? are the arcs defined by the back/forward the same? I find if I try to trace the arc I need to manipulate it, which obviously isn't right.

 

i found last night even with the correct intentions on the backswing, i couldn't switch my intention from the clubhead to the whole club or from my hands to my arms. I still see amazing results (compared to previous) for me.

 

Has anyone gone through similar?

 

Way too much analysis, but if you must, the arc of the forward swing is inside the arc of the back swing, because at the beginning of the forward swing the wrists stay cocked and the trail elbow stays bent. The radius of the forward swing starts shorter than the radius of the back swing. As you approach impact the trail elbow straightens and the wrists release restoring the original radius. None of this requires conscious thought or effort, it will just happen if you swing forward in the direction of the target with the arms. If you try to make it happen it won't.

 

As to the idea of swinging the whole club, this is simply to emphasize that we are not just swinging the club head. The thought of swinging the club head leads many golfers to the flip. If you have devoted your life to flipping, as many have, it might be good, for a time, to concentrate on swinging the handle end of the club. You will then acquire the feel for swinging the whole club and not just the club head.

 

Steve

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Just for anyone who is interested and to document it myself, I think I've made progress.

 

I was overdoing the swinging the club back with both hands to the point where I was getting off the ball. Literally swinging the clubhead back in the direction of the right shoulder makes me feel like nothing can go wrong from the position I'm in, and 7 shots out of 10 were acceptable, the other 3 weren't topped or pushed/pulled so it was amazing, and that is without worrying about the target or forward swing.

 

Keeping your weight between your feet is key to producing an effective coil, as you are discovering. Keep up the good work.

 

Steve

 

had good experiences with this on the course yesterday. I don't think I have fully grasped the forward swing. I don't think I commit to being as passive as is required. I'll keep practicing at that side of it. What I did notice is that the backswing as prescribed, or at least as I am following it, meant I feel in a position where little can go wrong. Obviously it did at times.

 

The last few months I've been playing a high fade/slice so must have been aligning way left and playing a club more because I missed a lot of second shots long and left, which I was absolutely chuffed with. I straightened up to my target and had a fantastic time on the back 9, playing below my handicap (17) for the first time since I changed the cack handed grip (was 11 then).

 

I duffed a few short chips because again, I didn't think being that passive would give me the control required, i reverted to my old chipping technique to get me through the round.

 

Did anyone else using this method have problems chipping or being as passive as required on the forward swing? How did you overcome it?

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on the swinging the whole club towards the target, how do you achieve this on the same arc if the club is vertical at the top? are the arcs defined by the back/forward the same? I find if I try to trace the arc I need to manipulate it, which obviously isn't right.

 

i found last night even with the correct intentions on the backswing, i couldn't switch my intention from the clubhead to the whole club or from my hands to my arms. I still see amazing results (compared to previous) for me.

 

Has anyone gone through similar?

 

Way too much analysis, but if you must, the arc of the forward swing is inside the arc of the back swing, because at the beginning of the forward swing the wrists stay cocked and the trail elbow stays bent. The radius of the forward swing starts shorter than the radius of the back swing. As you approach impact the trail elbow straightens and the wrists release restoring the original radius. None of this requires conscious thought or effort, it will just happen if you swing forward in the direction of the target with the arms. If you try to make it happen it won't.

 

As to the idea of swinging the whole club, this is simply to emphasize that we are not just swinging the club head. The thought of swinging the club head leads many golfers to the flip. If you have devoted your life to flipping, as many have, it might be good, for a time, to concentrate on swinging the handle end of the club. You will then acquire the feel for swinging the whole club and not just the club head.

 

Steve

 

sage advice. I've been making breakthroughs and after reading the book and years of bad habits it's starting to come together for me.

 

some keys for me that have been paramount to my progress,

1. Being more upright at address, removes any unnecessary tension and I feel freer during the motion

2. Swinging around a center point, without creating tension

3. Focusing on a specific target, like the branch of a tree on your line, rather than a general target. And keeping that in focus.. man.. this has helped so much

4. Putting my mind completely on the club back/forward.. don't even know what my body is doing or care how it looks

5. Not stressing on terrible shots

 

on point 5, at the range tonight I topped a number of balls in a row that before now would have led to much analysis and the rest of the balls being pretty much useless. Tonight, I focused on the club and what it was doing, within 5 balls I was flushing it again.

 

My ball flight can be a little high and weak, especially with the longer clubs. I'll read the section on cause and effect, this time taking the words as literally as possible.

 

I tried what you said Steve about closing the rear shoulder and it helped with the shorter clubs (wedges - 7i). I guess this is a left over from old instruction which was to play the longer clubs off the front foot.

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Just wanted to check into this topic again.... it's been a good few months now since I adopted the MLDT method and I've been playing the most consistent golf of my life, regularly scoring in the mid 80's with a level of consistency I've never been able to achieve before...

 

Biggest fault I've been guilty of is trying to add to the swing, extra rule or swing thought bolted on here and there, this invariably leads to disaster, when I simply revert back to a balanced, centered stance and swing the whole club back and through to the target without trying to thrash it then good things happen!

 

One thing I've found very helpful (I think it helps my path back into the ball) is to imagine there is no loft at all on the club, I'm simply swinging the club through the ball to the target and imagine the ball running along the ground, obviously the actual loft of the club gets in the way and produces lovely flighted shots..

 

I'm sure this was mentioned by someone earlier in the thread, anyone else swing with this thought?

 

To anyone else considering adopting this swing, especially overly analytical people like me, it's the real deal... just make sure you resist the temptation to add your own wee tweaks!!

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Just wanted to check into this topic again.... it's been a good few months now since I adopted the MLDT method and I've been playing the most consistent golf of my life, regularly scoring in the mid 80's with a level of consistency I've never been able to achieve before...

 

Biggest fault I've been guilty of is trying to add to the swing, extra rule or swing thought bolted on here and there, this invariably leads to disaster, when I simply revert back to a balanced, centered stance and swing the whole club back and through to the target without trying to thrash it then good things happen!

 

One thing I've found very helpful (I think it helps my path back into the ball) is to imagine there is no loft at all on the club, I'm simply swinging the club through the ball to the target and imagine the ball running along the ground, obviously the actual loft of the club gets in the way and produces lovely flighted shots..

 

I'm sure this was mentioned by someone earlier in the thread, anyone else swing with this thought?

 

To anyone else considering adopting this swing, especially overly analytical people like me, it's the real deal... just make sure you resist the temptation to add your own wee tweaks!!

 

That your intention should be to hit the ball to the target along the ground is something Manny said very frequently. He said it to me many times. He also told his students that it is the golfers job to swing the club toward the target, its the clubs job to get the ball in the air. Same concept expressed differently.

 

Steve

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Thanks for that Steve, not sure why that particular swing thought helps but it has certainly made a difference to me..

 

One thing I still struggle with and would appreciate your input is staying centered and swinging around that point. I know when I do this well my ball striking is great.

 

Is there any particular key which helps you stay centered?

 

Thanks....

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