Manuel De La Torre Swing Focus

[bortass]

That picture is helpful. I managed to get there with a couple swings and the results were very good. Amazing what happens when you swing the club and allow your body to just respond naturally. I am still not perfect but have been playing with the club centered much better than in the past, hands as well. My results have been pretty good, even my driver is not missing as wildly and I sometimes get more distance than normal. I have had a couple mishits when I let my club head be behind center.

 

I plan to read the section in the book on specialty shots to understand how Manny would have us adjust things shortly.

 

[SirFuego]

I posted this in another thread, and I know some of the videos have already been linked here in this thread, but there are about 3 hours worth of videos of Manny teaching a clinic in the 1980s on YouTube. The videos seem to match his book pretty well, but it's good to see his concepts visually taught by him. It's funny that I abandoned that method last year after things went south and I tried to "fix" my swing. After trying to revamp my swing, those adjustments made me come back full circle to Manny's approach because they were getting me to the same positions, but with a LOT more tension. My ultimate problems were my grip became terrible and I was trying to swing the club "back", but wasn't focusing on swinging it OVER my shoulder. If I swing it "back", I sway, which leads to bad things. If I swing it back while making sure the club ends up over my shoulder, good things happen.

Even if you don't adopt or agree with Manny's approach, I'd still recommend watching the "Alignment" video, which is only 9 minutes or so long. I've found that approach is pretty foolproof to getting the clubface square to the target line despite how simple it is.

[intro](

"Intro")

[Grip](

"Grip")

[Alignment](

"Alignment")

[setup](

"Setup")

[swing](

"Swing")

[Mental](

"Mental")

[indianagolf2]

Perfect on linking the vids. Are there any instructors from his teachings around....

[BigEx44]

Here's a website of everything MDLT. Includes a list of al instructors.https://www.manueldelatorregolfteaching.com/

I personally took a lesson from Trish Buecher in Pam Beach FLorida and she was excellent.

I've also heard good things about John Hayes (he's also in Florida)

[mocokid]

Add freebird, he's great, I had on line lessons with Hayes, highly recommend.

[PChem]

Thanks for the link to everything MDLT and the list of MDLT method instructors. My bride is interested in taking up golf and we live in central NC. While the list of MDLT instructors was quite extensive, there were no instructors within 600 miles of central NC. Anybody happen to know of a MDLT method instructor in the Carolinas or Virginia?

 

Nels, I saw in an earlier post where you live south of Santa Cruz. Our son has a place outside Watsonville. What public golf courses do you recommend in that area?

[jporter91]

I came across the MDLT thread a couple months back. I read the thread, watched the YouTube videos and eventually bought the book. After watching and reading I kinda chuckled because in my head I was thinking “yeah okay, the golf swing is just that easy”. Nevertheless, I took it to the back yard. I’m lucky enough to have enough land that I can hit up to my 8 iron (140 yards) out the back of my house into my field. Almost immediately, I noticed how much better contact and consistency I was getting from just freeing my mind and just swinging the damn thing. I absolutely lost some distance however, the trade off was a slam dunk for the better shots I was making. About a week in I noticed that I was still hanging shots out to the right and it was kinda bugging me. I reread and rewatched but I couldn’t figure out what I was missing. I even posted here about it, my Vs were facing my chest and my hands were balanced. Then I stumbled acrossed Free Bird Golf and his teachings which were basically the MDLT expect for the grip, where he says that if it fits your natural hand position, the hand could be placed in a stronger position. This is where things really came together for me.

For a little history on my golf life. I started about 10 years ago. I worked myself down to a high 80s on my very best days and upwards of 96 on my worst. (87 was my best score) I was in this same groove for about 5 years and it was really getting frustrating not improving.

Now to present times. Golf just opened up here in Ontario, Canada a couple weeks ago. I have 3 and a half rounds in and shot an 84 breaking my previous personal best, and I honestly believe I should have shot 80, I just had the worst putting yips I could possibly have.

I know, I know, it’s a small sample size and anything could happen in the future. Hell maybe that 84 was a once in a life time. However I’ve folded with the same circle of buddies my whole life and all of them have asked me WTF has gotten into my golf game!? I like to think if your buddies notice an improvement in your game, there probably is one.

Im not saying that the MDLT method is the end all be all and is gonna turn me and everyone else into scratch golfers. But I do think there is something to it and I would recommend every single high handicap golfer like myself should watch it.

sorry for the length of the post, if you actually made it this far ;)

 

[Nels55]

I golf at Spring Hills most of the time which is a family run business and a really friendly place to play. Also Seascape and De Laveaga are good. Pajaro Valley is a nice course also though I have not gotten over there for a few years. Does your son play? PM me if you are interested in getting a game!

[indianagolf2]

Couple of good recommendations for instructors..ty

[tm3]

I'm also in NC and have been interested in finding an instructor, but no luck. I think I came across one in Myrtle Beach that sounded kind of suspect. Other than that, Missouri was the closest IIRC.

[PChem]

There appears to opportunities for MDLT instructors in underserved areas on the east coast, southeast and west. I vote to create a LLC, group fund it and have JustSteve head up the business. We focus on existing and potential golfers who have difficulty concentrating (like myself) and who benefit immediately from MDLT methods. With golf seeing an upswing (pun intended) from social distancing, starting this business could be an investment earnings ticket (or at least an engaging way to burn off disposable cash for some tax deductions).

 

[Chazb]

I found a golf pro in the St.louis area who teaches the MDLT method and I will be getting my first lesson from him tommorow.His price is very reasonable and for me to really understand all the moves and someone who can watch me to tell me what I’m doing right or wrong is something that should help me in the transition to get all the old thoughts of a golf swing out of my mind.

[BigEx44]

Ed Lebeau?

[Chazb]

No,I would give his name but I will ask him today if he wants me to.He did say he attended A MDLT seminar at tower tee in the eighties.

[chipa]

I don't think anyone can hit with their right hand too much. I think Hogan said he wishes he had 3 right hands to hit the ball with. As a snap hooker the challenge is to get the hands in the correct postion. There is no easier swing to implement and understand that generates so much clubhead speed so easily compared to other methods. It is much easier on the back and the knees, no huge shoulder turn nor sliding pulling the left side etc.

[chipa]

I just watched the video of Mr. La Torre and I like a lot of what I see - natural movement, etc. which seems to be in stark differenc to a lot of stuff out there that seems very complicated if not convoluted. I got down to a single digit basically swinging the club and staying down on the ball with a good weight shift. However, I think it requires consistent practice in order to maintain this type of swing and the tempo because he talks about letting gravity start the swing. I prefer the Nicklaus concept of swing from the top because it is not so dependent on timing, which imo requires a certain setup and takeaway to ensure the hands are in the correct position at the top of the backswing to be able fire away from the top.

[SirFuego]

Thank you for the link to Freebird golf! It definitely cleared up some things that I never quite figured out (or glossed over) by reading Manny's book and those YouTube videos of his online clinics.

Also, for those using a desktop or laptop to view that site, the site tries to auto-arrange the videos depending on the size of the display. When using a wider display, the "Golf Swing" videos aren't shown. If you resize the window to be narrower, the videos will re-arrange themselves into a vertical list. At that point, the "Golf Swing" videos are now visible.

[ALIF]

I’m guessing Steve L. ?

[BigEx44]

I've got to say: Manual De Le Torre is a genius.

I'm a mid-handicapper who for the last 10 years has been basically a bogey golfer (break 90 on good days, over 90 on bad). I'm 62 yrs old.

I started using his method the middle of last summer.

I read this thread. Bought his book (Understanding the Golf Swing) and watched any videos I could on you tube.

I even managed to get an in person lesson with Trish Buecher (a MDLT teaching disciple) when I happened to be down in Palm Beach last October towards the end of my golf season (I live in Upstate NY)

Whenever I get practice time outside - I do a lot of feet together swings.

Practice time inside the house (mostly in the winter) is constantly doing the backswing and returning the club to ball square (mentioned by Steve a number of times on this thread, also mentioned by Manny)

And it seems like it's all finally starting to come together for me a a bit this summer. The driver was the last thing to fall in place.

I play in a City Golf Association (around 300 members) who have a tournament at rotating courses around the city. Usually a couple of hundred people will play.

It's a good test of my game because you have to play everything as it lies and putt everything into the hole. All the rules of golf are strictly followed. The golf association also requests tough pin placements for the day.

Anyways....three weeks ago I actually won the net for my flight (the A flight, 0-12 handicap, where I barely made the cut with my current 12 handicap). I shot an 80. 4th lowest gross score of all golfers that day.

Last week we played a really tough private course and I came in 3d on the net but actually had the 3d lowest gross score with an 81.

With a better short game - I can actually hope to see some scores in the high 70's. This has me really excited.

I'm telling you - this method works!

 

 

 

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[NoTalentLefty]

I’ve had to stray on a few things from MDLT due to some replacement parts but I still use his hands back , arms thru. It has helped me simplify the game again.

[chipa]

I've been watching more Manuel de La Torre's video and I see he is a genius, no wonder he has helped so many people. At first I didn't see enough technical specifics about the swing that I feel is helping me to understand the swing, but now after watching his gravity swing and chipping I see it's all there.

[chippa13]

Whenever things start going bad I go back to my old standby that gets me back on track. That is a practice swing with my wrists pre-cocked and arms pre-turned and two thoughts in my head; club head over back shoulder and club turns the body (meaning let the body react to swinging the club). Works like a charm and makes swings feel effortless.

[juststeve]

I can't think of her name but there is an English pro, a follower of Ernest Jones who says my hands move the club and the club moves the body. A correct and succinct way to say it.

Steve

[Jersey golfer]

Her name is Vivien Saunders

[juststeve]

Thank you, that's who I was thinking of.

Steve

 

[PChem]

This page gives Vivien Saunder's grip insights: http://www.viviensaunders.com/Tuition-with-Edward.php

The loose grip = long and left

The tight grip = shorter and right

I'm intrigued as I have experienced those shots and not known exactly what took place.

[DLev45]

Funnily enough, that’s how I work the ball. For a draw, I close the face slightly at address and loosen my grip. For a fade, I open the face slightly and death grip it.

[dlygrisse]

To me the most important thought in the backswing is to swing the club back with BOTH hands. I struggled yesterday and I think I was death gripping with the left hand. I was sore and tired from doing work on the house. I couldn’t even hit my pitches straight. Went home, took a shower, uncorked some Cabernet and started hitting pitches in the back yard.

it came to me all the sudden, both hands. I immediately started hitting crisp little pitches.

[NoTalentLefty]

I have a question on keeping the club in the center of body. Does your front leg move less forward and your back leg move farther back to get the ball to be just inside the instep of the front heel ?

I’m sorry in advance if my words aren’t painting the picture for this to be answered.

[chipa]

I have thought about this as well and what I have noticed is that when the hands are moved forward of center the right knee will turn in a little and the back of the hips will open, even if the feet have not moved. While I haven't seen many discussions regarding this looking at videos of Ben Hogan and other good players like Rory Mcilroy and Tiger Woods, etc. its apparent they all do this.