Tour Striker

[Cmartingolf]

Without Talent for only a short time...

First, thanks you for buying a couple of TS clubs. They will help you develop your impact alignment, however, you have the standard "hackers" problem that needs to be addressed.

Second. Unless you are really tall and have Aligator arms, +3 is REALLY upright. If it wasn't in my jammies, I'd post a quick video for you, but since I don't want to scare anyone, I'll just explain it. I never fit guys to fix their immediate issues. I tell them why they suck at the present time, usually tell them to keep the clubs they have, and try and get them to get their body and swing in the right place. I'd say 9 out of 10 of my fittings are within +1 to -1 from most OEM's standard.

You need to understand the role of your right forearm. Once you do, you'll get a whole lot better, so here goes: take a club in your right, grip it in the middle of the handle as you'll need to add your left hand later and point the butt of the club at your belly button and imagine that you are setting it on a table belly button high. Get the club parallel to the ground with the grooves of the club at 12 o'clock. Now, get your right forearm parallel to the ground as if it could rest on the table along with the shaft. Your right elbow should be bent and somewhere near your right hip bone and your right wrist will be FLAT-ish. Now put your left hand on the club and gentle straighten your left arm. Your right elbow should be a couple inches +/- below your left elbow. Keep the right forearm and shaft "on the table" and bend from the hips, sticking out your butt, until the club is almost soled.

Like shampoo; repeat.

What you'll likely find is that you are more bent over and that the club is farther away from you.

Good strikers have a commonality; the shaft and right forearm are in the same plane "on the table" at impact. Poor strikers bring their right forearm into impact much too steep, stand up to make room for the fat shot and thus ALWAYS hit the ball on the toe.

More to add, but my honey want to cuddle;)

Cheers,

MC

[withouttalent]

"What you'll likely find is that you are more bent over and that the club is farther away from you.

Good strikers have a commonality; the shaft and right forearm are in the same plane "on the table" at impact. Poor strikers bring their right forearm into impact much too steep, stand up to make room for the fat shot and thus ALWAYS hit the ball on the toe.

More to add, but my honey want to cuddle;)

Cheers,

MC"

Martin,

Yes, I immediately notice that I seem to be farther away from the ball. I'm having trouble, though, visualizing how my soon to be former position of my forearm creates the toe hit. Are you saying that has caused me to make my backswing too upright? I guess I'm not clear on exactly what you mean by the right forearm coming in too steep at impact.

Without Talent (and a little dense)

P.S. Good choice of cuddling with the honey. My wife is wondering why I am laying a 9 iron on her counter-tops.

[Cmartingolf]

 

Here's an example I pulled after a quick Google search. The site is worth looking at http://smashgolf.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/mike-austin-vs-rory-mcilroy/

 

I'm suggesting you learn to start with your right forearm in the position it will arrive at during impact - right screen. I often do this with newer players.

 

When I say your right forearm is coming in too steep, that means your right elbow is too high during impact. Make some swings feeling like your right elbow is as low (close to the ground) as it can be during impact. TRY and get the heel of the club to touch the ground and NOT the toe.

[marshvegas]

I am super psyched - I just got my TSP today and I'm going to try and go to the range later. I ordered it Monday and had it my hands today (Wednesday). That's Cali to MA in 2 days!

[marshvegas]

I have some lofty goals next season so I'm hoping the TSP will help get me there.

[withouttalent]

 

Here's an example I pulled after a quick Google search. The site is worth looking at http://smashgolf.wor...s-rory-mcilroy/

 

I'm suggesting you learn to start with your right forearm in the position it will arrive at during impact - right screen. I often do this with newer players.

 

When I say your right forearm is coming in too steep, that means your right elbow is too high during impact. Make some swings feeling like your right elbow is as low (close to the ground) as it can be during impact. TRY and get the heel of the club to touch the ground and NOT the toe.

 

Martin,

 

Wow, now that registers right away. Thank you so much. You are incredibly generous with your time. I will write later and let you know about my improvement with the TSP and your tip here.

 

Without Talent (for now)

[Cmartingolf]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ONpMNKaftc[/media]

With Talent;)

Here's a short video explaining it. There is a guest star appearance by my 18 month old son.

Cheers and THANK YOU!

MC

[drm006]

I was looking to order a TSP 7 iron (right handed) with a regular steel shaft but on the web site it appears if the 7 only comes with steel stiff flex. Does a 7 TSP with a regular steel shaft exist as an option?

[flipmode]

I just hit the TSP today for the first time. Interesting results. I had some shots that felt great, a couple worm burners and a couple shots that felt good but they were pushed right. Its going to take a lot of time to get use to this club but I plan on watching the DVD tonight and going back to the range tomorrow. My hope is that I'll be able to improve with a couple months of good practice. I did notice that when I tried a little harder to get my right elbow in as close to my right hip as I could on the downswing I made better contact. I've never been a very consistent iron player, been a "picker" of the ball, and this club is definitely exposing my flaws.

[Cmartingolf]

[quote name='drm006' timestamp='1293663248' post='2864725']
I was looking to order a TSP 7 iron (right handed) with a regular steel shaft but on the web site it appears if the 7 only comes with steel stiff flex. Does a 7 TSP with a regular steel shaft exist as an option?
[/quote]

Yeah, we underestimated how many TSP with reg steel were needed. Happy to offer the reg graphite TSP for the cost of steel in the meantime, if you like. We are probably a month out on getting TSP with reg steel in stock.


[quote name='flipmode' timestamp='1293664676' post='2864775']
I just hit the TSP today for the first time. Interesting results. I had some shots that felt great, a couple worm burners and a couple shots that felt good but they were pushed right. Its going to take a lot of time to get use to this club but I plan on watching the DVD tonight and going back to the range tomorrow. My hope is that I'll be able to improve with a couple months of good practice. I did notice that when I tried a little harder to get my right elbow in as close to my right hip as I could on the downswing I made better contact. I've never been a very consistent iron player, been a "picker" of the ball, and this club is definitely exposing my flaws.
[/quote]

Keep working on your own fixes. Personal adjustments are always better than me telling to do something. You'll get it!

[drm006]

Thanks for the offer but I can wait. I am actaully recovering from hernia surgery and was ordering it now as more 'motivation' since I can't swing a club for 8 more weeks. Looking forward to using the TSP - heard great things!

Happy New Year.

[CosmosMpower]

Tried a TS Pro 7 iron today, was an interesting experience. Looking at it for the first time I couldn't see how in the world you were supposed to hit it, the face was pointing...AT THE SKY! Even with a really forward press I couldn't see how to hit down but I took a swing and sure enough it worked. I didn't know if I properly hit down on the ball but I guess I do, the flight was the same as normal irons.

[Cmartingolf]

[quote name='CosmosMpower' timestamp='1293671566' post='2864982']
Tried a TS Pro 7 iron today, was an interesting experience. Looking at it for the first time I couldn't see how in the world you were supposed to hit it, the face was pointing...AT THE SKY! Even with a really forward press I couldn't see how to hit down but I took a swing and sure enough it worked. I didn't know if I properly hit down on the ball but I guess I do, the flight was the same as normal irons.
[/quote]

Cosmo, you obviously do some things right! Better players that can hit the TSP receive benefit from the timing precision required to hit a series of shots successfully. They don't have poor player "thin" issues, but rather their divot can start too far ahead of the ball which can lead to inconsistent strikes and distance control.

[neverhadaholeinone]

Got mine about 3 weeks ago and was able to try it for the 1st time today. I'm a 12 hc with irons being my strong point. My problem is I tend to flip at impact.
The TSP makes you aware of any flipping, as the result is a crappy shot.
I was hitting nice 145-150 yd draws with it (range balls), normal distance 140yds.
Almost feel like kicking my 7i out of the bag and using the TSP!
I was impressed with it and would recommend it.
*************************************
Martin,
I should be getting a commission, I told a lot of guys about your website and they will be making purchases!

Can the TS swing be carried over to a hitting the driver? Of course you shouldn't hit down on driver but can the impact position be the same?

[Cmartingolf]

Never had a hole in one...

Well that is going to change. One TS owner in Hawaii has had three since his purchase. Completely fluky? Sure, but he credits his new found striking ability as a by product of practicing with the TS.

So, here's to you 2011 with a couple of HIO's.

How does the TS relate to the Driver? Well, we want to have the same alignments, just in a different orientation. The TS's primary goal is to teach people the correct way to hit a ball off of the ground. They can already hit it (to some degree) when the ball is perched high in the grass or on a tee, right? We want the shaft always trailing the lead arm even when the ball is perched on a tee. That requires that you learn how to have a little axis tilt. I go over this pretty thoroughly in the "Maximizing Distance" DVD.

Thanks for all the PR, I really appreciate it!!!

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Martin

[neverhadaholeinone]

[quote name='Cmartingolf' timestamp='1293843450' post='2868505']
Never had a hole in one...

Well that is going to change. One TS owner in Hawaii has had three since his purchase. Completely fluky? Sure, but he credits his new found striking ability as a by product of practicing with the TS.

So, here's to you 2011 with a couple of HIO's.

How does the TS relate to the Driver? Well, we want to have the same alignments, just in a different orientation. The TS's primary goal is to teach people the correct way to hit a ball off of the ground. They can already hit it (to some degree) when the ball is perched high in the grass or on a tee, right? We want the shaft always trailing the lead arm even when the ball is perched on a tee. That requires that you learn how to have a little axis tilt. I go over this pretty thoroughly in the "Maximizing Distance" DVD.

Thanks for all the PR, I really appreciate it!!!

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Martin
[/quote]
Hi Martin,
Thanks for the quick response. My problem with the driver was the same I was having with my irons,
a flipper! Aren't the hand/arm impact positions the same (driver & irons)? straight left arm with bent (angled rt. wrist) at impact? Of course, hitting up on the ball instead of down with irons....

Have a Happy New Year!
BTW, the course in your TS instructional DVD is gorgeous!

[Cmartingolf]

Short answer, yes!

Ideally, the sequence of your release will have the shaft trailing your lead arm ever so slightly with a level or slightly upward strike. There should be no "holding of any angles." Your left shoulder will be "up" and your spine will have a tilt away from the target.

The course I work at is very pretty - Tetherow Golf Club. Come on out a visit this summer.

I'm going to have a couple of Tour Striker Golf Schools.


Martin

[neverhadaholeinone]

[quote name='Cmartingolf' timestamp='1293895815' post='2869046']
Short answer, yes!

Ideally, the sequence of your release will have the shaft trailing your lead arm ever so slightly with a level or slightly upward strike. There should be no "holding of any angles." Your left shoulder will be "up" and your spine will have a tilt away from the target.

The course I work at is very pretty - Tetherow Golf Club. Come on out a visit this summer.

I'm going to have a couple of Tour Striker Golf Schools.


Martin
[/quote]

Man, do you know you are blessed to be working at such a beautiful course/area!
I'm stuck in Connecticut, traffic everywhere, high taxes, crime, corrupt politicians (well, I guess you get this one everywhere!). If not for family I would be out of here. I will keep it on my short list for retirement.....

[Oldnavycdr]

One session review as follows:

Many posters have described the TS as humbling. Being a 20 capper I am well versed in humble when it comes to golf which is what led me to ask for the TS vice the TSP for Christmas. Today afforded the first opportunity to take the TS to the range to see just what this thing could do for a high capper. What I found was, the TS coupled with Martin's great instructional DVD will make a big difference in my swing and ball striking. Before this session when I would get a really great ball strike during a round I couldn't put my finger on just what I did that made it feel so pure. TS does that. Combine a good pivot in a well sequenced tempo, feel the lag in the right index finger and strike down and through and the result is pure. All these things -- "good pivot", "well sequenced tempo", "lag", etc were all words known to me by way of golf books and videos but I could never relate the words to the feel and subsequent result before. Using the TS does that. To be sure, I hit a lot -- mostly poor shots. But but after a couple of well struck shots I could instantly tell what it was that I did right. And after those I became instantly aware of what I did wrong on the poor shots. Sometimes it was a poor pivot, sometimes a flip, sometimes I lost my connection but I could feel right away what I had done poorly and refocused on the next shot. After a while I started alternating in my regular 7i and saw immediate improvement. Not alway pure but almost always better.

Did the TS fix my swing in one session? Not even close. But I know from just this one session that continued work with this tool will improve my ball striking. And while I will include some lessons as I prepare for spring, I am now aware of what a proper piovt and tempo feel like for me. The self instructional nature of the TS is what makes it a truly great training aide. Yes, you can cheat the regular TS, but I could feel when I did that as just getting the ball in the air isn't what tells you it was a good swing. The feel of compressing the golf ball is a unique feel so I concentrated on trying to achieve that.

One last note about feeling lag -- which I did for the first time today. I discovered that by greatly lightening the pressure of the thumb and index finger of my right hand -- coupled with a good pivot driven downswing, I could actually feel this magical (yet ellusive) thing called "lag." I own a PBS and have practiced with it quite a bit but never found the feel of real lag. Why? Because I had a death grip on the club and while I could feel the pressure of the PBS in the crook of the right index finger, that pressure was grip induced, not lag induced. Had I used a grape like Martin shows in his video I would have crushed it at address.

Today was one joyous "ah ha" moment after another. Thanks, Martin!

[Cloran]

Martin,

My ADD won't allow me to read through 21 pages so I apologize in advance if this has already been covered.

I play my irons 5* or 6* flat, depending on the vintage... (I'm partial to '58 Hogan's, but I'm having an affair with a sexy set of MP14s right now)

Question: Is the TS forged so I can bend it myself, or are you able to bend it to my specs?

I currently play my 7i at these specs: Lie angle: 58*, Swing Weight: D6, Length: 36"

Thanks,

Cloran

[withouttalent]

"When I say your right forearm is coming in too steep, that means your right elbow is too high during impact. Make some swings feeling like your right elbow is as low (close to the ground) as it can be during impact. TRY and get the heel of the club to touch the ground and NOT the toe. "

Martin,

My TS'ers aren't scheduled to arrive till Tuesday, but I was able to get back on the simulator and make the changes you recommended in your post and video. Holy Crap! The improvement was immediate! The imagery you gave me was so simple and effective, even I was able to retain it. Can't say I was able to execute perfectly each time, but when I did I could see on the bottom of my irons that I had hit in the center, and more importantly the ball was going about 10 yards farther. Once I can learn to compress the ball with the TS and hardwire these changes I am going to need to get in some big money games.... before my handicap comes down!

Martin, you'll never know how many different answers I had heard before, including from some teaching pros, or gotten by researching on the internet about why I was hitting balls on the toe of my irons. Maybe they were the right answers, but they weren't the right answer for me. Thank you once again,

Without Talent (but smart enough to recognize someone with talent)

[Cmartingolf]

Awesome! Glad I could help and that the post made sense to you.

Cheers

[Cmartingolf]

[quote name='Oldnavycdr' timestamp='1293914108' post='2869499']
One session review as follows:

...

Today was one joyous "ah ha" moment after another. Thanks, Martin!


[/quote]

Thanks for posting! I'm glad the TS and the instruction got you thinking/feeling differently in positive manner.

[Cmartingolf]

[quote name='Cloran' timestamp='1293924989' post='2869794']
Martin,

My ADD won't allow me to read through 21 pages so I apologize in advance if this has already been covered.

I play my irons 5* or 6* flat, depending on the vintage... (I'm partial to '58 Hogan's, but I'm having an affair with a sexy set of MP14s right now)

Question: Is the TS forged so I can bend it myself, or are you able to bend it to my specs?

I currently play my 7i at these specs: Lie angle: 58*, Swing Weight: D6, Length: 36"

Thanks,

Cloran
[/quote]

Cloran, the clubs are cast. I have a demo I'll test on and get back to you in a couple of days. 58 may result in a snapped hosel. We'll see!

[Cmartingolf]

[quote name='Cloran' timestamp='1293924989' post='2869794']
Martin,

My ADD won't allow me to read through 21 pages so I apologize in advance if this has already been covered.

I play my irons 5* or 6* flat, depending on the vintage... (I'm partial to '58 Hogan's, but I'm having an affair with a sexy set of MP14s right now)

Question: Is the TS forged so I can bend it myself, or are you able to bend it to my specs?

I currently play my 7i at these specs: Lie angle: 58*, Swing Weight: D6, Length: 36"

Thanks,

Cloran
[/quote]

Cloran, the clubs are cast. I have a demo I'll test on and get back to you in a couple of days. 58 may result in a snapped hosel. We'll see!

[kchuckb]

Just had my second session with my TSP 7 iron this morning and it was better than the first. Starting to get the hang of it and hit some nice balls. Really enjoyed the DVD and like everyone else, want to play that beutiful course. So far I am very pleased with the TSP and would reccomend it already.

[Cmartingolf]

Kchuck,

Thanks for the post.

Tetherow Golf Club is awesome. I know you live a ways away, but Central Oregon is a great golf getaway. We have a site called the www.centraloregongolftrail.com. Me and a couple of pro built it last year to highlight the great golf within a short distance. Bend is a great guys trip destination or a couples destination. While Bandon is phenomenal for a guys trip, it really isn't a civilized couples trip. Bend has both.

[danattherock]

I have not used my TSP in a few weeks. Just got back from the range. Man, I love this thing. I hit about ten 7 irons to loosen up. Pulled out the TSP, hit about ten balls. It pointed out my mistake quick, namely, not enough forward shaft lean. I hit the last 5-6 balls with the TSP pretty well. Long line drives at any rate. I then got my 7 iron back out and took 3/4 swings and had about 5 balls land within 3-4 feet of the 150 flag. The rest of the bucket was easy. High flying shots that were struck solid and sounded sweet. Love this training aid. Absolutely love it.


-Dan

[Oldnavycdr]

Second range session with the TS today and the improvement in ball striking quality is dramatic. Not all of them but fewer worm burners and some very nice contact. One issue I'm having, though -- lots of lefts, some big draws and some hooks. Do I have a little too much pivot going here? After a number of these I concentrated more on keeping my head behind the ball thinking that I might be lunging to get the pivot and that seemed to help. But "head behind the ball" and a strong pivot are hard things to sequence. Perhaps it is something else?

Anyway, 2 sessions and lots of good going on here.

[fats]

[quote name='Oldnavycdr' timestamp='1294004607' post='2871329']
Second range session with the TS today and the improvement in ball striking quality is dramatic. Not all of them but fewer worm burners and some very nice contact. One issue I'm having, though -- lots of lefts, some big draws and some hooks. Do I have a little too much pivot going here? After a number of these I concentrated more on keeping my head behind the ball thinking that I might be lunging to get the pivot and that seemed to help. But "head behind the ball" and a strong pivot are hard things to sequence. Perhaps it is something else?

Anyway, 2 sessions and lots of good going on here.
[/quote]

There is no doubt it is one of the best innovations to be introduced in a long long time.
His advice is also first rate.