Understanding the Point of Impact in Golf

Technique does not equal great contact.

Thanks to new technology, the internet, and YouTube I will be starting a series of myths & truths.  We must get away from thinking that good technique equals good contact. With that out of the way, we can got to the truth, which will then lead to better scores. It is amazing how few golfers actually understand what the correct impact alignments are.  Too many players are still trying to hit the ball with a clubface hitting the direct back of the ball with it square to the target line.

With that picture in your mind, lessons will help very little.

I suggest that the next time you take a lesson, start by asking the pro what correct impact alignments are.

www.lagandload.com

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Starting a Golf Discussion

We are starting to get a lot of action on the LagnLoad website and YouTube channel.  I am happy to say that the majority of questions and responses we receive are insightful and very well thought out.

I always enjoy a respectful debate and believe there are not many things better than a great question.

I have been around this game for over 45 years, I have won many professional events and have taught at the highest level.  With that said, I would like to pose a couple questions as well as express a couple of opinions.

#1. After all of this time, I can not say that I have seen much evidence that would suggest that the more you practice the better you get. What I believe I can safely say is that golfers tend to improve for about the first 3 years after taking up the game.

#2 Why doesn’t Hank Haney use the ‘Medicus’ or his new swing plane device that he has endorsed on his TV show?  Some of his students could sure use them.

#3 If you do not understand that the club face and the club shaft are two different entities you are going to have a hard time improving.

#4 If you’re waiting for someone to make golf instruction simple, you are in for a long wait. Instead you should be looking for organized and correct information.

There is much to learn, but if taught correctly it is possible to put a piece in place so that it never breaks again.  That will allow you to move on to the next piece and do the same thing.  This method may not be the fastest way to go but it is better and faster than  trying to put everything together at once and never getting it.

Always interested in hearing your thoughts.

Sincerely,

Mark

www.lagandload.com

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Correlation Between Striking the Golf Ball Well & Scoring

What does hitting it better have to do with scoring?

Nothing!  I first heard the term ‘comfort zone’ from The Legendary Moe Norman.  He would say golfers shoot what they think they deserve and that scoring has little to do with how well they hit it.

Not many of us want to admit that we get scared of shooting scores better than we have in the past.  Take for example a player who usually shoots 90, is having a great day and shoots 40 on the front nine.  I would argue that it is extremely likely that this golfer is going to shoot 50 or higher on the back nine.  Rather than admitting this was a result of being scared, this golfer will probably tell his fellow golfers that he ‘lost his swing’ on the back nine.

Over the next year I intend to take a serious run at teaching golfers to face their fears and focus on learning to lower their handicaps by using a combination of smart golf swing practice and techniques of how to face their fears.

Hope you stay with me.

Mark

www.lagandload.com

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2012 Masters Recap

The Masters does it again……

Want to put a few quick points together about the Masters. You can see and hear more if you go to my YouTube site.

#1 How in the heck did Bobby Jones know how to create a golf course or a back nine that could generate excitement like that?

#2 I’m getting tired of the broadcast analysts throwing out their nice little story lines. Are there any not-s0-nice guys on the PGA tour?  What is the proof that relaxed and feeling comfortable wins golf tournaments?

#3 As much as I am starting to respect Brandel Chamblee’s commentating for at least stating what he believes, I thought him and Frank Nobilo were going to come to blows about Tigers swing!

#4 Phil. Wow, the man does not quit.  Few will ever realize how great that flop shot was on 15 on Saturday.

To see and hear more go to:    http://www.youtube.com/user/LagnLoad/featured      The Masters. 2012.

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PGA Tour Recap

I have been asked to start doing a Monday wrap-up of the weekly PGA Tour event.  As I paid close attention to the weekend golf, I was horrified by the tidbits thrown out by the commentators particularly when it came to what could be mistaken as a swing tip.

Here are two examples:

  1.  ”Hunter Mahan is cutting across the ball.”  Are you kidding me?  A guy leading a PGA Tour event is ‘cutting across the ball’?!?  He is hitting almost every green in regulation and he is ‘cutting across the ball’?!?  NO CHANCE a player at that level will make a mistake that large.
  2. Carl Pettersson hit a bunker shot; the ball came up short; the camera  went back to Carl hitting the bunker shot and the commentator said, “Look, you can see Carl took too much sand”.  I have been teaching this game for almost 40 years, if that commentator could truly see that ‘he took too much sand’ I will eat his microphone!

Here’s my point.  Those who follow my material are committed to improving their game. They spend time and money to do so, yet what slows their progress (as well as yours), is succombing to misleading, incorrect, and unorganized comments such as the above examples.

Gotta love YouTube!

Please go to our YouTube channel to see my video rebuttal:  http://www.youtube.com/user/LagnLoad?ob=0&feature=results_main

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The WHY’s of Golf

I believe the only way to effectively teach is to find the audience that hears you. We should feel free to admit although we somewhat look the same, we certainly do not think the same.  I am a big believer that we should celebrate our differences and at least for the teaching/learning part of life get away from the want to do everything in a politically correct way.  Teachers should have the freedom to explain who they are and what they believe in and how they want to teach.  Students can then quickly establish if you’re the right teacher for them.  Trying to be everything to everybody is a waste of time.

Personally I love explaining the why’s.  It has been my personal experience that with the understanding of ‘why I feel’, I can figure out the ‘how’.  I do not enjoy being put in the position to have to give a quick tip or to give a piece of information that I know will not work or will only work for a short period of time.

I recognize that the majority of golfers do not want this style of teaching.  So let’s just put it out there and avoid wasting each others time.

It would be a huge step in the right direction if each instructor would be honest and at the outset, state their teaching position, style, and beliefs.

I enjoy working with golfers who believe in themselves and are willing to accept that the reason they are failing is because they are not being given the correct information or at very least, they are not getting the information in a logically organized manner.

For those looking for quick tips, there are 100s of websites out there.

www.lagandload.com

 

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PGA Tour Recap

News Flash:

Tiger’s intimidation factor is NOT gone.

I want someone to put a mic in front of Graeme Mcdowell and ask him if he felt intimidated?  Come on Graeme, tell the truth.

Congrats Tiger.  Great win, well planned, perfect execution.

Somebody ask Rocco if Tiger is on the right track.

Congratulations to Sean Foley.  You took a lot of heat in the early going, seems like the boys in the booth have changed their tone.  You weathered the storm like a true champ.

Hate to use the word but Ernie, choked.

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