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Hux
7th September 2010, 08:33 PM
Well I finally succumbed and spent some $$ on a lesson. With a few recommendations in hand I finally got in to Gary Calder at Indro.
An hour on the range was money well spent - didn't do the indoor video thing. About 3 balls and 2 mins of conversation and he had my major (no doubt not the only) fault pegged. The next 57 mins was trying to get into my thick head the correction and some drills to work on.

The guy has got the patience of a saint and a great easy communications style.

So my fault...basically pulling the club down with my left hand rather than starting with a left hip rotation. With the few things in mind I was getting good contact and with softer arms and hands generally good rotation and lag. Bombed a few drivers out there and had the 4 & 7 iron out a pretty damn good distance for those 3 stripe range balls.

Still aways to groove this in and not what I had thought and just goes to show that spending $100 early is probably a damn sight better than trying to work it out yourself. I could have saved myself a lot of pain by doing this 6 months ago.

Courty
7th September 2010, 08:50 PM
Good work, Craig. Hope the change bears fruit as far as the scores go. I'm in the middle of the same process at the moment. It can get tough, but you've gotta stick it out.

AndyP
7th September 2010, 08:53 PM
I've heard nothing but good things about Gary, and if I was to get a lesson, which I'm not, I would see him. I had a clubfitting session with him once and I liked the way he operated.

Ned
7th September 2010, 08:57 PM
Good work, Craig. Hope the change bears fruit as far as the scores go. I'm in the middle of the same process at the moment. It can get tough, but you've gotta stick it out.

or buy another crub!

Eag's
7th September 2010, 09:02 PM
Good to hear Graig, sounds like you go a lot out of the lesson :smt023

PeteyD
8th September 2010, 06:02 AM
Put your $$ on the Spaniard for the Match play!

Daves
8th September 2010, 06:18 AM
Well I finally succumbed and spent some $$ on a lesson. With a few recommendations in hand I finally got in to Gary Calder at Indro.
An hour on the range was money well spent - didn't do the indoor video thing. About 3 balls and 2 mins of conversation and he had my major (no doubt not the only) fault pegged. The next 57 mins was trying to get into my thick head the correction and some drills to work on.

The guy has got the patience of a saint and a great easy communications style.

So my fault...basically pulling the club down with my left hand rather than starting with a left hip rotation. With the few things in mind I was getting good contact and with softer arms and hands generally good rotation and lag. Bombed a few drivers out there and had the 4 & 7 iron out a pretty damn good distance for those 3 stripe range balls.

Still aways to groove this in and not what I had thought and just goes to show that spending $100 early is probably a damn sight better than trying to work it out yourself. I could have saved myself a lot of pain by doing this 6 months ago.

Sounds pretty right to me, you had almost a drop straight down going on there and the hands had to try to recover it. Lack of rotation is the curse of most over 40s. Good luck with the rejig, just requires some range time.

razaar
8th September 2010, 06:19 AM
Good choice Hux, Gaz knows his stuff.

just
8th September 2010, 07:32 AM
Did he look at your clubs as well?

BrisVegas
8th September 2010, 11:34 AM
It's funny how some people really rate Gary Calder (I'm one of them) and other's can't stand him. He can rub people up the wrong way. Glad you've found something of a fix Craig. Good luck bedding it in.

Hux
8th September 2010, 08:23 PM
BV I'd find it hard to not like him. Easy going from the start and a good easy communication style. As far as rating him as a coach...well we will see how it goes over time. My plan will be to stick with some form of coaching for a year to get things going in the right direction (should have done this 2 years ago when I came back to golf).

Range time as Dave said will be the key but he explained what I need to do well and gave me some simple drills which got through my thick head.

Just. Did he look at my clubs...yeah he went ahhh Cobras and then went ahh Project X...looked at the head and went mmmm a red one and that was the end of it. I doubt my bats were as much of a problem as the knob on the end of them. :-)

razaar
9th September 2010, 08:30 AM
Just. Did he look at my clubs...yeah he went ahhh Cobras and then went ahh Project X...looked at the head and went mmmm a red one and that was the end of it. I doubt my bats were as much of a problem as the knob on the end of them. :-)

He is a clubfitter afterall ,Craig and a very good one. If you trust him with your swing, why not ask him to twigg your irons and putter.

ddasey
9th September 2010, 08:35 AM
Just. Did he look at my clubs...yeah he went ahhh Cobras and then went ahh Project X...looked at the head and went mmmm a red one and that was the end of it. I doubt my bats were as much of a problem as the knob on the end of them. :-)

No point in him having a look at your crubs. More than likely they will have changed before you see him next :mrgreen:

On a serious note, good luck with it all. Keep us posted on how it goes.

Lucasto23
9th September 2010, 08:46 AM
BV I'd find it hard to not like him. Easy going from the start and a good easy communication style. As far as rating him as a coach...well we will see how it goes over time. My plan will be to stick with some form of coaching for a year to get things going in the right direction (should have done this 2 years ago when I came back to golf).

Range time as Dave said will be the key but he explained what I need to do well and gave me some simple drills which got through my thick head.

Just. Did he look at my clubs...yeah he went ahhh Cobras and then went ahh Project X...looked at the head and went mmmm a red one and that was the end of it. I doubt my bats were as much of a problem as the knob on the end of them. :-)

Mate, very happy for you.

If you stick down this path you are going to have some amazing rounds of golf and bad ones but just stick with it and you can be a scary good golfer :)

BrisVegas
9th September 2010, 09:10 AM
he's a scary golfer already. :wink:

Hux
9th September 2010, 07:56 PM
he's a scary golfer already. :wink:

Ugly not scarey....small kids flock to me :-)


No point in him having a look at your crubs. More than likely they will have changed before you see him next :mrgreen:

On a serious note, good luck with it all. Keep us posted on how it goes.

Seriously the irons have been in the bag for a year - the wedges off and on (mainly on) for 2 years. Only the driver and putter comes the changes and the putter is now 3 or 4 months I think!


He is a clubfitter afterall ,Craig and a very good one. If you trust him with your swing, why not ask him to twigg your irons and putter.

You have a point. I think I'll bed in the swing before I go down that route. A fitting session will probably be good once the turn settles in and a consistent pattern can be seen in the ball striking. Until then it will be a tad like changing putters every time you have a bad round of putting....hang on thats me!

razaar
10th September 2010, 06:00 AM
You have a point. I think I'll bed in the swing before I go down that route. A fitting session will probably be good once the turn settles in and a consistent pattern can be seen in the ball striking. Until then it will be a tad like changing putters every time you have a bad round of putting....hang on thats me!

I understand your thinking but it doesn't hurt to ask him questions. The game is hard enough without playing with the right sticks. Having confidence in your gear is a big part of good golf.

Hux
10th September 2010, 11:23 AM
I understand your thinking but it doesn't hurt to ask him questions. The game is hard enough without playing with the right sticks. Having confidence in your gear is a big part of good golf.

Well the lesson paid dividends today - 40pts with a wipe and 3 x 1 pointers. Hit quite a few fairways and better iron striking as well. The fairway wood wasn't playing the game off the tee which was 3 holes but other than that I am suprised that with no practice just the a few basic thoughts in my head I was putting it into action more often than not.

I do have confidence in the sticks - well maybe not that 3 wood :-)

solarman
10th September 2010, 11:24 AM
Mate, not the only one. Had a lesson and started well with the irons again, but my trusty 3 wood has deserted me. Used to be my go to club.

Hux
10th September 2010, 11:39 AM
Mate, not the only one. Had a lesson and started well with the irons again, but my trusty 3 wood has deserted me. Used to be my go to club.

3 wood was never my trusty go to.....well I have it others better than today.

Eag's
10th September 2010, 11:41 AM
Glad to hear you got results straight away Craig, nice work :smt023

TheTrueReview
10th September 2010, 05:43 PM
3 wood was never my trusty go to.....well I have it others better than today.

Is your Baffler 16 degree long enough to be a 3 wood replacement?

Ned
10th September 2010, 07:09 PM
Well the lesson paid dividends today - 40pts with a wipe and 3 x 1 pointers. Hit quite a few fairways and better iron striking as well. The fairway wood wasn't playing the game off the tee which was 3 holes but other than that I am suprised that with no practice just the a few basic thoughts in my head I was putting it into action more often than not.

I do have confidence in the sticks - well maybe not that 3 wood :-)

Dibs on the Oban!

Hux
11th September 2010, 08:22 AM
Is your Baffler 16 degree long enough to be a 3 wood replacement?

Probably 10-15m shorter off the tee than a well struck 3 wood. Couple of holes at Bribie that unless its off the tips I will blow through the fairway with the driver.

I am aiming at dropping the 16* down to 18*.

ddasey
23rd September 2010, 05:13 PM
I know today wasn't a great day, but overall how is the swing going since the lesson.

I actually had one myself this afternoon and a few things clicked. Just need to find some time to practice (Could be Saturdays comp....)

Ned
23rd September 2010, 05:24 PM
I am aiming at dropping the 16* down to 18*.

In about 10 days time!

Hux
23rd September 2010, 07:08 PM
Dave

Better. Certainly my driving stats are far better - for some reason the hip clearing is easier with the driver than the irons. I really just need to get my head around things better and get into the "natural" phase with the irons. I mean 170+m straight as a die (was 166 to the pin and I went through the green into a bunker) with the 6 iron on one hole when I hit it pure. So its there - just not bedded in. I will aim for a revisit after the champs for a tune up.

Hux
23rd September 2010, 07:09 PM
In about 10 days time!

Thanks mate

Daves
23rd September 2010, 09:20 PM
Dave

Better. Certainly my driving stats are far better - for some reason the hip clearing is easier with the driver than the irons. I really just need to get my head around things better and get into the "natural" phase with the irons. I mean 170+m straight as a die (was 166 to the pin and I went through the green into a bunker) with the 6 iron on one hole when I hit it pure. So its there - just not bedded in. I will aim for a revisit after the champs for a tune up.

Has your new coach suggested to you at all that trying to hit the ball long is part of the problem? I know you are very long if you strike it well, but have your tried swinging much easier and hitting 6iron perhaps more like 145/150ish like most of us mere mortals! Perhaps build the ball striking and accuracy first and then add a bit of pepper. Just a suggestion. I know I would much rather hit a 6i 140 metres every time, than 140 to 160m depending on my swing on the day.

Yossarian
23rd September 2010, 09:38 PM
Very good point dave! It is so easy of slipping into the habit of trying to max out your irons, when really they are scoring shots and distance from the pin is the crucial part.

Hux
24th September 2010, 10:34 AM
Dave

We worked on clearing the hip..... not about power etc.
I find that if I try and swing easier I fail to clear the hip so swing through the ball starts with the hip moving and a faster turn rather than pulling down with the club which is the stock when I try to swing easier.

Distance is irrelevant just a product of when I get moving right. The distance is not significantly different to that when I used to play as a youngster. New equipment and balls etc mean I would be behind but its 20+ years ago and I was either a lot taller or a lot thinner!!

razaar
24th September 2010, 11:54 AM
Hux

Something that has helped me with the hip turn as I get older is to let the right hip turn behind in the backswing and then brace it there with the right leg. Don't let it move back to its original position at address, but keep it in its coiled position with your butt facing the left heel. The left hip is then driven backwards over the left heel turning the right hip forwards towards the target. (Just in case Gaz failed to mention the fundamentals of the hip turn).

I have been relearning this following my knee and hip problems.

PeteyD
24th September 2010, 03:34 PM
Nah learn to hit it long first. Pennick, Grout, Earp etc all recommend learn to hit it long and then get accuracy. Bit late for us old farts, but have told my son to smash the ball, find it and smash it again ;)