Thoughts on David Blair?

[Bangarang]

Can anyone shed some light on David Blair and his videos?  I'm new to the game and looking to develop a consistent, effortless swing and thought his Youtube videos were pretty solid.  Anyone actually buy his DVD?  What are your thoughts on what he's preaching?

Link to his page: http://www.youtube.com/user/progolf2007

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Bangarang

Can anyone shed some light on David Blair and his videos?  I'm new to the game and looking to develop a consistent, effortless swing and thought his Youtube videos were pretty solid.  Anyone actually buy his DVD?  What are your thoughts on what he's preaching?

Link to his page: http://www.youtube.com/user/progolf2007

Not really a fan, but I only watched a little of this:

I don't like using PGA Tour pros as great examples, but find me one doing what he suggests with a non-pitch shot or putt and I'll be shocked.

[Bangarang]

Originally Posted by iacas

Not really a fan, but I only watched a little of this:

I don't like using PGA Tour pros as great examples, but find me one doing what he suggests with a non-pitch shot or putt and I'll be shocked.

Are you referring to his use of the hands?  Would that cause you to become a flipper?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Bangarang

Are you referring to his use of the hands?  Would that cause you to become a flipper?

More referring to the left elbow folding. This is not seen among many or any of the game's great players. Big Hardy thing though, I think - alligator or "T-Rex" arms.

[Marty59]

Hi, I bought the DVD a few years ago and go to it every spring for a refresher course. I think it is outstanding and use it on my students. You have to be careful not to get flippy but that will not happen if you are committed and finish every swing. Plus if you work on David's half swing drill you will over come the flips. There are not many instructional videos I have not seen and this is right up there with the best. Hope this helps.

[johnthejoiner]

Originally Posted by Bangarang

Can anyone shed some light on David Blair and his videos?  I'm new to the game and looking to develop a consistent, effortless swing and thought his Youtube videos were pretty solid.  Anyone actually buy his DVD?  What are your thoughts on what he's preaching?

Link to his page: http://www.youtube.com/user/progolf2007

You could do a hell of a lot worse.

His youtube videos look good and he comes across well, each video takes you through a separate part of building a fundamentally correct golf swing. There's a lot of gimmicks that wont be around in ten years time, this isn't one

[GaryH]

I've tried his method before without success.  However, since i seem to have exhausted so many other ideas I've just started to give it another go.  One observation I've made is that it seems i really do need to use his neutral grip in order to hit good shots with his half swing exercise.  He advocates having the left thumb on top of the shaft and the creases between thumb & forefinger pointing in towards the body as opposed to at the right shoulder.  Perhaps a tad controversial(?), but to be fair this gives me the conventional neutral 2 knuckle grip.  With my more natural (for me) strong grip, all my shots with his half swing exercise were going low and left - makes sense i suppose, as with his hand release a strong grip would lead to a closed clubface at impact i guess.

So, using the markings on my grips on my ping i20 irons as a guide, i positioned my left thumb right down the centre of the grip at the range and did his half swing exercise.  And with my PW and 8 iron i hit lots of really good ones, about 110yds and 130 yds respectively, very close to the full swing distance with good trajectory and accuracy too.  It feels strange, but i am encouraged.

I should add that to help me do the half swing exercise correctly i used another drill from his DVD to familiarise myself with his half swing finish position - the one where from the address position you move your hips left, squeeze the clubhead into the ground and let it flip through into this half swing finish position.

BTW, this is an excellent forum!

[GaryH]

Oh well, my return to his methods was short lived!  I tried his exercises again at the range today, and while i can hit my PW and 8 iron reasonably well doing his half swing exercise, it is not leading to good swing.  Funnily enough, a few years ago I went to a group session with him.  Watching him hit his half shots and full shots is quite an experience.  He hits them both magnificently, and the distance, contact and trajectory he gets on his half shots is breathtaking.  However, none of us, his students, could get anywhere near to replicating it, which is kind of the point!

I'm sticking with the neutral grip though.  After leaving Blair's method behind, the neutral grip, in conjunction with slowing down my swing, particularly my backswing, enabled me to hit some nice shots.

[crazyscotsman]

I wrote a couple of emails to David after I purchased his DVD as I had a couple of questions.  He responded right away and gave me a very good understanding of his swing.  I practiced as the the handbook and dvd instructed and my handicap has dropped from a 10 to a 4.5

Once i was used to his program i was swinging nicely through impact to a balanced finish.  Extra yardage and definately more accuracy.  I would highly recommend

[ChrisL]

Hi, I just thought I should add my thoughts / experience with David Blair.

For a while I watched his program, which used to air on the Golf Channel, (around 2005/2006 I think).

Then after moving to Scotland I seen he delivers tuition near the central belt, so took the plunge and booked to be part of a group lesson for a day.

When i arrived, he was standing to greet me in the car park!!!, turns out the other 3 guys for one reason or another had to cancel, David said, obviously this was not my fault, and would either offer to re-schedule at a convenient date, or just do the whole day on a 1 to 1 basis. I opted for the 1 - 1 Lessons.

My H/Cap at the time was around 20/21, and had been for most of my golfing time, I didnt start playing until I was about 30.

David teaches a method of the golf swing which is effortless, and very powerful. After my day's coaching I played a local 6 hole par 3 course (Well's Green to anyone near Kirkcaldy, Fife) and was striking the ball beautifully, one particular par 3 was 180 yards, and i carried past the green with no wind, with an 8 Iron.!! (this normally for me would be around 160 yards total).

The swing takes time, its takes effort, time and dedication. I never put in any of these, and in fact, now, some 2/3 years after my full day session with David, would say I often play a full round, and don't adopt any of his swing thoughts in any of my shots throughout the whole round. Not because they are bad, just because I'm not practising them.

And I know I should. I know the results, but I don't really have the time to set aside time to "re-iterate" the swing thoughts.

Overall, should you give it a go??, I'd just say, my current h/cap is now 11, but I'd say I've achieved this, without the help of the swing build, rather than because of the swing build.

I'm now going to pull out my old swing drills, practices, and try and focus on the swing build method, to try and improve further.

I've only played a couple of games in the last 6 weeks due to holiday & bad weather, so whilst I'm anticipating a few h/cap increases over the next few weeks, will use this period to try and re-establish the swing thoughts learned from David, which I'm sure will improve my game in the long term.

 

I'll try and publish an update in a couple of months, to let you know the result :)

 

 

[dbl4time]

I purchased David Blair's DVD "The Secret of Golf".  He has also recently uploaded a series of "Swingbuild" instructional videos on YouTube.  The instruction is excellent, in my opinion. 

In my opinion, the techniques taught by David Blair will work for most anyone, male or female, young or old, IF they learn and practice the full system. If someone is trying to cobble one of David's techniques to their existing swing, it's probably not going to work.  I think anyone who is serious can learn the Swingbuild process and take it to the course within 1 - 2 months.  It really is that easy.