My Swing (Rainmaker)

[mdl]

21 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

I agree with this as well. 

+3

[Rainmaker]

Oh yeah, lol. Post a swing video. You suck. Your teacher sucks. You should sign up for evolvr.  Hmmm....ok....

[Hardspoon]

1 hour ago, CarlSpackler said:

I agree with this as well. 

 

48 minutes ago, mdl said:

+3

Seriously, that's not really constructive at this point, is it?

 

@Rainmaker, I know that this thread was probably a bit more on the "tough love" side of things than you were hoping, but you might want to think seriously about what Erik said above (about your understanding of your lessons).  Part of learning is to be able to translate what you're working on and explain it to others; if you can't do that, there may be a disconnect...putting aside entirely the issue of whether your instructor is giving you the best possible advice.

Maybe try posting some videos after your next lesson, with the specific items that your instructor had you work on, and the drills that you're going to use to practice them.  I guarantee that folks won't hold back if they feel you're working on something that isn't your priority, but at the same time, I think you'll find that most people on here are going to be constructive and just try to help.

[iacas]

7 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

Oh yeah, lol. Post a swing video. You suck. Your teacher sucks. You should sign up for evolvr.  Hmmm....ok....

@Rainmaker, I can't speak for those who kind of piled on at the end, but as you know when you post here you have to be prepared to at least read the opinions of others. That's what you got here.

So I don't know what you want. This wasn't a setup. It wasn't a con or anything like that. I've told you what I'd work on, and there are a ton of things here that would let you start to work on those things yourself if you want. Keys #1 and Keys #2. There are a lot of videos here about that.

I've given you the free advice that I'd work on turning more and then getting your weight forward more. I'd work on those two things first.

There's a lot of stuff right there, free, that you can do. Keys #1 and #2.

I do think your current instructor stinks. Sorry. It's just my opinion, and you're welcome to completely disregard it all if you want. I don't think you should, but be my guest.

If, like many, you realize that it's worth paying a relatively small price for what I think is good or great instruction, evolvr is a logical good choice. I can't be too shy about recommending good things to you - some of them cost. I make very little from evolvr (we pay our instructors, of course, and hosting fees, processing fees, etc.), so it's not really in self interest, but truly in your interests.

But again, you're welcome to disregard it, too.

This wasn't a setup or a con or anything like that, though. I'm trying to help you. You may not like to hear it, and I'm done helping if you wish me to be, too.

And yeah, thanks, @Hardspoon.

[Rainmaker]

No - it was good. I definitely learned something. Not what I was expecting to learn but ...

[CarlSpackler]

Sorry. I wasn't trying to "pile on" or pick on you. I simply think that your before swing looks better than your after. Please understand that what people post in your swing thread is an attempt to help you, not to pick on you.

[RandallT]

Hi @Rainmaker! 

I know you're not the type to get discouraged, but I'll just say it's great to see the thread. 

We've been chatting about intersecting things for so long in various threads, so now I can just spam you here about our shared frustrations with progress!

Was a bit of a barrage there above it seems, but now that's over- onward.  We each use our swing threads as we see fit, differently at different times as it makes sense to us. Just tell us to pack sand if we ever get annoying and detrimental to you moving forward. Certainly not anyone's intent. 

 

[Lihu]

53 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

Oh yeah, lol. Post a swing video. You suck. Your teacher sucks. You should sign up for evolvr.  Hmmm....ok....

Somehow, I knew this would come up.

Seriously, you should get another instructor, he got you doing things that don't really make a lot of sense. Erik already basically gave you a free lesson in his annotations. Those should be your "priority" pieces.

Let me give you an example that is basically spread throughout my swing thread. I made a statement, he made a correction. Once I figured out that I needed to make those corrections instead of arguing over semantics, my swing improved. I posted another video, and he said I was pulling. I was. So, that took me a year to correct, and I'm still working on it using 5SK/LSW as a guide. I'll post another video and expect more of Erik's "harassment", and if I follow his suggestions, I'll improve some more.

This site is not about getting more people to sign up for Evolvr just to make money, it's about making people better golfers. I think he finds satisfaction in doing so. That's why I'm a supporter and planning on being a longer term supporter of this site.

 

[Rainmaker]

At the risk of seeming argumentative ...I have to point out that regardless of how it looks the February swing hits the ball better than the December swing. A lot better - I'm surprised so many feel the opposite. I do respect your opinions.  There's no way I would go back to the December move though.  Nor would I change up my instruction if I feel it's working. Which it measurably is...I can't explain why it doesn't look that way on video (it does to me). 

Anyways...that's it for now. I'll post an update when I have some more awesome stuff to share lol. 

[Golfingdad]

1 minute ago, Rainmaker said:

At the risk of seeming argumentative ...I have to point out that regardless of how it looks the February swing hits the ball better than the December swing. A lot better - I'm surprised so many feel the opposite. I do respect your opinions.  There's no way I would go back to the December move though.  Nor would I change up my instruction if I feel it's working. Which it measurably is...I can't explain why it doesn't look that way on video (it does to me). 

Anyways...that's it for now. I'll post an update when I have some more awesome stuff to share lol. 

Don't get discouraged.  As previously mentioned, after your next lesson, post with details of what you're working on and why.

And it can't be stressed enough, the regulars who are posting here are only trying to help you get better.  No matter if it sounds rude to you or not, they're trying to help. :)

[boogielicious]

8 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

At the risk of seeming argumentative ...I have to point out that regardless of how it looks the February swing hits the ball better than the December swing. A lot better - I'm surprised so many feel the opposite. I do respect your opinions.  There's no way I would go back to the December move though.  Nor would I change up my instruction if I feel it's working. Which it measurably is...I can't explain why it doesn't look that way on video (it does to me). 

Anyways...that's it for now. I'll post an update when I have some more awesome stuff to share lol. 

FWIW, sometimes when I focus on one thing, another issue arises. I have been working on flattening the downswing a lot in the last year and a half, and I started to flip a bit at impact this year. It happens. So I am working on that now with my instructor. 

In your My Swing thread, try to take all the comments as objectively as possible and don't read emotion into them. You will get occasional sarcastic and even dumb comments, which the mods will take care of. Other times, you may even get comments that are way off the mark. But for the most part, forum members are trying their best to help even if we are not instructors. We may offer a drill or thought that helped us improve in that area. That is the real objective.

One last thing, you can always post videos of your drills instead of just full swings. With practice, doing the drill correctly is just as important.

 

[Rainmaker]

I don't mind sarcastic dumb or misinformed comments.. I make them myself all the time, lol.  OK - so . .I stated that I liked the Feb swing better. . I know it's working better but I wanted to see if I could measure anything in the videos.  If I say I like it better it's only reasonable that I should be able to say why, right? 

I'm definitely not the best at drawing lines, etc . .

But at in the top row is December and the bottom is Feb.  IMO - the December swing shows my head lifting up at impact.  The Feb swing shows a steadier (not steady) head that does not lift up. 

I'm not an expert on the 5 keys and my teacher doesn't teach them (same concepts but not organized like the 5 keys) . .but that is Key 1 which most people have said is something I should be working on. 

I'm definitely going to keep working on Key 1.  I also plan on adding key 2 back in . .hopefully correctly.  I kinda took it out last week when I had this realization that what I was doing with my right leg was worse than just doing nothing, lol. 

Curious to see if you see anything different than I do . .am I misreading it and my key 1 is actually worse in the bottom row? 

I'm not going to work on the left knee anymore . .I got that . .it's bent.  I need to go back for another lesson but in the meantime I'll be going to the range (moved to new house yesterday - no more garage practice) and possibly playing some or all of a 9 hole round like this (no right leg push, left knee stay bent) . .just to see.

 

[Kalnoky]

@Rainmaker Thank you for posting. You and are working on the same things, it is uncanny.

19 hours ago, No Mulligans said:

The only thing I'd add... Is your instructor using video and sending the videos to you?  Maybe not given the videos you've posted are from your garage.  Personally, I wouldn't take instruction that didn't include video feedback  I think it's very important, especially for beginners like me.

 

17 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

Oh yeah, lol. Post a swing video. You suck. Your teacher sucks. You should sign up for evolvr.  Hmmm....ok....

I think it's okay to expect more from an instructor. They're not cheap. I'm going to see a new guy today that uses video (first time). I felt like I was maxed out with my last instructor... He corrected the worst parts of my swing, but he's not able (or willing) to take me next level. I worked hard under him and I got much better, but the last couple times I wasn't hearing anything new. I left feeling like he was either bored or just milking it and wasting my money. 

[Rainmaker]

19 minutes ago, Kalnoky said:

@Rainmaker Thank you for posting. You and are working on the same things, it is uncanny.

 

I think it's okay to expect more from an instructor. They're not cheap. I'm going to see a new guy today that uses video (first time). I felt like I was maxed out with my last instructor... He corrected the worst parts of my swing, but he's not able (or willing) to take me next level. I worked hard under him and I got much better, but the last couple times I wasn't hearing anything new. I left feeling like he was either bored or just milking it and wasting my money. 

I really like my teacher - I actually like that he's "disconnected" from current trends.  He has a knack for picking out things for me to fix that make improvements and, the more we go along, the more I feel like I'm actually building a swing - there's consistency from day 1 all the way to today.  He's never reversed himself or made contradictory suggestions, for example. 

He used to charge a lot . .but I've known him for a while and he has never raised his rate with me so now it's a deal, lol. Deal or not - if I feel stagnated or going backwards I'll look elsewhere but so far it's been good . .good in the sense that I see improvements and feel like I'm ultimately working towards hitting it as good as I can.     

edit . .you might get the idea that my pro is an older guy but he's not - early to mid 30's.     

Edited February 7, 2017 by Rainmaker

[CarlSpackler]

3 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

 edit . .you might get the idea that my pro is an older guy but he's not - early to mid 30's.     

Funny. I was thinking that he is an older guy. 

Definitely keep tracking your progress. Do you have any down-the-line videos?

[Kalnoky]

14 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

Funny. I was thinking that he is an older guy. 

 

I also assumed this!

[mdl]

Just for the record, I wasn't trying to pile on either.  I was just particularly struck by how much I liked your old swing video more than the new one.  But I'm not a big expert or anything, just an impressionistic thing. 

[Rainmaker]

7 minutes ago, mdl said:

Just for the record, I wasn't trying to pile on either.  I was just particularly struck by how much I liked your old swing video more than the new one.  But I'm not a big expert or anything, just an impressionistic thing. 

Both are ugly, lol . . the second one has added ugliness due to the keeping both feet on the floor and not standing up at the end. 

The other thing I like about February swing vs Dec  . .it's harder to see . but my hips are more over-rated in Dec and there's less upper/lower body separation.  Hard to see because the even the improved version is far from ideal . . my pro actually advised me to stop analyzing my videos and I haven't done it for a while . .it feels kinda weird, lol.