Need advice on golf instruction

[Premo]

Hello - 

I've been reading through the forum and I'm interested in what people think is the best instruction technique to learn. I've been taking lessons at Golftec off and on for a few years but I'm not entirely happy with the results. I typically shoot in the mid-high 90s. I've been researching Rotary Swing, 5SK, Stack and Tilt, etc. I'd like to just commit to one program and put in the practice and drills to really build a solid swing where I can make great, consistent ball contact. I'm learning towards either Rotary Swing or 5SK - does anyone have any suggestions on what has really worked for them? 

Thanks - Prem

[iacas]

S&T, Rotary Swing, etc. are methods. One way (or a limited number of ways) to do things.

5SK is what’s common among all good players. It’s any good method.

Whatever you choose… it’ll take work.

[billchao]

38 minutes ago, Premo said:

Hello - 

I've been reading through the forum and I'm interested in what people think is the best instruction technique to learn. I've been taking lessons at Golftec off and on for a few years but I'm not entirely happy with the results. I typically shoot in the mid-high 90s. I've been researching Rotary Swing, 5SK, Stack and Tilt, etc. I'd like to just commit to one program and put in the practice and drills to really build a solid swing where I can make great, consistent ball contact. I'm learning towards either Rotary Swing or 5SK - does anyone have any suggestions on what has really worked for them? 

Thanks - Prem

What exactly is it about your Golftec program that you don't like?

[Premo]

13 minutes ago, billchao said:

What exactly is it about your Golftec program that you don't like?

I'm not saying golftec hasn't helped, it just feels like I get better than I get worse. The format of the lesson is like 25 minutes. You put on this vest-like contraption that measures the angles, degrees, and other stats of your swing. We actually don't use that data a ton. Then I'll take some swings and we'll work on a few things based on what's going wrong. The instructor will pull up a video of a PGA pro to try and show the right technique. Then they will put a drill or two in the video instruction that I can pull up later on their website to review. I find the website a bit clunky.

Ideally, I'd like to build a great swing from the bottom up. Golftec seems to just focus on what's wrong in my swing and try to fix it but I don't feel like it's really helping me build a strong foundation of a good golf swing. When I correct one thing I've worked on in golftec, inevitable 2-3 OTHER things become problematic in my swing. Plus it's ending up costing me a lot of $ dropping $1000 on a package of 10-15 30-minute lessons. 

I'd like to find a method that people feel consistently works for them and has made them a much better golfer. I'm good with chipping/putting it's really just my full swing that gives me trouble. One day I'm hitting my 7-iron 170 yards straight, a week later I'm slicing it or hitting it off the hosel. 

Sounds like Rotary Swing has worked really well for some but not others. Someone posted a link with free drills for 5SK that I'm going to start using. S&T seems to have some mixed reviews as well. I tried Tathata 2 years ago but it seemed like a really slow approach and my subscription ran out before I get get through a lot of the system. 

[Patch]

The OP's Golftec poor journey can happen with any instruction used if the golfer, and the instruction are not on the same page. It's a two way street. 

My guess is, the 5SK stuff might work well for the OP, and well worth a try. 

[Premo]

Ok. I look forward to checking out 5SK. Not saying Golftec hasn't been helpful - it's just that for the investment I don't think it's improving my game as dramatically as I would expect it to. There doesn't seem to be one consistent swing method, it's more just trying to address the flaws in my swing. 

I would rather learn one method and have the drills to practice to perfect vs just singling out every little flaw and trying to piece-meal together a swing using that approach. 

[Grizvok]

1 minute ago, Premo said:

Ok. I look forward to checking out 5SK. Not saying Golftec hasn't been helpful - it's just that for the investment I don't think it's improving my game as dramatically as I would expect it to. There doesn't seem to be one consistent swing method, it's more just trying to address the flaws in my swing. 

I would rather learn one method and have the drills to practice to perfect vs just singling out every little flaw and trying to piece-meal together a swing using that approach. 

Except @iacas just said that 5SK isn’t a specific method of how to swing. It’s a plan to achieve certain commonalities that are found in all good golf swings.

I don’t think it’s at all feasible to “forget” your current swing and start from the ground up as you put it. Not every professional golfers swings are identical and there is actually some pretty big variation when you are looking at a certain things.

[Premo]

Yeah - I mean I was hoping to get some more specific feedback on what online training has worked for others. Golftec is one way but it's pretty costly investment and I'm curious to try other approaches to better my game. From what I have found online, there are a lot of options with very mixed reviews including S&T, Rotary, Tathata, Strike Plan, etc.

With all the combined wisdom on this site, was just hoping to get some feedback on what has worked for others to improve my game and shoot in the low 80s.

[Grizvok]

5 minutes ago, Premo said:

Yeah - I mean I was hoping to get some more specific feedback on what online training has worked for others. Golftec is one way but it's pretty costly investment and I'm curious to try other approaches to better my game. From what I have found online, there are a lot of options with very mixed reviews including S&T, Rotary, Tathata, Strike Plan, etc.

With all the combined wisdom on this site, was just hoping to get some feedback on what has worked for others to improve my game and shoot in the low 80s.

I’ve golfed for around 2.5 years and have really only used this forum as my single source of instruction that I implement myself and just had my first mid to low 80’s round so it certainly isn’t a bad option. I think the free instructional content is superb. Starting a My Swing thread can be rough at first with very minimal to non-existent replies for a while but as you put the effort in to take good swing video and write about your game you will get very good feedback from some good golfers. The paid instructional content on 5SK is probably pretty damn good if I know anything about the content @iacas and @david_wedzik release and put their name on.

We have very different views though on what we want from instruction. I’ve personally never paid attention or been interested in learning a specific method to swing. That kind of stuff I typically let my body and brain figure out. However I do doggedly work on drills and specific practice to achieve the very important mechanics and benchmarks that the data analysis and video breakdown show us is hugely important because it’s something all of the best players have in common. I think specific instruction can get very tailored for low handicappers as they start constantly nailing the huge priority things like a steady head, centered pivot, weight forward. However with you still shooting in the mid 90’s regularly I think something which takes a more generalized approach and hits on these huge pieces first and foremost will probably do wonders for your game.

[billchao]

1 hour ago, Premo said:

Ideally, I'd like to build a great swing from the bottom up.

That's not really how golf instruction should work IMO and it's very hard to "unlearn" everything you've already ingrained into your swing anyway. Anyone who tries to sell you a "rebuilt" swing is probably trying to sell you a series of lessons or is an instructor with a limited skillset. What I mean by that is they're trying to teach a certain model because that's all they know how to teach, rather than being able to observe and assess each case and tailor the lesson to each individual.

I don't believe in one swing model. There are many different ways to hit a golf ball well and every tour golfer has their own idiosyncrasies, but the best golfers all have the same things in common. Golfers can be taught how to improve on what they're already doing without having to "start over."

2 hours ago, Premo said:

When I correct one thing I've worked on in golftec, inevitable 2-3 OTHER things become problematic in my swing.

Can you elaborate on this? Are you fixing a slice and ending up hitting a hook? Or is it something like your instructor has you working on one thing and once you've improved that, he or she then introduces new things you need to work on that you weren't previously aware of?

2 hours ago, Premo said:

Plus it's ending up costing me a lot of $ dropping $1000 on a package of 10-15 30-minute lessons. 

Yea that's a common criticism of Golftec.

1 hour ago, Premo said:

I would rather learn one method and have the drills to practice to perfect vs just singling out every little flaw and trying to piece-meal together a swing using that approach. 

5SK is not a method. It's about finding your biggest priority piece and improving that, then assessing your biggest priority from there and so on.

It sounds to me like you want an instructional system that's mapped out and I don't think that's the best way to approach golf instruction. You don't want a system that says, "first learn A, then do B, then go to C," because people's swings don't develop the same way. It's not like learning math, where one set of skills builds on another and you have to learn the prerequisites before you can move onto the more advanced stuff. With golf, the cause and effect isn't as defined and working on one thing can lead to multiple things being corrected. Two people can be learning the same mechanic in their swings two different ways, and due to other things going on, can move onto learning separate mechanics once they've moved on.

[allenc]

1 hour ago, Premo said:

Golftec (...) S&T, Rotary, Tathata, Strike Plan, etc.

I don’t think this is the right way to frame your decision.  IMO what is most important is finding the right coach.  One who works well with you, knows his stuff, and tells you things the way you need to hear them to make the appropriate changes.  And also emphasizes the proper practice plan.

[boogielicious]

15 hours ago, Premo said:

Hello - 

I've been reading through the forum and I'm interested in what people think is the best instruction technique to learn. I've been taking lessons at Golftec off and on for a few years but I'm not entirely happy with the results. I typically shoot in the mid-high 90s. I've been researching Rotary Swing, 5SK, Stack and Tilt, etc. I'd like to just commit to one program and put in the practice and drills to really build a solid swing where I can make great, consistent ball contact. I'm learning towards either Rotary Swing or 5SK - does anyone have any suggestions on what has really worked for them? 

Thanks - Prem

I would recommend creating a My Swing thread in the Member Swings section. The post a video of your swing and tell us what the Golftec instructor has been saying. They may be right on what you need to work on, but not helping you understand how to get there and how to practice.

Swing changes/improvements can take a lot of time depending on what needs to be changed.

[millsan1]

As for web learning, I am a big fan of Top Speed Golf.

As for in person learning, I find it important to set expectations with the instructor from the get go.  You are the paying customer.  Let them know what you want.

[Grizvok]

2 hours ago, millsan1 said:

As for web learning, I am a big fan of Top Speed Golf.

As for in person learning, I find it important to set expectations with the instructor from the get go.  You are the paying customer.  Let them know what you want.

I think a good bit of their content is crap. They constantly try to push how terrible the “hip slide” is when it’s an insanely important piece of the puzzle.

I greatly prefer Athletic Motion Golf.

[edomingox]

unless you are practicing and working on your swing, no amount of instruction will really improve you.  So I get lessons at Golf Galaxy.  I find what I need to work on, then I work on it for about a month.  Then I go back again to see if anything changed.  I usually find that while fixing one thing, another thing has been altered.

I also think that one day of no practice is 3 days of practice I've done lost.