Teaching MGS
There are already 2-3 people teaching MGS – just from information gleaned through Minimalist Golf Swing System content on youtube, the website, blog and ebook.
The best way to teach MGS to anyone trying it out for the first time, is to have them get into their usual posture and grip, without a club in their hands.Then set them up in the MGS twist to make sure they get it just right, and give them the feel of left arm rising softly and steeply up the chest wall. Sometimes they get so caught up in the twist they never focus on keeping the right side down (magic move of the backswing) and lifting the left arm loosely and isolatedly up the chest wall. Then they could hold a club in hand, way down on the grip, with the club 6” above the ground, and make swings with a club but no ground contact. Next the should hit the ball off a tee. Prefer to start with mid-irons, then longer irons/hybrids/fairway woods and only when all these stages have become more of a ‘habit’ should the student try to hit the ball off the grass or pull out the driver!
Another good tip is to have then do through each of the MGS set-up steps (in the ebook/blog) very deliberately, so they feel that they have made each step.
Those with tight grips (how can you tell? First by looking at the stiffness of the elbows or shoulders, and then by trying to tug the club out of their hands!) or those confused with the concepts of the set-up and swing and not repeating each step even when you verbally re-inforce it, need even gentler treatment. Make sure they practice the movements a lot before attempting any swings with a club in the hand. (Left handed golfers, sorry, please reverse R and L!)
Incidentally, the MGS Level 1 and 2 certifications are designed to be the most scientific in the world, not just a collection of concepts randomly put together. Any student will see that the MGS certified instructor can personalize the MGS System for any skill-level or body-type of golfer.
Hello from Japan! It’s been an interesting two months teaching myself the swing,
having studied what is available (as far as I know) from ebook/blog/youtube and
personal correspondence. Even if the swing is minimalist there are various parts
of it to correct, work on, experiment with and have at it out on the course. Using
‘Clear Key’ I do not concern myself much with correcting or modifying the swing while on
the course much less at set up with swing thoughts. I save the corrections for post-
round having observed what needs work. It’s remarkable how much reminding I need
for even the basics (magic move keeping the shoulder down as above for example)
even after two months of fairly consistent practice. Which is to say, there is so much
to work with here. I am finally starting to incorporate Ms. Kanwar’s pitch shot. Yesterday I had my best day ever with my irons even hitting a five iron, a club I reserve
for punch shots out of trouble, with excellent effect. MGS works but one has to work for it and I feel that I’m really only getting started. What keeps me motivated is the steady
progression of improvement and comfort I’ve found with the swing. Thank you, thank
you, Ms. Kanwar.
Kevin,
Many students have termed it ‘weird’, ‘counter-intuitive’ and other such things. However, let’s face it, with a trunk and hips designed to rotate and carry the arms along with them, during the backswing, the arms are best designed to connect with something around hip-high – baseball, double-handed-tennis, cricket, so the golf swing requires some weirdness. MGS gives a golfer the best chance of making contact with the ball from the inside and at a shallow angle, no guarantee for not feeling weird!
I have taken anywhere from one hour to 6-7 days (even with some time span between those days) to get to a stage where both the student and I know that they’ve ‘got it’. It is not making the swing that is difficult, it is ‘getting it’ which is, but once you’ve ‘got it’ it works like a charm.
Just had my first taste of trying Clear Key 2 days ago, and loved it, but feel you should me on manual until you have consistent results, just because the set-up twist and lifting the left arm steeply up while keeping the right side down need some getting used to, after years of doing it some other way.
Happy MGS-ing, and happy golfing!
Kiran
Kiran – As you may or may not know, my book and teaching integrates both solid mechanics AND a superior mental approach. When a student learns to improve their swing, unless they learn to improve how they think, then they only get half the goods they could be getting. I teach the student how to learn the swing AND how to play with unthinking involvement. I have been a Clearkey® advocate for years, and have corresponded often with Dr. Mumford. When he learned of MGS from me , he went out and did it soon after and was extremely excited. He is the one who told Ann-Marie about it and had me contact her. MGS is to swing mechanics what Clearkey® is to the mental side of golf.
Staying on manual actual SLOWS THE LEARNING PROCESS DOWN. The reason is obvious if you think about it. We know that the subconscious process information at a rate of around 100,000 times faster than the conscious (manual mind). Alos, the subconscious is where the motor learning circuits are stored.
When you alternate between conscious and unconscious involvement, you give your subconscious the chance to learn and assimilate the new action. If you never disengage the conscious mind, the subconscious has a harder time “getting the information” – conscious thoughts are like white noise. So by using your clearkey while practicing, you are in effect giving “full authority” to the subconscious to learn “on the fly”. It does a very good job of this.
It’s like learning to ride a bike. Manual is using training wheels, or your parents to help you balance, automatic is when your parents let go for brief periods of time, increasing the time bit by bit – all the while your system is building the circuits and pathways it needs to do everything you need to do to ride un-assisted.
Finally, most golfers need to learn how to let go of mechanics oriented thinking, and to play golf the same way they do other things that have become a habit. So practicing while using Clearkey® helps them get used to this.
Gleaning form some of your recent posts and uses of the word habit, i suspect you have been in touch with Carey? do you have his book?
Kevin
Kevin,
I tried using Clearkey for the first time 2 days ago, and was really excited with the results, even though I hit only 4-5 shots. Kiran
Do you have the ebook?