A golfer who plays every day since the past 40 years, has limited hip mobility and also recently had pain in his thigh. He was very flexible in his upper-body, however, made a really good MGS set-up ‘twist’, and was so much less over-the-top in just 15-20 shots which he hit, MGS style. See his video on youtube.
Another recent student had been told via an internet lesson to swing just right-handed to sort out some swing problem. He ended up having tendonitis/bursitis in his right shoulder, because no one told him HOW his right arm should/should not rise while taking it back single-handedly. His right upper-arm rose higher than 90 degrees with no right elbow bend – an easy way to get impingement of the tendons and bursa under the acromion process of the shoulder-blade (scapula). All the PGAs should have mandatory anatomy courses before they certify instructors!
“…All the PGAs should have mandatory anatomy courses before they certify instructors!” True. That and a lot more.
If the vast majority of “pros” were held to the same standards of quality others businesses and professions are – there would be a lot fewer golf professionals in business. If a plumber messes up your home, he has to fix it. If an accountant screws up your taxes you take the returns back and file an amended one. Too many times not delivering the goods as promised or below par services or goods and you will have no customers!
Not so the golf pro! They can just keep teaching myths, and half-truths, and giving lessons to students who never improve, and when the students don’t improve, it is the students fault! Never the fault of the pro. This would be like the plumber saying he could not fix the pipes because the customer’s house wasn’t right.
I find it delightful as a teacher and instructor of golf (one with no ahem “credentials”), that I could show my student basic MGS and they instantly begin hitting better shots, just like above 15-20 shots. And it may sound like BS, but I am at 100% success rate when I show someone MGS – they always get better shots.
There’s no doubt that the classic golf swing that has always been taught can be learned but as the saying goes ” there’s more than one way to skin a cat”, and some ways are certainly easier than others. It’s too bad much of mainstream golf instruction is mired and bogged down in tradition and the mindset that says ” this is the way it’s always been done”.
Kevin,
MGS is truly a low-maintenance swing. I have a student who had a couple of lessons in mid-March and now has no time for more, but he’s so ‘got it’ he really does not need lessons – maybe ever again. He is playing really well in the Gateway PGA (local chapter of PGA of America) events. One day golf instructors may become redundant, if MGS can be explained in language everyone understands.
In the past 27 years of taking lessons and attending schools of so-called “name” teachers, I’ve never had anyone ask me – before beginning a lesson – about whether I had any physical limitations or if I’d had any recent injuries. This is one of the many impressive features of taking lessons from Kiran. She was able to explain the reason(s) why I developed rotator cuff tendonitis both from a golfing mechanics standpoint and a medical (anatomical) standpoint. In fact, she explained it much better than the orthopedic and physical therapy people I had seen for my injury.
John,
Cannot take the credit for either of those ‘deeds’.
The LPGA teaching test will fail an instructor, no questions asked, if she does not, first of all, establish whether a student has had injury/medical history/surgery.
The other part is thanks to my excellent anatomy teacher, Jan Clifford, at Logan College of Chiropractic. I really learnt my anatomy well because she is such an inspiring teacher, and one simply should not claim to be an advanced golf instructor without a background in anatomy (as I now know – I should be returning the money of all pre-2011 students!).
How is the swing settling in?
Kiran,
The swing is settling in nicely. This past weekend, I shot a 77 on my home course without much trouble. I’ve fallen in love with the pitching – particularly with the sand wedge. I nearly holed a couple of pitches – one from 50-60 yards out. I might have been missing some greens on purpose just to hit pitch shots! As we discussed in St. Louis, my striking depends greatly on the quality of my “twist”. I always have to be mindful of that. The putting needs a little work (conceptually it’s different…) but it will get there soon.
John M.