Thumbs Down Method Newsletter - April 2006
Welcome to the maiden Thumbs Down Method newsletter, the first of many throughout the 2006 golf season. My inspiration for this first issue was actually the same as the one which prompted my decision in 1996 to write the Thumbs Down guide(s) for better ball striking. Back then, self preservation lead me to search for a cure to correct my out of control slice and save my golf game, which I never found until I developed Thumbs Down and fixed it by myself.
Not only did I never find my cure, but all the articles I read in the magazines, all the simple TV tips from pros and top instructors only made it more complicated, confusing and counter-productive for me. Simply put: things got worse, not better for me. There's no questioning the knowledge or credibility level of the top sources in golf, but I found they rarely communicate their message in a language a non-pro (the typical player like me and you) can relate to and even understand. Trying to apply their tips when I practiced all too often ended in frustration instead of the joy I initially intended.
I couldn't have scripted the perfect example of what I'm describing any better then recently after scanning through a copy of the leading golf magazine and reading a tip written and demonstrated by one of the world's best pros. Anytime a top player offers a way to generate more power with less effort, a large audience of amateurs (like me) are anxiously reading and wanting to know more. This quick tip shows a picture of the player just after striking the ball, with head down and forearms rotating as the club extends about two feet beyond impact. I've seen this pose dozens of times and refer to it as classic power position. The typical player that views a picture like this is hoping for a simple explanation to discover some new magic move or secret that changes their game forever, but rarely gets it. Instead they use a lot of technical language we don't understand and the average amateur can't relate to. Watching a world class athlete do what comes natural to them, then hearing their explanation of what they're thinking is often not what we're expecting them to say. In fact, most of the time it's a frustrating and confusing experience.
To elaborate, when a player describes that one of their key power moves happens AFTER the ball is struck, it means that solid ball striking comes too natural to them. I guess hitting thousands of balls every week does that for you. For the rest of us, there's nothing natural about it. In fact, I believe that the moment of the golf swing that's all too often "glanced over" is the most important split second in the entire golf swing (all 10,000+ steps). For me, unless the club makes solid contact with the ball, with the clubface squared and following a line to your target, nothing else really matters. It's clear that pros and instructors agree, but it's confusing when they describe it by telling you to "shake hands with the target." To further drive my point home, go to the practice range and try this tip: Match your swing plane on the through-swing with your backswing and downswing. I dare you!
In sharp contrast, I've dedicated an entire book on the importance of starting with solid ball contact, then working backwards to the golf swing. I believe that the first 3/4 of the golf swing is merely preparation to impact and the final 1/4 (on the downswing when your hands are just above waist height) is where the swing REALLY begins. It's the zone you need to master when you warm-up and practice. The Thumbs Down method is all about MASTERING THE IMPACT ZONE first. Get this part right and your swing magically gets better.
Golf is a complex game. There's no question there are numerous steps in the golf swing that are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT - too many at times. All I know is that when I taught myself to square the club at impact, I finally learned to consistently hit the ball solidly with all my clubs and control where the ball is going. Oh, bye the way ...my swing has also noticeably improved as a by-product of changing my swing thought priorities with Thumbs Down.
Professional golfers are in a class by themselves. They're SO good as compared to the rest of us it's mind boggling to believe. What they do and how they explain what they do is equally difficult to fathom at times. In their attempt to KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID "Kiss", pros and top instructors use technical terms which don't often translate into better golf for the rest of us.
To REALLY kiss, it's as simple as
Thumbs Down ...for Thumbs Up results.
In golf ...it doesn't get easier than this!
Thank you for subscribing to the Thumbs Down method newsletter. The subject matter in this issue forms the foundation for future newsletters, published throughout the 2006 golf season. Please distribute this information freely to fellow golfers, friends, family, etc. As always, email me with any questions about your ball striking or golf game in general at Info@ThumbsDown.info. To order a copy of The Front Nine edition of my Ebook go to http://www.golfinstructionmadesimple.com/ Also visit my blog and comment at www.ThumbsDownMethod.blogspot.com
Alan Martin
About Me
- Alan Martin
- My name is Alan Martin, a single digit handicap golfer for over 40 years and the author of Thumbs Down, Golf Instruction Made Simple. My book showcases the simple solution for squaring the golf club I invented, called the Thumbs Down POWER MOVE. Get ready for some outside-the-box thinking for improving your golf game. You probably never thought that Thumbs Down was a positive thing, but this negative expression may just be the best thing that ever happened to your golf game. Thumbs Down is your how to solution for increased power and better ball striking. Plus it's a unique on-course training aid ...that's legal under the rules of golf. It's The Answer to the question what do I do now? just before striking the ball. Discover The Missing Ingredient for better ball striking. Simplicity at last! Lower scores are not a guarantee ...they are the natural results.