All Forums  Graves Golf Instruction Corner  4. GGA E-mail Instructional E-Tips  October Etip Update - When Do Students Impress Us?

Note: You must be registered in order to post a reply.
To register, click here. Registration is FREE!

Screensize: 640 x 480 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1280 x 1024 UserName: Password: Enter Anti SPAM Code: Click here to refresh this page Format Mode: Basic  Help  Prompt  Format: Font Andale Mono Arial Arial Black Book Antiqua Century Gothic Comic Sans MS Courier New Georgia Impact Lucida Console Script MT Bold Stencil Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana   Size 1 2 3 4 5 6   Color Black Red Yellow Pink Green Orange Purple Blue Beige Brown Teal Navy Maroon LimeGreen Message Icon:                             Message: * HTML is OFF * Forum Code is ON Smilies [quote][i]Originally posted by TGGS[/i] [br]GRAVES GOLF ACADEMY "Little Moe" SIGNATURE SCHOOL OCTOBER E-TIP NEWSLETTER UPDATE ISSUE #70A Hello Again Everyone, Hope everyone is having a good fall so far. Weather is changing, leaves are starting to drop, air is getting cooler.... fall golf is in full swing. ***************** Topics in the Etip: 1. "Old Man on the Tee"..... A must read. 2. "It's the Grip Stupid..." & New Grip "TGC" Video on Website 3. Bye Bye 2007 4. Practice Tip - "When Do Students Impress Us?" 5. Moeism 6. GGA Schedule - Update through May 2008 7. New Club Special - Buy Adams BUL Driver - BUL FW wood FREE *********************** "Old Man on the Tee" Received a great email from one of our alumni the other day. Posted on our forum www.moenormanforum.com and many commented how great it is. Figured everyone would enjoy... "Old Men on the Tee. Old men play golf differently than the rest of us. Some play it well and some play it poorly but, as a class, their journey from the first tee to the last is worth studying. You can both improve your score and deepen the game's pleasures by paying attention when the elders lace up their spikes. My own education began in a foursome that included three artificial joints: two hips and a knee. The orthopedic hardware was bolted to the bones of three men in their eighties, all residents of a gated community in Florida that includes my wife's mother. I joined them for a round during an annual holiday visit. They eyed me warily as I walked toward them with the starter. I learned later that my own age was almost a deal breaker. As a reasonably fit "kid" of fifty, they feared I might disrupt the octogenarian rhythms of their round. We exchanged greetings, handicaps, picked teams and teed off. What followed was a post-graduate education in good manners, good fellowship and, in the end, what's so good about the game. Like many retirees, they drove flamboyant golf carts: custom paint jobs, sound systems, flashy hood ornaments. There was the unmistakable echo of the Chryslers and Cadillac's they drove fifty years ago. One, apparently the group's quartermaster, had a year's supply of pencils and scorecards at the ready, wrapped in rubber bands and meticulously arranged in what, otherwise, appeared to be a medicine cabinet: Advil, prescription meds, band-aids, tubes of mentholated muscle cream, disinfectant and multiple grades of sun block. Sir Edmund Hillary conquered Everest with fewer provisions. Clearly, this would be no ordinary round of golf. This was a pilgrimage and the lessons unfolded on every fairway. Golf Cartography - Old guys frequently have an encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world. After all, they've spent seven or eight decades walking around in it. If you're lucky, they'll map out the golf course for you, its landmarks, landscape and wildlife. Learning that your ball has come to rest under a "bougainvillea" and not a generic "bush" may be small consolation but it will better connect you to the golf course and, as the details accumulate, sharpen your appreciation of its architecture. Knowing that the bird cart-wheeling overhead is an American kestrel can turn an out-of-bounds tee shot into an occasion of wonder. Stop counting strokes and give more thought to the canvas you 're playing on. There's No Swing Like An Old Swing - Their swings are miraculously constructed. In the best of them, there's a hint of the 50's Ben Hogan; in the worst, an homage to the same decade's Bob Hope. In all of them, you'll see ingenious compensations for body parts that don't work quite as well as they used to. Their swings aren't uniformly pretty but they're predictably consistent and give new meaning to the term "muscle memory". Remember, they've been tutoring their neuromuscular junctions since Ike was in the White House. Because their testosterone is taking flight, they worship at the altar of timing and tempo more than young Turks do. During your next round, genuflect with them and watch your score improve. Splendor in the Grass: Because they grew up during America' first mass exodus to the suburbs, these guys love to landscape. They repair divots and rake bunkers unfailingly. They minister to ball! marks on the green as if they were bruises on a granddaughter's arm. They know, from the hard-won experience of guarding their own health, that living things need looking after. Whether you play at a private club or a pockmarked muni, leave every golf hole in better shape than you found it. Take a Lesson - Remember, you're in the presence of men who have stopped punching the clock and can still afford a tee time. They have more or less successfully retired. They may not be able to lead you to the next Google, but any elder foursome can be full of sage advice on money, marriage and generally managing your life. Ask them about their lives and careers, turning points and blunders. Take notes. The Wonders of the Wager: With their business careers behind them, a golf wager awakens a slumbering will to win. It is a kind of business deal, isn't it? Strokes are ferociously negotiated and the stakes, typically small, are agreed upon. They started playing golf when Byron Nelson ruled the sport and a buck was still a buck. It's not about the cash, it's about the contest and the unspeakable pleasure of extracting another ten spot from the flinty, New Englander they've been playing with since 1975. Bet smart, bet small, and play fiercely down the stretch. The Killer Short Game - Every golfer has had a $5 Nassau slip from his grasp as some old guy gets up and down on a crucial hole. This is their wheelhouse, where they swallow the indignity of being out-driven by seventy yards, offer a sly wink and go one-up on the match. Because they're on life's final lap, they know that how you start matters less than how you finish. Inside 20 yards, this wisdom is decisive. It doesn't hurt, of course, to have memorized every subtle swale on the golf course and they have ! . If you 're lucky enough to meet one of these masters of the short game, share a beer with him after the round and pick up a tip or two. Enjoy the Journey - When you tee it up with a man in his eighties, you might well be witness to his final round. As fit a fellow as he seems, the basic laws of probability insist that next week's foursome may be a man short and he knows it. I thought more than once when one of my foursome made his way to the bottom of a bunker that he may never come out. And that he might not mind that at all. This must explain, in some measure, the simple joy they take in the journey. They generally play without anger or angst and, in an age of ball caps worn backwards and brawling basketball teams, they'll connect you to a gentler time. They are the game's true historians and the keepers of its enduring civility. That golf remains such a grand, old game is largely thanks to the grand, old men who continue to play it. AMEN!" Please feel free to comment (and read other's comments) on our forum at: http://moenormanforum/topic~TOPIC_ID~7261.asp ****************** "It's the Grip Stupid" & New Grip "TGC" Video on Website Read a very interesting comment posted by Russ G. (GGA alumni) on our forum: "It the Grip Stupid" (by Russ G.) Winter golf is here and I'm working on things while on the course. Really bad swing last round and a half. Good shots but lots of really bad shots. I mean really bad. Trying to figure it out. Working on lag, drop, take-away, finish, knee flex... all the usual stuff. On the 5th hole today, after hitting a bad shot, I finally really checked my grip and sure enough my grip stunk. I've been a GGA golfer for many many rounds and I know the correct grip and I know ways to check it. STILL I let my lead hand rotate too much over the top of the grip thus closing the face on impact and did not notice or check. I checked lots of other stuff. I hit lots of bad shots. WHY DO I WAIT 23 HOLES TO CHECK MY GRIP? BAD SWING -- IT'S THE GRIP STUPID. More times than not it is my grip and that is the easiest thing to fix. Learn from my stupidity. Check your grip!" Getting other good stories - sure many could help everyone - check them out at: http://moenormanforum/topic~TOPIC_ID~7282.asp -------- To help all those who might have "grip issues" we have put a new Video Clip about Moe's "Feeling of Greatness" Grip on our website. The clip is close to 20 minutes long and talks about the proper grip and the reason for the Training Grip Club for Moe's single axis swing - narrated by Todd. You can see the clip at: http://swinglikemoe.com/index.php?customernumber=248948923246794&pr=Training_Grip_And_Club - or - you can go to www.swinglikemoe.com , click on Products tab on left side of home page, then click on the "Feeling of Greatness Training Grip and Club" Banner. (If you are getting background noise - besides the music on video clip and Todd talking - it is the video on the homepage playing. Return to the home page and click the home page video clip off.) Please let us know if you have any questions or comments about the video clip. **************** BYE BYE 2007.... Had a great time with the new (and past) students in our camp last week. Was good being back at our Florida Academy and looking forward to teaching the next 5 months in Florida. Please see below our last school(s) for 2007 (2008 schools listed at end of etip). P.S. - We had a last minute cancellation in our school in 2 weeks. If you might be interested - give us a call/email asap - we'll see what we can do for you... 2007 Nov 9 - 11, 2007 - 3 Day School - Orlando, FL at Eagle Creek (1 spot open) Nov 12 - 16, 2007 - Build Your Game Camp - Orlando, FL (2 spots open) You can see more about our schools/camps at: http://swinglikemoe.com/index.php?customernumber=248948923246794&pr=School_Information&=SID We look forward to seeing you at a school soon, and if you have any questions about schools, don't hesitate to call or email me anytime. ******************* PRACTICE TIP: When Do Students Impress Us? by Tim Graves, PGA After all our schools/camps (and many times during) Todd, myself and our instructors always talk about our students - how to help them improve, how to get them to make changes, how to help them process those changes, etc..... It seems like most of the time it comes down to a few similar issues - many of you have heard before (or read in past etips), but Todd and I discussed and thought it would be good to bring up again - especially as many are going into the fall / winter months - a GREAT time to make swing changes - have time to make the changes before next years golf season kicks off.... This past week we held a camp at our Florida Academy. We had "one of those students" who greatly impressed us.. wanted to share our experiences teaching her - yes HER. During all our camps, we video our students on the first day - we use this video as a beginning reference (to compare changes, positions, etc.. ). At the beginning of the fourth day of the camp, Todd took all the students to our meeting room and played the video of this student from the first day and the video taken on the third day. The changes were absolutely "dramatic" and to be honest as Todd stated "perfect". She had a perfect set up, perfect grip, perfect backswing, perfect impact, perfect on plane (only issue was she wasn't quite releasing her club completely - to be honest, more of a grip (size) issue than anything else - the grips on her clubs were way too big not allowing proper release - that is now fixed...). The other students actually gave her a "round of applause" - changes were that dramatic and that good. One of the best moments was when she looked at Todd and said "Thanks" - Todd replied, "No..... Thank you for listening". What did Todd mean by this? Why do some make changes so fast? Why do some struggle "needlessly"? Why does it seem female students at our schools many times "lap" the guys...? Let's talk..... Whether you are attending a school, have attended a school, or have our instructional material to study, there are some common "characteristics" you need to focus on to be an "effective learner". We see these common characteristics in our students that make "amazing improvement" - many times in just a short period of time.... 1. There is no "rush" to make changes. In other words, there is no "pressure" on themselves to make the changes. They know (learn) what they need to do, how to make the changes and don't put added pressure on themselves to make the changes. 2. As they make the changes, they start "small" and progressively work "bigger". In other words, if we tell our student to only swing a 1/2 swing, they only swing a 1/2 swing. Yes, this seems simple, but you'd be amazed how many CAN'T do it. A majority of the time, we will tell a student to swing a 1/4 to 1/2 swing (to feel positions, etc..) and here comes the full swing again..... we say - shorter, easier, etc.. - most of time doesn't matter - full swing after full swing after full swing. The "effective learners" have no problem only hitting the ball a few yards... taking a small swing and working on positions rather than how far they can hit the ball.... 3. The students that impress us have no problem working on positions WITHOUT hitting golf balls. Example - the student from our last camp. The 2nd day of working on the full swing, she was having issues squaring the face of her club at impact and difficulty facing ball at impact. I told her to start hitting tees (just tees, no golf balls) out of the ground while working on squaring her club face and facing ball. A great drill as the club face must be square to get the tee out of the ground and you must hit on a descending blow (tee is very low..). After she hit the first tee out of the ground (tee jumped up and landed a few feet in front of her) - she looked at me and said "that's really cool". I checked back with her about a 1/2 hour later and she was still hitting tees out of the ground and working on squaring her club face and facing ball at impact. It is very "unusual" to find a student working on one fundamental (or two) for more than just a few minutes...... the "effective learners" tend to focus on their weak fundamentals and give themselves time to get better - many times WITHOUT hitting golf balls. 4. They care much more about what they look like rather than where the ball is going. In other words, they care that they are in the proper positions rather than the ball results. They would rather look in the mirror (provided at every station) and check their positions than hit balls... They would rather not hit balls if they are not doing it right... 5. They understand making changes is uncomfortable at first, and accept this. They know over time the "new" positions will become more comfortable. 6. They understand doing drills is NOT the answer - doing drills CORRECT is the answer. They do not RUSH through the drills recommended to them. They focus on the specific points of each drill and make sure they are doing them correctly. (Refer to #4 above...) 7. They understand they will not "get it" overnight - but over time, the swing will get better and better as long as they continue to focus on the fundamentals. (Refer to #1 above...) 8. They understand the saying "Those that master the fundamentals, master the swing. Those with good fundamentals, good swing, great fundamentals, great swing...." When they have swing issues/problems they ALWAYS check their fundamentals first. 9. Most have studied our instructional material (Total Game Overview, 7 Principles, etc..) prior to attending our school and understand it is just as important, if not more important, after the school. They now have a reference to check... I know many of you have heard this before... and to be honest, you will probably hear again (it is that important to us). Realize - we have taught thousands (yes, thousands) Moe's single axis swing. After the years of teaching, there is no question, we see common characteristics in those who show rapid improvement - we call "effective learners". Todd, myself and our staff are always working on ways to better teach our students, to help them reach their goals (and beyond), and to do this in an effective and "timely" manner. There is NO question, the characteristics described above are common among our students who progress the fastest and continue to improve over time. To see our "Path to Great Golf" please go to: http://swinglikemoe.com/index.php?customernumber=13075221066684&pr=GGA_Path_To_Great_Golf Call or email us anytime - we are always happy to help you along your path. Good Luck Remember - Always Practice with a Purpose!! ******************** "Moeisms" Moe Norman: When asked what he felt at impact (about stabilization), Moe said, "I feel centerized." Please feel free to comment on this or email any of your favorite "Moeism's" to us if you'd like to share with others.... ************* UPCOMING GGA EVENTS (2008 Schedule Released): *** Visit our website at http://www.swinglikemoe.com/ for more information on each school, school agendas, and for most recent updated schedule. Updated every few days. 2007 Nov 9 - 11, 2007 - 3 Day School - Orlando, FL at Eagle Creek (1 spot open) Nov 12 - 16, 2007 - Build Your Game Camp - Orlando, FL (2 spots open) 2008 Feb. 1-3, 2008 - 3 day school - Orlando, FL (3 spots remaining) Feb. 4-8, 2008 - Build Your Game Camp - Orlando, FL (2 spots remaining) Feb. 23 & 24, 2008 - 2 day Alumni school - Orlando, FL (3 spots remaining) Feb. 25-29, 2008 - Build Your game Camp - Orlando, FL (2 spots remaining) Mar. 9-13, 2008 - Alumni Build Your Game Camp - Orlando, FL (Sold Out) Mar. 14-16, 2008 - 3 day school - Orlando, FL (Open) Mar. 27-29, 2008 - 3 day COUPLES School - Orlando, FL (4 spots open) Apr. 11-13, 2008 - 3 day school - Orlando, FL (Open) Apr. 14-18, 2008 - Build Your Game Camp - Orlando, FL (Open) Apr. 25-27, 2008 - 3 day school - Oklahoma City, OK GGA Academy (Open) May 5-9, 2008 - Build Your Game Camp - Oklahoma City, OK at GGA Academy (Open) Others TBA Please visit our website at www.swinglikemoe.com for updated events and more information If you would like more information about the schools agenda, etc.. or would like more information about a particular area, please feel free to call or email anytime: TimKGraves@aol.com or 866-377-2316 within US, 405-823-9693 (outside US). We have brochures we can send and/or email. **************** SPECIALS: (See below for Adams BUL Driver / FW wood special - buy one get one free) We greatly appreciate all those who have contacted us for orders in the past. All clubs ordered through the GGA are built at the manufacturer to the individual's single axis swing specifications and sent direct from the factory to you. You can see more about your recommended single axis specifications at: http://swinglikemoe.com/index.php?customernumber=76730442994646&pr=Free_Club_Fitting&=SID *** Call for prices on any clubs: Adams, Ping, Taylormade, Callaway, Titleist/Cobra, Cleveland, YES Putters, and others.. we are able to beat (or at worst match) all prices and we can offer (custom build to your single axis specs) all clubs built by these manufacturers. * No shipping charges, no taxes (outside of Oklahoma) *** SPECIAL **** Buy an Adams BUL Driver ($299) and get a Adams BUL Fairway wood (3, 5, 7) FREE Driver: http://www.adamsgolf.com/dr_insightbul.htm Fairway woods: http://www.adamsgolf.com/fw_insightbul.htm * NEW - RELEASED OCT 15th - Adams A3 OS Hybrid / Combo Set Irons(8) - $599 Steel, $699 Graphite Adams "combo" set always rated one of best in industry. http://www.adamsgolf.com/ir_idea_a3OS.htm * NEW - Callaway Big Bertha 460 Driver Price: $299 (Graphite) http://www.callawaygolf.com/en.CLUBS.Drivers.BigBertha460Driver.html * Callaway X-20 irons - Price: $899 set of 8 graphite, $699 set of 8 steel shaft Individually - $120 per club graphite, $100 steel www.callawaygolf.com * Callaway Big Bertha Irons: $599 set of 8 steel ($80 per club if less than 8) $799 set of 8 graphite ($110 per club if less than 8) To see more about this irons, please go to: http://www.callawaygolf.com/en.CLUBS.Irons.BigBerthaIrons.html - men's irons http://www.callawaygolf.com/en.WOMENS.WomensIrons.WomensBigBerthaIrons.html - women's irons * Cobra FP Irons - $559 set of 8 graphite irons ($75 each if less than 8) http://cobragolf.com/irons/details.asp?id=16 * Cobra DWS hybrids - $149 graphite http://cobragolf.com/utility_metals/details.asp?id=5 * NEW - Callaway Big Bertha Fairway woods - $199 each (graphite) http://www.callawaygolf.com/en.CLUBS.FairwayWoods.BigBerthaFairwayWoods.html * Callaway X Hybrid - $159 graphite, $139 steel http://www.callawaygolf.com/en.CLUBS.Hybrids.XHybrid.html Most Forged Wedges (Titleist Vokey, Callaway Forged +, Cleveland... ) - Between $100 and $110 each http://www.callawaygolf.com/en.CLUBS.Wedges.XTourWedges.html http://www.titleist.com/golfclubs/wedges/vokeyspinmilled.asp ********************** GGA INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL See our latest and newest release - TROUBLES AND SOLUTIONS - great reviews (visit our chatroom to read them) See more at: http://swinglikemoe.com/index.php?customernumber=284544460813131&pr=Troubles_Solutions ** GGA "FEELING OF GREATNESS" GRIP TRAINING CLUB: $129.95 http://swinglikemoe.com/index.php?customernumber=248948923246794&pr=Training_Grip_And_Club GGA / TGGS INSTRUCTIONAL TAPES: Please see:http://swinglikemoe.com/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=7&=SID "Little Moe's" Swing for Life $24.95 GGA Short Game: $19.95 Course Management/ "How to Practice": $19.95 Get all three on VHS: $64.95 All three on DVD: $64.95 Volume #1 - #6 - 7 Principles of Golf Improvement - $64.95 each Entire Series: $299 For more information about our 7 principles: http://swinglikemoe.com/index.php?customernumber=831366983148715&pr=Seven_Principles&=SID Leverage bag: $35.95 ********************************************* * A small shipping charge will be added to all orders. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE ABOVE SPECIALS, PLEASE CALL US AT 866-377-2316 within US or 405-823-9693 outside US, OR EMAIL TIM at TIMKGRAVES@AOL.COM or TIMG@SWINGLIKEMOE.COM We wish everyone continued success with their golf games, and hope to see everyone very soon. Tim Graves, PGA, Graves Golf Academy Owner/Instructor Todd Graves, Graves Golf Academy Owner/Instructor Scott Renfrow, GGA Director of Customer Relations Brent Evans, GGA Instructor Dave Predzin, PGA(a), GGA Instructor Mick Benson, GGA Instructor Ben Stanborough, PGA (European), GGA Instructor Clayton Zwicker, GGA Apprentice Graves Golf Academy www.swinglikemoe.com - GGA Website 866-377-2316 405-823-9693 (Outside US) timg@swinglikemoe.com timkgraves@aol.com www.moenormanforum.com - GGA Chat Forum [/quote]   Check here to include your profile signature.