I just joined and I am looking forward to using the school to guide me back to where I know I can be with my game. As I have aged, my handicap and distance have been moving in the opposite and wrong directions. I love Tom‘s videos so I expect the structure of the school to give me the roadmap I need.
I can still have the occasional low round, from the Senior tees, but my consistent ball striking is a thing of the past. I joined because it finally got so bad last weekend that I was ready to quit the game. Shots left, shots right, thin shots, fat shots and everything in between. So, I look forward to finding some like minded friends here from a group of people like me who are passionate for the game and working to be the best we can be. Any specific advice appreciated.
Welcome to the school and to this fantastic forum community that your fellow members have built, @edzebrow!!
You'll have plenty of great company here since a number of online school members are in their 60's, 70's, and 80's – i.e.: a smorgasbord of chronic ailments, physical limitations, back/shoulder/knee/hip pain, arthritis, and joint replacements. It all begins with a proper setup which provides for a free-flowing motion. Upon that good foundation a repeatable swing which produces consistently crispy impact can be built. To this end, here's some preliminary advice to help you get off to a good start in the school:
1) Regardless of a member's skill level, this swing necessitates a complete reboot for someone transitioning from a shift & lift swing (which is typically the case), and therefore it is imperative that one take sufficient time to ensure that the fundamental components are mastered. From the ground up there is nothing superfluous in the Stack & Tilt swing - in other words, everything with a purpose, and a purpose for everything. (For example, contrary to shift & lift where you may be taught to keep your trail foot perpendicular to the target line as a means of "creating resistance" in your trail side, in S&T we flare both feet out 10-20 degrees in order to facilitate a free flowing, inclined hip and shoulder turn.) I cannot emphasize this enough, as frustrations predominantly occur when students jump ahead in the curriculum without properly dedicating themselves to the foundational base upon which our consistently repeatable, powerful, low maintenance swing must be built. Chapter 1 of the Golf Swing Simplified program (GSS) and Part I of Get Out & Go Play (GOGP) both address this.
2a) GSS: One of the many great things about this swing is that you can achieve solid ball striking even at the most basic levels. This is why I oftentimes will suggest that students park themselves on Chapter 2 of the GSS course for an extended period of time after locking down Chapter 1's foundational elements. Chapter 2 reinforces the body motions and the weight-forward component, and it culminates with what I call "The Best Golf Swing Practice Drill of All Time". Work yourself sequentially and gradually through the chapter, and then commit yourself to that drill in Lesson 2.8. Learn it. Practice it. Master it. You can even use this partially abbreviated swing on the course and play quite well with it as it will provide plenty of distance. (It actually is the full swing minus just a couple of power accumulators.) Once you've got that down, you will be well prepared to move forward in the curriculum and well on your way towards taking ownership of YOUR swing!
2b) GOGP: This quick-start program is exactly as it sounds - it is designed to fast-track you out onto the course so you can have fun - and success - playing as you learn! Should you choose this path, everything in #1 above still applies, and as implied above in 2a you will still want to work through it sequentially and gradually, mastering each lesson before moving ahead to the next one. In this program, Drill #5 - The Flying Wedge is the one you'll want to park yourself on and nail down.
3) As @Steven mentioned, as you progress always keep in mind the V1 Swing Video Analysis, an effective and inexpensive service that I highly recommend to everyone in the school. I liken it to bringing your swing into the shop for a tune-up or minor repair. Scheduling one on a quarterly basis for preventive maintenance will do wonders for keeping things humming along nicely, and it's also a great tool for pinpointing and resolving any issues that arise. The process involves downloading the free V1 app and then submitting two videos to me through the app - one down-the-line (captured from your stance line, not the target line) and the other face-on. You'll find more information about the V1 Analysis halfway down this page on the Saguto.Golf site.
We look forward to hearing from you regularly in the Forum and to assisting you in building a consistent, low maintenance, powerful, body-friendly swing that will bring your enjoyment of this great game to a new level!
Tom