I've been learning toms golf swing for about a week now. I'm now hitting the ball much more consistently but my 7-9 seem to be going about the same distance. I'm not delofting my club when moving my hands forward. My nine goes about 150, which is the distance I was at before making the swing change but my other clubs have lost at least 10 yards and I'm hitting my 7 & 8 150 as well. My 6 & 5 irons aren't going 150 but they do seem to be very short of where I was. I know I've only been working on the swing for a week so I'm not overly concerned but was curious if anyone else has or had this problem. Any tips would be appreciated!
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Welcome to the school and this fabulous members forum community, @Peter Tompkins!!
I believe @burkholder.ronald is spot in his reply to you. Since you are so new to the program I can only supplement his remarks with the following preliminary advice that I regularly offer to new members:
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) Also, as you progress always keep in mind the V1 Swing Video Analysis service, 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.
I look forward to assisting you through the school’s structured lessons and drills towards building a consistent, low maintenance, powerful, body-friendly swing that will bring your enjoyment of this great game to a new level!
In your week of learning this swing, what lessons have you watched and worked on?
How many drills have you used and for how long have you practiced them?
I will hazard an explanation or two for your lack of distance increases based on my experience with the caveat that I haven’t seen your swing.
When you state that your contact has improved I assume you mean you are hitting ball then turf (crispy, not fat). No increase in distance may indicate you are flipping through impact in stead of holding “the wedge” through impact. Or it may be because you are not swinging as fast as before because you are not yet comfortable with the new swing.
Last thought, one week is not a long time. The pursuit of good golf is a life time journey. Even the pros are constantly chasing a better swing. Hang in there and go through Tom’s curriculum with diligence, determination, and patience.
Good luck!