Welcome to the SagutoGolf OFFICE HOURS Forum

Well done, @Tony A. Rose!!

As for getting "90 degrees" of shoulder turn, the foundational elements of this swing - which can be found in Chapter 1 of Golf Swing Simplified or Part I of Get Out and Go Play - are of critical importance, and they do differ from what you may have been taught previously. For example, the stock setup for the Stack & Tilt swing prescribes having both feet flared out 10-20 degrees, with both knees flared outward as well but to a slightly lesser degree. This facilitates a resistance-free, body-friendly 45-degree hip turn that then enables the shoulders to turn 45 degrees without any strain or tension (45 + 45 = 90 degrees) as we gradually load weight into the front side. If you find that you are straining to do so, then first make sure that you have nailed down the various components of the setup. If after that you are still fighting your body, then take what it will give you and do not try to go beyond your natural stopping point.

On a side note, it is very important to understand that in this swing in which we are taking our hands in deep, it is going to look like an abbreviated backswing in comparison to a prior "shift & lift" swing. So please do not equate getting to "parallel" at the top - which may have been the previous goal - for the powerful depth we are creating here.

After 30 years of playing in the high 90s with three days of looking at your videos last weekend I shot 92 and 95 while dealing with sanded greens. While I am sure I have not perfected the swing technique, I find that my forearms and elbows are so much less strained. Two things are happening that may be impediments to my progress. At age 72 I am straining to get to 90 degrees on my shoulder turn. Also, after one day on the range and two days on the course my left shoulder is a bit tender. So much more to get out of your program but it has been really effective. Finally, since I won $30 on my play, the first three months of the subscription has been paid for. Thanks, Tom.

After having a terrible game with boys on a saturday, shooting 104, I decided enough. I signed up . It's been around a month. As I got playing I started bringing my scores down to the low 90s. I would shoot 42 on the front then shoot 50 on the back. What I discovered is I started messing with my swing on the back 9. Four days I got down to 91 on a good course. I went out this morning and set a goal of 85 and decided not to change anything from front to the back 9. I shot an 86 at Crow Creek, in Calabash. It's a good long course. I missed my putt on the 18th to get the 85. I haven't played this well in several years.

Thanks Tom. Will keep you updated in the coming weeks when I hit 80.

Tom, when you( I mean you, Tom Saguto) aren't striking the ball your best, what is the first thing you check when you are on course playing? (not on range)

@Andrew Bogdan - YES!! We've all got a natural, sweet push-draw inside of us that's just bursting at the seams to get out and show itself to the world. Sadly, the misconstrued and/or misguided teachings of "conventional" instruction have kept those beauties bound up and gagged, relegating generations of golfers to the vast abyss of chronic slice and dice frustration. We're doing our best here to put an end to this madness, and I am thrilled to know that you have now become acquainted with your new best friend!! 🤣

That's a heck of a nice 7 iron right out of the starting blocks, by the way. I can't wait to see what happens when you step on one, but for now I'd stick with that 3/4 swing drill on cruise control. I mean, really - how much more can you possibly want than 165-170 with that gorgeous little curve to it??

Keep up the great work, Andrew. Hopefully the weather is finally starting to break up there!!

Tom

Tom:

Just started with your lessons last week and realized I basically stumbled into a stack and tilt swing late last season when by keeping my swing shorter weight on my left side and forearms tucked in by game finally got some semblance of consistency. All your lessons have done is reinforce that for me! I went to the range today for the first time this year...a 50 degree day in CT with only a 7 iron...worked on my set up and the 3/4 swing drill...and could not believe my 7 was carrying about 165/170 without giving it any gas...so excited and thank you for giving my game hope...who knew i had a draw inside of me!

Thanks,

AB

Tom:

Just started with your lessons last week and realized I basically stumbled into a stack and tilt swing late last season when by keeping my swing shorter weight on my left side and forearms tucked in by game finally got some semblance of consistency. All your lessons have done is reinforce that for me! I went to the range today for the first time this year...a 50 degree day in CT with only a 7 iron...worked on my set up and the 3/4 swing drill...and could not believe my 7 was carrying about 165/170 without giving it any gas...so excited and thank you for giving my game hope...who knew i had a draw inside of me!

Thanks,

AB

I agree, Scott!! Thanks for transitioning over to this platform!!

Tom

This is a much better format! Nice, Tom!

I truly appreciate your very kind words and honest assessment of your progress, Alan!

As I regularly tell folks, I can provide the road map but then it’s up to each golfer to take the wheel and drive to their final destination: the Land of Crispy KFC Ball Striking Bliss. That’s what it means to embrace the process – navigating around the bumps, detours, and roadblocks, interpreting the directions in a way that resonates well with your individual uniqueness, backtracking when necessary, ingraining your personalized “feels” to produce a consistent, repeatable motion and a predictable ball flight, and ultimately garnering much body-friendly enjoyment of this great game for years to come!

Learning a new golf swing in a self-study environment does indeed take a certain discipline, commitment, and work ethic. However, at the same time the instruction provided here is virtually available 24/7, and the school is structured in such a way that it is very easy to revisit or reinforce previously learned components, motions, etc., or obtain lessons and drills on various issues when something seems amiss. (Try working that out with your local pro at 3 am, or asking him/her for a verbatim refresher on lesson 2.8 that you learned 5 months ago! 😂) And if a stubborn swing problem arises that can't be resolved, well then we have the V1 analysis or online personal lesson options at our disposal.

Anyway, I'm glad to know that you "got a grip", and given the self-discovery you have conveyed so well in your message with regard to how to work through the incremental learning process, I firmly believe you are on your way to playing your best golf this year after the snow clears!

Thanks again, Happy New Year, and please keep me posted on your progress!

Tom

Happy New Year, Tom. I first want to thank you for the new grip for Christmas. I started the indoor training course when it was made available and didn't get passed the grip. I thought I had it right, but, no, the revisit and updated description was great. Thank you. It's also nice to see your site growing and the updates to it. Much success to you. I see so many gimmick golf adds on Facebook that drive me crazy. This is a true, learning process. I like that you try to get us to self evaluate what we are doing before dishing out any $$$ so we can get this right ourselves with your guidance. Learning anything virtually without a teacher present is a challenging thing to do in and of itself so kudos to everyone who is here and trying to learn this system successfully. I think I have finally accepted this as a process. Last year I wanted to learn this in a couple of months but it just wasn't going to happen. And I got so terrible I almost threw in the towel but I think I'm at least back to where I used to be but I now have an understanding of what I should be doing. Before this site it was mostly guess work and hope the ball goes straight. I do hope to achieve crispy clean shots consistently this year but we'll see. The snow is on the ground in Michigan so only indoor stuff for now. I did do a virtual 18 holes for the first time and that was interesting. If those simulators are accurate then I am improving. But nothing like the real thing to be sure there is actual improvement. Still working at it, piece by piece. Thank you, Tom!!

Thanks for the information.

I had to hit the circle then the edit box.

Looks like you can click on the circle

How do you insert a picture into the profile circle? Thanks Dave aka "Hammer Time"

Not really a comment, but more like a revaluation. I was just hitting balls in the garage into my net and I heard a sound come from the old 6,7 and 4 hybrid I have never heard before!! It was glorious Tom I think its the sound of crispy KFC it was wonderful!! Been working on drills that you prescribed in our lesson and it finally happend I think LOL!! I wasnt videoing of course, but that's OK I know what I heard. Gonna play tomorrow so we will see. Anyways just thought I would let somebody know!!! Have a great weekend all!!

Tom,

Hope I am allowed two posts. Promise I wont hug the forum but am so excited that I now know how to contact you. So looking forward to connecting with other Saguto Golfers.

My handicap is 36. Could you highlight/show golfers/students of my calibe trying to learn your swing. I loved that vlog where you showed the golf professional taking a lesson from you. However as you are both GOOD golfers, a lot of what you explained came relagively easy to her. I would love to see this system explained from the point of view of a high handicapper.

For example, when you talk about chipping and pitching 40 - 70 yards, that is a full swing fro me using a sand wedge and a pitching wedge. Am I doing something wrong, or is this something that will follow.

I am not sure which parts of your system are more important than the other. I started at the very beginning, (posture, stance, grip) and have noted many changes. However taking on your system is like throwing a pebble into a pond. It has a ripple effect. What part of your swing system should take precedence? I am not a good enough athlete to put all your techniques into place at the one time I think I need to break it down into sections, work on that and then move on. However this makes my ballstriking go a bit haywire. Do I just persevere and tackle each section a little at a time.

Sorry for being so long winded, bugt I think you have sgtopped me from giving up golf.

See you on the tee

Peta

Hi Tom,

I'm from Australia, the land down under. I have been playing for approximately 6 years but never fully. I am 64, female and my handicap is 36. For the first time your system has given me something to work with. Now when I play a bad shot most times I am aware of what caused it. This is such a comforting feeling. My doing your drill with the alignment stick at the same angle as my golf club I am aware that I still chop down, not all the time but it was great to have "feel v real". Because I "chop" I dont seem to be able to swing through the ball and complete my swing. Because I chop I dont seem to be able to turn my body and face the target, my arms tend to chicken wing and I hug my club. I rarely seem to be able to have an extended finish.

Could you give me some pointers to work on. Once again thank you for your very non complicaterd golf swing. It has been a life saver.

Peta

Ok here they come. How important is it to be tension free in the S&T driver swing always down to the pitching wedge?

Looks good Tom!