What I Wished I Had Known in 2020

I am now starting year 3 with the Saguto Golf program and I thought I would share a few things I have learned to help save you some time. I have lowered my handicap by 10 strokes, break 80 a few times a year, but also have blow-up rounds where it doesn’t look like I have ever played the game before. It’s all part of the process. Instead of losing my cool and throwing clubs (like I did for years) I now go back to the lessons I have learned and try to diagnose what’s wrong with my swing.

Here are my top tips for new members and things I wish I had known when I started at the school:

1. Take your time. You don’t have to go through all of the content in one weekend. That will confuse you and give you a million swing thoughts. Take one section at a time and watch the videos several times.

2. Get the V1 app and take some lessons with Tom. Seeing your swing on video can be a game changer. Take advantage of the technology. Check out your swing on video at least quarterly.

3. Practice. When I ask questions on the forum Tom will often respond that I need to figure it out on my own. In the dirt. You will get the tools but if you don’t practice it’s hard to get better. Buy the orange alignment rods from Home Depot. I use 3 to create a station when I practice. I used to get the largest bucket possible and would hit balls as quickly as possible. Waste of time and gave me major golfers elbow issues. I now get the smallest bucket, focus on specific targets, take practice swings with every shot, and treat it just like a real round. I might hit 40 balls. I then spend the other half of my time where you can really save strokes, the short game area. Be smart and efficient with your practice time.

4. Exaggerate Everything-You need to move your weight more forward than seems natural. Your arms need to be straighter, you need to go more inside than natural, etc. Tom often talks about feel vs real. Believe him.

5. Get out and play. In the past I would take lessons and only go to the range. You need to go on the course and see how your new swing reacts with tilted lies and different situations. Plus only practicing gets old. I take notes on my issues on the course and review/re-watch content in the school then go out to the range to figure things out.

6. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You can find many answers just going to the search function but Tom is great at responding. There are other talented people in the school who also will chime in. It’s nice to know you’re not alone in figuring out this maddening game.

7. Keep it simple. When I am struggling, I realize that I am deviating from the basics. It’s easy to watch the daily videos/tips and go down rabbit holes. Recently I have focused on 3 core swing thoughts when practicing.

a. Stack: weight forward/straight arms/ball position one club head from my heel

b. Tilt: Left shoulder down as much as possible. Tilting vs turning is what has been the biggest challenge for me. This sets the club in the right position, straightens my back leg, takes the club back enough, helps create enough hip turn. You need to tilt with every club from the shortest to the driver. This still is a challenge for me but it works when you tilt.

c. Extend: Crush the can with the left leg/tuck hips/ arms straight as possible.

I start with a really fast practice swing then focus on STE! When I do this correctly the ball compresses and I get a ball flight I’ve never seen before. I know other people have come up with different swing thoughts that work for them but you need to find something that works best for you and your swing.

8. Don’t get discouraged. There are peaks and valleys in the golf journey. I often will let my score dictate if I had a fun day or not. In Scotland I have heard that some old timers focus on how long their rounds takes instead of the score (“How’d you do? Two and half hours? Great! Lets’ drink!”) I recently heard someone say that there are 60 million golfers in the world and we shouldn’t be comparing ourselves to the top 120 on the PGA tour.

9. Get Fit for the Right Clubs- You don't have to wait until your swing is perfect to get fit with clubs that are correctly fitted. You also shouldn't obsess with getting new clubs every few months because you think it will change your game (like I do.) Tom uses some clubs he had in high school. Get fit and focus on your game.

10. Have fun! We aren't pros and this isn't life or death. I played Pebble Beach years ago and I was so focused on my swing and score I didn't recall most of the stunning surrondings. Smell the roses, have fun with your buddies, and enjoy the time away for work.

Hope this helps and happy golfing!