I like David Blair's instruction.

[BrianW]

David Blair's golf videos have been around for a long time now and are well presented. He has a good series on YouTube now "Swingbuild Golf" for anyone interested. Here is one of the lessons:

[bphillips]

Re: I like David Blair's instruction.

Whats the difference in what he is doing compared to what everyone else teaches? Why have the amature golf scores stayed the same for the last 100 years. Maybe golf instruction as it has been taught for years is for pro golfers instead of amatures.

[BrianW]

Re: I like David Blair's instruction.

He emphasises in an easy to follow way the fundamentals that produce good ball striking instead of making vague and over-complex statements that leave the student confused.

If you were to look and listen to his set of free videos you would find that he makes the same statement as you regarding the average handicap over the years and how most people do not understand the basic fundamentals.

[bphillips]

Re: I like David Blair's instruction.

Brian, you seem pretty level headed with the things you talk about on the site. One question, are you a certified PGA teacher. Not trying to be a smart ass so lets please have a constructive conversation on this site. If you are a PGA teacher my hat is off to you. You have dedicated a lot of time effort and money to hold that title. Just see where I am coming from and maybe we will be able to help the majority of people that are members of this site, which happen to be amatures. No I don't have any certification at all. I have been playing for over 45 years and teaching for over 35 years. I am here to learn as well as help if possable. The problem I have with traditional teaching, which I assume you teach, is that it is impossable for me as a amature to learn and perform. I have a full time job and get to play two or three times a week. Therefore I don't have the time which is necessary to perform the traditional swings that are being taught. In my mind if you are a PGA certified teacher, the things you know should be taught to the professional ranks instead of the amatures. I really think what is missing in the golf industry is a body that consentrates it's efforts on teaching the amatures, we already have one for the pros, there is just not enough pros to go around for all you PGA teachers. Your thoughts please Thanks bp

[Shankless]

Re: I like David Blair's instruction.

Brian:

Did you get the DVD or have you just used his website clips and the ones on youtube?

If you have the DVD, did you learn anything from it that wasn't on youtube and did you feel it was a worthwhile purchase?

Personal info; I have been playing for 26 years and currently have a USGA HC of 12.4.

[BrianW]

Re: I like David Blair's instruction.

Brian, you seem pretty level headed with the things you talk about on the site. One question, are you a certified PGA teacher. Not trying to be a smart ass so lets please have a constructive conversation on this site. If you are a PGA teacher my hat is off to you. You have dedicated a lot of time effort and money to hold that title. Just see where I am coming from and maybe we will be able to help the majority of people that are members of this site, which happen to be amatures. No I don't have any certification at all. I have been playing for over 45 years and teaching for over 35 years. I am here to learn as well as help if possible. The problem I have with traditional teaching, which I assume you teach, is that it is impossible for me as a amature to learn and perform. I have a full time job and get to play two or three times a week. Therefore I don't have the time which is necessary to perform the traditional swings that are being taught. In my mind if you are a PGA certified teacher, the things you know should be taught to the professional ranks instead of the amatures. I really think what is missing in the golf industry is a body that consentrates it's efforts on teaching the amatures, we already have one for the pros, there is just not enough pros to go around for all you PGA teachers. Your thoughts please Thanks bp

Hi BP,

No, I am not a PGA teacher. I am an experienced club golfer that is now 61 YOA, plays off a singe digit handicap and has played, studied and loved the game for a long time now. I love to debate golf issues and as long as I am debating with people that do not approach the subject with a blunt instrument I appreciate their points of view.

I agree that much of the instruction around is far to complicated for the average Joe and is better suited to a more academic audience. Teachings from 'The Golf machine' for me are a typical example.

When I looked through David Blair's free videos on You Tube I found them to be very well presented and the subject matter clearly to the point. I think they should turn on a light bulb in the heads of many people struggling to understand the swings fundamental parts.

Sorry if I have come over a little terse with my previous reply, it was not my intention .

[BrianW]

Re: I like David Blair's instruction.

Brian:

Did you get the DVD or have you just used his website clips and the ones on youtube?

If you have the DVD, did you learn anything from it that wasn't on youtube and did you feel it was a worthwhile purchase?

Personal info; I have been playing for 26 years and currently have a USGA HC of 12.4.

I have seen David around for many years but do not have his videos, I have read many magazine articles of his before. I like his set of video lessons on Youtube, they do cover a lot and are well presented.

[bphillips]

Re: I like David Blair's instruction.

Brian
I welcome a debate with you on any and all subjects we happen to comment on. Hopefully we can learn from one another as well as from others on this site. I am thinking serously about starting a teaching body for amateurs, maybe call it the AGIA which would stand for Amateur Golf Instructors Of America. I truly believe there is a better way for amateurs to swing the golf club than what is being offered to us today. There is far too much rotation in the traditional golf swing which requires spot on Timing, Tempo and Rythum, which no one as an amateur has the time to devote to. I have found that the simple act of putting the club in my Palms instead of my fingers has helped to reduce most of the rotation you see in a typical rotational golf swing. I have also discovered that a bent left arm is a good thing in the golf swing, It allowes me to reduce the radius of the swing without giving up distance or accuracey. It doesn't hurt my back, which always hurt in a rotational swing, and the elbows and wrist do not hurt anymore. Your thoughts bp

[bigbill46]

Re: I like David Blair's instruction.

Brian,

Thanks for the find! I've watched most of David's Utube videos, but haven't had a chance to go to the range to try his approach for the last week due to rain and cold weather. I was finally able to hit some balls today using his principles, and all I can say is WOW, I wish I had seen these a couple of years ago when I first got back into playing golf. Instant results. 10-20 more yards on my irons!

While there is not a single element in what he teaches that is revolutionary or different from what most good golfers do, what IS different is the logic and simplicity of the way he explains the swing, and the practical drills he presents to establish it. He breaks the swing down into 3 fundamental components (setup & posture, rotation around the spine angle, and rotation of the wrists). Then he explains how to develop each component and finally combine them into a smooth, natural feeling swing. No complicated jargon, no discussion of swing path, shoulder tilt, or how open or closed the club face is at the top of your swing. The focus is on how achieve a good setup position with arms and shoulders forming a long narrow triangle, how to rotate around the spine while maintaining the triangle, and how to rotate the wrists as they cock and uncock trough the swing. If you can learn to do those things without a lot of tension, things like swing path and club position will take care of themselves.

Like most of the high handicappers shown in the video, I did not rotate my wrists enough through impact which cost me power and produced a fade. I tried to compensate by developing a more inside-out swing path. That helped control the fade, but didn't improve my distance much. Plus, there was a definite tendency to relapse into the old over-the-top swing if I lost my concentration. Just a few minutes trying David's practice drills on wrist rotation while maintaining the triangle position, made a big difference on the range. I still need to work on getting wrist rotation and turning around the spine in better synch. I tended to be a little early with the wrists sometimes, especially when making a full shoulder turn. That resulted in a hook instead of a slight draw, but it should come around with more practice. I feel like I'm finally on the road to curing my swing problems instead of putting band aids on them. Time will tell.

Cheers!

[BrianW]

Re: I like David Blair's instruction.

Brian,

Thanks for the find! I've watched most of David's Utube videos, but haven't had a chance to go to the range to try his approach for the last week due to rain and cold weather. I was finally able to hit some balls today using his principles, and all I can say is WOW, I wish I had seen these a couple of years ago when I first got back into playing golf. Instant results. 10-20 more yards on my irons!

While there is not a single element in what he teaches that is revolutionary or different from what most good golfers do, what IS different is the logic and simplicity of the way he explains the swing, and the practical drills he presents to establish it. He breaks the swing down into 3 fundamental components (setup & posture, rotation around the spine angle, and rotation of the wrists). Then he explains how to develop each component and finally combine them into a smooth, natural feeling swing. No complicated jargon, no discussion of swing path, shoulder tilt, or how open or closed the club face is at the top of your swing. The focus is on how achieve a good setup position with arms and shoulders forming a long narrow triangle, how to rotate around the spine while maintaining the triangle, and how to rotate the wrists as they cock and uncock trough the swing. If you can learn to do those things without a lot of tension, things like swing path and club position will take care of themselves.

Like most of the high handicappers shown in the video, I did not rotate my wrists enough through impact which cost me power and produced a fade. I tried to compensate by developing a more inside-out swing path. That helped control the fade, but didn't improve my distance much. Plus, there was a definite tendency to relapse into the old over-the-top swing if I lost my concentration. Just a few minutes trying David's practice drills on wrist rotation while maintaining the triangle position, made a big difference on the range. I still need to work on getting wrist rotation and turning around the spine in better synch. I tended to be a little early with the wrists sometimes, especially when making a full shoulder turn. That resulted in a hook instead of a slight draw, but it should come around with more practice. I feel like I'm finally on the road to curing my swing problems instead of putting band aids on them. Time will tell.

Cheers!

Thats great, let us know how you get on.

[bigbill46]

Re: I like David Blair's instruction.

Update:

Played my first round after two sessions on the range working on Blair's fundamentals. Shot an 87, which was my low score on that particular course. The odd thing is, I still felt like I didn't play very well with my new swing despite the low (for me) score. Had some trouble controlling distance and direction with wedges, and while the rest of my irons felt better, my driving was off.

Spent the next practice session working on half and 3/4 wedge shots as well as driving. Played again yesterday and shot an 82 despite a disappointing triple bogey on the 18th hole. My lowest round ever. Still need more work on my driving. I also need to adjust to the new length on my iron shots (over shot several greens), but it felt great to hit greens from 160-190 yards out and not feel like it was complete luck.

Taking up golf in my 60's, I wasn't sure how much improvement to expect. But I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks after all! Just hope I can sustain it.

Cheers!

[GolfJunkieSr]

Re: I like David Blair's instruction.

I have watched his videos on You Tube, and have to say he is a good source of information for all golfers, and even more so for the higher handicappers. Plain easy to understand instruction. GJS