I have just spent the past 2 days with Marcus (3 and a bit hours each day), with my dad and brother, we all play at different levels, but all achieved some unbelievable results. All I can say is, you will not be disappointed with Marcus, top bloke!
You have changed my life i have been studying all your videos on TH-cam. swinging as you recommend in my garden feeling the club and knowing my speed with much less effort has increased beyond belief. Played today big draws little draws .Fading my driver on a hole i could never par because it needs a fade drive for good position. I would love a lesson with you unfortunately this virus prohibits travel and i live in Dublin. So i just wanted to thank you so much because i am now enjoying my golf again knowing where the ball is going not always perfect but better and better and so free to swing thanks a lot.
Hi Marcus I'm a golf coach in Cornwall and have been following your channel with great interest. I took your swing thoughts and philosophy to the golf course this afternoon.Wow .. Fantastic will definitely change the way I teach.. Great stuff, have got to thank Robin as well as I have been using the no look shot as a warm up excersise. Love it. Enjoy your golf..
So I play very little ball golf. I enjoy it, but I only play a couple rounds a year. But, I play a ton of disc golf, and I have to say, a ton of your philosophy crosswalks between the two games very well. I've been working to integrate the ideas of intention and visualizing my shot into my game and purge the various "I have to move my feet this way and do this with my body because I want to throw anhyzer bla bla blah" from my game and just let my body do what it knows how to do. And thus far, it's been helping, a lot. I just threw one of my best rounds ever tonight, and I didn't feel like I was working to do it. I birdied a hole I've never birdied before: I visualized the shot shape I wanted, selected the disc I thought could do it, and just thought about that as I threw. Parked it, amazed my card mates, tapped in the birdie. It just felt good, and for the first time in way too long I actually just straight-up had fun tonight. So thank you!
My 20 year old son played his 60 year old Marcus trained dad after his lesson, thinking about angles feet position and all sorts of other shite, daddy beat him 3 up over 9 holes, I’m 230 off the tee , he’s 290. I had no swing thoughts and spent most of my time looking out to sea. Hope all is good boys.
In other ball sports,(except snooker,pool etc) your brain reacts instinctively to the moving ball & gets your body into the correct position to execute the desired outcome,in golf the ball is stationary,& so you have to INSTIGATE positions & movements,you are incorrect to compare the 2, also your pre shot routine should become automatic, replacing technical swing thoughts,which are for the practice ground,NOT the golf course,regards
@@russashton3420 Sorry I disagree. The old adage of just moving your right foot back to draw a ball is rubbish and therefore you move the whole body and you can do this on the move and not from a static position. I never saw Seve till over the ball once. He was always moving.
I don’t know if he is the best, but he speaks my golf language I can visualize what he is teaching and kind of listen at the same time if that makes sense.
Yeah hope he doesn't read this for fear I can't afford a few lessons! But I have incorporated through osmosis and practice with a purpose his teachings and I just can't believe how much easier the game is!!!!! When I practice in the field I pick my target usually a small bush or cone I place at 150 yds.. And I see the shot in my mind I want to hit. I feel it with my body with my hands and with my club.Its amazing how much feel you can develop this way instead of trying to reach positions. I played 3 rounds under 80 in a row the past 2 weeks in cold weather with tough lies! The entire year 2020 I was only under 80 one time! I can only dream how much better one could become with live lessons🤔
Im new to the game (2 months in) and i've just coupled some of your tips for 'feel' and 'natural instint' with my golf lessons. Huge improvements in performance this week in relation to stike and comfort with in my swing. Big fan of your content and the way you're delivering these messages. It made my game so much less stressful!!
I really enjoy this lesson format. Much easier to understand and not wondering what your client actually said. I totally agree that intention is everything. I just need to go with it more often. Believe it or not but I have used intention to influence the movements of my horses so I know it works. Thanks for sharing your insights with us.
I have played the same amount of golf in the last 16 years as I did when I was very competitive in 2004...I only play by feel, no time to really practice just try to have a clear picture of what I want to do with the shot...but somehow I knew I was missing a word cue...and Marcus nailed it for me...INTENTION...having the picture now, draw, fade, high low etc. And the clear INTENTION to commit to said shot makes golf even more enjoyable now playing 1-2x per month as opposed to 4-5x per week. Thanks for the great content.
Love this video. An easy concept yet so tough to actually do. Intent is the ultimate routine and, in my opinion, the only routine you will ever really need. But it is so difficult to get all those other voices out of your head. I’m trying, don’t always succeed, but it is slowly improving - and I am enjoying my golf again.
Hi Marcus. Could you please do a video that addresses how a beginner should learn the golf swing without going too far down the rabbit hole of mechanics? Seems to me there should be some level of learning a golf swing, so that the player at least understands movements that might interfere with their intentions (how to have a proper swing plane - draw or fade, grip, posture, etc.) I'm learning a great deal from your videos, and I have taken your approach out onto the golf course this year. Cheers from central Illinois USA!
My routine is to pick a target, relax, and swing the club to the target. I do this on the range AND on the course. This makes the game fun and more accurate. I blame missed shots on all of the other variables at play, NOT myself. Satisfaction guaranteed!
Marcus, watched this last night, and shot best score of the year today.. instinct, vision and feel. Helps clear the garbage we put in our head. See the shot and hit it..
OMG! I've spent sooooo many years making sure "things" were right inside my little circle as I looked down at setup! Target was secondary. Can't wait for the snow to melt here so I can get to the range and work on some new things I've learned on this channel!
Great advice. My game got tremendously better when my sons coach gave him the same advice. We played the following day and I did my practice swing behind ball, walked up to ball seeing shot and once I got set I pulled the trigger within 2 seconds. It really did help relax me.
I know a guy, Joe Nostradamus, who told me about you! You are the Anti-instructor! Love the content and insight you share. Thanks again! Would like to get your general approach/views on how one should go about fixing obvious and major mechanical flaws and how practicing and lessons hitting off a mat compares to hitting off natural grass in terms of sensory feedback etc. Regards, Mike Bonita Springs FL
Awesome video, shot my lowest round ever after watching this coupled with the other videos you produced and some practice. Ball striking has improved tremendously, happy with the direction this has taken me and knowledge of movement and intention, not always perfect but understand what and when I do something incorrectly and how to fix it.....great stuff
Cheers! Yes its so much more fun to play golf without thinking about grip, posture, alignment, takeaway, wrist angles, weight shift, etc... No wonder I went from a -2 round last year to mid 80s sometimes low 90s most of the year. 50+ rounds.Practiced for about 3 weeks using what I learned from watching all his videos. Some of them 2 times. Shot sub 80 my last 3 rounds with very average putting 34, 31, 33 putts. I can draw it, fade it, hit low, hit it high. Basically you feel like an artist and your canvas is the space in front of you. The human body is amazing when you just let the swing go after you have created your picture of the shot you intended.
I have left behind more and more of what I "learned" about hitting a golf ball as I watch Marcus. Now when I hit a bad shot or start to get frustrated I force myself to pick a target and walk up to the ball and hit it. Inevitably my golf friends will ask me why I didn't hit it like that on the last shot. I'd like to get better at choosing the shot shape and for that, I am excited to go visit Marcus once travel resumes from the US.
How many times have we driven the ball out of bounds, cursed, and then blazed the next one way down the fairway? The emotion seems to override the preparation process of, as you say, grip, alignment, etc., and the intent takes over. On a few memorable occasions I have walked up to the ball, hit it with effortless accuracy, and then thought ‘how the heck did I do that?’. What was ingrained in my memory of those shots was the sound of the impact and the result, nothing beforehand. So now, Marcus, with your help I will achieve the holy grail of golf at the age of 73, going from 24 to scratch, gain my tour card and then win The Masters. Out of my way Bryson, Rory, Dustin, I’m coming through. Will Augusta National allow my Zimmer frame and portaloo on the course, especially after my bulking up?
If you can score , you’ll get the lore ..... Good luck ..... play your misses with same clarity as a tee shot. Every miss is a hand eye miss fire. Large parts of our brain are wired to the hands . Hence the solution is in the brain , and the body follows . The practice swing can’t start a conversation from your body to the brain . The brain dials up the action and body responds . Just like answer to how your glove should fit like your shoe ,......and your shoe should fit like a glove .
Have seen 99% of your videos (in case I've missed 1 or2). Wondering how you've discovered this 'enlightened path'? So generous of you sharing this game changing golf method. Thanks!!!
Hard work! He's been teaching a long time and understands the biomechanics involved in the golf swing. Basically a multidisciplinary approach to the golf swing. The ability to swing a stick is the innate in all of us we just complicate it with too many swing thoughts and concepts.
Okay, Sir Marcus, had a very good day using my Driver, hit 15 Fairways, but it still feels so different, when hitting up on the Driver viewing the clarity of the Intention and target, I find that my Stance Width gets too wide when looking for a High Draw and through off my Tempo. My ball flight is lower than it should be. The Irons, hitting is Awesome, Woods Great, sometimes hit the ground before the ball could be a Sterum issue to far back. Altogether, I'm getting Wood, well, you know what I mean the 3 & 5 Wood. :) Thank God, I don't wear Boxer Shorts, my Racketballs would fall out of my shorts, and that's two Bogeys you do not want to see hitting the fairway grass clippings then, I'll have a pair of Sea Urchins which are not fairway approved. So, I'm going to continue until I see your video to make this a better stance. Thank you, Marcus.
love it..thanks..I find I doubt myself in the pre shot, but if I take a practice swing before I walk to the ball as you showed....just go from there...great I shall try this next game!
A pre shot routine and swing thoughts are two very different things. Having a proper and consistent pre shot routine brings confidence, comfort, and has been proven to assisting in calming the nerves.
Agreed, the pre-shot routine is not a bad thing per se, it can have its benefits, it depends on your perception of it, it is simply another tool in your box. A bloke called Nadal uses a very obvious pre-shot routine and he's done alright I reckon. Using a silly board moving the feet from heel to heel can also be constraining and be deemed as interference, just saying. Despite this, plenty of gold nuggets Marcus 👍
What a great video, thank you for explaining something that has become far too complicated in such a thoughtfully intelligent manner, great thoughts to take on board.
Another cracking video, can I take the leap of faith though? My practice swing is so fluid, then set up, create tension, lose natural posture, don’t transfer weight or get through ball because of this. About believing in yourself and natural ability really, but we are all frightened of failure, even if it is short term to achieve a greater goal. I shall be trying to gain this mindset though. Great stuff Marcus. Keep it coming.
Know the feeling bro! Too much focus on the ball is bad!! Very bad!! Pretend you are an artist and paint a picture of the shot you want to create. Of course you should practice ball flights of low,med,high fades and draws. Learn all the ball flight laws. Watch Marcus' lessons. See how critical it is to feel the motion originate in the feet, the ankles, the k need! Kinetic chain. Like throwing a ball. Swinging a tennis racquet. Pick your sport really. Its an athletic motion.
One question Marcus: If you cant hit the ball with your eyes shut or the head lifted and not looking at the ball, what do you do then? I find it impossible, yet Robin makes it look so easy. Regards from Norway
If Alan Watts done golf lessons, this is what I imagine they would look like. As always fantastic content gentlemen, by far the best golf videos out there. Thank you.
You are the only one who has pointed this fact out. Trust me, I’ve watched them all. I was so fixated in everything else but the target and expected the ball to go exactly where I was aligned to. Zero thought of ball flight and path led to inconsistent outcome
I have been trying this for 3days now and I’m amazed. I videoed this wow !!!! my grip fell perfectly in place, my take back and release all aligned perfectly on plane based on the commitment to target
@@GRFGolf Your illustration of ground forces on rotation coupled with awareness of intention has been game changing for me. Would love to share this when back on the course. Top man!
I absolutely love the idea of this but when I try these natural vibes I seem to hit some great shots but lots of terrible ones also (fat,thin...). I’ve tried it for the past few weeks whilst playing and really want to buy into the idea of Zen golf as I believe these ideals in other areas but for some reason I play better when I play with the P1,P2,P3,P4 thought process. Maybe I need to jump on a plane and head over for a lesson cause it sounds like fun and I absolutely love the vids 👍👍
Watch all the lessons he gives on video. Make a balance board. Buy the rotating discs and the cushions! Well worth the minimal investment. Practice hitting low, med, high draws and fades. Experiment. This will enhance your feel and confidence tremendously. Forget trying to hit it straight. Paint a picture in your mind of where you want the ball to start. Work on extremes in path to see how much you can get the ball to curve. Use the feet, ankles, knees, hips to keep the club head naturally lagging behind you. Forget the modern swing! Too much stress on the body! That's basically a position oriented swing. Keep the arms and shoulders passive. If you can afford a range session with force plates you will get incredible feedback on your pressure shifts and your balance. This will greatly expedite your awareness of counterbalancing. Good luck!!!
Thanks for another very encouraging video. Your promotion of a stress-free swing using ground forces is quite in line with the teachings of Ben Hogan and Mike Austin ("Mr. 515"), who both used their lower body mass so well to power the upper body and the club.
100%. Yes. Used Mike Austin approach once last year. Shot a -2. Why did I change? Only practiced a few times with this method. Hit every shot pretty much dead straight but caught 5 or 6 a little thin. Pretty sure I had the ball a touch too far forward. But considering my handicap was approximately an -8 when I shot that round I'd say using the ground first from the ankles, the knees, the hips makes power much more effortless. I think Zen golf is similar but Marcus explains the entire process with more patience and adaptability to the limitations of each student than Mike Austin did. He could be very abrasive in his teaching style. Think this is the future of golf instruction.
Everything you say makes so much sense...every statement is a light bulb moment...a moment of resonance a moment of "In some recess of my brain I kinda knew this, I knew that all that complication wasn't correct but I couldn't articulate it" ...and then Yoda spoke!
Great video Marcus, I've had a lot of success following your methods and its freed up my game no end! 👍👍👍 My question is how does the lie uphill or down hill etc. affect your approach to the ball?
If you have an uphill lie you need to take more club. If the uphill lie has an angle of 30 degrees and you hit a 60 degrees sand wedge the ball will go vertical!
As someone has already said a pre shot routine and swing thoughts are entirely different things. I (try normally) to have no swing thoughts but my pre swing routine - not always exactly the same is simply to release tension , visualise what i want to achieve (the intension) and execute the swing with no other thoughts re the mechanics. I understand what zen golf is trying to promote & applaud it though would be also interested in them giving some accreditation to flowmotion golf from which the ideas quite probably originated. My only other gripe with the videos is that there is too much repetitive talking - find you can occasionally skip several minutes and not lose much - presume if you buy the full videos the repetative talking goes on a lit longer and it is too male lads together banter. But otherwise some useful stuff.
Interesting. I’m trying a new preshot routine because my alignment has been off lately. So my whole preshot routine is about setting the club up on the right line. Is that still ok?
I get this but if it weren't for some thoughts (maintain posture, etc.) I would never have improved. I have some early extension and my natural tendency is to stand up. How do we cure fatal flaws and do this as well? Please share this vital answer. Cheers.
They're not vital flaws, your body may just need an experience of different patterns by not in the traditional golf sense. Everything is a reaction to everything else so what you think is an 'issue' is seldom where the 'fault' lies. It's your body's best movement solution at this moment in time so a journey of self discovery is needed to explore further. Trying to 'fix' could possibly create more noise in the system.
Awesome!!! Struggling with the Driver and losing Distance. Most everything from the Driver to the Wedges is hitting down, the results are Awesome. Hitting Up with the Driver like the Putter is not the same even tho you say the Intention is the same, its not, whole different venue with body Intention, the Stimulus visual is fine looking out to your intended target, but with at Driver, doesn't have the same results as the Irons. Your process is Awesome with irons, but like all other instructors, everything is with the Irons, not Woods, Drivers, or Long Irons. Less lofted clubs seriously change your game.
Yeah just feel your left hip moving away from your swing as you are about to hit the ball. Counterbalance! Your vertical force will naturally occur if you shift left and then rotate. Watch Korean women pros in slow motion.
Best solution for someone whos clubs are fitted from when they were 3 inches shorter but currently cannot afford a full new set of clubs/new shafts for re-fitting?
Definitely looking at booking a lesson with you. Really happy to find that you're based in Doncaster too, so it's perfect for me. Gotten to a stage where I think I've watched too many TH-cam videos and I've got too many things that I think I need to do, which is most likely doing more harm than good.
Marcus, Love ya Man, the Driver is the Demon of your system, the longer the club the crazier the dispersion, following your process, Irons No Issues, Longer clubs, No clarity, Driver doesn't fit your movement.
All the clubs fit man. It's understanding the driver is a different task. The ball is tee'd up and way further forward in the stance. It's a matter of swing direction, intention of ball flight and understanding the change in timing of the sequence. If you're using the same tempo as your irons that could be the issue. I'll do a tutorial on driver 👍
@@GRFGolf Marcus, that's it, the tempo and walking into the setup, just don't have the same comfort feel addressing the ball. Mostly the Driver, the Woods, 4 Iron, 5 Iron do pretty well as long as I don't too cocky or close the face. Really believe, the Lenght of the Drive and Setup is a game-changer and can be the nemesis to my game now. My Drives average, 220 yards carry.
Been watching and practicing zen golf mechanics - made a board, bought the rotating disc thing and the foot cushions and tried many of the exercises. Finding to date a. After practice session leg muscles feel like they have had a proper work out. b .No sore back. c. Much less effort. Mental and physical d. Putting stroke - much better ball strike. e. The zen finish routine makes me laugh that’s exactly what monty used to do - the only time he ever seemed to be at peace on the course was when he actually played a shot. f. I am not Ben hogan - I won’t ever play like him, I have my own swing and I own it. g. Practicing on the course I don’t use a range finder now - this makes me visualise the shot required for the prevailing conditions rather than trying to hit the ball a specific distance. h. Taking this on to the course requires time and patience, need to trust what you’ve learned on the range to build that confidence. Wish I could get a 3 hr lesson. Really enjoy all the videos. You see very few other teachers put a smile on their students the way you do.
I love this. Think this is your best video. This coupled with a few small preset position's is the way forward for me. Use this and you will be able to draw the ball. Big hooks first but with good ball striking. Then u can dial it back. The most important thing for me is to finish my practice swing and stay in that position and feel it. Then play your shot with the intention of finishing in that position. Hey presto.
Grip N' Rip...just like takin' a massive shit...don't look down. All seriousness Sir, this is the first of your vids I have seen yet, but trust and commitment is everything. Intent, the whole 9, you are making valuable statements. "Pre- Flight Check" LOVE it! 👌. I swear golf instructors are in the biz of keeping average Joseph's from becoming explosive! Cheers mate!
I took my 7 year old and 11 year old to play having never played before and neither one of them hit a slice in 18 holes.both have never played before and says it all.
na, I took out practice swing........ my mind gets thinking about how that felt etc. Set up and hit it. If it doesn't fly as intended, now make a practice swing as you would want to get the shot intended.
It’s a massive leap of faith to stop performing your pre-shot routine. I would have problems making a consistent grip without actually visually checking my grip before swinging the club ☹
Try using feel. Once you've established a good grip for a period of time and your confident in the grip you've created then feel it. You should be able to re-create it from feel.
👍 yes it's how most good golfers do it through playing and hitting balls. Hogan's modern fundamentals book was an example of self discovery through exploration rather than repeating a session swing model.
But, like all other sports, you still need technique. Things like grip, ball position, alignment, DO matter. Pros take these extremely seriously. It's also not a reactive game (like tennis or football). Sure, you can try and compensate for poor technique, but it ain't helping.
ZEN Golf Mechanic spot on! Golf is all about using the least number of shots to get the ball in to the hole. None cares about how the swing looks like.... the intention is to hole the ball.
@@GRFGolf you'll probably find the vast majority of good players use similar techniques to make it easier to hit better and more consistent shots. It can certainly be taken too far, and your teaching has real benefits in freeing up the swing, but technique does matter.
Seen a few of his videos a while ago and he's great. If you've seen the lesson videos you'll see this is a different approach but we definitely share the idea of intention and finding a natural swing
ZEN Golf Mechanic I have seen a few of the videos and the premise seems to be in line with 20 years of someone else’s work. Whatever I guess. It’s easy to have a slightly modified take to call it yours.
I'm 70 and it's working for me now! Hitting more fairways and greens than ever. Shot 81 last week. Shot a 38 for nine holes on another day. Today is a new day! Good luck!
Totally disagree with this teaching. 85 % of a good shot happens before a golfer swings. Grip, set up, alignment, ball position, then swing. Without the precursors even a good swing is useless.
I have just spent the past 2 days with Marcus (3 and a bit hours each day), with my dad and brother, we all play at different levels, but all achieved some unbelievable results. All I can say is, you will not be disappointed with Marcus, top bloke!
Well done Tom, was awesome to meet you guys. It was so good to see the changes in your golf swing that ball flight! 😍
You have changed my life i have been studying all your videos on TH-cam. swinging as you recommend in my garden feeling the club and knowing my speed with much less effort has increased beyond belief. Played today big draws little draws .Fading my driver on a hole i could never par because it needs a fade drive for good position. I would love a lesson with you unfortunately this virus prohibits travel and i live in Dublin. So i just wanted to thank you so much because i am now enjoying my golf again knowing where the ball is going not always perfect but better and better and so free to swing thanks a lot.
Hi Marcus I'm a golf coach in Cornwall and have been following your channel with great interest. I took your swing thoughts and philosophy to the golf course this afternoon.Wow ..
Fantastic will definitely change the way I teach..
Great stuff, have got to thank Robin as well as I have been using the no look shot as a warm up excersise. Love it.
Enjoy your golf..
"in order to trust yourself, you have to take a leap of faith" --- Amen. Thank you very much, Marcus!
So I play very little ball golf. I enjoy it, but I only play a couple rounds a year.
But, I play a ton of disc golf, and I have to say, a ton of your philosophy crosswalks between the two games very well. I've been working to integrate the ideas of intention and visualizing my shot into my game and purge the various "I have to move my feet this way and do this with my body because I want to throw anhyzer bla bla blah" from my game and just let my body do what it knows how to do.
And thus far, it's been helping, a lot. I just threw one of my best rounds ever tonight, and I didn't feel like I was working to do it. I birdied a hole I've never birdied before: I visualized the shot shape I wanted, selected the disc I thought could do it, and just thought about that as I threw. Parked it, amazed my card mates, tapped in the birdie. It just felt good, and for the first time in way too long I actually just straight-up had fun tonight.
So thank you!
My 20 year old son played his 60 year old Marcus trained dad after his lesson, thinking about angles feet position and all sorts of other shite, daddy beat him 3 up over 9 holes, I’m 230 off the tee , he’s 290. I had no swing thoughts and spent most of my time looking out to sea. Hope all is good boys.
In other ball sports,(except snooker,pool etc) your brain reacts instinctively to the moving ball & gets your body into the correct position to execute the desired outcome,in golf the ball is stationary,& so you have to INSTIGATE positions & movements,you are incorrect to compare the 2, also your pre shot routine should become automatic, replacing technical swing thoughts,which are for the practice ground,NOT the golf course,regards
@@russashton3420 Sorry I disagree. The old adage of just moving your right foot back to draw a ball is rubbish and therefore you move the whole body and you can do this on the move and not from a static position. I never saw Seve till over the ball once. He was always moving.
Your method works, period!!! Love the focus on the external target and preparing your whole body for that intention!
Thanks for the massive patience you showed me on Thursday last week. Very pleased to report I’ve got some mojo back in practice.
Easily the best golf instructor in the world.
Say it louder for everyone in the back. 💪
@@jtsutherland03 😂🤣😂👍
I don’t know if he is the best, but he speaks my golf language I can visualize what he is teaching and kind of listen at the same time if that makes sense.
Yeah hope he doesn't read this for fear I can't afford a few lessons! But I have incorporated through osmosis and practice with a purpose his teachings and I just can't believe how much easier the game is!!!!! When I practice in the field I pick my target usually a small bush or cone I place at 150 yds.. And I see the shot in my mind I want to hit. I feel it with my body with my hands and with my club.Its amazing how much feel you can develop this way instead of trying to reach positions. I played 3 rounds under 80 in a row the past 2 weeks in cold weather with tough lies! The entire year 2020 I was only under 80 one time! I can only dream how much better one could become with live lessons🤔
Im new to the game (2 months in) and i've just coupled some of your tips for 'feel' and 'natural instint' with my golf lessons. Huge improvements in performance this week in relation to stike and comfort with in my swing. Big fan of your content and the way you're delivering these messages. It made my game so much less stressful!!
I really enjoy this lesson format. Much easier to understand and not wondering what your client actually said. I totally agree that intention is everything. I just need to go with it more often. Believe it or not but I have used intention to influence the movements of my horses so I know it works. Thanks for sharing your insights with us.
I have played the same amount of golf in the last 16 years as I did when I was very competitive in 2004...I only play by feel, no time to really practice just try to have a clear picture of what I want to do with the shot...but somehow I knew I was missing a word cue...and Marcus nailed it for me...INTENTION...having the picture now, draw, fade, high low etc. And the clear INTENTION to commit to said shot makes golf even more enjoyable now playing 1-2x per month as opposed to 4-5x per week. Thanks for the great content.
Love this video. An easy concept yet so tough to actually do. Intent is the ultimate routine and, in my opinion, the only routine you will ever really need. But it is so difficult to get all those other voices out of your head. I’m trying, don’t always succeed, but it is slowly improving - and I am enjoying my golf again.
Hi Marcus.
Could you please do a video that addresses how a beginner should learn the golf swing without going too far down the rabbit hole of mechanics?
Seems to me there should be some level of learning a golf swing, so that the player at least understands movements that might interfere with their intentions (how to have a proper swing plane - draw or fade, grip, posture, etc.)
I'm learning a great deal from your videos, and I have taken your approach out onto the golf course this year. Cheers from central Illinois USA!
My routine is to pick a target, relax, and swing the club to the target. I do this on the range AND on the course. This makes the game fun and more accurate. I blame missed shots on all of the other variables at play, NOT myself. Satisfaction guaranteed!
I do this as well, no practice swings, I’ll wiggle the clubhead when i walkup just to get that final feel
Marcus, watched this last night, and shot best score of the year today.. instinct, vision and feel. Helps clear the garbage we put in our head. See the shot and hit it..
OMG! I've spent sooooo many years making sure "things" were right inside my little circle as I looked down at setup! Target was secondary. Can't wait for the snow to melt here so I can get to the range and work on some new things I've learned on this channel!
You're not alone mate. Not long now and you can put it all into action 👍
Great advice. My game got tremendously better when my sons coach gave him the same advice. We played the following day and I did my practice swing behind ball, walked up to ball seeing shot and once I got set I pulled the trigger within 2 seconds. It really did help relax me.
I'm aware I'll probably slow down the game but I'll watch this video before EVERY shot on the course from now on! It's my new pre shot routine! :D
I know a guy, Joe Nostradamus, who told me about you! You are the Anti-instructor! Love the content and insight you share. Thanks again! Would like to get your general approach/views on how one should go about fixing obvious and major mechanical flaws and how practicing and lessons hitting off a mat compares to hitting off natural grass in terms of sensory feedback etc. Regards, Mike Bonita Springs FL
Awesome video, shot my lowest round ever after watching this coupled with the other videos you produced and some practice. Ball striking has improved tremendously, happy with the direction this has taken me and knowledge of movement and intention, not always perfect but understand what and when I do something incorrectly and how to fix it.....great stuff
Cheers! Yes its so much more fun to play golf without thinking about grip, posture, alignment, takeaway, wrist angles, weight shift, etc... No wonder I went from a -2 round last year to mid 80s sometimes low 90s most of the year. 50+ rounds.Practiced for about 3 weeks using what I learned from watching all his videos. Some of them 2 times. Shot sub 80 my last 3 rounds with very average putting 34, 31, 33 putts. I can draw it, fade it, hit low, hit it high. Basically you feel like an artist and your canvas is the space in front of you. The human body is amazing when you just let the swing go after you have created your picture of the shot you intended.
I have left behind more and more of what I "learned" about hitting a golf ball as I watch Marcus. Now when I hit a bad shot or start to get frustrated I force myself to pick a target and walk up to the ball and hit it. Inevitably my golf friends will ask me why I didn't hit it like that on the last shot. I'd like to get better at choosing the shot shape and for that, I am excited to go visit Marcus once travel resumes from the US.
This man is a bright light in golf instruction ...top man marcus ..#quieten the internal chatter
How many times have we driven the ball out of bounds, cursed, and then blazed the next one way down the fairway? The emotion seems to override the preparation process of, as you say, grip, alignment, etc., and the intent takes over. On a few memorable occasions I have walked up to the ball, hit it with effortless accuracy, and then thought ‘how the heck did I do that?’. What was ingrained in my memory of those shots was the sound of the impact and the result, nothing beforehand. So now, Marcus, with your help I will achieve the holy grail of golf at the age of 73, going from 24 to scratch, gain my tour card and then win The Masters. Out of my way Bryson, Rory, Dustin, I’m coming through. Will Augusta National allow my Zimmer frame and portaloo on the course, especially after my bulking up?
If you can score , you’ll get the lore .....
Good luck ..... play your misses with same clarity as a tee shot.
Every miss is a hand eye miss fire. Large parts of our brain are wired to the hands .
Hence the solution is in the brain , and the body follows . The practice swing can’t start a conversation from your body to the brain . The brain dials up the action and body responds .
Just like answer to how your glove should fit like your shoe ,......and your shoe should fit like a glove .
Have seen 99% of your videos (in case I've missed 1 or2). Wondering how you've discovered this 'enlightened path'? So generous of you sharing this game changing golf method. Thanks!!!
Hard work! He's been teaching a long time and understands the biomechanics involved in the golf swing. Basically a multidisciplinary approach to the golf swing. The ability to swing a stick is the innate in all of us we just complicate it with too many swing thoughts and concepts.
Love the vids, thanks guys for sharing your knowledge!!! Would be great to get a video on tips for an effective practice session.
Okay, Sir Marcus, had a very good day using my Driver, hit 15 Fairways, but it still feels so different, when hitting up on the Driver viewing the clarity of the Intention and target, I find that my Stance Width gets too wide when looking for a High Draw and through off my Tempo. My ball flight is lower than it should be.
The Irons, hitting is Awesome, Woods Great, sometimes hit the ground before the ball could be a Sterum issue to far back. Altogether, I'm getting Wood, well, you know what I mean the 3 & 5 Wood.
:)
Thank God, I don't wear Boxer Shorts, my Racketballs would fall out of my shorts, and that's two Bogeys you do not want to see hitting the fairway grass clippings then, I'll have a pair of Sea Urchins which are not fairway approved.
So, I'm going to continue until I see your video to make this a better stance.
Thank you, Marcus.
love it..thanks..I find I doubt myself in the pre shot, but if I take a practice swing before I walk to the ball as you showed....just go from there...great I shall try this next game!
EASILY THE MOST HELPFUL AND WELL EXPLAINED GOLF VIDEO I HAVE EVER SEEN !!
A pre shot routine and swing thoughts are two very different things. Having a proper and consistent pre shot routine brings confidence, comfort, and has been proven to assisting in calming the nerves.
Agreed, the pre-shot routine is not a bad thing per se, it can have its benefits, it depends on your perception of it, it is simply another tool in your box. A bloke called Nadal uses a very obvious pre-shot routine and he's done alright I reckon.
Using a silly board moving the feet from heel to heel can also be constraining and be deemed as interference, just saying.
Despite this, plenty of gold nuggets Marcus 👍
And regardless of what he says all the pros do it, you aren't always aware of it. Gets in his car and just drives does he?!
Quite possibly the best pre shot routine advice iv'e seen...... this will be put into practice
I really like this advice. It is very different from how I've been addressing my shots. Definitely will practice this method.
Thank you!
What a great video, thank you for explaining something that has become far too complicated in such a thoughtfully intelligent manner, great thoughts to take on board.
Another cracking video, can I take the leap of faith though? My practice swing is so fluid, then set up, create tension, lose natural posture, don’t transfer weight or get through ball because of this. About believing in yourself and natural ability really, but we are all frightened of failure, even if it is short term to achieve a greater goal. I shall be trying to gain this mindset though. Great stuff Marcus. Keep it coming.
Know the feeling bro! Too much focus on the ball is bad!! Very bad!! Pretend you are an artist and paint a picture of the shot you want to create. Of course you should practice ball flights of low,med,high fades and draws. Learn all the ball flight laws. Watch Marcus' lessons. See how critical it is to feel the motion originate in the feet, the ankles, the k need! Kinetic chain. Like throwing a ball. Swinging a tennis racquet. Pick your sport really. Its an athletic motion.
A really interesting perspective. I will try this tomorrow morning and report back.
Another great lesson. Looking forward to my session in December
One question Marcus: If you cant hit the ball with your eyes shut or the head lifted and not looking at the ball, what do you do then? I find it impossible, yet Robin makes it look so easy. Regards from Norway
If Alan Watts done golf lessons, this is what I imagine they would look like. As always fantastic content gentlemen, by far the best golf videos out there. Thank you.
I suspect your Alan Watts reference will go straight over the heads of most 🙂
@@DriveFarGolf Hopefully my comment makes them search to see who he is 😄
Michael Mulqueen hopefully. Have a look for Sam Jarman golf if you want to explore more about golf in this context at samjarmangolf.com 👍🏻
@@DriveFarGolf Thanks for the recommendation 👍
You are the only one who has pointed this fact out. Trust me, I’ve watched them all. I was so fixated in everything else but the target and expected the ball to go exactly where I was aligned to. Zero thought of ball flight and path led to inconsistent outcome
I have been trying this for 3days now and I’m amazed. I videoed this wow !!!! my grip fell perfectly in place, my take back and release all aligned perfectly on plane based on the commitment to target
The body has a mind of it's own 😉👍
@@GRFGolf New to your channel. Do you have online or interactive coaching? Where do I sign up :-)
@@Ikhianosime Great to have you on board. Sorry no online coaching atm.
@@GRFGolf Your illustration of ground forces on rotation coupled with awareness of intention has been game changing for me. Would love to share this when back on the course. Top man!
I absolutely love the idea of this but when I try these natural vibes I seem to hit some great shots but lots of terrible ones also (fat,thin...). I’ve tried it for the past few weeks whilst playing and really want to buy into the idea of Zen golf as I believe these ideals in other areas but for some reason I play better when I play with the P1,P2,P3,P4 thought process. Maybe I need to jump on a plane and head over for a lesson cause it sounds like fun and I absolutely love the vids 👍👍
Would spend the money on that flight it will be a lot cheaper in the long run.
Watch all the lessons he gives on video. Make a balance board. Buy the rotating discs and the cushions! Well worth the minimal investment. Practice hitting low, med, high draws and fades. Experiment. This will enhance your feel and confidence tremendously. Forget trying to hit it straight. Paint a picture in your mind of where you want the ball to start. Work on extremes in path to see how much you can get the ball to curve. Use the feet, ankles, knees, hips to keep the club head naturally lagging behind you. Forget the modern swing! Too much stress on the body! That's basically a position oriented swing. Keep the arms and shoulders passive. If you can afford a range session with force plates you will get incredible feedback on your pressure shifts and your balance. This will greatly expedite your awareness of counterbalancing. Good luck!!!
@@nicholasdemetriades9154 cheers for the advice. I will invest in the rotation boards and Cushions. Any idea on we’re I can find these online?
@@nicholasdemetriades9154 cheers for the advice. I will invest in the rotation boards and Cushions. Any idea on we’re I can find these online?
This makes more sense than anything I’ve seen on the golf swing!
Thanks for another very encouraging video. Your promotion of a stress-free swing using ground forces is quite in line with the teachings of Ben Hogan and Mike Austin ("Mr. 515"), who both used their lower body mass so well to power the upper body and the club.
100%. Yes. Used Mike Austin approach once last year. Shot a -2. Why did I change? Only practiced a few times with this method. Hit every shot pretty much dead straight but caught 5 or 6 a little thin. Pretty sure I had the ball a touch too far forward. But considering my handicap was approximately an -8 when I shot that round I'd say using the ground first from the ankles, the knees, the hips makes power much more effortless. I think Zen golf is similar but Marcus explains the entire process with more patience and adaptability to the limitations of each student than Mike Austin did. He could be very abrasive in his teaching style. Think this is the future of golf instruction.
I'm litteraly teeing off in an hour I'm going to try this and I'll report back. Sounds so simple and makes allot of sence
I ended up +2 off my handicap of 8 during the weather we have had today. I felt my alignment was allot better so thank you for the advise
Everything you say makes so much sense...every statement is a light bulb moment...a moment of resonance a moment of "In some recess of my brain I kinda knew this, I knew that all that complication wasn't correct but I couldn't articulate it" ...and then Yoda spoke!
Great video Marcus, I've had a lot of success following your methods and its freed up my game no end! 👍👍👍 My question is how does the lie uphill or down hill etc. affect your approach to the ball?
If you have an uphill lie you need to take more club. If the uphill lie has an angle of 30 degrees and you hit a 60 degrees sand wedge the ball will go vertical!
This is really good advice my practice swing is to loosen up not anymore thank you for the advice ❤️👍
Understanding the true nature of thought is the key 🙏🏻
As someone has already said a pre shot routine and swing thoughts are entirely different things. I (try normally) to have no swing thoughts but my pre swing routine - not always exactly the same is simply to release tension , visualise what i want to achieve (the intension) and execute the swing with no other thoughts re the mechanics.
I understand what zen golf is trying to promote & applaud it though would be also interested in them giving some accreditation to flowmotion golf from which the ideas quite probably originated. My only other gripe with the videos is that there is too much repetitive talking - find you can occasionally skip several minutes and not lose much - presume if you buy the full videos the repetative talking goes on a lit longer and it is too male lads together banter.
But otherwise some useful stuff.
Anyone else wish Marcus was around 25 years ago? It would’ve saved me a lot of turmoil.
I thought you won the US Open a while back, not sure of you needed Marcus.....
Graham England Yeah, Got my name on two major trophies before my 4th birthday. Natural born talent mate! 🏌️
100%!!!!! Golf digest, magazine, tips would be out of service!!! Pros would have to bow down to the Zen way of golf!
Interesting. I’m trying a new preshot routine because my alignment has been off lately. So my whole preshot routine is about setting the club up on the right line. Is that still ok?
Thanks needed the reminder started to do the old check group etc &
need more similar videos. great lessons. thanks Marc. from kuala lumpur
I get this but if it weren't for some thoughts (maintain posture, etc.) I would never have improved. I have some early extension and my natural tendency is to stand up. How do we cure fatal flaws and do this as well? Please share this vital answer. Cheers.
They're not vital flaws, your body may just need an experience of different patterns by not in the traditional golf sense. Everything is a reaction to everything else so what you think is an 'issue' is seldom where the 'fault' lies. It's your body's best movement solution at this moment in time so a journey of self discovery is needed to explore further. Trying to 'fix' could possibly create more noise in the system.
ZEN Golf Mechanic can you provide an example? I’m not that smart.
Awesome!!!
Struggling with the Driver and losing Distance. Most everything from the Driver to the Wedges is hitting down, the results are Awesome. Hitting Up with the Driver like the Putter is not the same even tho you say the Intention is the same, its not, whole different venue with body Intention, the Stimulus visual is fine looking out to your intended target, but with at Driver, doesn't have the same results as the Irons. Your process is Awesome with irons, but like all other instructors, everything is with the Irons, not Woods, Drivers, or Long Irons. Less lofted clubs seriously change your game.
Edit:
From the Woods to the Wedges is hitting down, the results are Awesome.
Makes complete sense, we spend so much time focusing on the ball instead of the target.
I use a pre-shot routine sometimes to get in the mindset to hit the shot
Can you fix my early extension?
Just can't seem to find the 'feel' in need to stop doing this 😕
Yeah just feel your left hip moving away from your swing as you are about to hit the ball. Counterbalance! Your vertical force will naturally occur if you shift left and then rotate. Watch Korean women pros in slow motion.
Best solution for someone whos clubs are fitted from when they were 3 inches shorter but currently cannot afford a full new set of clubs/new shafts for re-fitting?
When I say 3 inches shorter I mean my height, not the clubs, any help ZenMaster?
Ment to say started checking grip & stance and played rubbish also added tension which made it worse
Definitely looking at booking a lesson with you. Really happy to find that you're based in Doncaster too, so it's perfect for me. Gotten to a stage where I think I've watched too many TH-cam videos and I've got too many things that I think I need to do, which is most likely doing more harm than good.
I will watch this vid many times...thank you!
Love it, fantastic content, thank you
Oh as ever, such wise words Marcus!!
Wow, that was deep
Marcus, Love ya Man, the Driver is the Demon of your system, the longer the club the crazier the dispersion, following your process, Irons No Issues, Longer clubs, No clarity, Driver doesn't fit your movement.
All the clubs fit man. It's understanding the driver is a different task. The ball is tee'd up and way further forward in the stance. It's a matter of swing direction, intention of ball flight and understanding the change in timing of the sequence. If you're using the same tempo as your irons that could be the issue. I'll do a tutorial on driver 👍
@@GRFGolf Marcus, that's it, the tempo and walking into the setup, just don't have the same comfort feel addressing the ball. Mostly the Driver, the Woods, 4 Iron, 5 Iron do pretty well as long as I don't too cocky or close the face. Really believe, the Lenght of the Drive and Setup is a game-changer and can be the nemesis to my game now. My Drives average, 220 yards carry.
@@GRFGolf You remind me of Bobby Jones, ahead of your times.
Been watching and practicing zen golf mechanics - made a board, bought the rotating disc thing and the foot cushions and tried many of the exercises.
Finding to date
a. After practice session leg muscles feel like they have had a proper work out.
b .No sore back.
c. Much less effort. Mental and physical
d. Putting stroke - much better ball strike.
e. The zen finish routine makes me laugh that’s exactly what monty used to do - the only time he ever seemed to be at peace on the course was when he actually played a shot.
f. I am not Ben hogan - I won’t ever play like him, I have my own swing and I own it.
g. Practicing on the course I don’t use a range finder now - this makes me visualise the shot required for the prevailing conditions rather than trying to hit the ball a specific distance.
h. Taking this on to the course requires time and patience, need to trust what you’ve learned on the range to build that confidence.
Wish I could get a 3 hr lesson. Really enjoy all the videos. You see very few other teachers put a smile on their students the way you do.
Brilliant thank you!
Kim young il prime time, he knew and played 6 holes in 1 on his first 18 hole. So Zen.
😂😂
No, my PSR is GASP, Grip, aim, stance, play. No time for thoughts.
Just remember we don't hit the ball straight 😂🤦♂️
Fantastic video Marcus, I love how at the end TH-cam recommended me to watch 'why you should never hit the ball straight' 🤣
TH-cam clearly has an understanding of spin axis tilt! 😂
Another amazing video mate. Would you try and shape your wedges, or would they be straight 🤔
I love this. Think this is your best video. This coupled with a few small preset position's is the way forward for me. Use this and you will be able to draw the ball. Big hooks first but with good ball striking. Then u can dial it back. The most important thing for me is to finish my practice swing and stay in that position and feel it. Then play your shot with the intention of finishing in that position. Hey presto.
Grip N' Rip...just like takin' a massive shit...don't look down.
All seriousness Sir, this is the first of your vids I have seen yet, but trust and commitment is everything. Intent, the whole 9, you are making valuable statements. "Pre- Flight Check" LOVE it! 👌. I swear golf instructors are in the biz of keeping average Joseph's from becoming explosive! Cheers mate!
Love it Marcus 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
I took my 7 year old and 11 year old to play having never played before and neither one of them hit a slice in 18 holes.both have never played before and says it all.
Swimming isn’t a great example Marcus. It’s highly technical. But I hear what you’re saying. 👍
na, I took out practice swing........ my mind gets thinking about how that felt etc. Set up and hit it. If it doesn't fly as intended, now make a practice swing as you would want to get the shot intended.
I have watched a vast number of golf videos but this is easily near the top of the tree.
What are the other two? 🤨
@@grahamoreilly1981 I think you must have misread my comment- tree not three.
🤣
Works 💯 like in life if it works why would you question it 👍👍👍👍👍👍
So in a nutshell, focus on the target then grip it & rip it! 👍😂
having actually watched the video i think we think the same way!
It’s a massive leap of faith to stop performing your pre-shot routine. I would have problems making a consistent grip without actually visually checking my grip before swinging the club ☹
Try using feel. Once you've established a good grip for a period of time and your confident in the grip you've created then feel it. You should be able to re-create it from feel.
Do you have the same approach when it comes to putting?
surely the reason behind a good pre shot routine is that its a routine! ie you are unaware of doing anything other than aiming
Is there an obsession in the UK for drawing the ball, or rather, not slicing it?
Genius!
this is how Moe Norman learnt how to play the game -- taught himself by hitting MANY balls
👍 yes it's how most good golfers do it through playing and hitting balls. Hogan's modern fundamentals book was an example of self discovery through exploration rather than repeating a session swing model.
But, like all other sports, you still need technique.
Things like grip, ball position, alignment, DO matter.
Pros take these extremely seriously.
It's also not a reactive game (like tennis or football).
Sure, you can try and compensate for poor technique, but it ain't helping.
Yes, everything matters but it's how those all organise that is the point. They're not fixed or standardised for everyone.
Who judges what poor technique is? It's performance that is your indicator.
ZEN Golf Mechanic spot on! Golf is all about using the least number of shots to get the ball in to the hole. None cares about how the swing looks like.... the intention is to hole the ball.
@@GRFGolf you'll probably find the vast majority of good players use similar techniques to make it easier to hit better and more consistent shots.
It can certainly be taken too far, and your teaching has real benefits in freeing up the swing, but technique does matter.
@@logant6490 It's not about freeing up the swing, it's about letting your natural efficient mechanics emerge and recognising them 👍
This stuff sounds a lot like Shawn Clement from Wisdom in Golf, a lot like it.
Seen a few of his videos a while ago and he's great. If you've seen the lesson videos you'll see this is a different approach but we definitely share the idea of intention and finding a natural swing
Clements without the ego
Brett Collins with 20 years he might have earned it; what do you think? They’re still his ideas. Just saying.
ZEN Golf Mechanic I have seen a few of the videos and the premise seems to be in line with 20 years of someone else’s work. Whatever I guess. It’s easy to have a slightly modified take to call it yours.
I'm 72 wish I would have heard this 50 years ago 😥
I'm 70 and it's working for me now! Hitting more fairways and greens than ever. Shot 81 last week. Shot a 38 for nine holes on another day. Today is a new day! Good luck!
@@guitar1950 nice one
Mint
Do nothing and all shall be done....
Totally disagree with this teaching. 85 % of a good shot happens before a golfer swings. Grip, set up, alignment, ball position, then swing. Without the precursors even a good swing is useless.
This isn't the channel for you then. No problem 👍
Imho most golfers need a psychiatrist not a swing coach,it's all between your ears,lol