Week 3. Started work on the short irons. Jim guided me through a practice session over the phone. He is extremely selfless with his time and effort and genuinely cares about your success. I am progressing along and very happy with the results so far!
I like the way your taking us through the process and I must say the new swing looks great compared to the old swing. I think it looks almost Ben hoganish. ☺️
I have enjoyed your journey in trying to adapt the Jim Venetos method. For me, watching your videos and listening to your self analysis is a carbon copy of the issues I’ve had to deal with. Like you, I too stumbled across Jim's videos and immediately thought...Wow, this makes a lot of sense. After watching only a couple of videos, I went to the driving range to try it out. My first bucket resulted in chunks and snap hooks because I was still moving my lower body. Second bucket, I really concentrated on stillness and out of nowhere I stared making solid contact resulting in a penetrating ball flight with a tight 2-3 yard draw and no loss of distance. Why I didn't jump in at that time, I really can’t say. But all that changed 2-months ago when I finally reached the point where I became tired of constantly trying to piece together all the parts of a conventional swing and bought into Jim's concept 100%. What triggered this response was your comment on “flipping the club.” I struggled with the same issue which forced me to go back and really listen to Jim’s videos and what I found was this. I was still over swinging trying to get that little bit extra on the ball. Using shorter clubs allowed me to get away with some of the over swing but I struggled with the longer irons and driver. Although I though I was swinging my driver like my 8-iron, my over swing was causing my right side to be more dominant which when I tried to stay still caused me to start flipping the club in order to get through the ball. If my feet alignment was at 12 o'clock and my shoulders were closed down to between 1 and 2 o’clock, my swing path after impact was far less than where my shoulders were aligned resulting in a dramatically closed club face. It’s when I started to slow down a little and fully swing to the 2 o’clock position that it started to produce steady results. Now when it’s my turn my pre-shot routine is to think 2 o’clock on my practice swing and stillness before I hit. By no means do I have it all figured out because I still sometimes over swing. But in this short period of time I have made more progress with actual real results (fairways and greens hit) than I ever have trying to figure out and correct my flaws using the conventional swing. Having now brought this method to the course, I have started to develop a confidence that I fell puts me on a path that will help me one day to reach one of my all time goals of being consistent. Keep it up, you are definitely on the right path. I look forward to watching your progress.
Wow! First, thanks watching and subscribing. Second, thank you for the time you took to write this. I am all about studying and sharing information. You said it in your message; Full commitment to 1 approach is such a huge key. Just like Mr. Miyagi said; Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, squish. Just like grape. Jim teaches playing from a position. That is not only a physical thing or a golf thing. That is a philosophical truth for the whole of existence. You have to stand for something or you'll fall for anything. Stillness is the same. It transcends the swing. It transcends golf. Stillness is a state of mind. Don't panic. Don't get overwhelmed. Be still and quiet. More videos coming. Stay tuned and stay still.
I was an academy member end of last year and have stuck with the method. Sounds like me... hit at the ball and flipping problems, too many thoughts on positions and swinging. Only when I just got quiet and trusted the position, stopped focus on the ball, kind a look at the ball but focus on the target instead, and just trusted it, did I make significant progress. Sure I mishit some and am not scratch but a whole new level. It seems if I set-up and aim properly and have my minds eye on target... my body just does the right things...trust it.
What's funny and also a bit of a worry to me, is that in my practice, I haven't been target focused. I think that's okay though, as I am building a tool. I'm not putting it in to practice yet.
@@GolfTestDummy I even do target focus during downswing drill. You have such a natural swing... trust and it will respond without having position intentions. Or so it did with me. I think stay still also applies to your mind.
Thank you so much! I definitely will. I am moving this coming week so I won't have much time to make a video this week, but I intend to chart and film all of my progress.
Wow, your swing looks great. Jim wants me to swing with "less effort" but I'm struggling a bit. years of trying to hit at the ball, looking forward to your next video . Thanks
Man you are talking to your twin LOL. I was just saying yesterday that the phrase "try less" is gold, but hard to "allow" to happen. It is fighting against every instinct I have. I am attempting to transfer my need to put in maximum effort. Instead of giving all I have during the swing, I am giving all I have in the setup. Then, the swing becomes an afterthought. It is a lot like dominoes to me. All of the effort is setting them up; Then you just touch the first domino and you become a spectator.
I have no doubt that Jim's method will work for some golfers (just like any other method). One of the issues some people (me included) have is that we study all the TH-cam tips and see slow motion video of swings, where it's pointed out how "the shoulder works down" or "the hips rotate out of the way" or "the chest covers the ball". IOW, our attention is drawn to all the body movements a "good" golfer makes. So we try to emulate those movements and end up swaying and standing up and essentially moving all over the place. That's death to a swing. Concentrating on being "still" doesn't mean you will END UP NOT MOVING, it just means that you will move the right amount, mainly not much at all. You also don't have to worry about shifting your weight, which requires REALLY good timing. Some people are very athletic or can control their body so that their attempts to emulate the swing movements they see in videos doesn't destroy contact, a lot of people can't. In sum, concentrate on being still so you end up moving the correct amount. Just my opinion, of course.
Thank you very much for the in depth thought. I love kicking thoughts and theories around. I agree with so much of what you said. I understand how all of the movements are supposed to marry up and produce great results, but most marriages end in divorce, and most conventional swings result in terrible golf.
Hey test dummy.its pretty cool what your doing there you got more balls than I do.i been a test dummy myself . I'm a hybrid channel locker . I think what feels natural to you is always going to be the most efficient way to slam a golf ball. Probably the only problem with any swing style or approach is keeping the lead shoulder closed to impact but I can sure as heck throw my hands and arms away from a quiet trail shoulder with a back from center ball position . it's pretty cool you can see the track from there and obviously the clubface traces a different track but it always comes back to low point.just a folding and unfolding.have a Great one.
I have found when I went at the ball for that extra bit of speed I lost my lower body stillness and blocked my shots out to the 2 o.'clock direction. I have to think of the task of slinging the club out to my target and keeping my body still.
Exactly! If you sabotage your stillness in the last split second by going after it, you destroy everything you did before that to hold still. You're absolutely right.
I ran across Jim first and your channel followed shortly there after. This is awesome!!! I love how you go thru each week of progress and add successes and failures. I’m actually starting this theory as soon as the weather clears here. I am curious, how long are your practice sessions? How many balls, or how much time, do you put into your practice?
When I was going through this program, I was usually only able to practice once a week and play once a week. Occasionally, I was able to practice twice, but it was rare. Thanks for the support!
Your feet are lined up square to target line? In Jim’s videos it looks like his feet are closed as much as the shoulders. I’ve started the program too.
Thanks for that! I am certainly not 100 percent past the "hit", but I am definitely making progress for the first time in a long time. For me, I KNOW that swinging through and letting the ball simply get in the way is optimal, but you're absolutely right; It's not an easy instinct to get past. The thoughts that I have before I pull the trigger have become this; Take the thoughts away from distance and look at each shot more as an experiment. The experiment is to test Jim's theory. That if you setup correctly as directed, and you have picked the right club, and you then think only of being as still as you possibly can, will the ball fly with a solid, tight draw and finish at the proper place. Don't think, "Can I pull this off?". Instead think, "I am going to do what I should and see what I get.". That takes the pressure off and it means that you have permission to fail. The hit comes from a lack of trust in your club and yourself to get the distance you need.
@@GolfTestDummy Thanks for your input! I will be watching intently. I just watched your "how swing changes can kill your game video", you and I struggle with a lot of the same issues, so your journey will be very similar to mine I believe. My game before I started with Jim (just started) was very inconsistent, I hit some great shots in a round to follow with a crap shot, keeping my handicap from ever getting any better currently a 14. Oh and can't hit a driver consistently at all!
Yes sir. I have been playing conservatively off the tee and still struggle to hit more than 6 fairways. And greens? How are you supposed to threaten a par 72 when you scramble all day?
@@GolfTestDummy lol, we don't! I am very hopeful that Jim will put us on the right path! I've had some struggles there to, but working the plan! STAY STILL
I don't try to make a release or time it actively. My wrists are hinging and unhinging for sure, but if I am focused on staying still, I don't think about anything else at all.
I know his golf swing is like a 40degree closed shoulder line. Is your feet also closed? Or is only your shoulder just preturned 40 degrees closed? What about ur grip? I can’t see any strong grip won’t cause a big massive draw, so your grip has to be pretty neutral.
Feet are closed as well. After you pivot closed, then you grip. It goes on as a strong grip, but if you get big hooks at first, you can dial it back a bit.
@@GolfTestDummy is the club face square to target, or align with shoulder or feet after your setup? U got a tutorial video? I been grip first then setup closed shoulder and square stance.
I have many weeks worth of videos, lol. I did a whole in depth review of this method and several others over the last 3 years. If you go to my channel. There is a Jim Venetos Playlist. The clubface is square to target line. The pivot, then grip, is very important.
Week 3. Started work on the short irons. Jim guided me through a practice session over the phone. He is extremely selfless with his time and effort and genuinely cares about your success. I am progressing along and very happy with the results so far!
I like the way your taking us through the process and I must say the new swing looks great compared to the old swing. I think it looks almost Ben hoganish. ☺️
I have enjoyed your journey in trying to adapt the Jim Venetos method. For me, watching your videos and listening to your self analysis is a carbon copy of the issues I’ve had to deal with. Like you, I too stumbled across Jim's videos and immediately thought...Wow, this makes a lot of sense. After watching only a couple of videos, I went to the driving range to try it out. My first bucket resulted in chunks and snap hooks because I was still moving my lower body. Second bucket, I really concentrated on stillness and out of nowhere I stared making solid contact resulting in a penetrating ball flight with a tight 2-3 yard draw and no loss of distance. Why I didn't jump in at that time, I really can’t say. But all that changed 2-months ago when I finally reached the point where I became tired of constantly trying to piece together all the parts of a conventional swing and bought into Jim's concept 100%.
What triggered this response was your comment on “flipping the club.” I struggled with the same issue which forced me to go back and really listen to Jim’s videos and what I found was this. I was still over swinging trying to get that little bit extra on the ball. Using shorter clubs allowed me to get away with some of the over swing but I struggled with the longer irons and driver. Although I though I was swinging my driver like my 8-iron, my over swing was causing my right side to be more dominant which when I tried to stay still caused me to start flipping the club in order to get through the ball. If my feet alignment was at 12 o'clock and my shoulders were closed down to between 1 and 2 o’clock, my swing path after impact was far less than where my shoulders were aligned resulting in a dramatically closed club face. It’s when I started to slow down a little and fully swing to the 2 o’clock position that it started to produce steady results. Now when it’s my turn my pre-shot routine is to think 2 o’clock on my practice swing and stillness before I hit.
By no means do I have it all figured out because I still sometimes over swing. But in this short period of time I have made more progress with actual real results (fairways and greens hit) than I ever have trying to figure out and correct my flaws using the conventional swing. Having now brought this method to the course, I have started to develop a confidence that I fell puts me on a path that will help me one day to reach one of my all time goals of being consistent.
Keep it up, you are definitely on the right path. I look forward to watching your progress.
Wow! First, thanks watching and subscribing. Second, thank you for the time you took to write this. I am all about studying and sharing information.
You said it in your message; Full commitment to 1 approach is such a huge key. Just like Mr. Miyagi said; Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, squish. Just like grape.
Jim teaches playing from a position. That is not only a physical thing or a golf thing. That is a philosophical truth for the whole of existence. You have to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.
Stillness is the same. It transcends the swing. It transcends golf. Stillness is a state of mind. Don't panic. Don't get overwhelmed. Be still and quiet.
More videos coming. Stay tuned and stay still.
Love this series. Great content 👍
I was an academy member end of last year and have stuck with the method. Sounds like me... hit at the ball and flipping problems, too many thoughts on positions and swinging. Only when I just got quiet and trusted the position, stopped focus on the ball, kind a look at the ball but focus on the target instead, and just trusted it, did I make significant progress. Sure I mishit some and am not scratch but a whole new level. It seems if I set-up and aim properly and have my minds eye on target... my body just does the right things...trust it.
What's funny and also a bit of a worry to me, is that in my practice, I haven't been target focused. I think that's okay though, as I am building a tool. I'm not putting it in to practice yet.
@@GolfTestDummy I even do target focus during downswing drill. You have such a natural swing... trust and it will respond without having position intentions. Or so it did with me. I think stay still also applies to your mind.
You just fixed my problem. The extra at the end of the swing , that forces me to open up my shoulder. Great video. Thank you.
You're very welcome. I am editing the next week's video now!
I subscribed. Keep em coming!
Thank you so much! I definitely will. I am moving this coming week so I won't have much time to make a video this week, but I intend to chart and film all of my progress.
Wow, your swing looks great.
Jim wants me to swing with "less effort" but
I'm struggling a bit. years of trying to hit at the
ball, looking forward to your next video .
Thanks
Man you are talking to your twin LOL. I was just saying yesterday that the phrase "try less" is gold, but hard to "allow" to happen. It is fighting against every instinct I have. I am attempting to transfer my need to put in maximum effort. Instead of giving all I have during the swing, I am giving all I have in the setup. Then, the swing becomes an afterthought. It is a lot like dominoes to me. All of the effort is setting them up; Then you just touch the first domino and you become a spectator.
I have no doubt that Jim's method will work for some golfers (just like any other method). One of the issues some people (me included) have is that we study all the TH-cam tips and see slow motion video of swings, where it's pointed out how "the shoulder works down" or "the hips rotate out of the way" or "the chest covers the ball". IOW, our attention is drawn to all the body movements a "good" golfer makes. So we try to emulate those movements and end up swaying and standing up and essentially moving all over the place. That's death to a swing. Concentrating on being "still" doesn't mean you will END UP NOT MOVING, it just means that you will move the right amount, mainly not much at all. You also don't have to worry about shifting your weight, which requires REALLY good timing. Some people are very athletic or can control their body so that their attempts to emulate the swing movements they see in videos doesn't destroy contact, a lot of people can't. In sum, concentrate on being still so you end up moving the correct amount. Just my opinion, of course.
Thank you very much for the in depth thought. I love kicking thoughts and theories around. I agree with so much of what you said. I understand how all of the movements are supposed to marry up and produce great results, but most marriages end in divorce, and most conventional swings result in terrible golf.
Hey test dummy.its pretty cool what your doing there you got more balls than I do.i been a test dummy myself . I'm a hybrid channel locker . I think what feels natural to you is always going to be the most efficient way to slam a golf ball. Probably the only problem with any swing style or approach is keeping the lead shoulder closed to impact but I can sure as heck throw my hands and arms away from a quiet trail shoulder with a back from center ball position . it's pretty cool you can see the track from there and obviously the clubface traces a different track but it always comes back to low point.just a folding and unfolding.have a Great one.
Thanks Nat! Dummies unite!
I’ve been watching a lot of your videos. What made you move away from Jim’s method after you finished. Have you stayed with the Moe Norman swing?
The first 4 years (almost) was about testing different methods. Just recently, I've decided to find MY swing.
I have found when I went at the ball for that extra bit of speed I lost my lower body stillness and blocked my shots out to the 2 o.'clock direction. I have to think of the task of slinging the club out to my target and keeping my body still.
Exactly! If you sabotage your stillness in the last split second by going after it, you destroy everything you did before that to hold still. You're absolutely right.
I ran across Jim first and your channel followed shortly there after. This is awesome!!! I love how you go thru each week of progress and add successes and failures. I’m actually starting this theory as soon as the weather clears here. I am curious, how long are your practice sessions? How many balls, or how much time, do you put into your practice?
When I was going through this program, I was usually only able to practice once a week and play once a week. Occasionally, I was able to practice twice, but it was rare. Thanks for the support!
Your feet are lined up square to target line? In Jim’s videos it looks like his feet are closed as much as the shoulders. I’ve started the program too.
Subbed, I am having the same "hitting issue". Tough to break old habits! I'll be watching to see how you do it. Any advice to stop it?
Thanks for that! I am certainly not 100 percent past the "hit", but I am definitely making progress for the first time in a long time. For me, I KNOW that swinging through and letting the ball simply get in the way is optimal, but you're absolutely right; It's not an easy instinct to get past. The thoughts that I have before I pull the trigger have become this; Take the thoughts away from distance and look at each shot more as an experiment. The experiment is to test Jim's theory. That if you setup correctly as directed, and you have picked the right club, and you then think only of being as still as you possibly can, will the ball fly with a solid, tight draw and finish at the proper place. Don't think, "Can I pull this off?". Instead think, "I am going to do what I should and see what I get.". That takes the pressure off and it means that you have permission to fail. The hit comes from a lack of trust in your club and yourself to get the distance you need.
@@GolfTestDummy Thanks for your input! I will be watching intently. I just watched your "how swing changes can kill your game video", you and I struggle with a lot of the same issues, so your journey will be very similar to mine I believe. My game before I started with Jim (just started) was very inconsistent, I hit some great shots in a round to follow with a crap shot, keeping my handicap from ever getting any better currently a 14. Oh and can't hit a driver consistently at all!
Yes sir. I have been playing conservatively off the tee and still struggle to hit more than 6 fairways. And greens? How are you supposed to threaten a par 72 when you scramble all day?
@@GolfTestDummy lol, we don't! I am very hopeful that Jim will put us on the right path! I've had some struggles there to, but working the plan! STAY STILL
Do you release with your wrists in the downswing?
I don't try to make a release or time it actively. My wrists are hinging and unhinging for sure, but if I am focused on staying still, I don't think about anything else at all.
I know his golf swing is like a 40degree closed shoulder line. Is your feet also closed? Or is only your shoulder just preturned 40 degrees closed? What about ur grip? I can’t see any strong grip won’t cause a big massive draw, so your grip has to be pretty neutral.
Feet are closed as well. After you pivot closed, then you grip. It goes on as a strong grip, but if you get big hooks at first, you can dial it back a bit.
@@GolfTestDummy is the club face square to target, or align with shoulder or feet after your setup? U got a tutorial video? I been grip first then setup closed shoulder and square stance.
I have many weeks worth of videos, lol. I did a whole in depth review of this method and several others over the last 3 years. If you go to my channel. There is a Jim Venetos Playlist. The clubface is square to target line. The pivot, then grip, is very important.
@@GolfTestDummy thanks!
Keep in mind, when you say mediocre golf you are a 9.5hdc... 90% of folks will never legit break 100. You already are a top 3-5% golfer.
I don’t like how Jim Venetos trains , I’d rather hit my fade’s . He turns his whole body contrary to the target.