Any golf instructor to recommend? Criteria - cannot rebuild my swing

I am looking for a couple of lessons with specific criteria:
1. I'm looking for an instructor who isn't going to make me start all over again, i.e. i don't want some instructor who has a set program where i have to re-learn the grip, stance, etc all over again
2. I'm happy with my irons swing as ugly as it looks since it works where i consistenly hit a trap draw
3. I have an incredibly horrendous looking half swing but which is surprisingly consistent......and yet i'm not looking to completely rebuild it..
4. I am also amazingly flexible where i can i touch the ground palms down without bending my knees but only when i'm lying down....ie very unflexible
5. I'm also weak...i get my wife to open jars for me
6. I live in the east so anywhere between marina and tanah merah is preferable

Anyone have a trusted instructor who can work within these parameters and my physical limitations? I've never had a lesson in my life and my swing is completely and very obviously (if you ever get a chance to see it) homemade...

I can show you my swing and if there part of it that resembles what you are already doing or swing, then you know that is where its wrong.

this might help you to focus on areas to rebuild


but more conventional mode is to seek the pro...we have a pretty good list of good and proven pro which I am sure will jump on yor thread soon.. Btw between Marina and Tanah merah means, TMCC, Laguna and NSRCC...so kind of short listed liao

Mr Golf-fool

Looking at your criteria, its very difficult for any potential coach to wanna take you up. No coach would want to rebuild ur swing unless they have to. You dont need many changes to realise you swing has changed. I.E. Slight change in grip position, tweaking your swing plane a little and hip moving.....and after awhile u realise your whole swing has changed.

I think what is needed is trust between you and the coach. All you need to do is tell you coach, 'I want to improve and am willing to put in the hardwork, this is my target......tell me how i can achieve it.'

Play wii golf instead...

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome.

Like you, I had a funky swing that 'kinda worked'. Balls went pretty straight but lacked distance. Mis-hits found themselves hooking hard left or pushing far right. My grip was very strong, and my swing plane was upright, as was my body position. Best score I shot then was 91, but mostly otherwise in the very high 90s.

Come 2008, I struggled to keep the ball in play. Stubbornly refused to change my swing. Blamed equipment, changed drivers, changed balls, changed irons, improved my short game, tried all sorts of things but refused to change my swing

Went to see a golf coach to see if I could get a quick fix. Coach looked at my swing and basically said I was lucky to even shoot in 90s with that kind of swing. I thought he was being an ass, and went off to get custom fitted.

Fitter saw my swing and told me not to waste my money - the fact that my clubs were slightly too short and flat for me (due to my height) wasn't the main cause of my swing problems. But he offered to help me with my swing, to a point where at least custom fitting would help.

Bottom line, LL, changed my grip to something more neutral, stopped strangling the grip to death, built a more consistent swing path with proper swing plane, club going around the body, etc - believe me, it felt damn weird, like learning to walk properly after spending years limping around.

Next few rounds, I shot 100+, got frustrated, but stuck to the plan. Slowly but surely, I started gaining confidence in my swing, learning to lag the clubhead properly, using a shorter, more compact swing, swinging more relaxed, letting the club do the work (club gives you distance, you need to give it the direction, and that's where swing mechanics come in), keeping my hips quiet (I tend to slide my hips - major power leak, and cause of a lot of my mishits), etc

After a few months with the new swing (and a lot of time in front of a mirror), I finally broke 90 (shot and 88), and within the next 2 months shot an 84, and later an 82 (my lowest score to date). To be fair, my average is still in the low 90s, with good driving days see me score in the mid-high 80s, but the difference is that I now have the potential to shot lower scores because my swing mechanics (though still imperfect) is significantly more mechanically sound than with my old swing.

Till this day, I still have the tendency to let old habits slip in, but knowing what I should be doing, I am also more aware of when I start my nonsense again, and can make corrections on the fly.

There are no instant results in golf.

Sometimes, the hardest part is to change - everyone in the PGA Tour has undergone a swing change at some point in their professional career (Tiger, for one, Sergio another, as is Padriag Harrington). These are people who stand to lose out on millions of dollars in winnings and endorsements, yet they take that risk because they want to be better, because they have to better, and to have that change, they have to make that change.

That said, you will probably find that there are many swing tips out there that will provide you with a band-aid solution to your swing problems. Maybe these will work out for you in the long-term. You may also want to consider investing in a high-speed digital camera (I'm using the Casio EX-FC100, recording at 210 fps) to see which part of your swing is breaking down.

APAQATLN doesn't work in the game of golf.

I doubt you will see any improvement in your criteria that you have set. No coach will want to take your money too since results will not be shown.

If you are too stubborn to learn, why bother considering lessons?

And I am still waiting for your Tour Adams driver sale... impatiently.

ghoonk wrote:

Come 2008, I struggled to keep the ball in play. Stubbornly refused to change my swing. Blamed equipment, changed drivers, changed balls, changed irons, improved my short game, tried all sorts of things but refused to change my swing

Come 2010 I think you're still doing exactly the same thing. hehe

Hi,

If you want to engage a pro without changing your swing, it will limit him on what he can do to you. But I think there are still things you can pick up, like short game, putting and course management. I think there is chance to lower down your scores..

The key is what do you expect to learn or gain from maintaining the current limitations.

The purpose of getting a coach is to identify where is your strengths and weaknesses. I believe no coach would want to change your swing or habits unless it is necessary.

Me for example, is happy with my current state. But to improve further and enjoy the game better, i'm considering attending some session with bloom at NSRCC.

just my $0.02 thought. peace:whiteflag:

daveaha wrote:

ghoonk wrote:

Come 2008, I struggled to keep the ball in play. Stubbornly refused to change my swing. Blamed equipment, changed drivers, changed balls, changed irons, improved my short game, tried all sorts of things but refused to change my swing

Come 2010 I think you're still doing exactly the same thing. hehe

heh, difference is, now i buy to try and see which equipment works best for me.

Realized that the Adams 9016Ds that I have are monsters, but my preference is still towards the smaller 380cc heads, which is why I will have 5 R510 TPs by the end of this month. Everything else, as good and long as they are, will probably go. I'll also miss the Cobra L4V with aftermarket Diamana whiteboard cos that is one SICK long driver, as long as my tour-issued Adams

okay, back on topic!

ghoonk wrote:

daveaha wrote:

ghoonk wrote:

Come 2008, I struggled to keep the ball in play. Stubbornly refused to change my swing. Blamed equipment, changed drivers, changed balls, changed irons, improved my short game, tried all sorts of things but refused to change my swing

Come 2010 I think you're still doing exactly the same thing. hehe

heh, difference is, now i buy to try and see which equipment works best for me.

Realized that the Adams 9016Ds that I have are monsters, but my preference is still towards the smaller 380cc heads, which is why I will have 5 R510 TPs by the end of this month. Everything else, as good and long as they are, will probably go. I'll also miss the Cobra L4V with aftermarket Diamana whiteboard cos that is one SICK long driver, as long as my tour-issued Adams

okay, back on topic!

you don't need a swing coach, you need help with your excessive compulsive purchasing.

ghoonk wrote:

Realized that the Adams 9016Ds that I have are monsters, but my preference is still towards the smaller 380cc heads, which is why I will have 5 R510 TPs by the end of this month. Everything else, as good and long as they are, will probably go. I'll also miss the Cobra L4V with aftermarket Diamana whiteboard cos that is one SICK long driver, as long as my tour-issued Adams

bro, which one is more forgiving?

golfool2009 wrote:

I am looking for a couple of lessons with specific criteria:
1. I'm looking for an instructor who isn't going to make me start all over again, i.e. i don't want some instructor who has a set program where i have to re-learn the grip, stance, etc all over again
2. I'm happy with my irons swing as ugly as it looks since it works where i consistenly hit a trap draw
3. I have an incredibly horrendous looking half swing but which is surprisingly consistent......and yet i'm not looking to completely rebuild it..
4. I am also amazingly flexible where i can i touch the ground palms down without bending my knees but only when i'm lying down....ie very unflexible
5. I'm also weak...i get my wife to open jars for me
6. I live in the east so anywhere between marina and tanah merah is preferable

Anyone have a trusted instructor who can work within these parameters and my physical limitations? I've never had a lesson in my life and my swing is completely and very obviously (if you ever get a chance to see it) homemade...

My opinion, its hard for you to improve with or without a coach, golf is physical, mental and tactical/strategic game, it encompasses all 3 elements and requires one to be good at all 3 to really excel and shoot lower scores. I remember someone telling me, get fit to play golf, not play golf to get fit. Flexibility can be improved, but it requires you to stretch and strength can be improve by working on the right muscles and the core stability.

If u r happy with your iron swing, what are you looking to fix exactly? have you seen your own swing on video or have it analyzed by a swing coach? i am sure there will be many points both good and bad that a coach can point out, and after that he has to tell you what needs to be changed to improve your swing, be it grip, stance, alignment, takeaway, backswing, transition, downswing, impact, finishing, etc. ur refusal to accept adopt a change would just be a waste of your time and money employing any coach. unless u r looking for one that would help you out just on course management and mental willpower.

in the world we are in today, the only constant is change. if you don't embrace change, be prepared to be left behind. i think you should be quite advanced in your game, but if u r looking to take it into the next level, sometimes taking 1 step back or several steps back and bring more steps forward or even a leap forward in your game.

good luck !

eiji wrote:

in the world we are in today, the only constant is change. if you don't embrace change, be prepared to be left behind.

I am so happy I dont fit the criteria. Good luck to you and the coach that has this job

Right_sided_coach wrote:

eiji wrote:

in the world we are in today, the only constant is change. if you don't embrace change, be prepared to be left behind.

I am so happy I dont fit the criteria. Good luck to you and the coach that has this job

Paul... Why did you change my swing!!! I only wanted a quick fix...

Yours was a pretty quick fix mate....not too much wrong to start with. You know the part I wanna fix but that will be a big fix and some hard work.

some interesting comments...but unfortunately no recommendations...perhaps i was being a little cheeky with the criteria but are there are any good instructors that anyone wants to recommend?

I'm about a 12 h'cap with my scores typically between 82-87 and i've shot in the high 70's a number of times but i feel i'm playing with a bandaid on my swing...

after hitting the range today, i'm ready to give anything a shot...so recommendations pls!!!!

Typical Buaya

buaya?!!? not really....when i went for the club fitting, the guys at the shop were laughing at my swing....i didn't even dare tell them my h'cap cause they surely won't believe...

so pretty unhelpful comment...

i'm desperate guys!!!! c'mon....

there are 3 coaches in NSRCC that I think are good, Brett Bridgman, Brad Mcmanus & last but not least Marc Kawasoe.
I am with Brett Bridgman, as well as a few others in GR.
there are others in GR with the other 2 coaches too, will leave it to them to speak for their coaches.

Shorthitter, jhan and rightsidedswing are known coaches in the GR community

excellent...i shall be in touch with them....thanks!!!

On serious note:

http://www.golfrepublic.org/ask-the-pro-f17/golf-professionals-contact-details-t767.htm

pick one that is convenient for you