Not so funny now are ya?

Keeping things on the “light” side is not always what it’s cracked up to be. No intention of straying from that approach. But when it comes to instruction and improvement, I’m going to deviate from the norm.

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Pronate, supinate, rotate, APT, ER, IR……….huh?!? At Comical Golfer, I’m proud to be affiliated with Mr. Kelvin Miyahira. Part jokester, part Jedi-Knight, and all around great guy. His teachings might not be revolutionary, but they are miles  ahead of the curve. To borrow that tried and true cliche, there are millions of ways to skin a cat. And he might be the very antithesis of comicalgolfer as his ideas of the golf swing are far from amusing. Growing the game is made easier by making golfers better. This, my friends, is what he does.

Cookie cutter advice

Why do we sign up for lesson “packages”? Simple, more time with the pro and we’re bound to get better. Not so fast, though. Of course, they all wish their students to improve, but at what rate and at what cost? Aside from the $$ involved. Perhaps what they espouse are only band-aids or quick fixes. Nothing wrong with that. However, if you truly would like real improvement wouldn’t it be better to understand movement in the swing? Maybe they just offer snippets to allow you to flush a few shots before your lesson ends. Then you’re hitting it good for a week and blammo! You start hitting it sideways. The old army golf….yo’ left, yo’ left….yo’ left right left. Head on back to the pro, get another band-aid. Vicious cycle. Been there, got the T-shirt.

Confusion and (re)education

Honestly, I thought Kelvin was an MD or Ph.D. in biomechanics after getting to know him. His knowledge of anatomy and how it sequences with the golf swing is really that vast. My first experience with his teachings I was kicking myself for not paying more attention during anatomy class. Anterior pelvic tilt? What you talkin’ bout Willis? Now, of course, I know what it is. More importantly, I found out that I had none when I needed it!

Video and anatomy

Kelvin has done something that’s not revolutionary after all. He’s studied copious amounts of video. Frame after agonizing frame of what all the great players of today and yesteryear have done. To make them a cut above. Then he sought to break down these movements in hundredths of frames. Micro-moves, as he refers to them. I know right?! But yes, really that detailed. And he knows how to apply that to the average schmo like me. How to express the what and WHY I should move a certain way. Now that IS revolutionary. In all the lessons I got in the past (too many to count) I never heard these types of terms or how to apply them to my swing, to ultimately improve.

What’s the point?

If you’re looking to play some average golf, this is probably not for you. Why is it difficult? Because if you’re like me, you have to change ingrained motor patterns. And they’re bad ones. That’s a fairly large hurdle. But not out of the realm of possibility. It just takes a lot of practice and desire. I’m nowhere near where I want to be, but I’m progressing. Light at the end of the tunnel and my game is getting better. Straighter ball flight with more power. No one is going to turn that down. Head on over to Kelvin’s website. It can be a bit overwhelming, but nothing truly worth pursuing is gained easily.

Here’s Kelvin giving an analysis of our most recent Masters champion, Danny Willett:

Summary

Golf instruction has changed greatly over the years. Not always for the best. In an effort to get students to “just get one airborne,” the why of instruction has vanished. Maybe that is the better way, but not to me. What are your thoughts? It’s hard enough as is, why make it harder? I think if you pay the price early, the long-term benefits will far outweigh any of the work you have to put in.

Until next time, keep ’em in the short grass.