Week 4 with Steve Riggs
"You've got a lot of work ahead." Harsh truths usually don't come from teaching professionals. Most lessons are filled with encouraging words for players feeling down on their game, because who takes a lesson when they're playing well.
Steve's honesty is refreshing, and his statement couldn't have been more true. While I've noticed a great deal of improvement it has only been four weeks and it seems a new obstacle presents itself every session. I started to feel good about my grip and posture, now my head position is getting in the way.
While we were working on getting my head into proper position Steve told me to close my eyes and count backwards from five. With my eyes closed he set my head and told me to look for a reference point when I opened my eyes. When I opened my eyes I felt like my head was tilted back and directly over the 8 on the toe of my iron. After a few practice swings I reset and used the 8 to get myself in a good stance.
Steve has stressed the importance of reference points in our work together. Every meeting we establish a new set of reference points so I can know what to look for when I'm practicing alone. Our initial meeting focused on the grip, and since that meeting I've been looking for specific connections from my wrist through my elbow and shoulder on my right side to know my grip is correct. The posture work I did with Steve and Jeff Dantas at Elite Indoor Golf Center focused on my left hip pointing down to the ball. Now I look for the club number on my irons to know my spine angle is in place.
These reference points are an important part of continuing your progress without a coach. I know I could break 90 today if I had an instructor with me throughout the round, but that isn't going to be the case so I need something I can take with me. At your next lesson be sure to come away with some ingrained feeling or a reference point of your own so you can take the improvements to the course.
My practice sessions without a coach haven't been very encouraging. Just like anyone I get to the range quickly after a lesson and I'm anxious to see improvement, but the last few sessions have felt like giant steps backwards. Steve gave me some great advice, "don't try to hit your way out of it." This should ring true for anyone who has cursed their way through a day at the range alone. We hacks tend to get frustrated and just hit as many balls as we can looking for the feeling we had with our teaching professionals. Steve's advice is to slow down, think about what you worked on and try to focus on any reference points you established in your work together.
For a few days I'll work on finding my reference points without a teacher, and try to have a positive solo practice session this week. But I expect some rough days so I'll slow down, think my way through, and try to finish the bucket of balls better than I started.
Follow Matt's progress on his blog here at mynegm.com and on twitter @52weekMM as he embarks on the first New England Golf Challenge. He can be reached at matthew.manco@gmail.com
You can catch Matt and Steve on The Lesson Tee on WNRI 1380am Wednesday 2/3 at noon.
