Should You Play Golf While Learning Your New Swing?

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The greatest question in golf - should I play golf while working on my swing? This video answers this age old question!

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Jens
A question came up when I played golf with my significant other last week. she played with a provisional which went out of bounds and then she played another provisional which she finnished the hole with. Didnt get much wiser from checking the rulebook so thought id ask here. Does this incur two penalty stroke, one for each played provisional, but no added shot for the first played provisional? Lets say it was a par 3. And she shot two provisionals and the 2nd went on green and she two putted. Is her total strokes then 6 for that hole ?
June 18, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jens. Par 3 - 1st out of bounds, provisional on the green 1 putt (4). Par 3 - 1st out of bounds, provisional out of bounds, provisional on green 1 putt (6).
June 18, 2020
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Jens
Thank you craig! I had misunderstood it then. Glad you cleared it up
June 19, 2020
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Bernie
Hello again Patrick, I did not receive a notice that my face-on video was not received. In your description of my down the line video, you mentioned that there was another video in your Admin file, or something like that. Thanks again.
September 10, 2019
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Bernie
Hello Patrick. I went ahead and completed another face on video. When I went to post it to the swing review site, I noticed my initial face on video was there with my down the line video that you reviewed. You now have two face on videos and I guess I have used an extra swing review opportunity. I am looking forward to your review as your comments on my down the line video were very helpful.
September 10, 2019
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Patrick (Certified RST Instructor)
Hmm.. Can you submit another video from face on? Thanks
September 10, 2019
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Bernie
Hello Patrick, I submitted two videos: one from down the line which you reviewed, and a second one from a face-on view. Thanks
September 8, 2019
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Patrick (Certified RST Instructor)
Did you ever receive an email notifying you that a review had been "unsubmitted"? I may have combined both of your video submissions (down the line and face on) into one swing review.
September 9, 2019
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Bernie
Question for Patrick....when will I see your review of my second swing video? Thanks , Bernard Chapman
September 6, 2019
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Patrick (Certified RST Instructor)
Hi Bernard, can you clarify? My last review for you was provided Sept. 3. You may have provided a duplicate video, which sometimes happens. Thanks
September 7, 2019
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Charl
Excuse me for hogging this thread, but I think that I may be able to add valuable insights. I start with history to sketch my circumstances. In 2010, at age 60, I retired and, not having played golf in my working life, now had time to learn how to play the game. I went for some instruction, but I quickly realised that it is very difficult to convey the movements through a choice of words and I needed to get instruction from more than one teacher to get new insights. I went to some of the best coaches, Pro's, teachers in South Africa (where I live), traversing the country, but to no avail, I still could not hit the ball straight – I sprayed it everywhere, with shanks, tops and chunks thrown in for extra disillusion. I think personal instruction failed because of one main reason: Being a grey-haired gent, the Pro's assumed that they needed to apply some plaster, whereas I needed radical surgery. I needed a step-by-step recipe. I then started buying video courses, to hear the narratives from many other coaches. Every video recipe was different: Rick Barry – Bump the car door, Paul Wilson – swing machine, Shaun Clements – get the body out of the way, and then Paul Wilson again, BodySwing. All of them claimed to be the best and that I will be swinging better in no time. Meanwhile, I looked at the golf on TV and we have fellow countrymen like Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen plus all the LPGA (diminutive) girls barely moving, yet hitting the ball a mile. There had to be a trick! So my search for the "Golden Recipe" continued. I obviously became aware of the RST system in my internet searches for the Holy Grail, but I wanted to buy a course, as our internet speeds in Africa were too low for streaming, and the monthly payments in Dollars too high for a third world country. In December of 2018 I took the plunge and bought a 30-day Premium Subscription at RST. Finally, here was a system, a recipe, which started at the core, at the beginning, and explained in great detail the steps to be taken and the reasons why you need those steps. The moves were totally different to the moves I was making. But, it was the moves that I wished to make – to look more like an Ernie Els golfer. Needless to say, I extended my subscription. Bear in mind that at this time, I was fully schooled on the theory of the golf swing through many narratives so I immediately grasped that the RST wording now gave me the Gospel. Was I immediately successful? Hell no! I analysed that my setup was too low, too much weight on toes. I had no idea of proper shoulder rotation and the "chair drill" fixed that. My weight shift was too little too late, appearing as an after-thought, not as a core movement. I loved the RST 5-step system, yet when I arrived on the course, I still hit the balls on my old, ingrained methods. It became obvious to me that I was suffering from a "hit impulse", and I had to slow down, yet it was almost impossible to change my swing. Then a ski accident in February changed everything – torn upper bicep tendons on my right shoulder. The doctor said "Golf not before October". If you have stayed with me this far, the rest is now the good bits: I kept on doing my reps at home. RST Steps 1 and 2 combined formed the core of my practices. You have to really do them hundreds, even thousands of times. You have to consciously feel the turn of your right shoulder blade, and then initiate the swing with your legs. After a few weeks of this, I added the left arm (Step 3) to the party, but my right side was too sore to continue, so I kept doing the basics, really feeling how my legs drive the swing. By mid-April I went to a driving range on mats, concentrating on a left-arm pull, and turning off my right side. The key here was that I had no intention to hit far – I just wanted to hit some balls due to my golf starvation. Lo and behold, the results were astonishing – all the balls went straight and I produced a nice trajectory as well. The incapacitated right arm was a blessing in disguise. I had no other alternative other than to hit the balls with my leg and core muscles. With no effort, I hit the balls nearly as far as my earlier two-handed swing. The point that I wish to make is that you need to first get this Eureka moment – you have to first get the experience that you can hit the ball far with zero effort, you have to become a believer in the RST system. Only once you have experienced this sweetness can you venture to take the RST swing to the golf course. I have now played two rounds, using a lady 3-wood as my driver. I have no expectation to hit far; I just enjoy being out on a course again. Amazingly, with my mates being a lot longer, but in the bushes, I am dead straight. Whereas I battled to break 100 before, my first round was 46/49 for 95. And that with a lame right shoulder! Taking RST to the course means to consciously go through the reps on the tee box. 1. Get your setup correct – I feel the weight transfer from heel to toe and settle in the centre. 2. Keep the right knee stationary and do a full shoulder turn (RST steps 1 and 2), whilst transferring weight 1 inch to right, and then 3 inches to the left. 3. Add your left arm, do the reps, then add the club. At this stage I barely touch the club with my right hand, concentrating more on supporting the club at the top of the back swing. 4. Feel that you are using your legs and core to swing the club – in short, get rid of the "hit impulse". The moment that I try to swing the club without this rigid, mechanical thinking process, I immediately regress back to hitting again. In summary then, my feeling is that it is useless to take the RST system to the golf course and expect betterment, if you have not yet experienced the sweet taste of success before. I therefore endorse Chuck's mantra: You need a LOT of reps in front of mirrors, and you need to do them CORRECTLY. I still do Steps 1 and 2 as I pass a mirror in the house, or a patio door outside. It never ends! Oh, and, you do not need a shoulder operation, but it helps a hell of a lot if you can keep the right arm and hands from taking over the swing…..
May 2, 2019
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Jeffrey
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience... i too have been trying to do the movements during the week and then play on the weekends... it can be done but old habits creep in all the time.. but my ball striking has never been better... so my thoughts are just keep practicing and playing (. Knowing Rome want built in a day). Great program Chuck
May 3, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Charl. I appreciate your informative post about your journey with RST. I think it will provide good insight to other members. I completely agree that you have to get the body movements down and have that eureka moment. Players have to come to the realization that they are just working too hard and not striving towards effortless power. Once, you have the keys to the kingdom of not using brute force and constant manipulations to make quality shots happen. Golf and life will definitely improve.
May 3, 2019
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Robert
All good input, for sure. But I need to push back a bit on #5. i've been working on RST for about 4 years and have stalled a variety of times. After a recent unsatisfying golf trip, i looked closely at all of my routines trying to figure where i might be stuck. i tried to challenge everything about my practice routines. one thing that i noticed is most of my drills have been pretty slow as i try to unlearn 40 years of bad habits. i decided to try giving up slow and try learning how to trust the club more and let it speed up, Not trying to swing fast. Just trying to swing more crisply and let the weight of the club head do what it wants to do. I've made major improvements recently. i've stopped trying to actively manage the club into the right positions. or to put it another way, i think i was being too cautious which turned into slow which turned into limited progress. With golf, as with other sports, sometimes you have overcome caution and let momentum do it's thing. so maybe what i'm really suggesting is that slow can be ok but too slow can be counterproductive.
April 30, 2019
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Patrick (Certified RST Instructor)
Hi Robert, you are correct that going too slow can be counterproductive. That's where #9 comes in (challenge constantly). With #5, Chuck is talking about the learning process as a whole, not necessarily about tempo or momentum. Too many golfers are tempted to get ahead of where they should be in the learning process. It's a balance. You don't want to get ahead of where your brain can take you by pounding range balls at full speed, but you also don't play golf with slow drills.
May 1, 2019
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Logan
I made this mistake and it cost me, tried working on the drills during the week and playing on the weekends. With all those mechanical thoughts buzzing in my brain my touch and feel went out the window. One round I could not stop shanking the ball, was never a shanker before trying to change to much at once while on the course
April 30, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Loagn. We have all made that mistake of jumping into golf too soon.
April 30, 2019
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Jim
I have a more general question. Like so many RST members I'm constantly working in front of the mirror, reviewing video, and on the practice tee. The result is lots of swing thoughts, each associated with a different stage of the RST system. Is it not the "best practice" to clear one's head of these, save may one or two and only try to "visualize the shot" when playing? Easier said than done of course.
May 13, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jim. Yes. You need too rep to make the move automatic without needing thought. But, when you play you have to "play golf, not play swing." Having 1 and/or at most 2 thoughts, but with good visualization isn't a bad thing. You can also use Chris's technique in the Trust Line Video.
May 13, 2019

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