Practice Session 2

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Craig builds on what he worked on in session 1 to keep getting in those quality reps and shots.


Welcome back to session two.

If you've made it this far, then you already know of the assessment of my swings from yesterday that I really needed to put some hyper focus on that.

Lead hip.

Now you probably can't see the stack of balls right here but I've already done about 75 reps.

I really wanted to kind of grind it out and get this hip going until I turn on the camera so I wanted to make sure that I had some feedback.

It's the one thing when you're changing your swing or cleaning up your swing, you got to have some feedback.

So I wanted to use the camera, make sure that that hip was working because I don't want it to rear.

It's ugly head later on down the road because of how important it is, just for that quality of striking, that safety reason.

So I'm going to let you tune in on my last 25 reps.

Hopefully that hip's a little bit better.

Hopefully we'll see it on camera right now.

I can tell you as I was working on this I really started to notice that my hip being lazy.

That's more what it was.

It wasn't really protection.

I was talking about in that assessment.

I wondered if it was just me being kind of tired and not used to firing the muscles, or if my brain thought it was like protecting itself.

Because it wasn't kind of pivoting and rotating around.

And what I've come to find out so far is more just being lazy, and I think that's just I haven't used it.

Those muscles just kind of gone a little bit dormant.

So I've had to really work on firing those hard and in the meantime, when I start firing my legs a little bit harder.

I've had to make sure to keep down some tension, but let's see how we do the rest of the way.

So I've already got a nice sweat going on here.

A little bit warmer today.

But being a southern boy it doesn't bother me.

I kind of like the heat.

I think that was a good one.

And so what I'm going to do is I'm going to really focus on when I get here.

Like, getting that hip cleared and get that pressure shift over here, get that hip cleared.

Touch heavy on that one.

I don't think I did that poorly with the hip.

You know a good way to check yourself if you don't have a mirror in front of you or anything is just drop a club down from your hip socket.

Kind of see if it's going through your knee and ankle joint because you start to slide out ahead.

This is kind of what it'll look like so if you can't really see yourself just drop a club down from there.

I'm going to give you a fair assessment.

Even though I hit that one online that was a little bit chunky so I can't count that one.

Here.

Get that hip.

Looked pretty good to me.

Hips got to be good.

I don't feel a whole lot of pain right now.

Shoulders are good.

Head was down.

I think we can count that one as a win.

Tell you what I definitely could feel it this morning.

Yesterday was the most balls I've hit in a long time and getting these muscles back acclimated and working them again.

I woke up this morning and I was like oh yep hadn't done that in a while.

It was fun during my first rotary journey when I was rebuilding my swing.

I used to wake up sore in a different location all the time and not like I did my swing incorrectly sore.

But I wasn't used to using those sets of muscles.

It was a new feeling for me.

I think that one was pretty good.

See if we can get a little repeater on that one.

It had to be pretty good.

You can see that belt buckle is nice and in front about 45 degrees.

Trail foot is good.

Lead leg is straight.

That's got to be pretty good.

Getting a nice little bucket out there.

A range picker is going to like me and be like oh.

I have to fix this side today.

Check.

Make sure.

Maybe a tiny bit ahead.

Good strike though.

Center of the face.

Nice slow trajectory.

See if we can keep that up.

And just to expand a little bit on yesterday.

Obviously I can get a little bit on a ramble since I'm trying to voice my opinions more while I'm practicing.

And I thought a little bit more about kind of the positive affirmations.

And just how important they are to really keep the drive.

Really keep the motivation going.

A little skinny.

A little chesty through.

Remember how so important it is to not beat yourself down so much.

This isn't easy.

Undergoing a swing change is not easy.

I've rebuilt my swing five times.

And I know what it took each time.

Nothing wrong.

It's having a couple bad swings every now and then.

That was much better.

I need to put down some of my notes.

I mean I can't tell you how many golf lessons I've given.

I've had students from all ranges that one shot out of a hundred.

They were thrown to the moon so to speak.

And other ones that were ninety-nine out of a hundred.

And they were on suicide watch.

It's okay.

We're going to make mistakes along the way.

Especially when you're changing these movement patterns.

I don't expect you to hit every shot perfect.

Enjoy the process.

Enjoy the journey.

And this is supposed to be the fun time.

Really getting and seeing the benefits out of all the hard work.

It's the journey, not the destination.

Must have been out here in the sun too long.

Now I'm starting to get philosophical and zen-like.

But I used to be that.

And I have no problem admitting that.

I was a little skinny.

But I think that hip's pretty good.

Just got a lot of focus on that right now.

But it sounded just a little skinny.

A little skinny.

It was just a little tense on that one.

Let me get over here.

I'll tell you, let's see.

I'm back.

Like a magician.

Where'd you go?

Really working hard.

Getting that hip.

So I pushed just a little bit.

Can you see that on camera?

I think I pushed just a little bit on that one.

It's so important that you have in mind not only your checklist, but your process of what you're going about.

As I'm going through here, it definitely feels a little different than yesterday.

I know yesterday I was a little bit tighter.

Had some nerves, to be honest with you.

And things, you know, today, they're a little bit looser.

Starting to kind of get back used to the motion.

And I'm having to really think about and make sure of, all right, I've got to make sure to rotate back.

I don't want to get too loose or I just kind of start arming it and winging it out there.

Just got to make sure that my process and how I'm working on this, I'm really staying focused on it.

And I'm going to get my rotation back.

That's all I really need right now.

It's just a little rotation.

It's going to move my arms and hands for me.

Good little pressure shift, clear.

Don't need a big release right now.

Just maintaining that lead wrist ahead and flat.

A little thin.

I think I'm starting to push through a little bit.

I think my leg's starting to get a little tired.

Getting a little tired.

I think that's better with the hip.

Looks a little more stacked to me.

And if you're kind of struggling a little bit with that hip socket, trying to find it or just gauging a little bit.

If you're like, oh, Craig, you know, I've had some pain on the outside of my hip.

I just, I don't know if it's that because I kind of don't know where my hip socket For most normal pants, hip socket is going to be right around your belt loops right here.

It's not every set of pan or short, but it's going to be right around this belt loop right here.

And so when I'm getting over here and I'm looking at this, now I can kind of see, like if this belt loop is like way out over here like this, I'm going to be in trouble.

And you're going to see that it kind of starts on the inside right here, okay, because we're two inches outside of neutral setup.

And as I move over, it gets just a little bit more stacked and open.

You can see it's pretty much in a straight line from there.

That was good.

That was good.

Felt a nice clearing of the hip on that one.

Head down, chest square.

So what's going on in the world today?

I saw that Elon decided not to buy Twitter.

I don't know what else is going on.

That's pretty good.

I know I have a tendency to kind of walk back there a lot and kind of check on my lines.

But it's also, I just think about like when people have certain pre-shot routines, it's also good just to reset.

Even if you have a good one or a bad one, just take a step back.

Be like, all right.

I can get a breather here, shake it out a little bit.

I've got my line right here.

I know my goals.

I know my checkpoints.

So let's get set up here.

Get into position.

My goal on this is impact, but with a good hip.

I'll take that one.

That one's got to be pretty good.

Nah.

That's just being lazy.

Just being lazy.

Almost had good rotation, just got a little dead with my hands and try to make it up quick with hips.

My boss man can tell you, if I err on any side, I tend to err on the side of being too loose.

So I get set up, I get a little bit too lazy, and when I swing, I'm just like, what's going on?

Hey.

Muscles need to be ready to work, fire, and engage.

I'm on the other end of the spectrum.

I like Jell-O.

There you go.

That's the way to get back on the horse.

There's a little, there's a balance to this, especially when it comes to tension.

There's always a spectrum.

You can be on this side where you're way too tense, and nothing's reacting the way it should.

Or you actually get too relaxed, and nothing fires.

What do we think at home?

How do we do?

It's a good strike.

Chest.

Seemed okay at impact.

Hand was okay.

I think we're okay on that one.

I know today may not be as interesting as yesterday's session.

Session number one.

And I kind of wasn't even thinking about filming today, but I had my stuff with I decided, I'm like, you know what, I'm really working on this.

I got done talking about it.

Let's see if I got that improvement out of it today.

Get that hip going.

Looks a little better.

Good strike.

Got that.

I'm just going to do a quick one.

All right.

So how are y'all doing in your phase one?

You experience a lot of the same things I'm experiencing.

Having these little shots.

They're a lot tougher than they appear.

And keep it nice, buttoned up.

I can notice I'm a little bit more in control today.

Doesn't feel like I'm trying to get a little overzealous and hit it a little far.

And how are y'all doing with your work?

Look, these little shots, they take a lot of focus.

Such a small move, but they take a lot of focus.

Oh, a little thin.

Oh, I either pushed off a little this way and got this hip out ahead.

Got a little sliding up on it.

That's what it felt like.

I can't mark that one.

Use that left side right there.

Don't get this way.

And push off that foot too much.

Push beyond neutral.

If you use the left side musculature, so to speak, the left side won't let you move left to left.

Keep you pretty safe.

Looks pretty stacked.

If I can count that one.

My first couple ones, I kind of forgot to look to see where the ball was going.

Like, how can I grade myself?

I never saw Oh, that was good.

I felt a good lead hand on that one.

I really felt that kind of paintbrush feel.

It's just the opposite.

You're not trying to get down here and tense up.

It's like, I'm just going to, I'm going to grip my teeth and hold it.

Nothing ever really works out that way in the golf swing when you're doing that.

That one had that nice kind of hand paintbrush effect.

Just kind of leading it into it.

Nice and soft.

Get some hips.

Nice and soft with that lead hand.

Let's see if we can do that one again.

Oh, that was good.

How do we do?

Looks like it's pretty good.

I think we'll keep that one.

So, I think that'll be a good one to add I know that this may not have been as long or entertaining of a session, but since I won't have some time to practice in the next few days, I really wanted to kind of grind it out and make sure my early on reps, I was really getting this and I needed some feedback tools.

So, I was kind of going back and forth between the camera since I'm kind of out here on my own, which is what you should be doing.

So, even though it's a little shorter, hopefully you got a little bit out of this.

I know I didn't talk as much.

A little tired, a little bit sore.

But I'm going to go back home and I'm going to assess.

I'm going to see if this hip's doing better.

I'm going to stay on task with that.

Make sure I get all my reps into the rep tracker.

We're going to keep this train rolling.

So, I will see you guys in the trenches on my next phase one session.

Hopefully, I get through this one pretty quickly though.

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Chris
How important is the distance? I struggle to hit 10-15 yards. My hits are more 20-30 yards. Also, should the right arm be straight on the takeaway? Thanks!
June 24, 2024
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Chris. The right arm should be straight on the takeaway. In phase 1 you may see a little flexion since it's such a small swing. However, if you are hitting it 30 yards the swing is either too big, or swinging too hard.
June 24, 2024
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Nic
Hi Craig, Unless I have missed it, I haven't heard you talk at all about weight distribution. imho in order to ensure best contact on this type of shot I would always set up with 55-60% weight on my left side. What are your thoughts on this. Keep up the good work!!!
November 3, 2023
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Nic. Thank You. For Phase 1 you can preset a little weight towards the lead side 60-65% on the lead foot perfectly acceptable. You will see as I work on Phase 1 I tend to be 50/50 since I already transfer the weight naturally in my swing. Well maybe not naturally (years of getting yelled at by Chuck to shift ).
November 3, 2023
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Paul
Hi Craig I was told years ago by an instructor from golftec that I should set up with my club real close to the ball I notice that you set your club 2 or 3 inches back wondering if I should mimic that
September 20, 2023
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Paul. The most common way is as you described. This is just a habit I have formed. I used to have a problem getting the takeaway started. This allows me to relax a little more and not feel like I need perfection immediately.
September 21, 2023
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user7925
Craig, I'm 70 y.o. and just started phase 1. Boy, it's a lot harder then it would seem. Having trouble not rolling my wrists and hitting the ball 30-40 yds. vs. 10-15. A real wake-up call. Really enjoy your practice sessions and determination to do it right. Building the foundation! Thanks, Joe
June 10, 2023
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Thanks Joe. Good luck with the swing work. You will be able to add release in phase 2. Very important though to gain awareness in the lead wrist impact position. Happy you are enjoying the series. More work to be done!
June 12, 2023
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Jon M
Graig - I noticed a lot less right foot roll in this session over the first. A lot less lateral movement – nice improvement. Jon
December 7, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Thanks Jon. . Tough animal to tame
December 7, 2022
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Luc
Just great stuff again!
September 15, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Thank you Luc.
September 15, 2022
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Arthur
Hi Craig, good session again from you. Regarding the hip position at impact are you posting up to get the hip back or rotating your core or doing both? Regards, Arthur
July 27, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Arthur. Great question. I am focusing on my lead oblique and pushing my lead leg to straighten knee/clear hip. I am finding more and more I need to focus on the knee/leg straightening as my quest continues.
July 27, 2022
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Joost
Craig, Could you elaborate a bit on the terminology of missed shots? As a non English speaker, I sometimes have a hard time knowing what is meant with 'chunking' 'thinning' 'fat shot' and whatsoever? Thx
July 19, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Joost. Fat - Heavy (Ground before the Strike). Thin (non-compressed) can be off the bottom grooves or towards the toe.
July 19, 2022
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Joost
And 'chunking' is the same as heavy?
July 19, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Correct. Chunking would be heavy (divot before ball strike).
July 19, 2022
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Joost
Thanks Craig. All clear now
July 19, 2022
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Joost
Great Craig, I admire your patience and your focus on the small improvements. I have the tendency to get bored after 5 good shots. Then I jump to phase x in trying to hit draws or cuts. You really keep up the practice. It inspires me!
July 18, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Joost. Thank you. Sometimes practicing the same thing can get a little tedious. But, that is the goal. Make it simple and repeatable. Make Golf Boring Again. Haha
July 18, 2022
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brian
Nice job Craig, enjoying watching and learning from your progress. YMMV, but I found that focusing on the axiom right foot clockwise rotation fixed my NJA issues automatically - when I don’t do that my contact and left side get sloppy.
July 17, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Nice. Thanks Brian. I agree I have seen lots of NJA issues fixed by proper trail Axiom foot usage. I definitely just tend to push with it instead of sync the clockwise motion correctly.
July 18, 2022
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Dave
Craig this adds a new dimension to RS instruction. I can relate better to instruction by your demonstration in doing phase one. I thought had phase 1 aced but after watching you sadly i,m far from doing it correctly. I seem to hinging up with my lead wrist far to early. Might that be product of cupped lead wrist? Cant wait to see your progress and phase 2
July 15, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Great Dave. I agree on progress and getting to Phase 2 . You are correct. If you start adding cupping to the lead wrist you maybe cocking too much early. The lead needs to maintain some cupping as to not roll inside, but you don't want it to increase.
July 16, 2022
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Tom
As you make choices as to what to include in these videos - I would have liked to have seen you work through not quite getting the hip motion correct through getting it back on track. Perhaps this will be shown in your analysis of this session and therefore is forthcoming. I think watching/hearing you go through the process is one of the most beneficial components of this series.
July 15, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Thanks Tom and appreciate the suggestions. The ones you are seeing now were already filmed and rendered. As I continue on my journey this weekend. I can start to add/delete all the great suggestions I've received to continue to make the content exactly what the audience wants.
July 15, 2022
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Manny (Certified RST Instructor)
The timing could not have been any better! Just passed 1yr. anniversary on lower back surgery. I have continue to maintain commitment to the Rotary Swing processes, as you and Chuck continue to open the doors wider and even wider, to the realms of high end golf swing instruction. This is topping all others IMO. Looking forward to your next session. Great work my friend!
July 15, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Thank Manny. I hope all is well my friend. Truly appreciate the kind word about RST and our work. Look forward to seeing how your move improves and keeping that spine healthy.
July 15, 2022
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Kim
Thanks for taking us on the journey with you! Glad to see you out in the sun striking the ball. Love your discipline taking it slow. Stay healthy!
July 15, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Kim. Thank you. It is nice to get a little sun. Nothing like some after work range sessions. Still working on that staying healthy part. Tortoise, or hare that won the race . I know I need to take my time. Definitely don't want to end up in anymore rehab.
July 15, 2022
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David
Great work Craig, Really enjoy seeing you grinding hard on having NJA - makes you so relatable. Keep working hard, look forward to seeing your progress.
July 15, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello David. One of the main goals with the series. Nobody was born with a perfect swing. We all have to grind out the reps and movements to make quality change. Thanks for the post.
July 15, 2022
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Stephen
Great Job Craig, you looked stacked to me on pretty much all of those shots. Top session pal
July 15, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Stephen. Thanks buddy. Lots of work and reps ahead!
July 15, 2022
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Kasey
Proud of you big fella! Keep workin!
July 15, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Thanks Kasey. Hope you are well my friend.
July 15, 2022
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jack
Looking forward to your assessment of session 2. While most of your shots showed good nja with the hips, It “seemed” as if you had more axis tilt with the left shoulder slightly aft of the ankle/knee/hip line than Chuck’s swing in your side by side comparison from session 1. You are doing a great job in demonstrating that C4 journey takes dedicated work and will not be easy. thanks
July 14, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Thank you Jack. Much appreciative. In the comparison with Chuck's swing he was doing a full Phase 2 a generating a little more speed. In Phase 1 (Impact) because of my shoulder spin issue I am really focusing on keeping the lead shoulder in the shot. It will start to improve as I start getting longer and more vibrant leg work. I don't have a lot of weight movement here and moving the hips laterally, but correctly will create the proper secondary axis tilt.
July 15, 2022
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Carver
Great stuff Craig. You have inspired me to take C4 more seriously. I appreciate your chatter. In your first session you identified opening your chest, which I do, and in the 2nd posting incorrectly, which I do. The process adds so much discipline in not only practice but how to approach the game. Thanks again.
July 14, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Thank You Carver. We all struggle with a lot of the same golf issues. Appreciate the post and keep working hard.
July 14, 2022

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