This was a lesson in which I was very sick. I have had the stomach flu since last Thursday and I was really hurting. I told Patrick I was under the weather and he took it a little easy on me.
I am slowly starting to understand the idea of the back and lats supporting the shoulders. If I can “stay long” in my upper back throughout the backswing, I can keep the club in front of me and then come back inside. It is still a work in progress, but while at UNC Finley I hit some really good shots by “flexing” my lats and upper back and allowing my left side to start the swing.
If I combine this feel in my back with the right foot being weightless, I can really get around on the ball now.
Patrick was very pleased to see my progress and added a few finishing touches. I had been setting my back flex and then bending over with my head to put the club on the ground. Patrick reminded me of the very first lesson in which we bent over at the waist. Set the club with the handle and your hands and then bend over at the hips to get to the ball. This will help you set the angle much better. From there, you can use the left side to start the swing and make certain the left shoulder does not pinch.
When I do this, I hit the ball very, very well. It is crazy how easy the downswing is when the backswing is correct. This is something Patrick has said from day one.
The fact that I don’t feel well is honestly making the golf game much easier. There is no thinking and over analyzing. I am simply doing the necessary steps and swinging the club. Hopefully I feel better by Thursday.
UPDATE: We are now in November 2020 and I am 186 lessons in. While the idea of “flexing the back” made sense, there needs to be better posture with the shoulders rolled back without tension and flexing. It has taken over two years for me to work on better posture with my shoulders and upper back. To get a true shoulder turn, there needs to be relaxation in the upper back with great posture. This is something no amateur is willing to do because it takes a lot of time, energy and effort. All amateurs want immediate results.
