[Bagger Lance]

Vaako,

I'm not an instructor so I can't speak to the average amount of time it takes students to master a new stroke pattern but in terms of when the magic starts, I believe it is immediate, but almost unperceptible to the observer in the beginning. I would bet that the student was feeling big changes in his swing and as we can see, couldn't wait to try them out on a full stroke. As observers, we don't see much progress and wonder why he keeps taking full strokes every chance he gets.

If you watch the student progress on the tire and in chip shots, he does make progress. His biggest issue in my opinion is "adding". In other words, to actively use the right wrist at impact. He has many other issues, but Ben kept coming back to that issue. Before someone can advance, throwaway must be addressed.

My lesson with Ben was similar. I was "adding" as well. Once I felt the proper use of the right wrist (Bent, Level, Frozen) through impact, then I could focus on other elements of the swing. And there are many other elements that needed just as much attention. I worked for several months on just the wrist conditions through release until I could drag the clubhead way past the ball with an inert wrist. It made a huge impact on my game and that is just one small element. I still have to monitor the hands carefully to keep from reverting back. Now that I've switched to hitting, it is much easier to keep my right wrist in check. I have also incorporated Ben's setup routine. It's a no-brainer.

I doubt that Ben has ever had a mid to low handicap student come to him and leave the lesson with full mastery of everything he teaches in 2 hours. Would be interesting to know! I doubt that even the seasoned Pro's that come to Ben get it all. Most of us mortals just "get" one or two things out of the lesson, but once the proper look and feel is established in the lesson, it sticks if you let it. As you progress in the pattern, you can watch the lesson again and pick up other elements to work on.

The real gift here is that you get many years worth of instruction in a two hour lesson and at least one part of the lesson will produce immediate, positive results. Ben (and every other TGM instructor) puts you on the right road, especially if you are a swinger.

For me, I thank Ben for setup routine, aiming point and a passive right wrist. I have had fleeting success with a delayed snap release swing, but am nowhere near being able to successfully utilize it. If I were trying to master the swinging pattern that Ben teaches, there would be much more. But for now, I'm a Hitting machine.

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