New SMT Hollow Body Irons
scotts33 When I first joined the PGA in 1978 (ugggghhhh) i was introduced to the John Jacobs method and taught at the school at 16 years old. It is WONDERRFUL!!
Immediately I learned the Ernest Jones method which I also LOVE. Oddly, there are similarities.
Then came Jimmy Ballard and the connection system. FANTASTIC
And, lastly, too late to the party, I met Manuel DeLaTorre at Milwaukee CC and teaching a PGA continuing education program in Florida. This man is an absolute genius. He was as gracious as he was wise. A brilliant gentleman.
Take a look at all of their books. You will be very glad you did.
Sneakylong I assume he’s still at Carrollwood in Tampa, which is private.
FWIW I've played Carrollwood a # of times and was told it's semi-private. If you stay at the "condos" next door, which we did on a few trips, you can play and it wasn't super expensive IIRC. We still played staying at nearby AirBnB's, but we did book through a place that can get you out on some private courses. It may be similar to my course which is private, but they lease some land from the town and part of that deal requires offering limited tee times to the public.
DonM I've been enjoying his videos for the most part. Doesn't have a pretty swing, but seems to have a true love of all things golf. Surprised he didn't like the irons, but maybe he felt he needed to finally trash a product?
He is funny sometimes because he'll say he's looking for a certain yardage from a club and then doesn't get it (possibly because it's only 50F out), but still says it's what he'd expect and likes it. He's driving a Tesla in 1 video so obviously taste is subjective and I don't trust everything he says.
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KCee FWIW I've played Carrollwood a # of times and was told it's semi-private. If you stay at the "condos" next door, which we did on a few trips, you can play and it wasn't super expensive IIRC. We still played staying at nearby AirBnB's, but we did book through a place that can get you out on some private courses. It may be similar to my course which is private, but they lease some land from the town and part of that deal requires offering limited tee times to the public.
Yeah, I played it once maybe ~ 18 years ago. They have 27 holes there. When I played there they were putting in an island green on one of the holes. Back then it had just been bought by a group that had money and were fixing it up. Carrollwood was always considered a nice high end area of Tampa.
Sounds like you might have stayed at the Emerald Greens condos which is right there. When we played it we got on thru a member who paid for everything. Any food, drinks or snacks went on his tab. They wouldn't accept any money from us. Very exclusive when we played.
pike51 So, this dude lives in Tampa, "Via Baltimore and Washington DC". That tell me all I need to know about him.
Yeah, that tells you a lot. 
Sneakylong Yes we stayed at Emerald Greens a # times (used to be a good deal), but booked it through some golf travel place. It's pretty much the only way to get tee times far in advance for a trip. The second time we stayed there we actually didn't play the course because it wasn't in good shape the previous trip so we told the golf travel agency not to book it. The last few times we went it was in very nice shape.
I have a few shirts from there and we ate and drank there so they had no problem taking money from us peasants. We played a few fully private courses down there, but we usually avoid that as you generally can't eat or drink at fully private clubs. They also frown upon 2 groups of 4 taking nearly 4 hours to play....we're quick at our club, but slow when we travel lol.
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https://www.oldmemorialgolfclub.com/club-history
One of the most exclusive clubs in Tampa is Old Memorial. It was built back in 1997 by the founders of Outback Steakhouse. One of my former golf buddies sons caddied there. You can make a nice living caddying there.
Ever get a chance to play there go for it.
SMT Take a look at all of their books. You will be very glad you did.
In Jacobs, Jones, Ballard, and DeLatorre you've named the four teachers I respect the most. I have the books of all four! Is it true that Jacobs could watch ONLY the flight of the ball and from that diagnose the player's problems and suggest the correct cures??? He must have been AMAZING!!!
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fatshot In Jacobs, Jones, Ballard, and DeLatorre
Percy Boomer is another teacher from Ernest Jones's era who was widely regarded. Read where Jimmy Ballard was asked who's book other than his own that he liked. He said Percy Boomer's On Learning Golf: A Valuable Guide to Better Golf Hardcover – June 27, 1946. One of Boomer's essentials among others was turning from a fixed pivot (turn in a barrel).
These guys figured it out without technology. It's like a lot of things, there really isn't anything new, just history we don't know.
Sneakylong That looks like a niiice track. We did the Tampa trip quite a few times and are probably done with that area for a while unless some great package deal comes up. This year was our 2nd trip to Orlando area, but the first was just 4 of us at the Disney courses. If we get the same AirBnB we may do Orlando again. All 8 guys had their own bedroom and bathroom and we had a pool and hot tub for less than two 2 bedroom/bathroom condos at Emerald Greens. Just need to book before the Spring Breaks start.
KCee Surprised he didn't like the irons, but maybe he felt he needed to finally trash a product?
This is exactly what I am saying. If he said every club he tests/reviews and put content (490some videos) on his YouTube channel was great then his regulars (subscribers) would put less emphasis on his findings. Hence he said some iffy things to create more clickbait. Us G'Buzzer's all know hot chicks (Paige Sprianac, etal) on YouTube golf channels create a hellva lot of clicks/clickbait.
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Sneakylong It’s how you arrive at impact.
It's how you arrive at impact... consistently.
I fixed it for you.
By the way, Miller Barber had a fundamentally sound swing and the fact that you think otherwise tells me all I need to know about your myopic view of a golf swing.
scotts33 Us G'Buzzer's all know hot chicks (Paige Sprianac, etal) on YouTube golf channels create a hellva lot of clicks/clickbait.
While I may know that people do, I'm not a fake boobies clicker, myself.
Nor do I ever think a cart girl wants to F me over in the woods!!
I've been spoiled twice with the real things.
And...... I never go into the woods.
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pellmell By the way, Miller Barber had a fundamentally sound swing and the fact that you think otherwise tells me all I need to know about your myopic view of a golf swing.
Never said that. Actually implied just the opposite. Barber's swing makes my point. He has a crazy looking backswing (which doesn't matter at all), but gets into a great on plane downswing and impact position.
You had a red line on Gabe's downswing showing he's on plane well below his shoulder and close to being right in line with his right forearm. That's a great position to hit the ball from.
So let's forget about all this 'fundamental swing' nonsense. The downswing is all that matters. All the rest is bullshit.
Sneakylong The downswing is all that matters. All the rest is bullshit.
And here I was thinking that ball contact was the only important thing in any swing.??!
When I can look at ANY of my clubs and see ball marks in the center.... and I just looked at all of them after not cleaning yet.... I could give a damn about what happened during my swing, or what it looked like....to anyone.
fatshot Is it true that Jacobs could watch ONLY the flight of the ball and from that diagnose the player's problems and suggest the correct cures??? He must have been AMAZING!!!
This is absolutely true,
At 16 years old, this is the system I learned and I learned from the best! Great and humble man. I miss him.
It is called "Ball Flight Teaching" and it is one I fully and continue to believe in til this day.
Tens of thousands of golf lessons given over the, now, decades and we use to literally fix people swings by asking them questions over the phone while drinking/eating Frosty's after hours at the club. I mean the guy is flailing in Arizona and we are sitting here in Illinois and fixing his game. It is fantastic.
Even now, when I am out helping someone, never, ever one single time have I tried to put a guest in a "position". To many "teachers" nowadays try to get their students in all kinds of positions. Planes, angles, hand positions etc. It's ridiculous.
Why? simply for this reason. If you get a golfer into, say, a better takeaway position, in relation to their body and god forbid, they happen to hit a nice shot or even a great shot... Immediately in their head they think... "Yeah! I got it!!
But they don't KNOW!
But if a guy starts the ball left of the intended target we absolutley do KNOW that they swung outside in.
If a guy keeps CURVING his shots, left to right, we KNOW that the clubface is open at impact.
The fixes are always easy to achieve.
We simply tell him.... I don't want you to start this next shot left of your target. You can hit it as far right as you want, even onto the street, but please do not START the ball left. Then, we go in front of them about 10 yardsand stand a half step left of the intended target line... Asking or rather begging him not to hit us.
He is nervous as hell as we didn't tell him HOW to miss us, just that he must hit to the right this time.
It is the very best system I have found in 45 years.
Funny Manuel De LaTorre story...
I met him in Florida at a PGA Teaching summit. He was one of the instructors that finished the day. He asked if anyone want to meet him on the back of the range, he would have us hit balls and the rest would critique and then Mr. De La Torre would do it the right way. hahaha
Anyway, out of 40 people in the class, only 5 went out.
As I was getting ready to hit, De La Torre was sitting on the upside down huge basket of balls. I hit one ball, a little thin actually but straight as I could.
He has his hands full of balls, just sitting there and tosses one to me to hit again. He asked why I thought I hit the first one thin. He said, I wasn't watching but could hear it. I gave him some bullshit answer and as I addressed the next ball, he threw another ball and hit my right hand, right on the knuckles.
He asked why I felt the need to grip the club so tightly?
Again came another bullshit answer from me.
He threw another ball from the same 9 feet away and hit the exact same knuckle.
He said, I am going to keep throwing balls at your hands harder and harder until you dial down that grip pressure.
He said... Do you think you can listen to me now of do you need to get hit on the hand again?
Keep in mind, I only hit one ball so far.
I said, I will lighten it up but I wanted to hit the ball well for him.
He said... We only have these few hundred balls... hurry up.
hahahahaha
The next 5 shots were well struck, nice trajectory and far better distance.
Months after the school I found myself repeatedly going up to Milwakee CC (about 2 hour ride) just to listen to him teach his students. If he had nobody, I was his student..... 2 hours for the same $25.
I miss him and his knowledge far more than I can explain.
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Par4QC And here I was thinking that ball contact was the only important thing in any swing.??!
When I can look at ANY of my clubs and see ball marks in the center.... and I just looked at all of them after not cleaning yet.... I could give a damn about what happened during my swing, or what it looked like....to anyone
When do you hit the ball (contact), in your backswing or downswing? For me I know what Im trying to do. I’m naturally steep like many average hackers. I actually naturally steepen the shaft in my downswing.
So there’s two things I can do. Let the club fall straight down my right arm before coming around or
take it back below my shoulder and try to come down below my shoulder. The second is easier for me to do.
Yeah, I try to not leave it up to happenstance. Lol. I’m not one of those golfers who just wings it. The golf swing is an unnatural athletic move for me, like most.
Hard to explain, I tried to download a video of my swing, but it’s too large. Shot a 76 today so my intent worked. Today…... Lol