WindWorks Trumpet Academy Forums WindWorks WindWorks Secret and my GOLF swing challenge

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    • #11876
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      From years of inefficient trumpet playing to “Zen in the Art of Archery” to now fixing my abhorrent golf swing.

      I am sharing this with you if you are interested in seeing the WindWorks (or should I say SwingWorks) Secret in action.

      I have played golf on and off for 30 years and 4 days ago played my first round in 4 or 5 years. Already many of you can see the parallels :-). Guess what? Same old problems, a MASSIVE slice and all-round terrible technique.

      I have NEVER had lessons, I play right handed and I once had a handicap of 21 that I could never play to.

      I love watching golf but have had no time to play… until now as it is going to be a personal experiment and a teaching aid for any of you interested; it will play a major role in the WindWorks Ultimate Level.

      Just like hearing great trumpet players and knowing I had major technique issues, when watching the greatest golfers in the world it is abundantly clear I am a HACK… but that is all about to change.

      I am starting from scratch (in fact I am currently sitting in the Qantas lounge at Sydney Airport watching youtube golf lessons) and this is where the SwingWorks Secret begins. I have no golf club in hand yet I am learning about posture, stance, grip, BackSwing 🙂 and so on.

      To take my experiment up a notch, I am learning LEFT HANDED, to embrace the concept of STRANGENESS and boy oh boy it feels strange alright!

      My ingrained right handed playing habits could be changed but for the sake of my experimentation, I am building new pathways, a brand new expressway by learning left handed and it will interesting in a year or so to see what impact it has on my right hand playing.

      My “Intention” is to get a better handicap than I have ever had and a large majority of the work will be done standing in my film studio and next to my computers whilst building the remainder of the course.

      I have a 4 month time frame available to observe my progress and the ups and downs of the learning process. The ultimate goal of a handicap in the teens could take months or years… time is no issue.

      Learning is done in the mind! There is no golf club, there is no ball, there is simply an efficient PROCESS and then when it is time to hit the ball, does my sub-conscious programming allow me to surrender to PROCESS or does my ego and conscious mind try to hit the hell out of the ball? Time will tell. There are so many parallels it is simply profound.

      Now, back to practising my new stance and getting bemused looks from fellow travellers…

      Practise your new skills away from the instrument THEN allow yourself to observe the results when “experimentating” with no emtional attachment to the RESULT.


      Go forward 2 years of playing (1 year missed due to knee damage and surgery) to last October and look what happens when you learn constructively.  My handicap is now 18 and lower than ever; and being B Grade Club Champion is fun!!! 🙂

       

    • #11908
      bennie1
      Participant

      Thanks for sharing.

      • #20294
        Daniel OLeary
        Participant

        My experience learning a course in trumpet efficiency I have been involved in of late is that how to do it doesn’t translate into doing it till you practice how to do as many thousands of times as it takes to do it without thinking about how to do it. 🤔🙂🤗

    • #11920
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      So the first observation when learning the new stance and the first part of the backswing is my reluctance to breath correctly. Being calm in the moment, breathing first then acting is not a habit for me when learning this new technique but I am consciously reminding myself to breath as I backswing – then there is a PASSIVE drop back into the initial position.

      The second observation is the anxiety to just simply want to get to the course and bash golf balls around. Repeating the stance setup over and over until it becomes natural is a time consuming effort BUT just as with the WindWorks approach, I need to find a way to get into the zone and quiet the mental chatter, the monkey voice; I am sure many of you can relate when it comes to mmmaaahoooh, tissues etc. etc. PROCESS first then play later.

      I am getting some cheap 2nd hand left handed clubs and going to the driving range for an hour to practise balance, setup, stance and the first 2 stages of the backswing.
      Left handed is already feeling more natural after one day even though I have only been practising in my living room with half a mic stand a mirror and youtube.

      Alignment and efficiency are the goals and it is all still very conscious.

    • #11937
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      OK, amazing day of experiencing my own “Zen in the Art of Golf”. I purchased a second hand set of LEFT HANDED golf clubs today, not the usual thing for a right handed player! I spent over 2 hours at a driving range and hit(???) 200 balls. So many insights into my own psychology and that of the players around me.

      For every ball I hit, there were 10 part-practice swings checking alignment, freedom of movement, flow through the down stroke and chasing the ball if I actually managed to hit it. There were many airies (complete misses), many hits on the top of the ball sending it rolling along the ground and maybe 9 or 10 successful shots (which really surprised me.

      It was two hours of emotionally detached observation. My practise over the last two days internalising youtube videos and replicating processes with my mic stand (The SwingWorks Secret) had a profound impact on my approach.

      Being prepared to experiment with a knowledge that I am on the right path is exciting and fulfilling, the result is of NO consequence.

      SO HOW DID THE GOOD SHOTS HAPPEN? Let me set the scene… two very efficient golfers either side of me making clean, effortless contact with consistent results. Further around dudes belting the hell out of the ball with little to no success and no consideration for improving, simply repeating dodgy techniques.

      I watch, I learn! I approach my next shots like the dudes beside me… I slowed my swing down by half, then half again and then half again and WHAM, the ball flies, effortlessly. How did I do it?? No idea!

      What I have learned is that a success is now behind me and it may not happen again for the whole day, I’m cool with that. Surrendering to the PROCESS and basically ignoring the ball is what got the result so I know not to try and consciously repeat the SUCCESS as the conscious mind will get in the way of the PROCESS.

      To slow my backswing, I inhaled as if I was about to play a long, steady tone. Slow, calm breath, then the RELEASE was natural – no kick, no tightening, no ball, no worries, no problem.

      Tomorrow I return as if today never happened – no expectation, no anxiety, no frustration. I will practise in front of the mirror while rewatching the videos and I know that part of what I did today will be stored – the NEW HIGHWAY IS BEING BUILT and I don’t have to worry about it, I simply keep repeating very logical and simple actions; in time they will be natural.

      If you are reading to here, well done! It was an incredible experience and I am excited to wake up in the morning and see what tomorrow has to offer.

    • #11947
      JuttaC
      Participant

      I can picture you standing in the middle of an airport practising your golf swings and I just love your energy and enthusiasm!! You hav also just highlighted one of my problems: I would try to sink into the ground in sheer embarrassment if I had to practise between competent golfers at a driving range, and the same embarrassment makes me feel like I’m being strangled as soon as I sit down at band practice. You know what: I’m going to get my irrigation pipe out now and do some practice with the door open. (Did you realise that a cornet mouthpiece fits exactly into the fitting for a drip irrigation pipe? Don’t know what make it is, but it’s amazing 😉 And I look forward to reading more about your progress with the left-handed golf clubs!

      • #20296
        Daniel OLeary
        Participant

        I can’t help but take a little revengeful satisfaction seeing you in the same boat we’re in here RELEASING harmonic slurs to infinity and beyond.
        🤫
        Hang in there Gregg, the key is get it right in the first place , right ? 🤪🤬😱🤢😠😬😖🤯🌋 LOL.
        Cheers.

    • #11995
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      Well let’s just say that today was a very different beast. Not one shot fired. My headspace was great and I know that every mishit is a step closer to a clean hit. Strength of grip, club head speed, balance and follow through – all variables to be explored. Without fail a looser grip and slower club speed garnered better results.

      I am only using short clubs to refine the swing.

      Today is now done, ticking lots a “fail” boxes. Each “fail” is one step closer to positive development. #processofelimination #practiseisexperimentation #trialanderror #whatdoestomorrowhold?

      My intention is to improve, nothing more than that.

    • #12354
      doreyzoe
      Participant

      so good to hear that. i feel like if i dont run i wont get anywhere because im late.
      still trying to reprogram that running was all i did until now, with not the results i expect to have…
      Is it possible to do a brain transplant?! lol

    • #12356
      a4audinut
      Participant

      Greg
      glad to hear you say you are just in it to improve.I’m the pool players (pocket billiards) equivalent to a scratch or better golfer. I run tables for money and can still run 2-3 racks of rotation after being away over 10 years, but golf is like playing trumpet or pool and is a demanding master to be consistent at. Your attitude with golf is much healthier than my attitude on trumpet. I know I would b better off just being happy with improvement, but I want a lot of improvement, and taming this mindset is something I need to work at.
      rod
      good luck, I played golf 3 days a week for 30 years and never broke 80. But to me it was about the people and the beer and about 10 good shots a day.
      rod

      i

    • #12429
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      Hi all, thanks for being a part of this journey of exploration!

      ROD:

      Your attitude with golf is much healthier than my attitude on trumpet. I know I would be better off just being happy with improvement, but I want a lot of improvement, and taming this mindset is something I need to work at.

      You said it my friend. Happy with improvement and no anxiety in the practise routine will get you further in the long term. My best handicap as a right hander was 21 and I could never play to it. I only had the handicap for a year about 15 years ago.

      ZOE: I haven’t discovered the art of frontal lobotomies just yet. 🙂 STOP RUNNING and stick to the basics.

    • #12439
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      OK, this is going to be long, go get the popcorn. Someone says to me, “how’s the gold coming along?”, literally I said, “Oh, just chipping away at it!!!” 🙂

      So 3 days ago, not one shot fired at the driving range, and remember, I am only using mid and short irons NOT blasting away with a driver.

      =====

      LET ME SET THE SCENE FIRST

      My daily routine consisted of sessions, both of which embrace PROCESS and RESULTS driven practice.

      The first session is at home with TV, mirror, fake grass and practice balls.

      The TV is a major part of it. I am watching Golfing With Aimee on YouTube. She is an awesome pro golfer and super funny AND she seems to be the golfing equivalent of MTM, very conceptual, throwing frisbees and playdough etc. etc.

      Her 5 beginner lessons, (sound familiar) break it right down – stance, grip, backswing (kills me), downswing, follow through and so on.

      After a week, I am still trying to make the stance, without a club, 100% automatic, I’m close but not there yet… I am going to go and try it right now… (this is my life now, build Ultimate Level, rest watching a video, practise swings, build course repeat repeat repeat eat repeat repeat sleep and so on!)

      Still a very slow process… feet shoulder width apart and slightly angled (<5%), cross arms, bend forward from the hips (straight back), bend knees slightly and weight in front of feet, not in the heels; so many elements to nail. NONE OF THIS IS NATURAL but is crucial to lasting improvement. I have done this maybe 2,000 times this week (btw today is Monday and I bought my clubs last Wednesday. The first post of this thread I was in the airport was last Tuesday).

      The second session is at a golf driving range and I'll talk more about that as we go along.

      ====

      OK, so back to now, in the last two days, if my playing continues to improve as much as it did yesterday and the day before that, I will have a handicap under 20 sooner that I would have imagined, but remember, NO EXPECTATION! Remember the burden of expectation? But also we know by now, the roller coaster of learning, today could be my worst ever, I certainly won’t be trying to better the previous two days, I will stick to EXACTLY the same routine and happily observe whatever the outcome. Then tick the box of “practise complete” NOT that was the best day or that was a shit day and get frustrated. Frustration is an absurd waste of time. Patience and observation are gold.

      For the last 2 days I am doing 3 sessions – home (videos and foam practise balls), driving range and on to the golf course (hilariously devastating!)

      I WONDER HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HUMMED OR TAKEN A BCH BREATH OR DONE AAAHOOOH READING THIS #WindWorksSecret

      2 days ago, the grip and backswing started feeling more comfortable, the grip I’m actually fine with but the angle of the backswing must be done slowly in the mirror over and over and over…. and over and over and over, and then you forget about it and just swing and see what happens.

      Aimee has a really simple “rotate and push” process with arms on hips, elbows pointing out, 45 degree rotation on backswing, weight on left then hips then push square to the right with weight transferring to the right foot. All feels foreign and seems to have no direct familiarity with my gold swing. #therestheproblem

      Clearly I see what she is doing, it is right and it works BUT that is not what I have been doing right handed for 30 years.

      AND THAT IS THE COOL BIT FOLKS!!!

      I am going to stop shortly as this could go for hours – The relevance of this process for me is that for years I was a “chops” player not an “air” player, meaning, strong as possible in the chops and as much force as I could muster to make those strained chops operate.

      The same goes for golf. You use your “body”, not your “arms” to hit the ball. The word “swing” suggests a movement of the arms and assumes the body will do the right thing, just like “blow” the trumpet. Catching on???

      For thirty years I knew I was an “arms” golfer, not a weight transferring, rotating “body” golfer and it always drove me nuts. Anyone who understands golfs recognises instantly the beauty of the mastered golf swing.

      HOME and RANGE are a mix of Process practise and Results practise, the COURSE is all about results.

      So my first drive on the course 2 days ago using a 3 wood (that I had not yet touched) went like this- whack…splash… straight into the creek 10 metres in front of the driving area. I laughed out loud!!! I don’t think I hit one decent ball for the 9 holes, but I didn’t care.

      YESTERDAY GOES DOWN IN HISTORY
      After my sham round 2 days ago I went home and watched all of the beginner videos again and practised on and off for three hours.

      Then yesterday I started filming my practise at home. What a sensation. What we THINK we are doing and what we are ACTUALLY doing can be starkly different. I picked right away what I was doing wrong, mostly with my downstroke and rotation. I watch Aimee with intent and copied making the adjustments, filmed again and it looks much better and surprise surprise the ball was connecting better.

      There are four phases to the backswing, 1/2, L-L, 3/4 and full and she likes to get on to L-L pretty quickly but she says to stay on the 1/2 (Tic Toc) swing “until you make a good connection”. She also says “do this many, many times for me, until you make a good, consistent connection with the ball”.

      I wasn’t making a good, consistent connection with the ball yet I was keen to explore the L-L and full swing; this has obvious parallels with your playing development.

      So I spent most of yesterdays HOME session filming the 1/2 swing. The connection was getting better and better.

      THEN IT HAPPENED!!!
      Mid-session, watching me then watching her and copying, things got gradually better, more natural, less conscious and then “IT” happened and I caught the moment on video, the equivalent of my first “coffee moment”.

      I went to take a backswing and notices my arms were the first to move… my ARMS WTF?! Move your hips Greg, “rotate then push”. Guess what happens when you rotate your hips??? Your arms follow!!! The backswing is not an arm movement, it is a body movement that the arms RESPOND to! (See what I did there???)

      Taking that to the RANGE was awesome. I practised heaps of 1/2, L-L then even some 3/4 and for the first time full swing.

      By the end, I hit 9 of 10 shots using a 9 iron and full swing that were better hits than I would have ever been able to hit right handed. I could feel the arms follow the rotation and weight transferral and with loose wrists, the ball was flying and it did not feel like I was hitting the ball. #sympatheticoscillation

      In my mind, there was no ball, there was just calm, smooth process, the ball just happened to get in the way. MY 7 irons were not so good and maybe only one 5 iron shot fired. #rangeexpansion

      So I head to the COURSE already knowing none of that amazing RANGE experience would follow me. My first drive went over the creek, I actually struck it ok (remember I have not used my 3 wood in practise yet) but to be honest, whilst the rest of the 9 holes was far better than the day before, I didn’t experience the phenomenon from the RANGE, the flow, rotation, weight transfer once for the whole game. The ball striking was cleaner in general but I still lost 5 balls in tress or water.

      As I say to my student, I don’t care if it sounds good, I want it to be right! Meaning, for ongoing development, the process must be pure.

      Yesterday is in the past. Today I watch video one, work on stance and will observe what happens today. Will I shoot 5 under par? Unlikely! Will it be better than yesterday? Who cares!

      A week ago facing the wrong way and swinging in reverse was nuts, now it’s becoming part of who I am.

      If you are not watching the Foundation Level videos at the start of each day and working on correct process i.e. relaxed expansion of the breath, calm release, sympathetic oscillation, then you might be a little impatient, expecting results that are not a reality.

      Have an ACE day!!!

    • #12603
      PHK
      Participant

      Interesting. I have been planning to post for a while as I am observing changes. Pre Windworks I had been using book two and slurring up to Eb above the stave but not able to use it in performance. I worked through this course fairly quickly and and was waiting for the ultimate level. While waiting I went back to the first video again and worked through with some improvements. I thought I had mastered the stomach tension but discovered that I had far more throat issues than I had realised. This lead to a rethink re the stomach as the two must be related. Back to the beginning again but this time with a different level of concentration, eyes closed etc..

      I find that the real secret is getting the low C with total freedom. This gives a different chop position. I have developed a routine working through the singing C from the first C# exercise to the point where I felt some tension. Today was different again as I just focused the Eb singing C and the exercises without treating the exercises as a trivial extra but as a means of studying how well the process is working. Oh how different this felt. Just playing the Eb was a new experience.
      I have been feeling the benefit of the course in my ensemble playing. In fact Saturday last was one of my best playing days for some time as it was all more relaxed. Playing loudly exhausts my chops rapidly but getting good resonance mitigates having to blow loud.

      I can reinforce your direction about going back to the early videos. Each time I go back over them I pick up something I missed previously. I have been shown much of what you do elsewhere but nobody has put it in such a clear and constructive way. Playing endless exercises has no long term value without constructive self analysis and more importantly, without self criticism. Accepting where we are now is the best way to get moving to a better place. Starting from the right place is critical.

    • #12834
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      Paul, if there was an award for most insightful comment, you would win it!

      I am going through EXACTLY the same process with Aimee (my youtube golf instructor) and THAT is the hardest thing to get people to realise – ONE listen or viewing of a video is merely scratching the surface. Totaly “getting it” is the next step, then implementing it correctly is a longer term initiative.

      That is why I am undertaking this golf experiment – to feel like a complete beginner and then re-watch the beginner videos and pick up little comments that I had missed; it is an amazing experince.

      I had exactly the same experience with Bikram (HOT) Yoga – you only hear what you are ready to hear and as my practice developed I heard things for the first time that had actually been said 100’s of times in the past.

      GOLF UPDATE:

      It is now 2 weeks since I bought my left handed clubs. Albeit inconsistent, my ball striking is gradually improving and it is all feeling far more comfortable and natural that I would have anticipated.

      4 Degrees of Swing

      To change a little bit about the swings that I mentioned earlier there are 4 parts to the swing:
      1. Short Swing (Tic Toc)
      2. Half Swing (L to L)
      3. 3/4 Swing
      4. Full Swing.

      It only really hit me in the past few days that the short swing is purely activated by the movement of the body. If you take a golf stance and move your weight from left foot to right foot, back and forward, loose arms will begin to sway. Consider that PASSIVE swinging.

      My short swing would now be at 90% strike consistency, i.e. on missed shot every ten. The instrument comparison would be the low C speaking with pure execution and release 9 times out of 10.

      I MUST REINFORCE
      that I am living this experience. There is Golf playing on the TV while I work, constant swing repetition throughout the day, time on the driving range, time on the course. I am sure I am spending more time working on (thinking about) this learning PROCESS that anyone reading. Maybe I am wrong?!?!?!?

      4 AMAZING DAYS
      In brief, I played 9 holes, four days in a row.

      DAY 1: Connection getting better but stupidly trying to do FULL SWINGS. I hit a couple of nice shots but many balls along the ground or drivers up really high but not very far.

      DAY 2: I lost 10 balls. Suddenly my driver was going further but slicing to the left. I lost 5 balls on hole, 3 from the tee off because I was enjoying watching the PROCESS and how the mind/body makes slight ajustments. #theresultdoesn’tmatter

      DAY 3: A wake up call! Why I am trying to hit full swings? MADNESS. Decision made – “no more full swings on the golf course until I can hit the 1/2 swing at 90% consistency, I am between 40 and 50%”

      SO, I played an entire 9 holes doing half swings (L to L). I had my first par on a short far 3. I was hitting STRAIGHTER than I ever have when not trying to hit far and I hit 3 of the longest, straightest drives I have ever hit, left or right handed. #coffeemoment Although there were still plenty of mishits, the good shots were awesome, SO EXCITED.

      Thankfully after each of these good shots, my psychology says “OK, put that behind you, it may not happen again for a year…” I left the course full of enthusiasm.

      DAY 4: COMPLETE CRAP! Hilarious. The worst day of the 4.

      Not one drive hit, one putt sunk, nothing but a day of mis-hits… sound familiar? I must admit, keeping frustration in check is tough BUT it is important. Then I thought, wow, I bought my clubs less than two weeks ago and have hit some great shots in the last few days. Things are actually happening quite rapdily. If I EXPECTED to hit every drive cleanly and straight or hit every green or sink every putt, my expectations would be REALLY unrealistic.

      STICK TO THE PROCESS – OBSERVE THE RESULT

      I travelled on the weekend to gig so 3 days off but lots of mental practise (The SwingWorks Secret). I was breaking down the swing and visualising it in my mind whilst on my 5 hour flights to and from Perth.

      Yesterday, I went to the driving range and simply “played” meaning, no real thought.

      10 shots on each club:
      3 x short swings (100% contact consistency on most clubs)
      3 x half swing (50% consistency on most clubs except driver 0%)
      4 by full swing (1%!!!)

      Things are improving and last night at I home I discovered something important in my swing, stand by…

    • #14060
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      So a lot has happened over the last couple of week and is continuing now and it is not all good unfortunatetly. A very serious family illness has stalled all golf research and WindWorks Ultimate Level development.

      That being said, when my brain can cope with thinking about golf, it is amazing how some of the very basics are starting to solidify. Weight on the back left heel is more reliable, the plane of the backswing is more consistent although ocassionally I still make an error with the wrists BUT I spot it. The flow on effect is that the club face is too open on the down swing and cut the ball along the gound at 45 degree. Probably 2/10 times this still happens.

      Some things feel really natural and others are hit and miss (pardon the pun).

      I discovered the weight of the clubhead, there is a video called “The Weight of the Air” coming. The weight of the air is something I’ve used in my mind but don’t use it in the course as it might not make sense to others but now I have found a cool way of explaining it.

      Anyway, developing well and will be back into it all soon.

      Best Wishes to all and have a safe and happy Christmas.
      Greg

    • #15724
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      Long story short, I have played one game since my last post and whilst there were plenty of mis-hits, I managed to par the 2nd hardest hole on the course a 404 meter (441 yards) par 4.

      If you remember when I started the left handed process, I had played a game with my Dad and Brother in Law. I was again playing with these two:

      Dad says – You must be kidding, after 6 weeks you have a better swing than I do.

      Brother-in-law says: You must be naturally gifted or ambidextrous!

      Makes me smile!!!

    • #17052
      justin.connell
      Participant

      Absolutely brilliant Greg, love the end result there and all based on a sound skill development process 🙂

    • #20242
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      Quick update, I took a fall on a slippery floor and looks like I have ruptured my ACL requiring surgery and 3 months rehab #no golf I am mortified given I was planning to get stuck into it given the Ultimate Level is now live. Oh well, lots of mental practise WindWorks Secret style…

      Breathe Greg… (a little frustrating!)

    • #20252
      johnelwood
      Participant

      Ouch, so sorry to hear Greg. Hope you have a full and quick recovery and no pain. Thanks for getting the Ultimate Level up. I think I finally get how to play the trumpet, thanks to you–seems like it’s sticking now, finally. Took a day or 2 off and came back at it today and had one of, if not my absolute, greatest days on the trumpet–great resonance throughout my range, all the way up to high F above high C and had some glimpses of above that, but wasn’t focused much on range today. Felt and sounded great and effortless. Definitely the oooh-ahhh, aperture corners and I’ve been keeping the front (tip) of my tongue down as I arch it to hit high C / above–had full control and volume (pppp to ffff). Thank You!

      Brilliant work John 🙂

    • #20260
      PHK
      Participant

      Sorry to hear this Greg. It must be so frustrating. A few years ago I had to have minor surgery right on the placement spot of the mouthpiece. It was no playing for three months and then back to the beginning with a ton off patience. Thankfully I am not dependent on playing for my livelihood.
      I posted back in November that I had gone back to the beginning again. That worked fine and then the Ultimate level came out. I would some days get the Ab and somedays nowhere near. I could still feel I was not quite there so went back again through the early stuff making copious notes along the way and doing each exercise as if I was a beginner. This has been equally frustrating some days, but even having been through it a few times there were still things I had missed. The emphasis on the instrument playing you was one example. After a couple of weeks of this I have got to Allegro F and today that was as it should be. I have done a fresh set of PPCs and been meticulous about process and results, sometimes contrasting the two approaches. Last week I was playing duets and felt myself control pitch with the aperture corners in a normal playing situation. This is a first and different to whatever I have been doing for the past 50 years+(with 20 year break).Trying to do to all the progress exercises with slurs and tongue each day leaves me with the face muscles feeling as if they have been through a tough workout. This is also a recent development and left me so stiff on Tuesday I could hardly play as I was so comfortable on Monday I was stretching myself in the repertoire beyond my normal limitations. Yesterday was easier and today was flying. Learning to back off rather than blow harder makes a big difference in the upper register but playing louder is a point of conflict and the chops sometimes cannot sustain the volume in what is effectively a new embouchure. The key thing is everything is better when I get to band. I am totally focused on opening the throat. I feel that is me achilles heel, putting my foot in my mouth!!
      One point on breathing. In my singing I was taught the silent breath by someone who is now one of London’s leading singing teachers. This really works as the air can only go to one place, it opens the throat and you fill up from the bottom of the lungs like a balloon. When doing the backswing you consciously make a sound. The silent breath is slow and good for preparation and is equivalent to the BCH. I find it very relaxing. When experimenting I find making a noise fills the chest but I am less aware of being full from below. I would be interested to know your thoughts about this. It contrasts with one former trumpet teacher where a lot of my breathing was through the nose in order not to disturb the embouchure.

      Good luck with the recovery and thanks for the tremendous effort you are contributing to helping us frustrated players. When writing the notes I began to appreciate what an enormous achievement this course is with so many videos presenting such clearly thought out ideas.
      Paul

      Hey Paul, thanks for the great post. I wish I could get everyone to understand that going back to the start is the way to go to embed and refine the new habits!!! Yes, it is a huge amount of work but I totally love it and posts like yours make it all worthwhile, thanks!

    • #20293
      michael.stokowski
      Participant

      Bummer. ACL. Don’t fret, you’ll be back to golfing no time. Great idea to learning left handed. So, I’ve had three knee surgeries and guess what, post knee surgery rehab is a process, too! Highly recommend cycling and elliptical machines to strengthen the muscles around the knee.

      On another note. My son, a trumpet player in middle school, just played at the Santa Cruz jazz festival with his middle school big band. I watched his band, and then watched some incredible high school bands including Berkeley High (alums: Joshua Redman, Peter Apfelbaum, Ambrose Akinmusire) and Northgate (winner of the Monterey Next Gen Festival https://youtu.be/HmtOa_lnaDk?t=185). My point: There are quite a number of incredible high school groups and other groups (such as Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps) compressed into the SF Bay Area scene. It’s thick with musicians. How do we bring your method into the schools for all the wind players around here?

      Hey Michael, thanks for the post and will checkout the youtube link. We have developed a Student Discount and have signed our first US school up in New Hampshire. Here is the link:https://mysterytomastery.com/teacher-purchase/
      We are working on a teacher/student portal but in the meantime we are offering huge discounts to students.

    • #20298
      Daniel OLeary
      Participant

      HOW TO HIKU.
      How to doesn’t translate to do till you can do without out thinking about how to .🌅

    • #20616
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      So the news is far from good. One person said “the full house” and another “you got the trifecta” and all of my friends have said “when you are going to do something, you really do it right”… well that, it seems is true…

      Totally tear of the ACL
      Sprain of Fibular Ligament
      Tear of the Medial Meniscus
      Frature of the posterior lateral tibial condyle
      Bruising of the posterior medial tibial condyle
      Strains of numerous muscles

      Off to surgeon today.

      So, what does Greg do? Practice putting and chipping… 🙂

      Do what we can do under the given circumstances. In time it will prove to be a blessing in disguise.
      #glasshalffull

      Have a good day.

      Greg

    • #20638
      johnelwood
      Participant

      Ouch and Yikes, sorry to hear Greg. Wishing you a full and fast recovery.

      Thanks to you, I continue to have amazing sensations and success in playing–it has been feeling almost effortless ascending up to high C and beyond at any dynamic with minimal movement by tightening from the corners and leaving the middle of my lips/embouchre relaxed. I still feel like I’m bumping up against an upper limit as I get to F, but I am starting to touch F# and double G more and more and think I was even going above that the past couple of days when screwing around with lip slurs.

      I do need to be a bit more methodical with my practice, like the member above stated–I too am winging things a bit, playing different things each time I practice, etc.

      But the way I am feeling / playing, I am starting to gain confidence that “owning” a Double G is not too far away–if I work at it, and can even imagine how a double C might be reachable some day–although first things first…it was probably less than a year ago that I hit high C for the first time in my life…

      Thanks for the great course and videos making what eluded me for so many years possible. I’m glad that young people today have this resource available; I’m sure we all wish this was around when we were young.

    • #20723
      a4audinut
      Participant

      I had a knee replacement 19 years ago due to an athletic career that ended a few years too late. On Thanksgiving I got an infection in it and had to have an antibiotic spacer installed until infection cleared. I still haven’t had the final replacement yet but knowing yours isn’t as bad as it could be may make you feel a bit better. I had to quit playing a week after surgery but maintained. I’ll be looking at another week or 2 at least when I get the final replacement. Having the trumpet to practice during all this is a gift.

      Good luck, BTW why do you want to take up something as expensive and frustrating as golf, try pool. Trumpet fulfills all my frustration needs.
      Rod

    • #25486
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      UPDATE: Knee surgery in the next three weeks. I am starting to watch a bit more golf and doing some serious brain training to get myself back to where I was before this stupid accident.

      I guess it has been a real test of the WindWorks Secret, practising away from the driving range with no clubs.

      Bring it on!!!

      Greg

    • #25525
      Daniel OLeary
      Participant

      The back swing ? I recon you can’t get it right by thinking about it but you can’t get it right without thinking about it unless you think about getting it right so many times you start getting it right because you forget to think about it.
      The least little bit off center or off balance , oops ! Better luck next time.
      Hope the knee problem is relatively minor.

      Hey Daniel, I love that answer… I think… haha

      I mean visualisation. It is very powerful and after the practise I was doing, I know exactly what I am programming. Sure, there is no substitute for actually doing it but I want the drivers (pardon the pun) to be up to date.

      The knee is major sadly… Completely ruptured ACL and bucket-handle tear of the Medial Meniscus, plus other stuff….. urk!

    • #27077
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster

      The biggest lesson I have learnt from this is that of patience. Still hobbling and still have to wait anywhere up to another 3 months for surgery…urk. Oh well, getting some great WindWorks work done 🙂

    • #65359
      Greg Spence
      Keymaster
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