Posture is Key On a Downhill Stance

Dick Lee:

Would be the "magic briefs" ? You know the ones guarnteed to add 30 yards to your drive?

Amos

Robert F--thought this would be a good time to re-inject one of my favorite topics in sports where you have to hit an object with an object or your hand, and that is eye-hand coordination and depth perception. I don't hear or read anything about this factor in golf, yet it comes up all the time in other sports, particularly handball.

Every time I have an unusual lie, like one foot on grass and the other in a bunker, having to choke up on the club, I lament having no depth perception and less than average eye-hand coordination. One golfer friend says that in such situations, he just takes practice swings, and when he feels a good one, he tries to repeat it. Another, though, doesn't take any practice swings and seems to make good contact most of the time. One says that even if you had good eye-hand coordination, you can't make corrections once you start your downswing, but I have seen golf tutorials that say that if you use a swing that pauses at the top, your brain can sense any error of position and make corrections on the downswing.

Any thoughts about how eye-hand coordination and depth perception play into hitting the golf ball cleanly?

I think my biggest problem

I think my biggest problem with hills is an issue of weight placement. When your left foot is lower than your right, it's hard to preload right and not end up flinging yourself down the hill when you swing forward, but evening the weight out lowers the ball flight even more. Up hill is somehow much easier (left foot higher than right).

Played a lot of diferent golf

Played a lot of diferent golf balls over the years. Mostly were shag balls or what ever cost the least, because before the Surge, playing on the course was a lot like being on the pactice range, by only hitting a ball once before it was gone.
But after my first few months of last year learning the Surge Swing I'm saving big bucks and not losing golf balls.
Of all the Pinnacle balls I've played I like the Exception the best too. They are the only ones that don't feel like hitting a stone! I always say that is why they are called "Exception" because they are the only ones that have some feel to them.
Now thanks to the Surge and his team I get to treat myself to a nice sleeve of pearly Pro V1 now and again! Fairways and Greens! Jim

Doc

Buddy, you are showing your Carolina.

Dick

Dick,

I thought you were already there.

I need to get off the fairway more. I only come back with about a dozen more than I started with. ;-)

Kevin

The gloves are off pal.

Kelly Jo just got home and I am going to post a full after action report as soon as dinner is over.

We are going to have to call a truce or I am going to buy a bigger kilt.
Dick

Doc

Sit down my friend. I actually have a golf question for you. That is right Dick from Oklahoma is asking a golf question. That is why I told you to sit down. I did not want you to fall and hurt yourself laughing. Breath deep, it will all be ok.

I have seen some discussion about fitting the right ball to our swing. I saw where someone said the Pinnacle is hard as a rock. Is a hard ball better if I have a tendency to hit a hard slice with my driver and FWs?

What information would you need to even make a general recommendation for me?

Take your time and think about my question when you get back from the hospital.

Don't worry guys. As soon as I get this one golf question answered, I go back to my normal drivel.

Dick

Pretty close except that I

Pretty close except that I never use sauce out of a jar. I always make my own. The most dangerous (to my waist line) is probably the cheese sauce: butter, sour cream, ricotta, asiago, romano, parmesan, cheddar, Jarlsberg, a splash of white wine, basil, and lots of crushed garlic. Yummmmmmmm.

Thanks Dick for the

Thanks Dick for the encouragement!

Cheers

I thought a flyer lie was the

I thought a flyer lie was the Air Force mechanic who tells the ladies in the bar he's a pilot so he can get lucky.

That or when grass is likely to get between the face of the club and the ball causing it to squirt out with much lower spin and fly past where you want it to land.

DJ is signed up for The

DJ is signed up for The Heritage this week. http://www.pgatour.com/tournam...

That would be the Bridgestone

That would be the Bridgestone E6. Bridgestone is making some great balls for all skill levels. There really is a big difference in feel for these balls. I am playing the B-330 S recommended by Doc and it works great for me.

Steve

Yes. I think I have some of every one of those, and everything else too.

What got me thinking about this is that I am sitting out on my patio smoking a big fat cigar and sorting balls. Golf balls, before any of you perverts even go there. And, they are my balls anyway, so there.

I got the idea to sort them by brand from dad. I put the like brands in egg crates. I am now up to about 1200 or there abouts.

I will go look at the article.

Thanks pal,
Dick

Robert

I guess the one benefit to having so far too go, is that I should only get better once I really get this swing down.

Thanks as always,
Dick

Amos

We have some great people in this country. I think the average person might look at this woman's lifestyle and think she is a bit eccentric or strange. I don't care if she is a bit unusual, what she is doing is incredible.

I am glad you liked it pal, it touched me too.

Dick

so did you still visualize a

so did you still visualize a good shot steve!!?????

Robert, you are right,after

Robert, you are right,after listening again, the subject was sidehill below the feet, the original subject threw me off,downhill to me means as you face the target. Thanks for correcting me.

Adjustments for longer clubs:

Adjustments for longer clubs:
I have been using the vertical swing for a couple of years now and really like the improvement it has made to my game. I was a genuine 28 handicapper but am now a 22 improver. At the range I try and go through all my clubs and use the same swing action. From my wedges up to my 5 Iron I am happy and comfortable but my 4 Iron 5 Wood and Driver are a bit inconsistent. Clearly this must be to do with the length of shaft and I have just had 1.5 inches taken off my driver, but is there anything else I need to pay attention to with these longer clubs that will make my swing more consistent? Submitted By: Chris Fagg

Don't leave us hanging,

Don't leave us hanging, friend.

Phillip

Kelly Jo works in the OKC office of Capital Mortgage.

She used to work about 45-50 hours a week. Now that she is the only processor for 4 loan officers, she gets there at 0730 and gets home @ 2000 hours. That is 8 pm for any non military types.

I am blessed with my schedule. I work for myself. Now that I can hit range balls and play as many rounds as I want for free, I tend to play a whole lot more. I am learning as I go. If I had 2 inspections, I used to schedule them both for the same day. Now I schedule them for different days. This way, I can still play a round before or after each inspection. Even when I am playing, I don't mind it if I have to leave the course to go handle an emergency, since I did not pay for the round anyway.

Plus, as it is getting dark later now, she is still at work and not at home wondering where I am, even when I play till dark.

Life is good. As I have said before, Loving life with a loving wife.
Dick

Dick,

Yeah, I missed that one and had to go back and look at it. Good video.

I finally found my perfect tempo this afternoon. It has been lost for many years. I have been a bit too quick in the back-swing, throwing everything else out of balance. It's sort of like the way I drive a car - tromp on the gas, get up to speed, and smooth out. What I found today (and should have known all along) was the concept of constant acceleration - don't red line it from the beginning, but hold the rpms constant and let the car just keep getting faster and faster until it tops out. What a thrill! That's what my golf swing felt like on the range today. Started slow and smooth; got to a good balanced speed at the top of the back-swing; made a smooth transition - actually got the bump right; and continued accelerating to the T-Finish. My clubs have never reached my back before - WOW! My grip stayed constant throughout the swing and, for the first time that I can remember, I could actually feel the shaft bend at the transition. What a feeling. I wasn't sure what I had done at first, but then I did it 10 times more in a row. The last five (according to the guy beside me) went over 250 yards (I can't see that far).

Being somewhat skeptical, I pulled out my 7-iron and made the same swing. I put 5 balls out of 10 on the pseudo-green at 150 yards. I haven't hit my 7-iron that far in 23 years. Hey, I'm getting old and am not supposed to be able to do that. All that being said, I still have to be able to take it to the course. I find that out next week. I think it would be marvelous if everyone on this blog had that feeling.

Kevin

Amos, Around my area, N.E.

Amos, Around my area, N.E. Ohio, Dicks often runs them on sale for $15 per dozen. For me, they are significantly longer than any of the e-series. I have tried a wide range from top of the line Pro Vs to bottom line Volviks. Last year I found a TreoSoft on the course and put it into play. I stopped off on the way home and bought a dozen. I still try other balls off and on, but I haven't found one that performs better yet. If and when I do, I'll switch. I rarely loose balls now, so cost is not a major factor for me, it's the performance at my club speed (slow) that counts the most.

Got the posture bit. No

Got the posture bit. No mention about adjusting ball placement or opening or closing stance to compensate for tendancies to pull or push the ball when playing a side hill lie. Do those factors not come into play?
Bill

Steve

That is an expensive golf training session.

Don't sound like he is still losing balls like that now.

The other day, I jokingly said my favorite ball is what ever the guy in front of me just lost. I guess, to be serious for a minute, I am going to have to start paying attention to that kind of detail if I am ever going to think about playing at the level I used too.

Dick

You want Surge to be like

You want Surge to be like everybody else? ;-)

I was a bit worried when I saw what he was doing this time and I'm glad he didn't hurt himself, but overall a lot of us like the folksy feeling of being invited onto Don's back porch to talk about golf. We do get occasional videos from Don and other instructors from practice ranges and such. I just love that a great teacher and thinker about golf is taking the time out of his day almost every day of the week to film some helpful advice for those of us out here, without charging a penny for it.

You might have better luck

You might have better luck hitting a rock from the rough if your hitting a Pinnacle.

Nice to see some new people

Nice to see some new people on the blog. I'm guessing some have found us again as the "other guys" put up the link to find Don as they were ordered in the mediation. Still gets me that they refer to "their" site as the old PPGS site as if they owned it. Oh, I think that they think that even though Surge owns the trademark to PPGS. Kind of like me thinking I own MB since I driver one of their cars. I know it'll come around but it's just not right what was done by dem boys!

That has been brought to the

That has been brought to the appropriate people's attention and hopefully there will be resolution of that matter VERY soon.

I have an alignment problem.

I have an alignment problem. Another player who uses your swing tells me I am playing the ball way too far forward in my set up, particularly on the tee with driver. He says about 8" in front of my left foot. To me it looks just inside my left instep. When I reposition the ball to where he says it should be it looks to me like it is off my back foot and that's how it feels. However, when I make the swing the ball goes straight down the middle instead of pulling left or pushing right so he is obviously correct. My question is, what guide can I use so I know the ball is positioned correctly, not too far forward and not too far back in the stance? This is a huge issue for me as the set up feels terrible to me when I position the ball correctly but the result is great. I'm just concerned that without him watching and telling me I will never position it correctly on my own.

CharlieY,

I find that, if I take as normal a stance as I can with the club held loosely in my hands, my brain usually lets me get my hands in the correct position on the club. I suppose that amounts to depth perception, but it is not something I consciously think about. Some people have been in similar situations often enough that it becomes second nature. Others, who are rarely in a particular situation, will take numerous practice swings until the brain says, "I got it!" For the rest, it is a case of "by guess or by golly."

Kevin

Marlk

How is it that a few of you totally missed the question, and then transferred the fault to Surge. Go back and watch the video again. This time listen to the question Greg asked, not to the music in your head or what is on TV.

Surge exactly answered Greg's question. He even responded to the video. Here is what he had to say about the video.

Thanks Surge and what a great simulation. I'm sure my mistake has been that I'm bending at the waist, then flexing the knees. Your lesson was impressive and I will certainly implement your advice. Perfect.
Greg C/Event organizer for www.bcgolfpages.com

Obviously some of you folks don't read the rest of the posts before you write yours. That is why they moved the comment box to the bottom of the page.

Dick

Dick Lee:

The Bridgestsone "e series" (e5,e6,e7) are all soft cover, soft core balls. All play good for me with my slower swing speed. For me at least, the e5 is little longer, the e6 seems to fly a little higher but stop quicker on the green.

In addttion to the above - you might consider my favorite, the Bridgestone TreoSoft. It seems to be a little longer than the e5, and reacts about the same on the greens. best of all -- it is a few dollars/dozen cheaper than the "e series" -- and you can get them at Wal-mart! lol

Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

Amos

Kevin

Real nice pal. I try to get serious just once and this is the thanks I get.

Come play a round with me. We will get off the fairway. I usually find my ball and a bunch of others. Makes me feel better to know I am not the only one hitting out there.

Ok, all that being said, lets talk food. Who had what for dinner?

That is better,
Dick

You and Steve are killing my

You and Steve are killing my ribs.

Guess you are getting even with me for the other night. At least Kelly Jo has not bedded down for the night yet.

Keep them coming,
Dick

Keith

Congrats on a wonderful game. They say most people never break the 100 mark. It is wonderful that you have broken that mark in only 8 months.

Stick with it, it works, if you work it.

You can use the search bar near the top of the right border of the blog to find some videos that apply to those issues.

I am sure Robert, T, or some of our other fountains of knowledge will be along shortly with some great advice for you.

Keep it up pal,
Dick

Dick, thanks for that link. I

Dick, thanks for that link. I had seen a snippet a little while ago on UK tv but this fuller story quite moved me. What a remarkable, kind and caring lady.

On a separate subject. You keep asking us to let you know how our golf is going so I thought I'd share today's game with you, as I continue my progress with the Surge swing. In view of my worsening bad back and then whilst I was learning the new swing, my handicap had gone out by 4 to 16. I have now managed to get 2 back and today played to my current 14. It could have been better as I missed two fairways and lost two balls in the process.
?What was I doing wrong?, I asked myself. And then I remembered Ronniemac's post from yesterday. " Stop chopping wood", he said. Well, thanks for that Ronnie, because that is what I had started to do.
So my mixed bag included 1 birdy, 7 pars, 5 bogeys and 5 double bogeys (lost balls on 2). I had 9 single putts and 9 2-putts.

My two friends and I came away with the spoils. Return match next week.
Cheers.

Bill

Surge did a daily about how the ball will move when hit off a side hill.

You can use the search function at the top of the right border to find it.

It was very helpful to me.

Good luck with those tricky shots.

Dick

Kevin

It must have just been your experience on this blog and your wisdom.

Don't worry, it hurt me as much as it did me.

My father used to say that right before I got my butt tore up with a belt or switch.

Glad I could be there for you,
Dick

Thanks Surge and what a great

Thanks Surge and what a great simulation. I'm sure my mistake has been that I'm bending at the waist, then flexing the knees. Your lesson was impressive and I will certainly implement your advice. Perfect.
Greg C/Event organizer for www.bcgolfpages.com

Kevin

That adds a whole new meaning to the old phrase "You have a lot of balls."

Still on the patio counting my balls,
Dick

He is a genius isn't he?

Doc,

I just read that article for the third time and something popped out at me that I overlooked the first two times, and I have always wondered about, but never asked. What exactly is a "flyer lie," as it pertains to a golf ball (before any of the SA comments start).

Kevin

Maybe this video will help:

Maybe this video will help: http://www.swingsurgeon.com/Da...

Thanks, I have heard that one

Thanks, I have heard that one before, but can't remember where, or by whom.

Brian, you are absolutely

Brian, you are absolutely right about using a more lofed club with a downhill lie,particulary if the target(or green) is below also.When hitting on a downhill lie we effectively deloft the club and it will carry a bit further and will likely hit and roll over the green. The oposite is true if we are hitting uphill.

Amos

Thanks pal. I will tell the guys at the club house to put them on sale and let me know who buys them. I will get the tee time right behind them and pick up the ones they lose.

I will let you know how it goes.

Dick

I don't feel bad at all about stealing it back from him for special occasions.

Dick

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Posture is Key On a Downhill Stance

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