The Center Of The Swing Must Stay Fixed

Don another great video.

This is off topic.
Don I just got done watching the working the ball video. I have to say that this is some of your best work IMHO. Your approach to the lessons in this video kept me in my chair and kept my attention through the entire video. Very well put together. You kept it simple and to the point easy for anybody to understand. This was  the approach that I took with these shots before I got sucked into the rotational swing which basically took me from a 8 handicap to a 16 in about 2 months time and have been fighting up until early this year when I got seriously into to your method. I seriously thought about quitting golf because of the pain I played through last year this year no pain and my swing is starting to settle in a little and constantly shooting in the mid to upper 70's.
I am looking forward to watching the situational shots video.    

Roger - what part of KY are you from- I'm in far west KY

Great video Don, this should help me out a lot and make me more consistent as I am sure I have not been keeping a steady spine angle pre impact. Hence a relapse recently with bad shots. I have just also fully clicked with the rock on a string concept!
Thanks Keith Kent

Way to go Robert M.

I'm glad to hear that you have discovered the draw.  I too, have been working with the draw, but have had some trouble with the driver.  I have relegated it to the bag, and am hitting my 3 wood off of the tee on almost every hole.  I've been hitting some bombs with it.

The Cleveland tour van was at the college today, and out at the range during the afternoon.  It was very interesting to see them use a new machine that they had developed for bending irons.  It is a portable machine which is powered by a dewalt 18 volt drill.  Incredibly accurate, and can bend the lie angle without affecting the loft.

I've always suspected that my seven iron was off, so I had them throw it on the machine to measure the loft.  I also had them do the same thing with my six and eight, and sure enough.  Six - 29 degrees, Seven - 32.5 degrees, Eight - 37.5 degrees.  My seven was off by quite a bit.  They were afraid to bend it back for me though, because they didn't have the data for the Adams casting.   I'll track down the info during the coming week, and maybe they will bend it for me next weekend.

I got to put my hands on a Mayakama driver shaft today, ($300 per copy.)  It only weighed 45 grams.  I'm gonna start saving my spare change so I can buy one for my next driver project.  Maybe I'll try it out down at Stadium Golf, just to stir up a little magic controversy ;0)

I also got to meet Tom Addis this week.  He is the former President of the PGA.  A pretty nice guy.  One of his sons is the Assistant GM at Soboba Springs, and his other son designs and builds golf courses in Asia.  The contacts I'm making here at college seem to be very impressive.  I hope they lead someplace really cool after I graduate.

I missed the cut for the semester championships.  I had a couple of pretty ugly rounds and finished way back in the pack.  Oh well, I'll get'em next time.

I better wuit goofing off, and do some studying.  I have a couple of big projects due this coming week.  I'll keep you posted on my ongoing adventure at The Professional Golfers Career College.

Hit'em Long and Straight,
Bob

Bob
Northern Ky  5 minutes south of Cincinnati, Oh. 

Try playing Ken McDonald. Greens pretty fast for over seeded, carts on the fairways @ 90 angle. Overseeded fairways are still pretty lame, my last drive backed up 18" and gained a lot of mud on it. There were a couple of fairways that actually rolled out a bit. Over all not bad for two weeks open after over seeding.

Robert

Great stuff keep it up. But be patient lower scores are just around the corner.

Steve Smith:

    I'm with you Brother --- all in good fun!!  LOL

    Amos

Steve Smith:

 what do you mena YOUR Cardinials ? LOL -- I am the guy that lived across the strret from the old Sportman's Park in 1947 (when I was 5 years old) !!   my parents managaed a major parking lot in those years. 

   keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

   Amos

SGW:

    I was playing several times at Western Skies and once at San Marcos.  I was going to try Ken McDonald or Dobson Ranch -- but the online tee times was not working.   Western if 90* now also -- and San Marcos will be later this coming week -- probably Wednesday or Friday.

    Amos

Roger, I picked up the combo package of the working the ball & situational shots this morning. I made it to the driver segment this morning before I finally got to tired to hold my eyes open and went to bed.I couldn't agree with you more from what I've seen of them so far and after I catch up with this blog I'll finish watching them both. Nicely put together and  so easy to follow and understand Surge's methods.
Happy Golfing

Robert Meade:

    Don't you jsut LOVE overseeding time? lol   Around here it means lush wet fariways and fuzzy greens, with CPO for about two weeks.
    When one is a short hitter to begin with, the wet fairways where your drive stops like a 7 or 8 iron into a green,  really hurts!  I did find out one thing though -- I am very consistenly carrying about 140 to 150 on the drives.

     Last two times out, I hit 11 of 14 fariways, 0 greens but had 30 putts both times to shoot 88 and 89 respectively -- with total length of made putts in the 65 -70 foot range.  Not too bad considering the "mix" of grasses -- new rye and not yet dormant Bermuda.

    The most unusual occurence was playing the back nine with 8 straight bogies and a lone par on 18.  On almost all of the holes, except the par 3's. it was taking me one extra shot to get the green - even playing from the red tees! :<((

     Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

     Amos

dgaines :

   Where abouts in Phoenix?   Maybe we can get together?

    Amos

Robert, congrats my friend, on the added distance and better control with the driver playing the draw. Continued success with your game, I'm planning on getting out this weekend depending on which day Josh goes to his Nanna's.
HG

Very cool life on campus Robert. Thanks for keeping us updated. As for the draw, I actually am primarily using this with my driver rather than the other clubs (ie., irions and woods). I think the fact that it is sitting up on a tee helps alot. In general I am only consistently using this draw method on the tee with the driver. Most other shots I use the normal "hit it straight" idea unless I am behind a tree or something. We have perfect golf weather here now. I know, in So. Cal it is almost always golf weather!
Oh, based on both Surges and T. Medley's advice I bought a 24 pack of Precept Laddies golf balls. We'll see next time out hoe they feel.
PMG
http://www.walmart.com/search/...

Steve.....Congrats on Cards comeback being 10 out...What a game 1!....I'm a BIG baseball fan.  Have season tickets to Cubs.

Enjoy your World Series...Beware....We now have Theo Epstein!

We are going to now give you a run for your money!.....lol

Congrats...

Phillip
Tee On 13 Golf

I notice that whenever Don uses an iron on his video's, it looks like the ball position is way back in his stance and almost even with the inside of his right foot. Is this a bad angle from the camera? He always stated to be in the middle for irons and off the left heel for drivers...Can you clarify this for me....  

Surge:
When I watch your shots in the back yard driving range it looks like whatever club you are hitting, the ball is almost just inside the  heel of your back foot  whereas I hit from the middle with short irons and towards the front foot with long irons and the driver.  I would appreciate your input.

Meant game six (6)!

Gwkievits, Check my answer to the first blog of the day, on this same topic, to David Myehill, of Castle Rock,CO

ms tip
Thank you for imput in the the sutations covered in your answer to the many people that question what they see. They mean well but they are human  and as humans are they will jump to and question  any opitcal allusion they see. I totally agree with you and your answer . I think you have gotten the point across.
Have a good weekend.
Hal

David, Castle Rock. Surge advocates the centre of the stance for LW-7iron inclusive. Other clubs in small incriments with only about half a ball width further forward on each club.There is a little wiggle room to whatever works best for the individual after trial and error.
On your comment on where he plays the ball,it is purely and simply camera angle alone which gives the impression that he is playing the ball further back. PMG and Succeed.

They are great aren't they! I am still trying to hit consistently straight though LOL before I attempt them!
Work in progress, will I ever reach this point of few bad shots and fairly straight?
Hmmm time will tell, still early days though for me,  14 months ago started golf;13 months with PPGS.

Robert:

 I've been using the Laddies and Wilson 50's. However, I also discovered an even lower compression softer ball which seems to be even better in the cooler weather and is an inexpensive choice. The Nike Karma is also supposed to be a softer 50 compression ball.
http://thesandtrap.com/b/bag_d...

Surge,
Certainly agree that maintaining my spine angle and staying centered until after contact is key to centered contact and good shots. Played our muni today. They just re opened the front nine recently after reseeding. Any how had a mixed bag shooting an 89. Too many missed putts. Oh I made a few and hit some long ones close so wasn't all bad. Had a few in the 4-6 foot range that avoided the hole! On a positive note, I had another good day off the tee. I have been using Surges suggested ideas fron his working the ball video. I've honestly added about 25-30 yards and am finding the fairway more often. Shot of choice off the tee? Draw. Now keep in mind I have always faded or sliced the ball most of the last 40 years of golfing. Tried alot of ways to overcome it but now I'm getting some consistency. The biggest challenge with the draw(or baby hook) is having the confidence to aim right and trust it will come back to the middle. It has taken some practce at the range and golf course but boy did I hit some long (for me) today. I had 9 irons and pw into greens that normally I might still need a 5 iron or 5 wood. My average over the last 2 years (before the recent change)  was around 230 yards. Today I was between 250-270. One was about 285, hit and ran like a rabbit. Now I can hear Surge cautioning me because we know you can "talk to a fade but a hook won't liston", but I know a short club is much better than a long one if you can pull it off. The key for me is that most of them were in the fairway. Again it takes practice and trust about where you want it to start(aim) and finish. Fun continues.
PMG

Hi Robert,

I agree with you on the T shot routine. I do the same thing, except I have been hitting my 3 wood off of the T instead of the driver.

Hit'em Long and Straight,
Bob

Good going, cannot wait myself to be in a postion to practice working the ball, got to hit them consistently straight though before I do.
Cheers Keith

Amos, Wellington in New Zealand is renowned for being windy. Recently it has been wet and lush as you describe. Your description of the ball stopping like a 7 or 8 iron, sparked memories of yesterdays holes played. Finding your ball in the middle of the fairway plugged in after a drive, was more like a SW stop! The reason I comment, is you have stirred my febrile brain. I know that my length has diminished but, you have given me hope, as we approach SUMMER here! Yeeeeehaaaa! After making an ad hoc pad for my right hand covered by a  winter glove [reversed] on the offending right paw, played almost a whole round. A handful of good drives ending on the short stuff. Accuracy on the shorter clubs saved my bacon. Chipped in twice and had 9, yes nine on putts.Most of the fairway wood shots were just short but on the pin.Will be interesting to see how much I will have to dial back for the harder fairways and greens ; - )
There is no doubt, that Surge and the PPGS credo has made me THINK a lot more.My wife says,"too much a lot of the time", heh heh heh. The second hole set me on fire. Par 3 with a ridge before the elevated green, tree overhanging on the right. Tee shot faded a tad and ended on the right side down slope, under the hanging branches.So not possible to drop one like a mortar round. In the end hit what seemed to be a so-so chip into the bank of the green. It hopped up onto the edge of the green 20feet short of the pin. Slotted the putt, for par.Never looked like going anywhere else. That started the 9 single putts total.Didn't play one hole and a half. The hole runs parallel to the National Rifle Association Range, and they were in full throat yesterday.Dropped a ball on the Par 5 just to the rear of where they were shooting from and dropped a 5W over the drain onto the green. Never missed a chance to practice at least one shot on that hole.At the end wrestled the putting challenge back off my wife. Had her playing with a different putter [crafty old soul that I am, heh heh heh]. Imagine the look on my face when she slotted the first putt from 15'feet!! She keeps my on my toes, in so many ways. She was only wrong on one hole yesterday. Aim for that tree she said off the tee. I did and HIT the darned thing hahahaha.
Keep Hitting them  STRAIGHT and LONG [and avoid trees ; - ]

People can you stop going on about ball position and look at the manual or go search top right.

These are not videos about ball position and I can assure he is not playing all balls from the inside of his back foot, the fact that it may look like he is must tell you something.
It will be every difficult to view ball postions with the camera angle, even though the camera is pointing at him do you really expect him to align himself properly to the camera and the practice net. If you do have the manual then you should know better and know Dons advice on ball positions.
Remember these blog videos are not the tools to help you learn the PPGS, they are there as extra snippets, reminders or tweaks that Surge wants to freely share.

Personelly I think he gives too much, if it was me I would have 3 areas, a totally free starter area with tasters of the videos, then if a purchase has been made full access to the blog and videos and then you have the paying inner circle if you choose.
So I guess sort of like a two tier inner circle.

Rant over :-)
Cheers Keith   

Dragonhead:

   The fairways I speak of play more like they are 4 inch thick wet sponge rubber, i.e. the ball lands, take a short hop and a very short roll. Doesn't seem to matter whether the ball is hit hit, medium or low -- similar results, altough the high drive will carry a bit further and give  more distance. But at least the ball seldom plugs or cocmes up muddy!
    The tendency at overseeding time os to "pour on the water and spare the mowers"  on both the fairways and the greens, and to raise the mower heads slightly also, such that the fairway plays more like normal "light rough" and the greens are a bit fuzzy also.
     I look forward to about 10 days when things will be back to normal around here!  Firmer fairways and closely mowed greens -- and no more Cart Path Only!

     Regarding you NRA rifle range --  I learned to play golf on a course built in a valley beneath and to the end of a major airport - the landing light towers neatly divided the nines.  When you learn to tune out the jets coming and going at any time, noise becomes a non-factor.  

    keeping them STRAIGHT and LONG -- and definitely avoid the trees!

   Amos