Club Shaft and the Bump

My entire household will be in bed well before I get home. I'll be able to relax, read through the instructions, and take it for a spin.

All you fellow DJ trackers, given that today's rounds were suspended due to electrical storms before the first flight even finished, his first round tee time is now tomorrow morning at 8:43 Eastern time. That's a Day 1 round, and he'll still have to follow it with his day 2 round. Time to show them your stamina and the power of your ProFuse, DJ. Tear the course up tomorrow and leave it begging for mercy.

Hi Brian, its good when you practice that you work on swings thoughts and other pointers so as to improve your ball striking.   The most frustrating moments about golf for me come from the practice range because I am thinking about the mechanical aspects of the swing as I am trying to continuously improve.   

BUT the most enjoyable aspects of the game is when I'm playing on the course and I feel the swing and swing the feel, i.e. I'm not thinking about the mechanics of the swing, which I think Robert F was alluding to.   You might have a few swing thoughts on the day that you make a few practice swings with, but then you get a feel for the swing you want to make and then swing that feel, having no thoughts about the mechanics whatsoever.   The only mechanics on course that you worry about is #1: proper alignment and #2: a proper smooth rhythm.  Regards, Craig  

I want to hit balls tomorrow but not sure if and when. Wife and I are working on house project and I'm taking my son to car hunt. 2pm? Ya should be 102 in the shade!

Ended up not making it out of the house. I'm hoping today I can at least get to the range, though there's no way I could get out to play 18.

Superb!!!!!!

(This was *supposed* to be a reply to Boogm)

Thank you so much for sharing this! And sorry about your hand - I hope it heals well and soon.

I bought a set of Adams A7's (demo days w/Adams at Golfsmith) last year before I started reading the blog, bought Surge's videos, and then learned about real club fitting. I'm planning on getting over to see Russ Ryden over at Fit2Score in the near future. If you saw my swing you'd wonder if it was worth it, but it seems that there are a lot of benefits in getting a proper fitting.

Enjoy your new clubs!

There are currently no certified fitters outside the US (you can check by hovering your mouse over the Golf Instruction tab at the top of the page and clicking on Certified Fitters). However, that does not mean that there aren't perfectly capable fitters in Australia. The best advice is to go to Doc Griffin's site (www.docgriffinfolf.com) and read the information there about what a proper fitting should involve. Be sure that any fitter you work with realizes that you intend to use a vertical swing.

If you scroll down a little on this page: http://dyn.pga.com/improve/tip... you will find a chart of recommended starting lengths for driver and 5 iron based on a person's wrist-to-floor measurement (and a little instructional information to be sure you measured correctly).

Doc, I acknowledge my lack of knowledge in the area of MOI. However, I am curious as to how it relates to swing speed. Boogm stated that with a driver club head speed over 100, his MOI was at 2850. My swing speed is slightly below 80, with a very close MOI of 2823. Is the area of 2800 MOI a target area to arrive at, or are both of our MOI's just coincidence. I know it means moment of inertia, resistance to twisting, ect, but, I am curious for a little more knowledge as to target standards if any exist for the various clubs.
 
One other thing. I hit my 3/4 20* Hybrid fairly well 90% or better of the time, about 175yds. Do you think it would be wise or foolish to have a 2/3 Hybrid approx 15-16* made for the longer second shots.

Thanks,

Robert:  I am pretty sure the new shaft tips will be a bit more flexable, but maybe not enough to change the dynamic lie.  I should be receiving the clubs back tomorrow, or Saturday and will check them after swinging them a bit first.

Well said, Doc.  Not to worry, we'll drop something extra in the plate next time. ;0)

Lynn42

I'm quite envious.  Not many people can get it to "click" at that number.  Let me know when you reach 1.

Steve,
I just wanted to commend you for your humble response to longfellow or whatever he calls himself. Anyway it seems like another troll looking to make us all go wow to his length. I was going to say something to him but we've all been down this road before. Maybe it's the same guy from the not too distance past. We can only hope he gets bored when he realises none of us care about long driving as a priority but in the fairway consistantly.
Anyhow, I thought you handled it well and you are a man I'm proud to have as part of our Surge family.

It changes the relative stiffness in that it changes the swing weight. It may also change other properties about the shaft depending on where you trim it and how much. The simple solution to the first problem is to use lead tape to add weight back to return the club to something approximating the old swing weight (or adjusting to find a swing weight that works better for your wife through trial and error). The best solution is to find a qualified fitter to measure your wife's swing properties and make clubs that actually fit her.

I agree,Steve.  My bump has turned into a b  u  m  ppppp, aka more of a slideeeee.

Cool beans, I got in my normal session in with it, right before dark. Ticked off the Lab though, she kept jumping to run down & retrieve my balls.Now she is paying me back by constantly strutting through the house like she is hunting a place to leave me a surprise.

Just didnt want you to think im standing and chopping a tree!!!

Iam not here to debate you or get into any confrontations with you. Iam sorry about your medical condition and then I will say ---your swing looks dame good for all that going on + I did know  you have been playing for 7yrs.
Steve, you think your a vertical swinger__but your not __ I know why you think your a vertical swinger after watching your video__keep thinking your a vertical swinger because that swing is doing you justice and if your nerves ever come back to you ( your going to beat the ball ) long and straight and from the waist-up your perfect.
Keep up the good work

Every freaking day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Craig63 - I have a Cleveland Launcher 9.5* and a stiff shaft. If you would like it, just let me know and It is your just for shipping charges. Lynn has my personal email so you can send me your mailing address through him or just ask him for it if he has yours. That way the whole world doesn't know too much about you.

Dick H

Boogm:

  Thank you sir fro the kind words.

   As I have said many times - " If you can't hit them long, you had better hit them straight -- and develop a short game that is "better than most" "

   keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

   Amos 

Doc, thanks
I experience all those symtoms, but appear on occasion, usually at the end of a round as in the  classic declaration  " The wheels have come off ! "

I hope your son is recovering well. Is this your son that is in law school?

Bar is a month away. This is the absolute worst thing I have ever done. I have learned a lot about myself in these last few weeks, especially in discovering how I react to extreme pressure. No matter the outcome of this exam, I will come out with a better understanding of who I am, and what my strengths and weaknesses are.

I will get your information and contact you when I am looking for a break.

Doc,

Just watched the video for the 4th time.  As you know I'm one of the "bump challenged" on the site.  Your advice to me sometime back was not to worry about it, just let it happen.  It seemed to work for awhile, but I'm  starting to get more of a slide move than a bump.  I may not be maintaining outward pressure enough with my knees or I may just be overthinking the whole thing again.

Lynn42

Just for info. My WTF is 36" and I play a 43" driver.

RM:  I got an old Bushnell Laser 600-yard "Hunting Rangefinder" on eBay for about $20.  It works great at the range for measuring distance to the concrete posts, island flags, trees, etc.   I use it a lot and it is very accurate.  It takes all the guesswork out of trying to figure club distance.  It is bulky, so I never carry it when playing a round; I just use my Garmin GPS.  Anyway, just another possibility.  Take care, R2

Steve:  You are a very, very patient man.  Thanks for taking the high road.  I am saddened by people who criticize something (the vertical swing) and someone (you) that they know absolutely nothing about.  You are a true gentleman!  R2

Doc
It was a little slower but the same as my old driver and my driver swing was way off yesterday losing everything right which normally I missed left with the old driver. After seeing my swing yesterday on his computer with the driver I know what I need to do to fix it I was way over swinging and had too much side to side head movement not up and down plus I have been fighting some kind of the last couple of days really did not have a lot of energy when I got there yesterday and wore out kind of quickly I hit a lot of balls. That is one of the reason why I waited on getting fitted for driver I knew I would have the opportunity to play with Bill three or four times this year which I did so he would know my swing beforehand and he knew where I was going with it .
The new driver and shaft as bad as my swing was yesterday I was able to keep everything in the fairway which I was very happy with and also the smash factor was way up144 – 149 with the driver head.  I should have it by next weekend I will let you know more after I hit it a few times I will say this I felt like yesterday when hitting that driver head and shaft with a sub par swing  felt like it had a lot more energy are livelier feel to it I just had way too much wasted movement in my swing to say one way or the other whether or not my swing speed went up or down at this point.  
 

Howdy Gents -

Just dropping in for a minute to see how you're all doing.  I've missed reading about all of your golfing (mis)adventures (and other stuff), but I've been incredibly busy and exhausted and have had so much drama lately that I haven't had a chance to do anything other than find a minute to breathe.  Things have suddently gotten busy at work, had a kid in trauma ICU for a few days, another one with a broken car so I had to cart her all over creation, weddings to go to, another friend passed away -- I've packed a years worth of stuff in about 6 weeks.  I've now got tons of Doc videos to catch up on, so I'll be around a little.  

Plus, I gotta give a shout out to Doc for my driver.  It must be working pretty good because the last few times I've played with the boys, after every tee shot, I'd hear "g**dammit Janet!!"  haha.  Now I'm thinking about irons ...

Steve:  That is SOME swing speed you have!  Way to go!!  I started at a 6 and now am comfortable at a 5, but can get it to click on 4 and 3 with the right bump.  When practicing, I find my "comfort level" for that day and then go to the next lower number for a few swings.  Seems like the SwingRite actually helps increase your swing speed if you use it a while each day.  Yup, it is an AWESOME tool that really works!  R2

doc, ( top to bottom response )
1- You never lower your hands to hit a longshafted driver, that promotes power loss and pulling the club over the top and hitting a duck hook.
2- Long shafted drivers have been around since at least 1985 or 86.
3- I know WHO started the " Long Drivers Of America " and where the idea was concieved and why ? and all we had was a 6 pack of beer, sunflower seeds and over looking the ocean in Florida 15 stories on a veranda
4- my friend let Art Salinger buy in to the LDA, went good for a few yrs, alittle hell broke looseand ended up selling his stock in the LDA to Art.
5- Long shafted drivers were used in the LDA at any lenght but now it's like you said.
6- Don't want to take a physics class with you and I won't refer to a book of numbers, letters and coefficients that can't hit a ball and explain on what it just did or didn't do.
7- The book you took all that info. is good for building not swing a object with the human body

Q: What would all your calculation say if I told you I hit a ball over 400yrds with a slight elevation with a LADIES shaft at 53" long in Arizona ?
I feel like I just gave a short class  

All of our certified fitters are list on the fitters page and to get there click on the golf instruction tab at the top and follow the link to fitters.  They are listed by regions.

Doc, we had just got back to the room and you know how hot & sweaty I got but before I could get a shower then go eat, I had to open something Josh had picked up at walmart. A snorkel & mask set that's in that double thick plastic wrap.I used my pocket knife to open one side but as I was cutting the other side my knife slipped and I shaved into the top of my little finger pretty good.

Riq, You're going to love what that thing does to groove your swing & release & all.

Sorry for the confusion guys!!...Guess I should explain my original problem was prob. hanging back too much on my right side...way too much bump...lil left arm chicken wing...no real extension thru the ball (not maximizing my power)....hope that helps. What really helped me was seeing Surge go up and then showing the arms extended towards the ball...I started to realize I wasnt doing this. For me...this thought of extending the arms thru the hitting area shortened my bump naturally....and I dont think about the bump. This is my only swing thought now and haven't hit the ball this good in awhile!....I think some people get bump happy and end up forgetting about where the arms should be. I feel if you practice swinging nice and slow and try to get to the ball extended and thru...you'll notice the body hopefully will bump naturally with less movement..        

There should be a "got it" reply. I don't want you to think I "liked" it that you didn't make it to the range :)

I bought one and was amazed at how it corrected items in my swing that I thought I was correctly doing.  It definitely made me sense/feel the position of the club, hands, and arms throughout the entire swing because you can only swing it accurately.  One suggestion, keep using it as you tend to go back to your old ways if you suddenly believe you have it all together.  It also does not take too much time to practice.  Hope it works out for you as it has for me.

Janet,

I'm with you in the jealousy department.  I keep telling myself I need to do this before I'm so old that my 8 iron is only good as a walking cane.

Good luck!

We really need to find a way for you to start playing in the early am. I know you have certain circumstances but I will be playing my 9 before 8am at 5:55am especially during the summer months on work days on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. Normally at least 2 of those 4 mornings(flexible on which). Too I wouldn't mind picking any of the other 3 days(Wed-Fri) to play some morning too if that helps accomodate your 'sitch'. Though I'll play in the afternoon once in a while, those morning rounds are great because they beat the worst heat.

I'll have some ready for Friday.

Doc, thanks for the refresher on the bump.  I've been inconsistent in my sweet spot hits.  I'm pretty sure I've been making too much of an initial hip move, both laterally and rotationally.  I'm going to think Nudge, Bump for me is what I did under the basket to move someone out of the way and what the wife does with her well shaped hip when I snore.