Width Of Stance

Rather than trying to pull the right shoulder back, try letting the right elbow droop. It will put a little more tilt in your shoulders at address, which is fine, but it will also help ensure that your shoulders are square to your line.

Surge you are looking great and trim! Your nutrition/exercise program is obviously working. You are a great demonstration of the effectiveness of the program.

Steve, maybe we are related, My mother was a Smith and I do, although a bit fuzzily, remember her cracking one of those wooden salad spoons over my head once. Thankfully, once it was broken she couldn't allow the rest of the set to hang on the kitchen wall so I never got to know Mr. Fork in such an intimate manner.

Or, as Surge suggests often and several of us do, keep a notebook in your bag with important reminders, swing thoughts, etc. You could also use the mnemonic Roy Reed uses (I don't know at this point if he made it up or got it from Surge or someone else) GBSAPS Grip, Ball position, Stance, Alignment, Posture, Swing.

Sounds like it's time to crack out the video Philip. My last filming(done by my wife) revealed some ungly stuff I didn't feel I was doing. The camera doesn't lie.My guess is you can't be vertical right now. Gotta be yanking hard left in your follow through and certainly through impact. Again the video will tell you alot. Let us know.

R2, if memory serves me correctly in the bonus videos, Not sure if it's the set-up one or the one on the fus. Surge and DJ also cover this with Surge making the comment of "liking DJ's soft and rounded right shoulder" and spent some time on how much the right is below the left with the various clubs.

Glad he's feeling well enough to play this weekend.

Good stuff Robert. I liked that last reminder too, not too peak again at the target because we will often tend to open up those shoulders again.

Yep. It's not the fall, it's the sudden stop at the end. ;-) I remember in a game of tag once, I "hid" on the roof of our tree fort (a little fort built on top of a topped oak, about 20 ft to the roof). My oldest brother climbed up to tag me and said, "That's a dumb place to hide, Bob. There's nowhere to go." I said, "Oh yeah?" and turned and leapt off the roof and grabbed a branch from the next tree to swing to the ground.

I'm 67 years old and have never been higher than a 6 handicap. Won several Club Championships, etc. When I was about 10 years old, an old man (younger than me now!) told me I needed better tempo. He would hum the Blue Danube waltz while I swung. Everyone for 50 years say they play better when they play with me because they think about my tempo. Every time I play golf or practice I hum this song in my head. It helps me relax and slow down. It's the only lesson I have ever had! I love your tips and suggestions.

Thank you

Boog,
What a blessing that will be for the three of you. I'm sure you'll be succesful in getting the adoption complete. We'll keep you all in our thoughts,hopes and prayers.

Thanks Steve, I will give this a try tomorrow.  In overly examining my swing, as I always do, I think I have discovered I've been rolloing my bottom hand open, so as I begin to then go vertical I can feel I am in trouble, resulting in my desperately trying to close the face on the forward swing...leading to disaster.   So with making sure I get all the way to the toe line then up, I will be checking that my hands are still perpendicular at the top.  What a game!  Paul

Maybe you'll win the Irish Sweeps. ;-)

Steve Smith:

   Been there -- done that too!  LOL   Specially the "cutting your own switch" part -- and if Dad didn't like my selection -- then a double "attitude adjustment" was in order.

   Amos

"pretty well"? Sorry, but as good as my swing may be, my seven iron still doesn't go 185. ;-) EDIT: Yet.

Hey Gil,

Yeah, depending on our own physical issues, we need to adjust parameters to what we can actually achieve without hurting ourselves. The one problem with limiting the back foot flare too much (which I know you're not talking about--just keeping it within parameters you can achieve) is that it can make it harder to let the weight settle on the back foot and cause a reverse weight shift where that leg starts to straighten. When that happens, you can't properly bump as that knee has to bend again to start the bump, and as soon as it does the weight goes backward rather than forward. This is a problem lots of people learning this swing run into.

I will echo Steve Smith 100%. I have been doing ugly pulls and hooks since I started the Surge Swing a year ago, except when I remember the things Lynn and Greg told me when I visited them in SC. Instead of saying put the club into the catcher's mitt, Lynn stood behind me and told me to "Put the club head in my hand." He held it about waist high and back on my toe line. That move (similar to what Steve S described above) forces me to make the turn before lifting to the top of the backswing. The other key for me has been to make the lift into the cactus position, because if I don't I will wind up in the SBG laid off, which directly leads to those pulls and hooks. Easy to say ... hard to do. Still a work in progress for me. Good luck.
Steve R

Great post Surge!

I did 10 holes tonight, 1 & back 9 and got to say I am buzzing!!!! Here are the highlights;
Hole one I hit a 5 iron 180yds then pitched up to a elevated two tier green, I pitched to the right(top tier) the ball then rolled left to the lower tier to finish 24" from the hole! And I putted for a birdie. I then  made par on the 11th(par 5) the 12th I hit dead left to lose the ball so being as it was a practice I reload and this time hit straight 151yds and landed on the green fringe and then holed the 12ft putt! The 14th I hit dead straight with my 7 iron and landed 18" from the hole and putted for a two, this is a eagle but they have moved the tee box  a lot more forward as some previously were hitting left on to a road. But still a fab two!. I then made par 3.
I hit some truly tour shots, that looked sublime, still fighting with the driver and some bad hits with the irons but on the hole I feel like something is clicking in to gear and my father in law has noticed it tonight and said " you have been practicing".
I had last week off and put in a heck of a lot of practice, infact on the course every day! and I think it has paid off.
I am not going to talk much about my bad shots as to be honest I was so pleased with the birdie and how good my two irons and putt was I could have gone straight home happy.

If you have got this far I have a question;
I am sometimes either going bannana right which some of you know I am working on, but recently I am sometimes going straight but left of target, left I mean by some distance and the hit is solid and good. I did one tonight with my 7 iron, straight away I dropped the club to my toes to check alignment and I was parallel left. My father in law thought I was set up to close to the ball; so could being to close to the ball cause a straight left or is it called a pull hook?

Cheers Folk, Happy days!       

Check that you're not letting your shoulders and hips get misaligned. There's been a bit of discussion about that the last couple days, and I know it often causes me to yank a shot left when my shoulders get open at address.

Boog: Thanks for getting me on the right track. I'm going to go back thru the videos and find it.  Hit 'em straight!  R2

I made good progress last year following Surge's teaching, but this year have developed UGLY hooking issues. I've been checking my grip, but have the urge to re-grip on the take away and this results in closing the face on approach to upswing.  I've been trying everything I know including trying to slow everrthing down.  Any suggestions are appreciated.  Thanks, Paul

Kim, thanks so much for this update on DJ. So glad to hear it is resolved and he;ll be playing in Memphis this week.Great news, Thanks

I'm sure some kind of stick or an old shaft(without the clubhead) place vertically in the ground just past the mit(so you just go inside it) will do to. Hmmmn..... I might do that too on the days she can't go.

The Golf school calendars are currently down.  I hope to get them back up tonight.  They were mixed up in the upgrade and I have to restore them.

Now as I'm older and the snap, crackle and pop is an everyday thing, I believe I need to start a regimen of chiropractic services. Okay, I'll say it, now that I'm getting forgetful and lose my place in space and do something stupid, lol.  I can see the need for chiropractic visits.

Robert:  I got it from the Surge via several of his older videos.  I just put it into an acronym that my beginning students could remember -  GB SAPS.  It is helpful as it gets them to think about each step of the master set-up, in sequence: properly GRIP the club, think about where the BALL position should be in your stance, make the correct STANCE, check your ALIGNMENT, check your POSTURE, and finally, make the SWING.  I've found it is easy to "ingrain" and it captures the "essence" of the Surge set-up.    Hit 'em straight!  R2

Hmmm. I was kicked across a barn by a mare once, and I had a colt try to mount me. I think more of my adjustments have come from the jumping off things habit. It's not the jump, really, so much as the stopping.

Steve Smith:

   That is classic -- in my case Mom had a long handle hairbrush that was the perfect weight and MOI for her swing.

    Amos

Greetings Surge!

I sure am glad to have "re"-found you!

My brother and I are both followers of yours.  We've had some recent discussion

about foot position and where the toes should be pointing in the setup position.

I admit that I haven't reviewed all of the materials I've purchased and don't see

every daily video (though I do catch many) and I'm sure you've covered this

question - but hey, if it's a good one we could all use a reminder, right?

I've found it helpful during practice to set the inside edges of my feet

perpendicular to the target/aiming line.  This helps me quiet my body until I can

shake off the office rust and get a comfortable feel in my swing.  

During practice and play I've noticed my brother's feet are opened more, and at

different angles; with his right foot more open and more forward than the left.

He says that a pro instructed him to have his feet opened during a lesson, and

that having them offset (though he doesn't notice it or admit it) is where his

feet are supposed to be.  He has had ACL surgery on his right knee within the last

couple of years and that may have something to do with his offset positioning of

the right foot.  Perhaps it's a compensatory thing.

Since he and I have different ideas, I thought it good to see what your take is on

it, especially because we're both working to follow your program together.

Thanks,

clockneck

Thanks Surge,,,

I went back and reviewed my videos last week and realized that my stance was too wide.  It was amazing how much better I hit the ball over the weekend with a more narrow stance.  Surge, I love your daily videos and look forward to them everyday.  Do you have any tips on staying in tempo?  

Don another great and timely lesson.

Range report for tonight.
I worked on stance width and and the fundamentals, alignment tonight at the range. What I found is that I had to narrow stance which was allowing to over turn in the back swing and get into the SBG. After watching this video earlier today I widen my stance to shoulder width as suggested by the Surge and this is something I am going to have to pay attention to because it restricted my turn in the back swing with minimal turn of the hips keeping me out of the SBG. I hit a lot of great shots with a lot of easy power not having to swing out of my shoes. Out of the 120 ball large basket I hit about 80 full shots and hit 70 percent of them dead straight and long all irons were 10 yards longer 9 iron I usually carry 135 - 140 yds was Carrying it150 with out getting after it.tonight. My missis were a few pulls and and a few thinned shots I felt like I was coming up out of the shots a little quick so I concentrated on keeping my head still through impact and let my right shoulder pull me up as I was swinging into the mitt and up the tree in the FUS.
All in all very good practice session.

Rounds this past weekend Tournament Saturday shot 91 horrible round hit some thinned iron shots and drove the ball horribly all day hitting second shots out the rough. I hope I will have this resolved after my driver fitting next week.

Sunday I played with my usual foursome at the 6600 yard Muni we have been playing and shot 80 go figure only pulled the driver 3 times on the three par fives played them 1 over bogging the par 5 8th which is 612 yards. 

I have a Tourney this Sunday playing a tight shorter very nice course and going to leave the driver in the deep dark corner of my basement until my fitting next week.

Roger    .

       .

MIke, I'm really liking the way your game is going, keep it up, my friend.

I'm sure I'm due for an adjustment. Thanks for the reminder and recomendation Kim. Hope DJ is feeling better. Please send along our well wishes.

Robert

Remember the old saying "My mind is made up, don't try to confuse me with facts."

You can't lead if someone is not willing to follow.
Dick

David, One of the key posture/set up tenets of the SSGS is having both toe lines parallel to your aim/alignment line. Both feet are to be flared between 30* and 45*, but do not have to be equally flared. If your brother has his right foot more forward, it means he is aimed left of his parallel target line. I suspect he was instructed to do that in an effort to compensate for some other swing flaw. He would be better off, keeping both toe lines parallel and fixing the swing flaw. Here are a few lessons which may be helpful to you and your brother.

Written by Don Trahan  June 3rd, 2009

Alignment…Alignment…Alignment…Don’t play golf without it, remains
the topic of discussion in this 4th article discussing alignment, its
importance and issues that make it difficult to get it correct, even when we are diligent and careful in aiming correctly. “The setup determines the motion,” is The Surge Mantra for making good swings and hitting good golf shots. Let’s cover the setup routine I call “MAKING the H” for getting into a correct parallel left alignment.

Standing directly behind the ball, looking straight to the target,
you pick out your intermediate aiming spot on the ground, around 1 foot in front of the ball. Once you have it, then you check for it’s “in line accuracy” by plumbing it with your club. Now, being 100 % sure and confident your aiming spot is on your line, it is time to move to the address position.

Step 1: Standing behind the ball you are at 6:00 o’clock. You will now make a quarter circle to the left to reach the ball, which now puts you at 9:00 o’clock. As you turn to the ball and plant your right foot pointing an inch or so right of the ball in an approximate correct distance from the ball, you then extend your arms and sole your club behind the ball. Set the club face square (perpendicular) to your intermediate aiming spot, which you know is also square to your target. Now, draw a line (in your mind on the ground) from the spot back to the ball and a little beyond. You have just drawn line #1, the
outside right line to the H.

Step 2: Draw a line (line #2) from the bottom edge of the club
straight back toward your feet. Since the club face is perpendicular to your aiming line, this line is also perpendicular to it. This will be your ball position reference line. In the reference to the H, it is the center cross line.

Step 3: Draw line (line #3) perpendicular across the #2 center
line. Since this line is perpendicular to line 2, which is also perpendicular to line 1, this makes line 1 and 3 parallel to each other. This is your toe line and thus the inside or left line to the H, which you have just completed. Once you have your line in the mind on the ground, you lift and set your left foot to toe on the line and then re-adjust your right foot to toe on the line.
(Note: Remember that in the PPGS setup, both feet are flared outward 30 degrees touching the toe line.) Lastly, when the feet are planted, check and make sure you square up your knees, hips, shoulders and eyes over your toe line which is parallel left and square to your aiming line.

I call the planting of the feet the alignment 2 step. That is, once the toe line in your mind is drawn on the ground, and you lift and place, first the left foot and then the right, it’s 2 steps to the toe line. Now, Iuse the term lift and “PLANT” the feet: once down, the feet never move again
until the shot is over and you walk out of the finish.

Why do we want the feet to stay planted? Because if they move,
especially if your waggle lifts them (one or both) off the ground, there is a high probability that they will be set back down in a different place. I call this “dancing.” I promise you, if you dance, and the feet get re-positioned you have changed your alignment. All it takes is to change each foot ½ inch and you have a 1 inch right or left alignment adjustment, taking you out of your original correct parallel left and square alignment. And, a 1 inch off alignment has the effect of fanning the aiming line out around 10 yards every 100 yards. This means a 100 yard shot hit perfectly straight from the new alignment, will fly right or left 10 yards off line. A 250 yard shot is 25 yards, minimum, off line.

Keep the waggle soft and quiet and the feet planted. Dancing
during the waggle is not “Dancing with the Stars.” It is dancing away from your target line and into the rough, trees, bunkers and water hazards.

You have to practice this 3 step alignment setup routine to get
good at it. You especially want to practice the 2 step foot planting to be sure your mind and muscles learn the perfect amount of step needed by each foot to get the toe of your shoe perfectly on the line. You can practice this anywhere. I always like to be looking at a line on the floor, like in the linoleum or the seam in a carpet. You burn the line in the mind and the exact amount of step for each foot.

Lastly, you practice the 3 step routine and the 2 step foot
planting until it becomes routine. It is never automatic, you always, like your swing have to think about it, but you want to get to the point where you do it without having to really talk you way through it. You want it to become an autopilot, ingrained, trained and a learned response to your mind triggering the setup routine, just like your tying your shoelaces when you put your shoes on. I know we don’t practice tying our shoes once we learn the routine, but I would recommend re-visiting and re-grooving your setup routine every now and then, especially if you catch yourself getting out of alignment a little too
often. You want your setup routine grooved and smooth and so that you sort of just sink into your setup. And, as far as practice goes, remember the axiom “perfect practice makes perfect.” And you certainly want your setup and alignment to be perfect, since “the setup determines the motion.”
http://www.swingsurgeon.com/Ho...
http://www.swingsurgeon.com/Ho...
http://www.swingsurgeon.com/Ho...

This is one of the few videos that has a printed explanation of the instruction. This is a great benefit to me since I have serious hearing problems and can not understan most of the verbal on the Surgee's videos. Please keep up the printed version of the verbal instruction.

********* THIS IS NOT GOLF SWING RELATED************
    Hi Friends & fellow Surgites,
Just wanted to give you an update on our quest to become Joshua's parents.
We got the relinquishment  & consent forms signed and notarized today and
presented them to the Probate Judge's clerk this morning, all seemed to be in
order on that part of the process. We need only to file the formal adoption petition
with the court and will be doing that in short order. Once that is done and a notice is
run in the local legal paper for the state for 4 weeks and a response period that follows
we should be in the Judge's court around mid- September for the final hearing and
decree of the court.Neither the clerk nor ourselves foresee any problems and it should
be all pretty much routine. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers for us in this matter,
It means a lot to have someone to share this experience with Leisa, Josh & I.
Boog
********** Now back to your regular Swing programming********      

When you can, give us an update on what your chiorpractor thinks about them.  Just wondering.  Thanks again, R2

Keith,

What probably happened is that your feet were aligned correctly, but your hips and particularly shoulders were aligned left. This can cause or contribute to both the banana balls and the pulls (a pull hook would start left and spin further left. If we ever get a chance to meet, I'll show you one as I can pull-hook a ball a good 200 yards left of my target ;-) ). Look at the response from Doc Griffin to a poster either yesterday or the day before about shoulders aligned left (the gentleman in question revealed that he had lost his left eye years before). It's an easy thing to have happen to you. Two quick things to help pull the shoulders back into alignment are to let the right elbow fold and pull toward the body slightly (that actually pushes the right shoulder back and straightens you that way), or to stand up at address and settle back with the accordion effect and be sure not to peek again at the target before you swing.

Hey Boog:  AWESOME NEWS!!!!  Thanks for the update.  It is quite a process but well worth it. Keep us posted and know that your family is in our prayers.  R2