Importance of Ball Position

Thanks a bunch, T!!! I was

Thanks a bunch, T!!! I was wondering where my socks were going. Mystery solved. R2

I have checked and responded. What can I say, sometimes the truth hurts. It's kind of like, does this dress make me look fat????????????
I"m a little bummed out over no golf again due to rain, so I probably shouldn't say too much tonight.

I absolutely should have made

I absolutely should have made reference to Don's Stellar personality. My point was direcetd more toward his professional reputation evidenced by the disproportionate number of instructors who know of him but have never actually met him.

I probably wouldn't notice

I probably wouldn't notice the difference. I figure I was meant to miss those putts anyway and would find a way to lip them out no matter what size the hole was. Kind of like those times when we come up 1 inch short all day. Amazing really. Takes a lot of skill to hit a 20 foot putt 19' 11" and then hit the next 15 foot putt 14'11".
I guess my hands are fairly normal as far as I know. I can palm a basketball but barely and it doesn't take much to knock it out of my hand. I always had to dunk with two hands because the momentum of the jump would make me lose the ball.
BTW it's probably been 15 years since I could jump that high.

My mom had a trunk with a

My mom had a trunk with a lining in it that she got from her dad. He told her there was a twenty dollar gold piece somewhere down in the lining. I was just a teenager but I wanted to rip the lining out and look for it but she wouldn't let me. I felt around as good as I could but could never feel anything.
I haven't thought about that trunk in years and she passed away a few years ago but it is probably still in the house where my dad still lives.
Hmmm.....Wonder what those gold pieces are worth?

Hi Phillip,

If you open up your dryer, which requires some dis-assembly, you will find that much more lint inside. A lot of house fires start in the dryer.

Bob

ronniemac

I learned that trick with the dryer filter a long time ago while doing home repairs.

Sounds like you about have your hands full around there, pal. I'm sure they all appreciate your efforts. It is cool that your grass is turning out so well, sorry it is so much work.

I know exactly what you mean about how hard it is to get the results from the range to transfer to the course. I find that if I force myself not try to swing any harder than about 80% I am better off.

I look forward to your after action report to let us know how you round went.
Dick

CervezaFria:

I hope you can appreciate this little story from my college days:

We had some Asian exchange strudets (Tawianese, I think) who were struggling with the English language - and it's nuances.

One of group mentioned something about his father was "admitted to the BAR to 1945" or something similar. All the Asians broke out laughing and giggleing. Seems they couldn't comprehend a BAR Association, and why one would be proud of admitted to it -- becuse the only definition of "bar" in their dictionary was in refernece to a Lounge or Saloon.

It took the collected group of about 10 of us "USA" guys nearly 30 minutes to get them to believe us. The Asians seemed to think were trying to pull a practical joke on them and they were getting a bit irate -- keep pointing to the dictionary, etc

Good Luck on your finals

Amos

Hi Don. When you were doing

Hi Don. When you were doing this Vid about Ball Position It may have been helpful if you had used that white tape line on the Porch floor as the ball and moved about that line. Instead , you stood to the right of that line and there was a Mic or similar at the bottom of the screen which actually prervented us seeing where your club was. The Info contained in this segment was good but not the actual Video of the point.
In actual play I find that if I place the ball of my left instep or ankle in our case, I tend to hit the ball VERY high and it loses distance and it is also badly affected by any wind. One of my partners thinks that my Driver shaft needs a different Kick Point. Any Ideas ?

regards Ted

I would recommend taking the

I would recommend taking the putter to a professional, because it will have to be regripped, and if the grip is not installed precisely, you will miss a lot of putts.

After round report:My day was

After round report:
My day was pretty much more of the same as the last two times out. I was just a little more off and on with the irons, mostly really good shots but had a couple of greens that I should have hit and didn't. It seems to be the pattern that if I miss it will be a pull because of over turning on the back swing. As long as I keep that under control everything is working great with the irons. I chipped and putted much better today but hit a couple of squirrels with the driver that cost me a few strokes.
One thing that is a little humorous is the confused look on the faces of the people I am playing with after iron shots. These guys have always been a few yards longer than me with all clubs. Now I am quite a bit longer than they are with the irons but they can't put two and two together so they just keep pulling the wrong clubs after asking what I hit, coming up well short and walking around with a confused look on their face.LOL (You gotta love those young guys that would rather come up short than to pull more club than a 55 year old). Ha ha!
I ended up three over par (three strokes worse than last week) but I actually think I played a little better than last week. The wind was just a little tougher.
I did have one great mental blunder today though. I got to the course in time to play 4 practice holes before the competitive round. I birdied the first three holes and missed a 5 foot birdie putt on the fourth. What a waste. LOL I knew wasting those birdies was a big mistake and sure enough I didn't make another birdie until the fifth hole of the "real" round.
Won just enough money to pay for my round and the course had free hot dogs, colored boiled eggs and cupcakes for Easter so it was a pretty good day.

P.S. I have written before that I have trouble with the shortest wedges so have usually been better at just taking something off of the pitching wedge. Well not any more. Somehow something has clicked and I am really hitting the shortest three wedges great. It seems to be just keeping a much more stable base during the swing and with just a little more knee flex than I had previously used. Another contributing factor is that I just convince myself I have a 7 iron in my hand.

He's had a crazy back 9. His

He's had a crazy back 9. His first par on the back was on 17.

Cerveza

I know you must be looking forward to getting out on a wide open golf course with no books and papers to do.

I know all your brothers and sisters in the Surge Nation are very happy and proud of you.

It takes a lot of work and determination to get through all that.

Let us know when you are able to get out there and how that first round goes.

Dick

so why be negative??...the

so why be negative??...the guys a great player...we all root for him...wish him the the best...jeez we all pull for him!!....i enjoy following him weekly and know he's gonna have some great results!!!....this is not some average joe man!...he's won twice!...and it's gonna happen again n again!!...love watchin this guy...just sit back and watch!!!!

Coach Joe

Thank you for taking the time to spell that out for me. I have never really paid that much attention to the ball I use. I have always joked that my favorite ball is the one the guy in front of me lost. I have learned on this blog that if I am going to ever get my game back, I have to pay a lot more attention to what ball does what.

I will keep learning. Is there a chart or something that gives the characteristics of each manufacturer's models?

I am going to keep trying out different balls to see how they perform with my swing in each situation. I tried the Pro V1 and the Bridge Stone e6 yesterday. I have several other makes of balls to try also. Your comments the other day about the Pinnacle I was using was right on the money. They are staying in the egg crates for now.

Just another reason I love being a member of the Surge Nation,
Dick

Boogm

Good to see you on.

How is the job going?

Roy, I feel your pain. I'm

Roy, I feel your pain. I'm pretty sure we're done with the white stuff now, and the temps finally seem to be getting into spring like warmth, but we're still getting pounded with regular rain. Most of our courses have some standing water in the fairways, the ground is just to saturated to absorb it. Most of my groups (seniors) prefer to use carts.Many courses aren't allowing them due to wetness and the ones that do are cart path only. We are on track for the wettest April in recorded history. For now, 12 out of the next 15 day forecast is calling for some rain each day and many of them for heavy rains. I'm continuing work on the Ark. Does anyone know where I can get some low cost Gopher wood, I'll need a substantial amount.

You are kidding right? I'f I

You are kidding right? I'f I'm looking at the correct videos of you hitting an iron, your head is about as stable as it gets. Maybe I'm missing something but I really think you may just possibly be getting to analytical. You may hit some fat shots from time to time but there's nothing in that video that shows what the cause may be. You have a great swing. Trust it!

I throw one more item in

I throw one more item in because it is critical for my swing. Actually, I guess it would come under S for Swing, and that is Tempo. If my tempo is off, it does not matter what I do for all the rest. I get completely out of balance.

I haven't had time to play or practice for the last week with all the preparations and events of Holy Week. Since we are supposed to get all the storms that have been reaking havoc between Dick's area and here over the next few days, I made time to go out and hit some balls in the yard. The first few shots were terrible and I thought I had lost the tempo that I discovered 2 weeks ago, but I didn't. It just took a few swings to get it back. I am finding that, with this tempo, I am increasing my club head speed with my irons. I'm not sure how much yet, but yardage-wise it is significant. I hit a couple of real balls with my 8-iron and they went 140 yards and 142 yards instead of 118-125.

For Steve, if you remember my video and the garage that was in the background (70 yards away), I hit the 8-iron shots over the garage and the trees into the field beyond. Confidence is wonderful! Fortunately, I didn't hit one of the occasional shank that I'm prone to hit. Unfortunately, I probably will not be able to try it out on the course until Thursday or Friday.

BTW, wearing a golf glove is really helping me control my swing. Shame I couldn't find one that fit years ago.

Kevin

Coach

I hope you are enjoying your movie.

You should have some pop corn while watching the movie.

Don't forget the butter.
Dick

Hey!!!!!

Dan

Glad you were able to get in a game without having to drive to the south. I know I'll be easier for you once your home course opens up. I love it when I can get in a round and not be pushed for time, so I can work on shots from different areas like you did today.

Sounds like you had some fun.

Is it one of your family traditions to have a big late Easter dinner? We usually go for the big lunch after church.

Thanks for the update,
Dick

Steve :

Funny that you should mention that -- I thought I had a monopoly on those "ultra near misses" LOL

Like one I had today -- a downhill/sidehill putt of about 20 feet with a sharp left to right break about 3 feet above the hole. I remeber thinking to myself, "hit it hard enough to get there, but not too hard" - followed by "stroke it to the hole on the chosen line". I hit the putt, watched it roll on the target line, take the break and head for the hole -- and then stop right at the hole. I looked down at my feet for a moment, probably thought some of those of words we don't want our preacher to know about. When I looked up agian - no ball was visible. One it's last dying gasp, and possibly with the help of some "springy" grass it fell in the hole! LOL

Amos

Robert Thomson, I have some

Robert Thomson, I have some 'brand new' [must be at least 8 years old chronologically] Topflite. They arrived ex-NZ with my 'old' Ping Zings. Should be fun trying them after all these years. First Yellow balls I ever played, liked them when there was a lot of daisies on the course. Cost when I bought them was a definite consideration. Thanks for that info.

Hey Roy Reed-R2,

Hey Roy Reed-R2, Hope you get this. I have been unable to catch up on the blog lately(work,etc.) and saw something about BGSAPS. What is that? I feel like the child who missed out on the party. Ahhh! Anyway, hope to hear from you soon. BTW did you catch my new 'ism' too? The BUS. It's the Backward Upswing -BUS. Like the FUS it helps us keep the vertical vision going back as well as forward. It seemed to make sense to me. What do you think?

Thanks a bunch, T ! Now I

Thanks a bunch, T ! Now I know where all my socks are going. Mystery solved, lol. R2

Bob

That one got past me. I am still using the French phrase thing someone sent me a while back.

I have a hard enough time with English, let alone when you folks throw in other languages.

Dick

Dragonhead: Thank you for

Dragonhead: Thank you for the fun reply! I really enjoy your input on the blog - you have some very insightful (and very funny) thoughts and ideas. Things are pretty boring here in Salt Lake City. Lots of rain and snow, and it's still cold, too! Hopefully we will be able to start playing golf around here some day. lol
Anyway, take care and keep smiling. Have a great week and keep working on that swing. Me too! Maybe someday I'll have everything figured out. LOL,LOL R2
____________________________________________________________
Groupon.com Official Site
1 huge daily deal on the best stuff to do in your city. Try it today!
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.c...

Dick, my sense of humor has

Dick, my sense of humor has been compared to my (late) grandmother's taste in martinis. Her method for making a martini was, 1) take the vodka from the freezer, 2) pour it in the martini glass, 3) stare longingly at the vermouth on the shelf, 4) drop in two olives and hand her the glass.

Movies over and heading to

Movies over and heading to bed. It was Black Swan, fairly highly rated, but, definitely a little weird and different. I'm not so sure I would give it my recommendation. Definitely not a PG or family film. I really expected it to be better than it was. Not necessarily bad, just not my cup of tea. Say good night Dick!

Amos

They could use a # 2 washtub as a cup, and I could still miss that.

I think they have a magnetic field around cups that keeps my ball out.

Dick

Kenny

Great update.

Glad you were able to get the problem sorted out. That would be enough to make any of us crazy. It is bad enough to have that going on with old off the shelf or hand me down clubs. It is even worse to have that happen after you went through the trouble and money to try to do the right thing with new clubs and a "fitting." Like Doc always says, there are fitters and then there are "fitters."

It is cool that you got a chance to show your friends how the Surge Swing works for you. Keep making converts.

Let us know how it continues to work out for you.
Dick

Coach.

That is a great story pal. You just crack me up after all the serious stuff on here tonight.
Dick

CervezaFria. Good luck and

CervezaFria. Good luck and God Bless your finals.We are all praying for a top result. All that hard work, was only the beginning. You have more than earned your round of Golf. As for lunch slowing you down? Take it with you, hahahaha something on every hole, good for the digestive system and will stop you from becoming tired.
Joking aside. Good luck in both ventures.
From a reprobate in Dalian China for the next 55days [ Reminds me of a famous movie about a place an hours flight away. 55 Days in Beijing], then the Golf Courses of New Zealand are under notice. Yeeeeeeha!

When we switched from the old

When we switched from the old blog format to DISQUS, the recent comments disappeared and we got a whole lot of people "screaming" for it's return. If the consensus is now to have it removed, I can see to it that it happens.

More good ideas to play with.

More good ideas to play with. A lot of people have the problem when they put the ball back in their stance that they chop down on it, making the ball pop up, you're right. That's why I focus on swinging through the ball.

Whatever shot works best, the important thing is to take the time to practice it. It's hard to confidently play a shot in a round when you haven't done it on the range to know what the result is going to look like.

So glad the Surge is back!

Dick Lee :

Do try the Gamer V2 -- nice ball. I think you wil find it to similar to the BridgeStone e5, e6. ie. a little shorter off the tee than the e5, but the feel and spin of the e6 - Net result, about halfway between the e5 and the e6 -- and very similar to the BridgeStone TreoSoft

At least that is the way they work for me.

Amos

Beware of the "old guy"....

Amos, you wIll be in the 80's
with just a few putter tweaks.

SG

Bob

Just so happens that while I was going though my ball this week, I saw a bunch of the V2s in amongst them. I sorted out all the Pro V1s. I will go through my 300 or so Top Flite balls and sort out the V2s.

Thanks pal,
Dick

Dragonhead

That all rings true, no matter the language written in, or the country sent from.

Hope all is well on your side of the world my friend.

Dick

I hope everyone appreciates

I hope everyone appreciates that all of these videos and tips are free and Don is truly generous in sharing his time and energy to help us all. If there's a golf club grip in the way or the video isn't of the finest quality, so what. Thank you Don for all you do and for helping me enjoy the game again.

Saying Gopher wood now has me

Saying Gopher wood now has me thinking of an odd variation on Caddy Shack with Bill Murray's character as Noah.

thanks Doc, you are probably

thanks Doc, you are probably right, I do tend to be a bit fussy on things I do

I'm used to hearing the term

I'm used to hearing the term "hooded" for that rather than "closed" which implies that the club face has been turned toward the left.

We look forward to hearing about your journey to break 100, then 90, and maybe even 80. Do you get out to practice much? And when you do, are you just hitting balls or do you go out with a plan? As Surge (and others) say, only perfect practice makes perfect.

The next time your dryer goes

The next time your dryer goes on the fritz, Get some help from a local appliance guy and fix it yourself. It's not really that hard to do. What will amaze you is that when you get the dryer opened up, you will find enough lint to knit about 100 sweaters and thirty or forty bucks in change. LOL

I didn't say it, Doc did. I

I didn't say it, Doc did. I just pointed it out.

Robert

I like your sense of humor just fine pal. Don't change a thing.

Dick

Amos

You had a Caddy Shack moment.

Did you stomp your foot? Don't make no difference how they go, so long as they go.
Dick

I agree with you completely

I agree with you completely UkPhil. I too preferred to hear about golf not all the silly banter that is going on at present,Why can't these people send emails to each other or sms their friends & associates.
Happy golfing,
Eric

Search form

Importance of Ball Position

Comments

Pages