Importance of Ball Position

Got to go to work but before I head out, wanted to comment on DJ's week. First of all hit had 3 eagles, not one of which was commented on by those dumbies on Golf Central or NBC. Secondly he putted masterfully with his new putter on both Thursday and Friday, so he's on track inspite of what happened on Friday and Saturday. Also, I thought he showed alot of class and fortitude on Sunday after an overall rough first 13 hole (bogies,birdies, double) he had 3 straight birdies! He could have just flitered through thr rst of the round but he never stopped bearing down!
Over all I think he can take alot of positives from the week end even if he is disapointed.
I'm off mid-week so I'll look forward to practicing on Wednessday and playing iether Thursday or Friday.
Down the middle,
Robert Meade

It's amazing what we can learn on this blog, isn't it. Cooking and fine dining, building storm shelters, doing laundry, fine wines, how to swat trolls, various country cultural differences, various word and phrase meanings, And Even some golf from time to time. Life is grand isn't it!

Roger

I have done the same thing a couple of times. I got frustrated with my woods and tried the rotational swing a few holes. I hit the ball better, but within those few holes I was limping and hurting. I changed my mind real fast.

I think our backs have vetoed the rotational swing. I too am a life long Surge follower.

I am tired of playing golf in long johns.

Dick

Doc, Excuse me, but, Are you really telling Janet to PUT A CORK IN IT !

Amos,

Congrats on the FIRs & zero 3 putts!!! I have some computer work to tend to for my blind brother around noon tomorrow but hope to at least hit the pitch & putt before hand.

boog

Steve

Any one who has ever worked on a farm or ranch knows any type of machinery is not people friendly when it is running. I know a lot of folks who are missing an arm or leg as a result of an encounter with "moving parts."

Glad it was nothing permanent for you wife.
Dick

Phillip

You got me blushing pal.

I am just one of the teeth on the cog of the Surge Nation.

Happy Easter to you and yours too.

Dick

Hello Kim,

Personally, I like the recent comments feature. It helps me to navigate to current conversations which might be taking place on older blogs. Without it, I might never know that those conversations are taking place.

Just my 2 cents worth,

Bob

I think I was called to the Bar. Can remember some shouting my name, sounded like,"You are a BARst**d Now" Made me proud at the time!! That was the best thing I had been called in months.As a Golf playing Regimental Sergeant Major, I couldn't repeat what I was usually called. What a colourful language English is.
Have a great round when the weather allows. Keep it vertical and long in Oklahoma

Ted,

The location of that club butt was unfortunate, yes. I just pretended that it was the ball Don was setting up to. These things happen sometimes when you're trying to do quick videos. I'd rather the occasional silly thing like that than no Don for a few days.

As for your problem with your driver, you may be playing it further back than you think, or you may be sliding into it and not keeping your upper body back [EDITED: I put weight, first, and of course you do want to transfer your weight from your back foot to your front foot to begin the forward swing, but you need to keep your head and upper body in position behind the ball through impact]. Either way, you're likely hitting it before the bottom of your swing arc rather than just after as you would prefer with a driver. Video your swing to be sure that you're keeping your upper body behind the ball and try moving the ball a little more forward toward your big toe. Those things should reduce the spin rate on your drives and get you a more penetrating ball flight (it may still be high, but with lower spin, the wind has less effect).

The way it works for me is this:
1. Put the ball in line with the back foot.
2. Put the weight on your front foot.
3. Hold the club in a really closed position (similar way a batsman would hold his bat while waiting for the ball in cricket)
4. Then take a 1/2 to 3/4 swing and make sure you follow through.

For me that seems to punch the ball out of the woods on a really low trajectory (i.e. about 2 inches off the ground). The length of swing determines how far it goes. The rest of my game may be awful (hence the need for lots of punches) but this shot works well for me (because of all the enforced practice, I guess). :-)

Hey Boog: Here is the reply I sent to Phillip - hope it helps and if you have any questions, just let me know. R2Phillip: Thanks for the inquiry. It's something I put together to help my beginning students remember the basics of our Surge swing. GBSAPS stands for the things we should do as we go thru our set-up. It's easy to remember, and helps ingrain the basic set-up rules.
G = Grip
B = Ball position
S = Stance
A = Alignment
P = Posture
S = Swing (three parts - backswing, FUS and "T" finish)
I've found that if we are having problems with any part of the swing, the best thing to do is go back thru each of the basics leading up to the swing and we'll find one of these things that is not quite right. Hope this clarifies it a little better. Have a great day and thanks for contacting me. R2
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Maybe it is time to see a Certified Instructor to get your personal issues ironed out. I am a Swing Surgeon Certified Instructor and I have worked with a fair number of Surge followers that have a good understanding of the principals of golf swing as the Surge has defined, but there interpretations of these principals is flawed. I can usually get these flaws ironed out in short order and can get you back on the right track very quickly.

Roy

I hope you got to spend some time with your bride on this special day.

Hope you had a blessed day.

Dick

Danno

Amen brother

Dick

Hello ETW,

I use a very similar approach to hitting a knockdown or punch shot. It works extremely well and I can hit the ball extremely straight. Like you, I used to spend a lot of my time in the trees. I guess it was just the nature lover in me. LOL It took years for me to even break 100, but I could teach that shot to the pros, I was so good at it. One day, I got the wild idea to just use that shot off of the tee box and all the way up the fairway. My buddys thought I was a moron, but I carded a 92 that day.

Since then, I've learned the Surge Swing and now only occasionally go for a nature walk in the forest. But, I can still hit that shot like a pro.

Hit'em Long and Straight,
Bob

Thanks, just checked. Looks like he eagled #2. I hope he has a good day.

None of us are blameless and have let our egos and defensiveness get the best of us. Well, the other cheeks (yes, plural) have got to be turned so I'm turning. Though the attacks do seem aimed at me for some reason, I would have to think it's primarily due to the fact that I'm doing something right. The enemy never fights so hard as when you are doing what your are called to do and when in service. So, I'm done with it. Hit me with your best shot!

Janet

It totally surprise me that you posted anything that was off-topic. As far as Doc's comment goes, I think you're more the type to uncork it rather than to put a cork in it.

I often find that my shaft is too long too.

Dick

Amos

Tell me about it pal. I am shopping around trying to find a pair of hip waders with cleats on them.
Dick

Robert....Thanks!

Will put on "Honey do" list!

Phillip

GBSAPS: Grip, Ball position, Stance, Alignment, Posture, Swing. It's a mnemonic for the things to check prior to hitting the ball.

That is a most excellent question. I personally am saving the lint and will be making a winter sweater this year.

T: Good to hear back from you. Still lousy weather here. They say we, too, are having the wettest April on record. We are nearby seven ski resorts and they all have more snow than back in February! Most of them say they will still have skiing in July. I've only been able to play two rounds this year; one in Feb and one in March. Maybe a few in May??? Hope, Hope lol Take care and hit 'em straight! R2
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Phillip: Thanks for the inquiry. It's something I put together to help my beginning students remember the basics of our Surge swing. GBSAPS stands for the things we should do as we go thru our set-up. It's easy to remember, and helps ingrain the basic set-up rules.
G = Grip
B = Ball position
S = Stance
A = Alignment
P = Posture
S = Swing (three parts - backswing, FUS and "T" finish)
I've found that if we are having problems with any part of the swing, the best thing to do is go back thru each of the basics leading up to the swing and we'll find one of these things that is not quite right. Hope this clarifies it a little better. Have a great day and thanks for contacting me. R2

eat,
Don't get discouraged, after studying the videos & manual for months while working nearly continuously for 4 months I got to finally play an actual round in early January. While I had been doing extremely well on the range I carded a 103 @ Cumberland Country Club here in Pinson. My problem, I was playing alone and what with the dormant grass with assorted fauna debris I lost balls on several holes that I'm sure were just in the first cut. My eyesight isn't what it used to be and I couldn't track the ball well in the overcast of the day.
That 103, excluding the 3 year hiatus, was the highest round for me in 18 years.I did, however, get to play all 18 holes and was able to still carry my bag to the truck with no pain and able to get out of the bed the next morning. I'm sure with the Surge's swing the scores will come down in due course.

Boog

Steve

I finally finished get my balls sorted out. I ended up with @75 Pro V1s.

I have @ 100 balls in my tote bag for chipping and short game practice.

I kept 750 balls sorted in egg crates.

Following the great example of Amos, I have contacted the coach of one of the local high school golf teams I have gotten to know from my home course about donating the remainder of my collection to their program. They are tickled to have the help.

I think I will do some more study on the ball subject and try some different brands and models from my collection to see which ones work well for me.

My loving wife is glad that I gave a bunch of them away and got the rest sorted and off the patio. As long as she stays out of my closet, peace and harmony should prevail in our home.

Dick

Roger

Darn it all pal. Sorry to hear about your day. That is one for the books.

You could play a lot of golf for $1200.

Glad none of you got hurt with the blowout or the storms.

Being able to remember exactly what you did when you got it right on the money is sometimes tough to do. Just keep at it and it will come your way.

Let us know how it goes at the range this week.
Dick

Coach

Good night Dick

Dick

Bob

You're killing me pal. That is one incredible post. You got it all in there in one shot. You covered church, food, family, work, and golf. There is something there for everyone to like.

I am glad that the sticks were working good for you today. Sounds like you had a blast. It's cool that the course is coming together so early for you. Picking up lost balls is good for your wallet and for you physically.

You folks up there in the great White North, sure do know how to put on the feed bag. I would have to move up there if I could put up with the cold. But alas, I can't. So I will just have to live vicariously through your posts.

If the blog police show up at my door I will have to resist arrest.
Dick

Not a good practice aid for the Surge swing. Email me off forum and I'll explain why.
jgriffin@docgriffingolf.com

Saturday morning after missing my Tournament at Beltarra Casino and Resort in Indiana due to having a blowout and setting on the side of the expressway from 6:45 am to 9:00 am . I decided to back home. I had my daughter’s car already at the tire store having tires put on it I had to have tires put on my truck also between the 2 it was 1200.00 worth of tires.
I went to the range later Saturday afternoon to work on the fundamentals and getting my swing straightened out. I have been fighting pulls and low straight shots. What I figured out was that if I just swing the club back until my front shoulder just gets to the ball it puts my arms in a close to perfect 3/4 back swing with limited turn hands about shoulder high. Once I got to this position I would hesitate for a couple of seconds then start the forward up swing. The club is between my right shoulder and right ear but slightly laid off the grip pointing slightly between my toe line and the target line. I was hitting a 9 iron which I normally carry 130 - 135 yards after hitting a few shots I started carrying my 9 iron 145 - 150 yards dead straight. Then the lightning came and the sirens went off so I had to stop there was a tornado that touched down about 10 miles crow fly south of the range but did not come are way. I have been studying Don's and Dj's swing through the bag videos for the last 2 weeks trying to in grain their swings in my mind and duplicate them at the range.
We will see if I can do this again at the range this week.

Steve

Good report pal.

Sounds like you had a good time. Glad the short game is coming together for you.

You can't beat playing for free. Well, I guess you can. You got free food and desert.

I need to work on that more stable base myself.

Dick

Steve: Thank you greatly for the refresher course. Makes perfect sense and I just tried it out - it works great!!!! You da man! Have a great day and thanks for all you do. R2
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If you believe in the Swing Surgeon Swing but are having trouble with getting your best results, it may be time to see a Certified Instructor to get your personal issues ironed out. I am a Swing Surgeon Certified Instructor and I have worked with a fair number of Surge followers that have a good understanding of the principals of golf swing as the Surge has defined, but their interpretations of these principals is flawed. We can usually get these flaws ironed out in short order and can get you back on the right track very quickly.

Dick,
The hydro was Thursday, they had two old tubes (we never touched) leak, which is common.
We repaired those later that night, got a dry hydro @ 1000 psi for almost two hours Friday and I got laid off around 1:30am Easter morning. They had just concluded an external wash down and were about to put a fire in the boiler as we were going out the gate. A great 10 week job concluded.
I am off until Thursday when I'm due at the hall to prep for my summer apprenticeship classes that start Monday. I am one tired but happy camper.
Now I can seriously start to work on my game and am looking forward to my trip to Columbia in late June to see what magic Doc & a proper fitting can do for my game. I'm like a kid at Christmas awaiting morn and that Red Ryder BB gun I've dreamed off all year. ;)
Hope you and yours had a blessed Easter in Okie land.

Ooh Rah,
Boog

Glad to see I'm not the only one taking a while to break 100. I played with a chap the other week who had just joined the club. Never taken a lesson. Decided to buy clubs for his 40th because his GF wouldn't let him buy a motorbike. This was his sixth game. In his entire life. He shot mid 80s. It's not fair, is it? :-)

I'm tempted, Rbbert, to punch my way around the course next game after what you just told me... If I beat 104 (my best score to date) that would be funny.

This is off topic (haha - what else is new?), but I know one of you guys will give me a fast answer. My putter is way too long; in fact, when I putt my hand is part way below the grip on the shaft. Can I get it cut down without wrecking it?

Why we all loved watching Seve Ballesteros back in the day, and Phil Mickelson when he's on. That creativity and shot making from impossible places. You can see their brains work backward from the target to where they are, figuring out how you can get there from here.

You might also want to consider that your clubs could be too long. What is your wrist to floor measurement of your right wrist (I'm assuming you are left handed)?

My primary likes to say that he sees women in the office and men in the hospital. I was good. I did go for my annual checkup last month, after only four years.