Posture is Key On a Downhill Stance

Tue, 04/19/2011 - 10:31 -- Don Trahan

One of our bloggers was curious as to how to approach a shot when you have a downhill stance. The key? Posture!

Whenever I find myself on a downhill lie, or uphill for that matter, I always approach it with good posture. When I get into my athletically ready position, everything moves down together, just like a baseball player getting ready to field the ball.

I stepped on a chair to simulate a downhill stance, and even though my feet were closer together than they normally would be, I still managed to keep my balance because of good posture.

Keep it vertical,

The Surge!

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Comments

TeeOn13's picture

Submitted by TeeOn13 (not verified) on

Dick.

What mortgage company does Kelly Jo work for? I work for B of A Home Loans.

Crazy job. Ten hour days!

Impedes my golf habit!

Phillip

Dick Lee's picture

Submitted by Dick Lee (not verified) on

Kevin

Are you seeing things my friend. I don't know what you are talking about.

And yes, it could be a little of both. Although sending a little cheek in the mail might get messy.

Ain't it great to finally have an "edit" button.

Dick

Lynn42's picture

Submitted by Lynn42 (not verified) on

Dick

A truly amazing woman. My sister sent me that link a while back and I still have trouble focusing when I watch it. Good night.

Jetjat From Oz's picture

Submitted by Jetjat From Oz (not verified) on

I think you will find they have now changed their name and dropped the reference to PPGS.

Keep up the good work Surge.

Robert Meade's picture

Submitted by Robert Meade (not verified) on

Surge you're still pretty spry and nimble! wow I was worried you might break your a**. Anyhow, a good demonstration and a clear reminder of how to properly use the accordian effect and stay balanced.
I look forward to seeing DJ this week at Harbortown. I'm guessing you'll be there with him this week so we'll hope to get an on site report.

Dick Lee's picture

Submitted by Dick Lee (not verified) on

Robert

I hate it when anything squirts out and goes farther than I wanted it to go.

Dick

Steve Smith's picture

Submitted by Steve Smith on

Shoot, I thought I was going to get run off of the blog one time when I first started reading it because I mentioned playing with a Pro V1.
If I remember right I think one other guy owned up to playing with one. Might have been Jack.

I don't play with them because they make me play like a pro, but because I don't play like a pro. LOL
Compared to other balls I play with they only offer me a few advantages. They go farther, straighter, easier to control on chips around the green, and feel the best off of the putter. Other than those things the other balls do just as well.

Robert Thompson's picture

Submitted by Robert Thompson (not verified) on

All of those fine cheeses, and you left out the limburger. The stinky cheese has always been my favorite. Very flavorful, with the added benefit of being able to chase the kids out of the house when I want some peace and quiet.

Bob

Amos's picture

Submitted by Amos (not verified) on

Dick Lee:

Thanks for the link! THAT was G-R-E-A-T!

Amos

Steve Smith's picture

Submitted by Steve Smith on

Hey Robert,
I found out something the hard way one time about what I thought was "a serving".
Usually when I decide to eat a bowl of cereal I use a very large bowl. I looked in the cabinet one morning and my wife had a box of Grapenuts in there. I had never seen that cereal before so I filled the bowl up and went to work eating it. (I thought it was strange that the entire box only made one "serving"). I finally choked it all down but it was a struggle. My wife informed me then that I wasn't supposed to eat the whole box at once.

BrianF's picture

Submitted by BrianF (not verified) on

Please remember that Surge's daily blogs are there to reinforce all the information contained in his videos and in his manual. They certainly help as reminders to us all and I, for one, am very greatful that he wants to continue to do this. Just look back at his videos if you need to see him executing his shots around a course.
Cheers.

J Rice's picture

Submitted by J Rice (not verified) on

No need to worry... There's this little thing called Karma
And this thing called Karma is a woman
And this woman has a name
And that name is "bitch"

We all end up getting what we give... for good and bad

Kevin McGarrahan's picture

Submitted by Kevin McGarrahan (not verified) on

Dick,

Now, how did I know that you'd be the first to respond with a snide comment? You're not supposed to be making me laugh so much. My ribs still hurt. Thanks, friend!

Kevin

myrbch16j's picture

Submitted by myrbch16j (not verified) on

I ripped the top off a TV tray the other day!....awesome follow thru i must say...the top flipped end over end and straight like surge says the tee should!!....indoor swinging is costly!...thought i had enough clearance..oh well...felt good!

Dick Lee's picture

Submitted by Dick Lee (not verified) on

Kevin

Surge did a daily on side hill balls and swinging some time ago. What I got from his presentation was that he expects the same results as you described with your swing.

Dick

Robert F's picture

Submitted by Robert F (not verified) on

Also, double check your own setup with the longer clubs. Because they are longer, we often have an unconscious tendency to stand further away and want to swing them flatter. Be sure that your arms hang pretty much straight down from your shoulders and focus on swinging your arms around your neck. Don't try to crush the ball with the club head. Just swing your arms around your neck and keep your palms perpendicular to the ground.

Dick Lee's picture

Submitted by Dick Lee (not verified) on

Kevin

Yummy.

Kelly Jo won't even tell me what she is going to make any more. She just surprises me.

Every now and then I turn the tables on her and have dinner ready when she walks in from work. Can't do that very often. Never know when she is coming home. It keeps me on my toes. She runs a mortgage office. The other processor moved away. They have not replaced her yet, so Kelly Jo is the only one processing all the loan stuff. She is working crazy overtime.

If she keeps making all that extra money, she will someday be able to keep me in the fashion to which I want to become accustomed.

Dick

Rvphelpsjr's picture

Submitted by Rvphelpsjr (not verified) on

Surge,
thanks for all you do for the great game of golf. I believe many here appreciate all you give so we can more fully enjoy the game we all love.

Coachjoegolf's picture

Submitted by Coachjoegolf (not verified) on

Should you count it as a good round of golf if you finish with more golf balls than you started with?

Doc Griffin's picture

Submitted by Doc Griffin (not verified) on

You would want a ball that spins less. You do not have to sacrifice feel in order to get this. However, they have not made the ball that will not slice yet, well, unless you count a bowling ball that is. I'd suggest the e6 as it's design is for less side spin and it has a nice soft cover and core. I play it in the winter. Give it a try.

Amos's picture

Submitted by Amos (not verified) on

Brian F ;

GREAT PUTTING!

Just remember though, "you can pluck a pigeion frequently - but you only drown him once!"

Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

Amos

Kevin McGarrahan's picture

Submitted by Kevin McGarrahan (not verified) on

Robert,

That is true only if you are the only one home and you put the whole box in the pot at once - like I do. I love Italian food - can't get enough of it.

Or Chinese.

Or Mexican.

Or ....

Or ...

Or ...

Or ...

BrianF's picture

Submitted by BrianF (not verified) on

Ron, please look at my reply to RobertF below.
I don't think you're leaving out one of the adjustments, I think you're getting one of them wrong. On the downhill to the target you should be taking a more lofted club, not a less lofted one. That would explain why you hit fat.
Also, if you have got your shoulders/hips/knees parallel to the slope there is no need to choke down on it - just swing as you would on a level surface.
Cheers.

Robert F's picture

Submitted by Robert F (not verified) on

Nice swing speed, especially for a guy who was out of golf due to injury for so many years.

Dick Lee's picture

Submitted by Dick Lee (not verified) on

Surge Nation

I just remembered that I had a "few" balls out in the back of my truck that I have been piling up after each game when I am cleaning out my cart.

I went out there to get them. I came back with a 5 gallon bucket and a WalMart bag both full. I guess I need to round them up more frequently. Yes, I shop at WalMart, and I have a 5 gallon bucket in my truck.

Doesn't everyone?

All this serious golf talk has given me a headache.

Can't I go back to drivel now?

Dick

Kevin McGarrahan's picture

Submitted by Kevin McGarrahan (not verified) on

Doc,

Thanks. It is comforting to know you have so many able assistants.

Kevin

Marc L's picture

Submitted by Marc L (not verified) on

Don has fantastic balance--better than most of us. I have a bad back and bending my knees more makes my back hurt more.
I'm much more comfortable hitting a shot with the ball lower than my feet if I TAKE A WIDER STANCE and I grip the club closer to the end. This gets me closer to the ground and is easier on my back.
If the ball is above my feet I do the opposite--narrow the stance and choke up a little.

Robert Thompson's picture

Submitted by Robert Thompson (not verified) on

Absolutely! This helps keep the palms perpendicular to the ground throughout the swing. I will add that in doing this, I like to concentrate on keeping the back of my left hand pointing at the target line as I approach impact. I then square up my hands at impact, then concentrate on the back of my right hand facing the target line.

The club head will do whatever my hands do. As I take the hands back, the club head goes toe up, into the mitt and up the tree. On the way back down, it squares at impact, then rolls toe up into the forward mitt, then up the tree to the finish.

If you practice a few swings with the longer clubs at half speed, you will be able to sense what the back of the hand is doing, and your shots should improve.

Hit'em Long and Straight,
Bob

Kevin McGarrahan's picture

Submitted by Kevin McGarrahan (not verified) on

Dick,

I hope she is well paid. Most women do not get paid what they are worth. Any woman who works as hard (or harder than) a man at the same job should get paid the same or more.

Kevin

Coachjoegolf's picture

Submitted by Coachjoegolf (not verified) on

One of my students recently hit his secretary in the mouth while working on a position practice drill in his office.

Dick Lee's picture

Submitted by Dick Lee (not verified) on

Robert

I just had it checked. It came in at 85 to 90 pretty consistently.

I am the same way. I have to worry with every swing I take that I don't end up deforming the ball shape. Hahaha.

I specialize in irregular. In golf, as well as in the rest of my life.

Guess I have a lot of reading to do on this topic.
Dick

Amos's picture

Submitted by Amos (not verified) on

Dick Lee and Brian F:

Thanks for the compliments!

Currently I have the most problem with putts in the 40" to 48" range -- those seem to be the ones that are "one theborder" -- hit it firm to the center or stroke it a little easier and play a small break. The answer seems to vary with the green.

Inside 38 inches and in the 6 to 8 foot range, I make a LOT for putts.

When you can not be long off the tee, then you must learn ways to compensate. I try to remember a quote from the great pitcher, Warren Spahn "You don't learn to pitch until you lose your fast ball" --- I think the golf equivalent may be "you don't really learn to play this game until you lose length from the tee" -- At least that is my attirude,

Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

Amos

Dick Lee's picture

Submitted by Dick Lee (not verified) on

Robert

Saves time doesn't it? Boil water, open box, pour contents into boiling water. Open sauce jar, pour contents into separate pan, bring to boil. Strain contents of 1st pan. Pour sauce from 2nd pan over contents of 1st pan. Use fork to eat all contents of 1st pan.

You are now done with dinner. Clean up involves washing 2 pans and a fork.

Now you have the rest of the evening free for blogging.

Life is simple, if we will just let it be,
Dic

Dick Lee's picture

Submitted by Dick Lee (not verified) on

Sue

The daily videos are a free reminder to us. Are you willing to send in a little check every month for Surge to rent a course and a crew to film every day?

Dick

Dick Lee's picture

Submitted by Dick Lee (not verified) on

Bob

You need a pair of those new wonder briefs. They lift and separate. It makes it much easier to count.

At least you got to two. Hitler only had one to count.

There is your history lesson for the day.
Dick

Dick Lee's picture

Submitted by Dick Lee (not verified) on

Steve

This drill can only be done with a folding deck chair. It is the little details you have to keep an eye on.

I wonder what the guys at the range will think when I show up carrying a folding chair and stand on it while hitting. I guess for the the up hill balls, we would have to put the ball on the chair to hit it.

It might be a good way to spot members of the Surge Nation at the range. We could have a world wide "take a chair to the range" day. Might be fun. It would give us a place to sit down when we take a break.

Dick

Dick Lee's picture

Submitted by Dick Lee (not verified) on

Doc

Do you know the difference between a friend, and a real friend?

Dick

Kevin McGarrahan's picture

Submitted by Kevin McGarrahan (not verified) on

Dick,

Just finished dessert - a large, warm brownie with vanilla ice cream and smothered in caramel. Scrumptious!

Kevin

Keith Kent's picture

Submitted by Keith Kent (not verified) on

Great reminder surge, I have been thinking about this of late so it is a timely reminder about the accordian effect.
By the way folks I had my best round at the weekend and broke 100 for the first time and scored a 94 which I was well pleased with. I was 2 behind my playing partner who has been playing for years, not 8 months like myself.
I am starting to play a lot more consistent now but am having problems with a high right ball flight with the driver/woods and the odd few bad shots of course!

Robert F's picture

Submitted by Robert F (not verified) on

Hey Charlie,

All that mind/body/perception interaction stuff is outside my realm of thought. I know I tend to hit the ball best when I have a soft focus (look at the ball but let my peripheral perception in as well, rather than focusing on a spot on or under the ball). I try not to think too much about hitting the ball, because then my body tries to make adjustments and thinks usually go wrong. I just try to set up and swing.

I think, though, that like other things this is an individual issue. Some people work better with the specific target of the ball. Some of us work better with the focus on the motion.

Dick Lee's picture

Submitted by Dick Lee (not verified) on

T

Ok, I was waiting for Doc to ask. But, I will let you serve as a stand in for him.

When you get arrested, a friend will come down and bail you out.

A real friend is sitting right there on the bench next to you in the holding cell, and says "Heck, she didn't look like no cop to me neither."

Dick

Sueellen's picture

Submitted by Sueellen (not verified) on

Does he not have a golf course he can shoot on? I own his products and they where shot on a golf course... Every other instructional site has a guy on a golf course. He is gonna get hurt trying these stunts on his porch.

Doc Griffin's picture

Submitted by Doc Griffin (not verified) on

That is a great article. The person that penned that is an absolute genius in my opinion. BTW, you have the club head speed to play the Pro V1

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