The Science Behind the Swing: Part 1

Spring has spung here in Las Vegas(80* today:) Thanks for the encouragement. I am happy to be alive and well indeed.

Robert F,

Thanks for this. I just did this and had sticks laid out on the floor. I could consistently get the butt of the club directly on the toe line - 100%. But was I ever surprised. My toe line was either 2-5* left or 2-5* right of my aiming line. I only got it correct one time. No wonder my shots wander all over the place. I will have to pay more attention to the toe line. One thing I have started to do is place my toes on the line, slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Then, when I bring my heels in to flare my feet, the heels end up shoulder-width and my toes stay on the line, even if the line is wrong. I like the plumb-bob idea.

Kevin McG

The simple answer is: You can't.

There is one whose name I will not mention (he'll probably respond anyway but a guy can hope not) who claims to swing vertically with an extremely long club, but has been unwilling to post a video of his execution of this feat.

Surge

Thanks for the update. It is good to be reminded from time to time why we have chosen to use the Surge Swing. My reason is that I can play with no pain again after all those years away from the game because of injuries.

Keeping it vertical, and learning more every day, in Oklahoma
Dick

Kevin,
The thing that works for me is to imagine making the back of my hand brush my ear at the end of the swing. I've heard Surge say this many times. Try to get that picture in your mind when you are making the bump that starts the FUS. Just like Surge said a few days ago your swing path is like a roller coaster track and that track starts at the top of the backswing and ends with the back of your hand brushing your ear.

I have had this same problem and still very much working on it, at first I was all arms and not enough body turn on the takeaway, and no hip action on the down swing like Doc has stated. So the backswing was exactly the same as the downswing. The club at the start of the downswing must drop laid off and come in to impact on the inside then snap closed/parallel at the last second. I have tried moving the ball in the stance which has made no difference, my flaw is my swing, which I haven't mastered yet!
Oh, I have also found that if I over do the hip action/bump will cause a big slice.
Don't forget to keep checking your alignment!

Thanks Dan. I am being careful to not over do it. This challenge with my hands is teaching me alot of great lessons such as be grateful for every minute of relative healthbecause we never no when it will leave us. My dear ol' Dad that I lost about 5 years ago now, unfortunately kind of gave up and spent his last 10 years with a bottle)he affectionately called gasolin) and a steady flow of cigarrett smoke. He gave up on life when he could have enjoyed more golf and life. I loved him dearly and this not said with desrespect. Just a measure of sadness at how he gave up too soon in his sunset years.
I am not going to be like that. I am one of those guys who will have no problem enjoying retirement, playing as much golf as possible while enjoying my family to the full. Having an injury and surgury has reminded me how valuable every second of life is and to use it fully as we can.

Amen pal

Ain't we glad we found the Surge and the Surge Nation. I ain't saying this swing was easy for me to get down, or for that matter, that I even have it down. It took a lot of reading and study and chatting on this blog, but it works. You can't just buy the videos and put them and the manual on your hard drive and expect this to work. You have to work it, for it to work for you.

I am swinging a club at something and playing some golf almost every day now. And, NO PAIN.

Thank God for Surge
Dick

Hi Harry,

I'm sorry, but I don't have a direct email to the Surge. However, if You call the help line, you might get to talk to his brother, Ken. He can probably help You.

Hit'em Long and Straight,
Bob

Tmkmdg. I tried to send this this morning [our time], but the comments box would not open. I agree with you and the contradictory comments in Golf Magazines. One or two magazines are interesting to read through. I have stopped looking at the Golf Channel blogs, they are obscene,particularly on the Eldrick Tont Woods coverage. One Free Golf on-line magazine a mate sent me, which I enjoy browsing through still, is:

http://digital.globalgolfpost....

It has more information in it than any other magazine, on every tour almost on the planet. The copy that dropped into my in-box on Monday morning post Laird's victory. Contained a very good article on well known Club fitting system.This is audio visual complete with graphics etc. It has articles on events and players and is the must unbiased I have encountered.
Perhaps you have heard of it? If not I hope that you give it a whirl and see for yourself

GMan,

Are you accordioning into your setup position? Are you using the method Greg MacDonnell showed for how to determine where you stand relative to the ball, by soling the club behind the ball and using the butt end (or where ever your grip ends if you choke up on the club) to determine your toe line and hand position? There's always some wiggle room, but you probably need to bend your top more and your knees less to get into the right place.

Robert. Lost dad 18 years ago to Colon Cancer. Still think about him daily. He was an avid golfer who being in medical field golfed every Wednesday with his cohorts.

At the time I was not into golf. Wish I could play a round with him today and show off my SSGS!

BTW. Never knew rationale for your surgery

Phillip

Kevin

I think I have heard of that one armed man. This doctor was convicted of killing his wife. The doctor then escaped from prison. The doctor was able to prove it was the one armed guy. The US marshals are still looking for him for killing the doctor's wife. I am not sure of all the details, but I think that is how the movie went. I don't know what the marshals would have done if they caught him. How do you hand cuff a one armed man? Just wondering.

Dick

The "Charles Barkley Syndrome" - swing from dot to dot, while pausing at each to enjoy the picture ;-P

I would like to chime in here and say that I have been instructed over the years by 2 PGA pro's for around 2 year periods with each one and neither of them came anywhere close to making me as happy as I have been with the Surge's instructional videos, nor have I ever hit the ball so well. I will never waste my precious time and hard earned money again just because someone has earned a title. A plaque and a title mean nothing if you cant get results.

Looking forward to this continuing series, Surge! All the people talking about parallel to the ground remind me about reading Ernest Jones' Swing the Clubhead Method. He pointed out that while, by the 1920s, the parallel backswing was considered best (and he did also consider it best), in earlier generations the limitations of the equipment had golfers believing that you hadn't finished your backswing until you clipped your forward heel with the club. That's almost reaching 360* around! Times, equipment, and understanding change. Ernest Jones also pointed out how much of golf instruction was based around looking at successful people to see what they did differently--which often meant noticing their compensatory moves--rather than looking at science to understand what needs to happen and then figure out how to do that. Some of his conclusions are different from yours, but of course knowledge and understanding of the functions and abilities of human bodies has grown enormously since the 1920s and 30s. Both of you point to the idea of a weight on a string as the best metaphor for a golf swing, though. You and he both eschew the idea of leverage for the idea of the motion of a weight or pendulum on a string.

Just to add these are not just fundamentals to the Surge swing but fundamentals to a golf swing. If you take any pros golf swing they don't really look like they move too much, but slow their swings down and you will see how much energy they create and how important hip movement is in a golf swing. Slow DJ's down, who at full speed looks pretty still, but slo-mo will show a different story.

Thanks Charlie, that is a neat way to line things up. You're right, Surge has commented more than once in his explainations concerning alignment that is only truely accurate from behind as you say.
My point is that I need to stay confident in my line choice and spot once I get over the ball. I find too that if I pause for just a couple of seconds too long while over the ball my certainty begins to waver. So pace of play and tempo come into play also.
You'll be ready soon Charlie. I'll keep you updated on mt progress. Let me know when you get out again and take it slow my friend.

Kevin

Look for that light shining in the distance. No, it is not a train headed your way, it is Surge lighting the path home. Come on back to us. We will welcome you back to the nation like the father welcomed home his prodigal son. I don't have a fancy robe or gold ring to give you. But, I might kill the fatted calf.

There I go again, turning every thing into a food thought. I had better close this post before I start thinking about ways to cook a calf.

Dick

Sounds good Dick. I'll dust off the flyrods and take you to the Kenai for some world class trout fishing.

To everybody who responded, thank for the input. After some reflection, I think I will take Doc's advice and maybe meet up with some folks at a local simulator business. That way, I can hit a few shots and give a few tips without invoking the rath of the boss.

Hit'em Long and Straight,
Bob

Bob

I am real happy for you to have this opportunity. I think it says a lot about your character that you doing this the "right" way and not trying to take the easy road. Glad the VA is helping you out. Guess the time you chose to serve our country is going to pay off for you in more than one way.

We all get caught up in these kinds of situations from time to time. You have to do what is best for you. You can't put yourself in a position to lose your ability to be the bread winner for your family. Don't risk losing your job over this. If you can refer them to Surge without risking you position, then that is what I would recommend. If that will cause you a problem with your boss, then you are going to just bite the bullet and your tongue for the time being. It has been decided over and over that an employer has a right to chose what their employees can do or not do while on the clock. If they can decide what web sites you can look at while you are working, they can certainly decide if you can or can not recommend a different teaching method from what they use. I have found that it is much easier to change a system while working from inside the system than it is if you are on the outside. You just finish your program and then go the extra step and get certified as a Surge Swing trainer, and then you will be able to help a lot of people. If you get tossed from you good paying job and then can't afford the time to go through the training, you won't be able to help anyone.

This is a great opportunity for you. Make the most of it. This is a blessing very few of us will ever have a chance at. By the time you get through this program I might have enough extra cash to come over and take a lesson from you. I would love that. Think about it for a minute. You can go from a regular poster on this blog to a certified Surge trainer. I hope you will be like Doc and continue to blog with us little people when you reach the top.

I am proud to call you my brother in Surge.
Dick

Bob, have you talked to the pro there and your boss about Surge at all? Given the amount of interest your ball striking raises from customers, I'd think they'd be interested in having you say, "The pro here can teach you to swing the same way." Of course, that would require logic and a lack of ego on his part to think that there are other possible ways to swing a club that can be as or more effective than the way he learned.

Dragonhead

I almost went to jail over a pair of lying eyes. Her mouth was saying "No", but her eyes were saying "Yes." Turned out the eyes were lying. By the time I figured that out, her dad had come home. That was from a long ago. I ain't like that no more. Guess I was scared straight.

Dick

Glad it helped, Kevin. Just remember that the plumb bob is illegal for use during an actual round of golf as an unusual device for assistance in aligning yourself. ;-)

Note to DJ:

A couple of days ago I suggested that it might help your putting game to see Dave Stockton. Well the brethren here jumped all over me saying you were getting better and didn't need any outside instruction. Well, I hope you prove them right and me wrong by winning at Houston and claiming that last spot at the Masters.

Surge, This is a very fascinating subject. It is also interesting to me that many of todays swings are actually vertical, ie Steve Marino, and those that go to only 3/4's,ie Steve Stricker, JB Holmes and Robert Alenby.
Additionally there are many now that incorporate the high (flying) right elbow ie. Martin Laird and the greatest golfer of all time Jack Nicklaus who was very vertical and had his back right elbow in the classic Surge position.(see 'flying right elbow' by utilizing the search box.
So there are many actually that use parts of the Surge swing to one extent or another knowingly or not. It makes sense and Surge will readily admit that not all of his ideas are exclusive or new. Some seem to be unique to him but have been gathered based on physics and physiology along with decades of playing and teaching. And in my experience, no one puts all these features together in as a complete package of how to do it all accept Don Trahan. Might I add that it is a "cheap fix" in the manner that it is the most afordable way to learn all aspects of the golf swing. My return on investment both with money spent on this program and time learning it on the range and on the golf course are all worth more than the price of the videos.
I'll look forward to the interesting and helpful comments of others on this and the rest of the.......
to be CONTINUED..........

Hi Kevin,
I think that Amos Terrell lives in the Vegas area. Maybe he would beable to steer you in the right direction. He has been very active on this blog for over a year now and knows quite a bit about the surge swing.

When I lead the downswing with a rotation of the hip, that causes the slice for me. Unlike the rotation swing, start with the arms and follow with the hips.

Steve

That story goes hand in hand with the old line "Never mess with an old man with only one old worn out gun, he probably knows how to use it."

Dick

Robert--I'm itching to get out. I put my putter in the car with a bunch of balls. I'm going tomorrow. Then next week, I'm putting my pitching wedge in the car. I'm going to callibrate my distances for backswing at 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock, etc, to full swing, and then with club face open for more loft. May as well do something constructive. Plus, its free. Happy practice to you.

Amen Amos

Thanks, Dragonhead. Looks like an interesting publication. I look forward to reading more of them.

Phillip

Like you, I never got to play golf with my father. I hope I can get him to take up golf in Heaven. There has got to be golf in Heaven. Otherwise, why would they call it Heaven? Another great thing to look forward to in Heaven is the Surge Nation blog. We won't have any nay sayers or trouble makers on the blog up there. They will be on a different blog then. Ha ha.

Dick

Jim

Good to hear from you again. Just wondering if you got my messages about having you folks over for dinner and a round when you come over here to get your son set up at OU?

Dick

DJ, I enjoyed the recent video with your Dad and now that the winner of the Arnold Palmer Tournament was using a belly putter, I feel confident/cocky that your putting stats are going to improve significantly which means a much better chance to win!
I am amazed that touring golfers who come in tied for 12th and have climbed the leader board by leaps and bounds on a Sunday cant get a little TV coverage, they have definitely got some Cliques going on out there, are you reading this Johnny?!

Robert

I too have learned a lot from reading our brother's responses to your request for infol

Just another side benefit of being a member of the Surge Nation.

Dick

Surge,
Good presentation today! I used to look at golf magazines routinely, but quit a few years ago. Why--because there were so many different opinions and suggestions about the golf swing, many of them contradictory, and most of them just conjecture, that it became more and more confusing rather than enlightening.
I have learned much from you. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Tom Kolakovich

Hi Guys,

I need to go off topic and ask for your opinions on something important.

I currently work at an indoor facility as the head maintenance man. I get paid fairly good dough and get to hit all of the range balls I want. As a result, I probably hit about two thousand shots in an average week.

I have made a ton of friends in the process. They see me banging shot after shot straight down the middle and as a result I have been getting several requests to help folks with their golf swings. The problem is, that the boss doesn't want me giving any instruction because I am not a qualified instructor.

Many of these folks are begging me for help, but all I can do is refer them to the head pro for lessons. Some of them get hurt feelings, but I don't want to antagonize the boss and maybe lose my job as a result.

In August I am attending the Professional Golfers Career College in Southern California, courtesy of the Veterans Administration. Once I complete the school, I will have my credential, and things should change. I look forward to being able to help folks, and get paid for my efforts, but in the meantime, it sort of eats at me to not be able to help anybody.

I probably already know the answer to my problem, but would like to hear from some of you folks on how I might handle the situation.

Hit'em Long and Straight,

Bob

NONONONONO!

Sorry, John, but you do NOT start with the arms. You are correct that you also do not start with a ROTATION of the hips, though. You start the forward upswing by shifting your weight from your back foot to your forward foot with a LATERAL move of the hips and knees while the head remains behind the ball. At this point the arms and club drop with gravity and swing through impact. The hips will begin to rotate as you bring your arms through, but it is a reaction, not a cause.

Dick,

The instructions for roasting the fatted calf are in scripture and on the internet - very tasty! Fortunately, I already ate supper and am not hungry at the moment ;<)

Kevin

Philip,
In had what is called trigger fingers in my right middle finger and my left ring finger. What happens when trigger fingers get real bad is the finger(s) will get stuck in the cloed fist position and a are painful. They are difficult to open again especially in the morning. But even after warmed up they occasionally would lock up during the day. Most these issues were brought on by 11 years as a proffesional massage therapist(which I still am and will resume in a couple weeks God willing).
BTW, I was blessed to play hundreds of rounds of golf with my Father. I miss both my parents and think about em every day. I have my dads old ping eye 2's and just regripped them recently.

Dick, Oi t'ink wid a name loike Kevin McGarrahan, der shud be sum Oirish stew in dere! Hahaha. No offence meant to Kevin, but with a name like yours you must have an Irish connection?
Roasting the fatted calf indeed. Looking forward to New Zealand Roast Lamb in a couple of months, ; - )

Glad to see that you are in good shape after your late night.
Right shoulder settling down, so give it a couple of days to make absolutely sure and back to swinging vertical and On On On FUS to the T Finish and Recoil yeeehaaah![Temp here today 17degC /62.4degF still in shock, but cooler weather due over the next few days : - [ but sooooooon]

Dick/Robert F/Amos/ Robert Meade give this a browse if you don't already:
ie, Decent comments on things golf!
http://digital.globalgolfpost.... It is Free and drops in my in-box every Monday morning. Good articles, news on every tour on the planet. Keep it vertical and long in Oklahoma.
Looking forward to the Shell Houston and DJ climbing the leaderboard. Good luck to him and for those able to swing, be good, and if you can't be good, be careful, and if you can't be careful, shouldn't have done it in the first place ; - ) The Surge Swing, science included is my Golf Bible.
Keep on believing.

HI BOB
SORRY ABOUT THE MISUNDERSTANDING AND ANY INCONVENIENCE TO YOU FOR THINKING THE WRONG SOLUTION ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE IN MIND.
YOU REALLY SOUND AS IF YOU ARE SO EAGER TO GET STARTED AND HELP ALL THE GOLFERS WHO ARE ASKING YOU FOR HELP....
WHY NOT HAVE A PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH YOUR HEAD PRO AT THE RANGE AND EXPLAIN THAT YOU ARE REALLY KEEN TO ENTER THE PROFESSION AND WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT IF HE CAN HELP YOU GET STARTED ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND GET YOU UNDER WAY.
YOU SOUND AS IF YOU HAVE A GOOD JOB OTHERWISE WHICH IS NICE AND IN A GOLF ATMOSPHERE SO YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE WAY AND UNDERSTAND ALT HE REQUIRMENTS THAT ARE NECCESSARY AND EXPECTED OF A QUALIFIED PGA PROFESSIONAL AND BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALSO TAKEN THE TIME TO WRITE ON THIS PAGE MEANS YOU ARE A VERY GENUINE AND JUST LOVE YOUR GOLF.
I KNOW ALSO AS A PGA PROFESSIONAL THE IMPORTANCE OF HELPING THE GOLFERS WITH THEIR PROBLEMS IN A VERY SIMPLE WAY AND IN A LANGUAGE THAT IS EASILY UNDERSTOOD ( EXACTLY AS DON DOES SO VERY WELL ) AS I KNOW SOME OF MY COLLEGUES SOMETIMES FORGET THAT THE AVERAGE GOLFERS DOES NOT KNOW ALL THE TECHNICAL LANGUAGE THAT MANY OF THE MODERN DAY TRAINERS ARE USING AND ARE ALSO VERY CLOSED TO NEW IDEAS SUCH AS DONS WHICH I AM IN FULL AGREEMENT WITH.
TALK TO YOUR PRO AND I AM SURE HE WILL LISTEN WITH AN OPEN AND INTERESTED MIND TO YOUR WISHES AND GOOD LUCK AND LET ME KNOW HOW THINGS DEVELOP FOR YOU IN THIS AREA.
DO YOU HAVE A DIRECT CONTACT E MAIL TO DON ?

GOOD LUCK
HARRY

Dick. I'm sure Surge Nation exists in Heaven, but I want to wait as long as possible to find out!

Lol

Phillip

Phillip

Now that would be fun. I have traveled long distances across the state to do several inspections over a couple of days. They made it worth my while to travel. Unfortunately, your state will probably not recognize my out of state inspector's license. Any time I can work part of the day and golf the rest is a great day in my book.

I should put that on my fliers. "If you need A home or mold inspection in the state of Oklahoma, I will do it for $225. If you live more than a two hour drive from Oklahoma City, there will be extra fees for travel, unless you provide me with room and board for one night and a round of golf." I wonder how that would sell? It might help me corner the market. Could golf be a tax deduction if I talked about inspections with a customer while we play? My wife just came out on the patio and I read her my reply to you. She thinks I got hit in the head with a driver.

Dick

My body is an unusual device. Does that mean I can't play in sanctioned tournaments? :-0

To the guy who Surge was commenting on today, I would like to say that everyone who golfs uses their arms, its just to varying degrees and I cannot deny the success I have had with the Surge Swing, I love going to golf or to the range and knowing exactly what I need to work on and hitting good golf shots. I took my wife to the range the other day, she has not touched a golf club in 4 1/2 years and within 30 minutes she was hitting decent shots off a tee with a 5 wood and within and hour, she was hitting a pitching wedge in the air, we then took it to the course and she had spent all her energy in 9 holes but she hit some nice shots and even made a birdie due to dropping a long put on a par 4, all using the Surge Swing.