Make the Swing Your Own

My golfing buddy helped me last spring with Surge's swing. He was a little ahead of me in technique but we are close now. We both have a flaw we tell each other about if we see it. He gets in the SBG in his back swing (flat) and I'm in it on the follow through. I can't explain it but my swing speed is at least 10 mph faster with a double overlap grip like Jim Furyk. We checked it on a swing monitor and it would show 10-12 mph faster and lower spin rate with the driver with the double overlap. I feel like I'm swinging slower but the ball just goes farther. I'm going to stay with this grip this spring and see how it holds up. I don't know if this grip works with my body type and my idea of Don's swing or what, but it seems to work for me.

Probably the best drill is the "Butt on the wall" drill. You iether want to have a cover on your club or a carpet protecting your clubhead and wall from swing back into the wall. This is a back swing only drill. What you do is take your set up with your back toward the wall (your"butt" on the wall). Again probably outside against a tall brick wall or the house- be careful. Start slow and cautiously at first, you'll notice that if you swing too far back you'll hit or strike the wall. Of course the object is to avoid hitting the wall on the way back.
Additionally there is a series of lessons recorded with Don and a student"Chris" concerning that "flying right elbow". There in Surge helps us see that it is imperative to alow that back elbow(the right elbow for righties) to come up in that appearant "flying elbow" position in order to get vertical and "stand the club up".(NOT tucked against our sides as taught by many today. Remember, the greatest golfer of all time braught that right elbow up and he was very vertical on his back swing. Being this vertical will feel odd for a while and you'll naturally start getting back into the SBG over time if you don't ingrain these drills and periodically video tape your swing to see if your vertical or not.
These drills and other articles/videos can found by utilizing the valuable tool at the far top right of this page where it says SEARCH POSTS. I'm always surprised how few fellow bloggers use this free tool to search the vast library of archived articles on hundreds of questions and topics.
Good luck and good golfing.

Phillip, Here is my standard DISQUS reply, through the magic of cut and paste. Good luck.

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Clearly something about the grip allows your hands to snap through the impact zone more quickly. You may want to check out the forward mitt and tree drill that Jac posted about (including a video of his doing the drill) in the comments to one of the newer blogs. It's a very easy drill to help you remember not to get wide on the follow through.

Dick

Didn't play yesterday...honeydo stuff. I don't go near a course on the weekend. Weather was perfect yesterday...low 70's. I've been watching NCAA tourney games and just read some more of WK's neverending BS. If I respond....wellll...Let's just say I better not go there.

I got the stuff together for Doc...I think.

Hope your day was good..

LynnF

SURGE:

GOOD post as always - and timely too.

Using myself as an example, I use a slightly wider stance than you recommend, with a little more foot flare, do to issues with balance and a somewhat weak left ankle. Apparently I too have "slow hands" -- ball position about 1/2 ball forward of the recommended placement seems to work best for me.

May cost me a few yards, but I am "Hell for Dtraight" -- I few people that I play with call me "Mr. Automatic" -- as far as hitting fairways is concerned. Now if I could only earn that title for hitting greens! LOL

Hence, by neccesity, I have a good short game. I remeber the old description of Hubert Green -- "he's got a wedge, a putter and a ton of guts" -- in may case make it 4 wedges, an ancient Bullseye putter and more guts than your average whale! LOL

Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

Amos

Thanks. Will need to upload pic from my home PC.

Phillip

Off-Topic but concerns the Fitter Location Map

This used to be under the Academy (along with the Golf Schools - still there) but is now missing.
Hope it can be restored and that we soon see a fitter located in the UK
Pedro

Lynn

I think we have all been there with the honey do list. I really hate it when life gets between me and the course. I think the woman God put in my life is starting to come around. She had some stuff she wanted me to do around our home this afternoon. I was very pleasantly taken aback when she said, "Honey why don't you go down to the range for a couple of hours while I go grocery shopping, and you can take care of those things later when it is dark." Let me say that she did not have to tell me that twice.

I don't even read that little troll under the bridge's posts any more. He is a waste of my time.

I hope the fitting works out great for you. We are all waiting to see your outcome.
Dick

Robert, finger pumping golf story for the day
Subject = Keith Pepper (continued)
Some years ago (about 5 perhaps) Keith had shot lower than his age more than 800 times
He now plays about 3 times a week
So he beats his age approximately 150 times a year
My dates are a bit hazy but he has to have beaten his age way more than 1000 times
Handy I guess

To Terry,
Hey T. thanks for the advice and tips concerning Disqus, it seems that gravatar is under avatar there. Anyway, I guess I got it figured out and was able to post mt picture again. I went with a differant photo on the golf course a few months ago.
BTW, how are your hands now? Did the shots help? I got shots for my hands twice over a one year period before I finally got the trigger point surgery. It would help but it was always temporary. Is'nt everything in this life? Anyhow hope your hands are strong enoug to play again now. Get you through another season, right?! I'm anxious to hear how your long disatnce club fitting goes.
Keep us posted. Hope your having a great week end. I'm home bound recovering.

Dick, if you buy the swingrite, be sure and get it on Doc Griffins web site. It is discounted there.

Thanks, Robert

I'll check it out. I seem to always forget the important "T finish". We've already paid for our driving range fees, so we can work on stuff as much as we want. It is so much fun this year because most of the basic swing thoughts are still intact. Our friend, Al, has been wanting to learn Surge's swing this year, so it will be fun helping him. And really, whose swing isn't a work in progress? :)

Dick,

I like your wife's attitude. I think she might just be a keeper. I think I found her sister...lol. I usually get a call mid morning asking if I'm going to play because it's a nice day. Retirement is not easy because there are no days off...lol. So ocasionally I have to do something constructive to justify chasing the little white ball.

As for our resident snake oil salesman, my Irish has a response all ready and I'm resisting the urge to melt down my keyboard. Not sure if I can do that. You know stress is caused by resisting the urge to tell someone they're acting like an *** when they desperately deserve it. I have a REAL problem sitting here watching someone's character and reputation being attacked by what looks to me to be an obvious fraud. I think he should run for office because he's selling "hope and change" that nobody can believe in.

OK..geting down off my soapbox.

Lynn F

Surge, You have once again helped us to see that there is some "wiggle room" within the perameters of the Surge swing. We need to just not over cook it and make compensations and compromise the basics. As far as ball position I heard Fuzzy Zoeller give a great way to see the optimum position for our ball even on a given day. Take a 6 iron (for example) and take several swings noticing where our divot starts. That's here our omptimum ball position is for that day. Then we adjust slightly back or forward for our other clubs. Thought that was a cool idea. Give it a try and see if it helps you.

Robert, The cortesone shot was for my left thumb knuckle nearest the wrist. Bone on bone and about 50% out of proper alignment of the joint halfs. There is a surgery where they take a ligament from the forearm and use it to realign the joint halfs. I may have it next winter. At this point the shots helped a lot. I had to ice the thumb the first 24hrs, it was really sore and swollen after the shots, but within 2-3 days it started feeling fine again. It still has some discomfort, but not near what i had before the shots. I've had several cortesone shots in my feet before for plantar fasciitis and the shots do hurt, but the feed were a breeze comparred to the thumb knuckle. I have a complete physical scheduled for Wen morning, i'm gonna have to get on a regular med for arthritis i guess. I'll keep you posted on the fitting. At some point i do see him to get all of my stats from a launch monitor and other various equipment. He says all of his stuff is portable and there is a driving range located about half way between us that he plans on using when we get to that point in the process.

Dragonhead, nice to hear from you. I'm healing fine so far thanks. Just cooling it at this point watchin the golf and reading lots. looks like you have a fairly decent golf web site there at Golf Box.cn. Take care,
Robert Meade

Steve
Thanks for the info on the SwingRite. I will have to look into that when the slush fund has enough in it. I can say that because my loving wife does not read this blog. Just in case she ever does, Honey this was written by a different Dick Lee from Oklahoma, not me.

Sorry you game didn't work out like we all hoped it would. You said today was the money game. The only problem with that is we have no way of knowing when we start which way the money will be going when the game is over.

As you know, I have been spending over 80% of my time on my short game and putting. It is really starting to come around for me. I often think back to one of the videos where I saw Surge and DJ talking about how we should be dividing our practice time between the short game and the long game. I want to be able to hit it like Amos says "Long and straight." I work on the long stuff for a few minutes at the end of each trip to the range. I look at it like this. No matter how good I get with the driver, I still only swing it 14 times in a round. The other 90 shots are with the rest of my bag of tricks. I have noticed something during all my range time lately. I see a lot of people working on the driver for an hour, hitting a bucket or even two buckets of balls. Then they walk over to the chipping green and hit a half dozen shots, then on over to putting green and putt for 5 minutes. Then they are in the car and gone. I know everyone has to decide for themselves what they want to work on. I just have to work with what Surge recommends of this issue, because like everything else I have learned from him, it works for me and my game. Even when I had my game on, back in the time prior to my injuries, when I used to consistently shoot in the mid to upper 70s, my driver work was nothing to brag about. My short game was always the strongest part of my game. I guess that is the part that tears me up the most with trying to get better. I am determined to get as good as I can be with it again, even if it never gets back to where it was. There are two things that just push my button during a round. The first is three putting. I am trying to learn to not be so hard on myself on that point. It just makes me nutty. The other is what was bothering you during your last round. Having to chip twice on the same hole sends me over the edge. I learned a long time ago that one way to be happy most of the time is to not set my standards way too high. Ha ha. I don't have to be 3' from the pin after a chip to be happy. I am satisfied so long as after a chip the next club I am using is a putter. I don't mind if I am looking at a 30' putt, so long as it is a putt and not another chip. That ain't asking too much, is it?

Hope you all have a great day tomorrow.

Dick

Surge: Thank you for the very timely input on PPGS parameters. I also appreciate you mentioning the importance of making a video of our swing. Pictures don't lie, and with a simple video, we can see what is going on with our swing and make adjustments. Great blog! R2

Steve
Sounds like the cards were stacked against you from the start. At least you were on the course. The blue monster in Doral has one of those island greens. I used to hit a couple of balls into the water, then go drop one and putt.

I am off to church. I will check in on you folks later. Those of you who are playing today, I hope the wind is at you back, and Surge is on your mind.

Dick

Jerry,

Get an alignment rod or one of those reflector sticks you put on the edge of your walk or driveway before it snows. Take your stance with your toes on the rod which should extend a couple feet behind your back foot. When you lift your left arm (this assumes you are a righty) up the tree, it should cover the rod, and you should not be able to see it. If you can see it, you have angled your arm back and you are likely in the SBG. Also, the upper part of your left arm should contact your chin. If your left shoulder is going under your chin, you are getting into the SBG.

Jack, this guy Keith is amazing!

Okay here's my ha ha for the day,
When discussing learning something new about our golf Tom Wishon says,
It is,"derived from a time -honored research technique called: "Hey, I wonder what would happen if I do it like this."

Deep thoughts shared by Robert M.

Lynn
Yes, she is a keeper. I actually got her to go hit some balls with me the other day. Glad there is at least two of them. My mother in law says that when dad retired she got twice as much husband with half as much money.

You know they have changed their slogan from "Yes we can" to "Well hell, we thought we could." As we say on my side of the room, "You can keep your hope and change, and I will just keep my Bible and my guns." I had to stop reading his horse hockey. I thought I would have to duct tape my head to keep it from exploding. Then I realized I was just feeding his mental illness and playing into his hand. People like that are like being in a ping pong game. Every time I hit it back, they just hit it back with a different spin on it. I have learned to just put my paddle down. Game over.

I agree with what you said about not playing on the weekends. Too darn crazy for me then. That is one of the great things about being retired and now running my own inspection business. I make my own schedule. So, any time the weather is what we want it to be, dad and I can put together a round in very short order any day we can sneak out there.

Dick

I'll second that, Roy. I had my wife shoot some video of my swing recently, and it looked very different from what I was feeling. Too laid off and too long. I've since been working on it, and hitting the ball better than ever.

If you haven't videoed your swing lately, I strongly advise it.

Jim

I live in Norman. What part of the state are you from? If you are close enough, would love to meet another fan of the Surge, and play a round.

Dick

Robert

Or, should I say Dr. Robert? Hope you had a great day. How are the paws doing?
Dick

Paws are doing okay. Changed the bandages yesterday and saw there are three stiches on my left hand and five on my right. They looked to be healing nicely. I'm scheduled to have them removed on the 29th.

Ronnie, Sorry to hear the bad news. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I just got back from the doctor myself after having a complete physical. We're going to try some different meds for the arthritis problems i'm having. I haven't actually been able to hit any balls yet this spring due to the hand soreness, but i hope to get to before too long. Good luck to you.

Dick, Good to see the little woman is coming around to your way of thinking ; - ) Glad to see that you and the others are all coming on in leaps and stumbles heh heh heh. See the boys are whumping the bejaysus out of Libya. One of the places used to be called 'Wheelus United States Airforce Base' 13 kms in those days from Tripoli on the coast road. Remember it well. It was there I saw "Dr Strangelove" and how I stopped worrying and learned to love the bomb!
Come home safe guys.
Pity about DJ at the Transitions, caught a fleeting glimpse of his lovely par three shot, featured by GolfBox.cn It will come right DJ, just persevere and stop worrying, "JUST DO IT!" To Robert Meade, you will be A-OK I am sure, keep on swinging friend. Lots of physiotherapy and don't overdo the ball beating until you are free of pain for a while. Start with no balls at all [difficult anatomically speaking, but you know what I mean]heh heh heh.

Tried to log on and join disqus, it would be easier for me a foreigner to join the PLA here in China. Must be the set up I have here. Never mind, patience for a couple of months more and that will make life a lot easier.
Family playing cards [without me]the Card Olympics I call it. I am excused from playing. I do OK with one pack of cards, but FOUR Packs!!!!!!!
So I have been gently swining the old 8 iron and 'testing the waters'. Have made some full swings and seems OK. Will give it a few hours and repeat the test ; - ) My wife's nephew who is playing is an ITNerd, he is going to try sourcing a laser pointer here.That will keep me out of mischief for a little while.
Lynn42 the best thing anyone can do for a troll like that, is to just IGNORE the faecalith!
Responding only gives them the attention they crave. If it pleases you give it both barrels and unload on him. I usually save up my [Scots/Irish] venom for pieces of detritus like that and nasty beggars.
It is a good training aid actually,ie, It is like ignoring distractions whilst on the course ; - )

Snake oil salesman? Loved the one this morning I read in some newspaper: "Ronald Reagan earned the title, "The Great Communicator" and now a certain gentleman visiting Brazil [lots of nuts there hahaha]while the guys are doing his reluctant bidding, has earned the title, "The Great Vascillator"

Great to see that you are managing to get out and about to play and practice. Your warmup routine of around 15 minutes is like a marathon for most golfing nuts. I shorten it by using a heat pack [3mins in the microwave], by warming up the shoulders with it and stretching them.Seems to work a treat.

On that warm note, I bid you all a pleasant day, keep it long and straight Dick, Lynn42,Robert Meade,Steve Smith, T.Medley, JackOz, PhilNZ,Amos, Jim Wile, and all the other staunch Surgite Clan.
To those who are in pain [a lot of us], it is a little like banging your head against a brickwall,ie, When you stop, it is great. Our goal is to battle through and win. GBSAPS remember make your swing UNIQUE and make it yours.

Surge, I have been using the Surge Swing for over a year. I am enjoying relatively pain free golf now. The dispersion of my shots has narrowed as a result. Question: my son watches me swing occasionally and tells me at the top of my swing the shaft is at 1:00 rather than 12:00 as you teach; is that an acceptable deviation? Please elaborate.
Thanks for all of your tips and your video series!

Thanks guy for all your help. I already have a reflector stick, but I was just using it to check my parallel left allignment (yes, I'm right handed). I didn't think to use it for my swing.

Thanks again,
Jerry

T-

You have a remarkable outlook for all you have going on. Inspiring, my friend. Cheers.

Hopefully your Dr. has discussed it, but ongoing cortisone can begin to have diminishing returns. The surgery & with great physical therapy may indeed be a good call. High quality glucosamine and chondroitin can be helpful, but your situation sounds beyond that.

And to all Surge-ites who live where the sun doesn't shine much in this time of year,
Vitamin D (D3) is a must. It is very inexpensive, but it also has a huge amount of clinical support demonstrating many benefits.

And Don, this was a great video. Each of us does indeed bring our uniqueness that will require some adaptation and tweaking. Thanks for encouraging the pursuit of that.

Wishing you all the best,

Simply Golf

T. and Simply,
I too have had the shots and yes we should limit them because of adverse long term effects. Yes i too do lots of vitamins and fis oil, and all thatjoint stuff. Another great one that you can actually feel the differance is Sam -E. Great for joints and a mild anti-depressant or mood enhancer. Very subtle but I can tell the difference. I've always been big on vitamin C too. All I can tell you is I never get sick. have'nt had a cold or flu in decades. I don't do the flu shots. No way! The first thing I'll ask anyone who has a cold/flu is,"Are you taking vitamin C on regular basis?" Normally the answer is something like, "Oh, I try". Try means they don't. Hmmmn... wonder why they're sick?

So sorry to learn of your troubles. All my best to you!

Surge

I'm happy to hear you say that about ball position because I do vary it from your norm depending on club and on any given day since we're not all alike. I took the advice of many here, including you, and did a video of my swing. Yikes, scary stuff. Vast improvement over my old rotational swing, but not nearly what I thought I was doing. I was still too far into the SBG. Something you mentioned some time back hit me so I grabbed my driver and went to the back yard. I found that flaring my front foot out beyond the 30 degrees you've stated did 2 things for me. My backswing was much more vertical and the FUS was much more on, on and on down the line to a smother T finish. As I've said before my game is a work in progress, but I really am looking forward to testing this one idea the next time out.

Thanks for the tip.

LynnF

Surge, I had an incredible experience today. I was at a golf show, and was invited to try a new training aid called the Helicopter Golf Training Aid. It is supposed to help you keep a visual on your club while you swing. On my first try, the instructor/salesman stopped me in my back swing and I found I was already in the SBG.Then he took my hands and guided me back through the target line into the catcher's mitt, then straight up the tree, then back down the target line into the forward catcher's mitt and up to the T finish. He didn't say any of that out loud but it was exactly what you've been preaching. I know you've been through this a thousand times, but do you have any drills to keep us from getting into the SBG?

Robert, Amos, Dick, Robert F, TM.....

Please advise on bringing Pic back via Disqus

Thanks Phillip

Robert

So pal, are you still going to chat with us on the blog now that you got to the big time? Congrats on being the subject of a daily video. You go boy. I think the only way I could be there would be if I posted a video and Surge or Doc used it as what not to let happen to your swing.

At least I can tell everyone I knew you and chatted with you before you became famous.

As always, Surge makes it easy to understand how we have to make it our own. I am glad he accepts and encourages those of us with physical issues to make it fit our abilities. I guess that is why I am so darn quick to jump to his defense when some moron jumps on the blog just long enough to take a cheap shot, stir up some crap, and then run off and hide.

Thanks for all the time you spend explaining some the tech stuff and giving us all great past video references to answer questions.

Dick

T. You are an inspiring man.

No doubt Golfcat. I do it all. Never sure how much alot of it is doing for me. But I am convinced that a healthier diet and vitamins help. We're all headed for dust, meanwhile if we can take care of what measure of health we have that's our choice up to a point. When I read of the physical challenged of many of my friends on this blog it helps me keep things in perspective and certainly not complain about my minor aches and pains.

Dragonhead

Sure is great to hear from you my friend. Sounds like all is well with you and yours.

Yes, our chief nut has jumped out of the tree. Don't worry, he left the rest of the can of nuts up there running around. Sometimes I get the feeling we are all living the old "Whos on first" skit. The only problem with that is this ain't a joke. If we get tired of hearing his whining, we can just unplug his teleprompters. He can't carry on a conversation without them.

As to the "snake oil salesman", I took your advice a long time ago and just ignore him. I call him the little troll who lives under the bridge, and every so often has to run out and take a shot at someone. He could make me start drinking. That would just be a waste of great booze.

Keep our sons and all the countless other brave men and women who are carrying Old Glory and the standards of a lot of other great nations into the valley of the shadow of death in your prayers.

We will hold down the fort until we hear from you again.

Lads, I join Dragonhead in bidding you all a pleasant day on the morrow. With that thought, I turn my part of the blog over to the mid night shift. I am hitting the rack so I can get my 5 hours of beauty sleep before I get up for church.

Parting is such sweat sorrow,
Dick

Thanks for picking up and running with that topic, Surge. And very helpful as always. I know I've always played my ball position a little further back than normal recommendations, but it works for me.

Cheers.

Robert

That is a great reminder about the butt drill. It helped me a lot. I just have to be real careful when I do that drill from now on. I don't want to crush Roy's head between my butt and the wall. I knew I was in trouble with that totally innocent post as soon as I sent it. As much trash as I talk and dish out on here, I had better be able to take it, and I can. I laughed until I hurt when I saw the replies on that post. I just have to remember the old saying, "No good deed ever goes unpunished."

With all the orange in the new pic, you could be an OSU Cowboys fan.

Dick

Dick,
I just like sunset colors. My closet is full of red, orange and yellows.So let the sun shine in, face it with a grin.