Since I released my latest video, The Ultimate Alignment Video, I've gotten many positive responses about how much the video has helped drive home the key points of proper alignment. I provide brand new information in the video and a lot of Surgites have really credited it with drastically improving their game.
One woman who purchased the video is Judy McLain. She wrote in to say that the video brought it all together for her. It really helped her grasp the idea of the vertical swing. She uses the terms "vertical alignment" and "vertical position" in her letter, which I think is a great way for you all to think of alignment.
Thank you for this video. I was having a problem with alignment (going left or right). But, when you showed the VERTICAL ALIGNMENT it came together. I think I can at least adjust my swing now, not that I am a perfect golfer. I played 9 holes with the women but at least at 74 following a brain clot in June, I think I can improve. I know you told us about the VERTICAL POSITION but it just didn't click.
Thanks again,
Judy
When you walk into a golf ball and you put your club on the target line (aiming at the target) and put your feet parallel left of it, I call that the toe line. Now, this is really important. Everytime you hear me talk about toe line or even mention it, always remember that the toe line becomes the line for our entire body. Your knees, hips, shoulders, and eyes all have to be parallel left of the aiming line and in harmony with your toe line all the way up your body. That is what Judy is calling the vertical alignment position (VAP).
Most golfers get into trouble by aiming to the right. Since they're aimed right, it's impossible for them to approach the ball on the aiming line. So they start coming over the top to get back to the line. This is because all the body parts that should be lined up together are not. The brain then starts to manufacture ways to help you hit the ball straight at your target. It does this unconsciously in an effort to help your body make an easier swing. This can all be avoided by simply lining up everything parallel left of your aiming line.
Remember, toe line always includes the position of the toes, knees, hips, shoulders, and eyes. The only turn we need is about 70 degrees of shoulder turn, which turns us only as far as the toe line. After that, it's all lift.
I really enjoy hearing from our female golfers, so please keep sending in your questions and comments ladies! Let the vertical swing be known!
To learn more, watchThe Ultimate Alignment Video and you could have results like Judy!
Keep it vertical...and parallel!
The Surge
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Comments
Alignment starts with an "A" for a reason
Surge Nation
Alignment starts with an "A", and our swing must start with Alignment. Surge always says it does us no good to hit a great shot to the wrong place. I knew that feeling well. If you have not gotten the Ultimate Alignment Video, you are cheating yourself. It is that good. I have started using the Surge's extended hand to help with the alignment.
It works,
Dick
Vertical alignment
Surge- I smiled when you said that a high percentage of your students suffer from misalignment. I offer up a possible why. The "eyes' have it. I have tossed this idea to many folks. It has struck a cord with everyone.
Situation:
Right handed golfer, left eye dominant. Left-handed golfer, right eye dominant. The dominant eye takes over and tricks the mind.
Result:
It forces me, a lefty, to line up closed every time. Dang!!
Solution:
For that reason I need to trust my non- dominant eye, my left eye, to do the work. It neutralizes the dominance, and allows me to set up square by visualizing vertical alignment BEHIND the ball, not in front of it, and not influenced by the dominant eye.
Result:
Like magic, vertical alignment made easy.
Can't believe this is not a common teaching tool. I have heard no one speak to this concept.
Am I missing something?
Thanks, Terry
Alignment together with my two Chinese laddies.
Alignment ad nauseum,is the only way. The eyes being level as well, woke this laddie up! That together with Tai-Ming and Tem-po and today was another day to savour. Finished 18holes by 9-20am, home for a late breakfast and a post mortem on the round. 3W off the tee, was straight down the middle. Pitching, Chipping and Putting were top notch. Pitching to 3ft, 4ft, and 5ft, a breeze. The best a half PW right down the shaft [thought I had pulled it ever so slightly left towards the sucker pin position. Pin left front of the green, very close to a steep sloping bank to the creek!!!], almost onto the steel shaft. Imagine my surprise when I got to the elevated green to see the ball nestling 6" to the right of the hole!!!
Chipping from just off the greens was incredible. Normally I would have used a putter, but the chips were on line all the way and length on long ones great for easy tap ins. That for those which didn't drop and that was a few.
Even from the very lush early morning rough, the PW and 9iron were flawless. All down to Surge and the Surge nation. My timing was much improved and the tempo much more consistent. Off out onto the deck for another swing in a few minutes, to hone in the tempo. Next round day after tomorrow early again. Alignment,timing and tempo the order of the day. Such simple things but CRITICAL to me. Today's video againt emphasized the importance of ALIGNMENT! Dick Lee makes a very good point in encouraging us to stop cheating ourselves out of one topic which is 95% of the problem we all suffer from.
Hit them straighter and more consistently. DH in hot and windy NZ : - )
Align to?
Most people I see have problems with alignment because they don't know what they are aligning parallel to. They can't resist looking down the target line. That's when eye dominance causes the feet to be aligned right and the act of looking down the line causes the shoulders to be open to the closed foot line.
Once the target line has been established on the ground through the ball it should be no harder to walk into the parallel left line with the feet equal distance from the target line than it is to walk up to the edge of a rug on the floor and place the feet an equal distance from the edge of the rug. You could put a patch over either eye and still have no problem putting the feet an equal distance from the edge of the rug but the most simple and most comfortable without struggling with depth perception is to use both eyes. The line is right in front of you (the target doesn't exist).
At that point every part of your body is parallel to the line.
Well said
The dominant eye can mess you up.
I really like how you put that aligning along the line in front of you instead of looking to the target is a lot easier. Trying to get the body lines parallel to the line when turning the head is really difficult. Swinging along the line in front of you also helps out when faced with those shots that don't fit your eye.
This hits home pretty strong as i just did a ball fitting test at the indoor mat at the club repair business I do business with. Hit a driver 30 or so times with a number of balls and the line on the mat and the receivers for the computer made lining up the same way every time a simple task. The upshot is they hadn't seen any one in a while who hit the ball down the line every time. I can thank Surge for giving us the fundamentals to do this.
The upshot of the test was I aimed a touch to the right giving a launch angle 1-2* too high and with a spin rate a 100 rpm too low to achieve maximum distance. Their figures said an additional 15 yards was possible. This is the kind of information you can get from going to a certified fitter like Doc and let him get the shaft and head that works for you. The club I used was a demo SuperFast 2.0 Tour Preferred and pretty similar to my gamer.
Extended hand and VAP
First, kudos to Judy. 74. health issues and there she is on the golf course and enjoying life the best she can. Super example for all the Surge Faithful:)
Dick,
In my comment yesterday I called it the "4 finger salute".
Don't know for sure but I think those of us who purchased it and now understand what the extended hand concept is about (along with several other key great ideas Don shared) that made it the "ultimate" alignment video, well we are not real eager to "tell all". I'm biting my tongue.
Meanwhile I can tell you that it has already helped Cindy and I. We thought she understood parallel left and but after she watched it with me and then I demoed the extended hand as we played the other day she had a lights came on moment and now she is setting up almost perfect every time.
I agree with you completely that many are missing out if they don't add the UAL to their Surge library and give it full attention.
Okay Dick so let's agree on a Surge 'ism' for the extended hand.
How about the 4FS
and let's make sure we're VAP too!
Use all your fingers when you wave at me
Robert
4FS it is for me. It works great. I like the VAP too. If we can do that, we will have all our body boxes Surge talks about square to the toe line.
I am just glad Surge uses all 4 fingers when he waves at the people up ahead of him. Just don't goose step up the ball.
Dick
4FS?
Robert,
Is that a 4FSalute the US way or the British Forces way ; - ) ? heh heh heh. The latter would be my choice, as being closer to palms parallel throughout the swing.
Whatever or whichever it is, glad that it has made a difference. DH in Sunny NZ boohoo, boohoo! Early start in the morning on the hallowed turf. Keep on 4FS'ing and spreading the message.
4FS
It is the short for what Surge teaches in the new UAV. Just made it up. We'll see if it sticks. If you bought it you'll understand.
I will tell you that it is neither the US or Brit way:)
Nice to hear you're getting some sun. Hopefully the winds will be calm.
Good golfing to you!
Alignment
What do you mean when you say parallel left or parallel right when speaking of alignment?
Ron
"Parallel left"
Parallel left is simply the body (feet, knees, hips, shoulders, and eyes) all being parallel to the intended target line.
I have a bag of carrots
Surge Nation
I got the big orange Enlow grips on all the rest of my sticks today. Prior to changing the grips, I hit several shots with each of my irons, woods, and hybrid. I recorded the average distance, club head speed, and yards off center. I also recorded the swing weight for each club. I am going to do the same with all my sticks prior to working on the swing weights on each one. I want to see if just putting the new grips on will change any of those numbers. If they are different, in the wrong direction, I will take the swing weight back towards where it was, and do the samples again.
When I changed to the new grip on my 913 driver, it dropped the swing weight from D1 to C2. I took the swing weight back up to C9, and found that felt very comfortable for me. After I got the swing weight on the driver where I wanted it, I did my own tests on different lengths for it. I took off a 1/2" at a time. I would regrip the driver and hit balls over a couple of days, and record the results. I went all the way down to 43 1/2". I ended up with a finished driver with the Enlow grip at 43 3/4". I lost just under 5 yards distance from where I started to where I finished. I am willing to take that trade off, as over the last 3 weeks or so on the monitor I am hitting right at 85% of the fairways. In the two rounds I have played since finishing my big stick, that % has held up. I will gladly make that trade. I hope it has the same results with the rest of my sticks.
I just need to sand all my shafts and paint them red, and do the heads in green, and I will have a salad theme going. Sorry, I had to sneak a food thought in there.
Keeping it vertical, and loving my carrots, in Oklahoma,
Dick
Carrots
Carrots, Dick?? Really?? What ever happened to root beer floats? Is this a new golf slim diet? Vegan grips?
Ok, I feel better now. Just suffering golf withdrawl. Weather here since I got back from New Orleans has not been conducive to chasing the little white ball. Enjoy your carrots.
Carrots?
Lynn42, There ain't nuthin' wrong with ma night vision friend. Carrots aplenty in my diet. My new daughter in law is a Vegan. My son has exotic tastes like his old man ; - ) Sorry can't share the sunny hot weather we are having here in godzone Lynn. Early start on the morrow for more golf, yeeeha!
Another interesting experiment in prospect tomorrow. Let's see how they perform.
Ti-Ming and Tem-po after GBSAPS paying attention to ALIGNMENT of eyes, down to toes. Slowing down my desire to massacre the wee white pills works wonders. Most times slower is further and straighter. Keep warm and snug. DH in NZ
Alignment
DH, just checked the weather for later today here. May be able to sneak in a round. BTW...raw carrots are one of my favorites. Don't tell Dick.
Very good points by Surge on alignment, something I constantly work on. I tend to open my shoulders left if I don't remind myself. Enjoy your weather and hit em long and straight.
X'ed out
DH,
I tend to open left shoulder too. I have a little last move in my et up that helps. With my caddie behind me (Cindy:) after we are sure my feet are aligned correctly PL we then make sure all else is VAP, especially my shoulders. I find that if my feet and shoulders are VAP, all else is too. The last second move is lifting the shoulder arm unit up oast waste level and then settling back down into accordian position PLHR making sure my right shoulder is back, down and soft. Basically the naster set up move.
No vegan here pal
Lynn
I like my veggies more than the next guy. But, worry not pal, no vegan in my future. I like eaten them, and wearing them, too much to go that route.
No root beer float in Lee's castle tonight. Alas, I had the last of the ice cream last night while reading the blog. I am jonesing pal. This could be considered an emergency, couldn't it? Maybe I should call 911. I could tell the dispatcher I need an officer out here. Give them a couple minutes to dispatch the unit, and then call them back and say "Since you folks are sending some officers out to my house, could you ask if they will stop by the 7-11 and pick me up some ice cream? That should make the voices stop talking to me."
If you folks don't hear from me for 3 or 4 days, that means I tried my idea, and they didn't like it too much.
Dick
I have a chef/dietician/caddy etc hahaha!
Good to see that you are getting into the business seriously Dick lad! Good to see. Will keep my eyes open for the new Surge fitter when you come of age ; - ) You could do it, I am sure.
Looking forward to watching the Pebble Beach event this coming weekend. How is DJ doing in qualifying? Do you know?
Keep on checking and letting us know the results of your research mate. I will pass a silent moment at the Marine Memorial at our course in the morning and pay my respects.4F's to you Semper Fi!
Regards from DH in NZ
If you are not going all the way, stay home
DH
I love doing this stuff. I have to do a lot of reading, and club work and have it all checked out as I go through the certified club tech program. I learn so much every day. It is fun to see how each little thing we change makes something different happen. There are so many variables. It almost makes me dizzy. But I am soaking it all up.
I am also reading and studying a great book. "PGA Teaching Manual - The Art and Science of Golf Instruction." Of course, they primarily deal with the rotational swing. I just chock it up to them not knowing any better. But, the stuff about teaching styles and the club and ball flight characteristics are very interesting.
I am going to keep on till I make my head explode. Better wrap it in duct tape before I go into work at the shop latter today.
Semper Fi back at you, you old war dog. Have a great round.
Dick
swing weight
Dick, if you don't mind me asking, which swing weight machine are you using?
Is it one you own or use through the shop your at? i maybe in themarket for one soon and am looking several over on line. Considering a frequency matching tool too.
enjoyed reading your post about fitting your driver and sticks with the Enlows.
i liked 'em but the 144 grams was a bit challenging to balance after all. Switched back to a lighter grip for my Mizuno's. Still have the Jumbo Max which are 107 grams on my Original PPGS fit graphite Vega/Adams irons. May try the Enlows on them as it seems a better swing weight fit.
Thanks a lot for this video.
Thanks a lot for this video. It has really helped me to understand the alignment.
http://www.steamarena.com
alignment parallel left for toe line
I wonder if the emphasis on having the toe line parallel left of the target might be a bit confusing to some. For a target at a100 yds the difference between toes pointing directly at the target and toes exactly parallel to the target is only 1/8 inch. Hardly detectable when setting up to hit the ball.
Obviously the toe line parallel to the target line is critical but I think the emphasis should be on toe line parallel to the target line. If the target line is correct and the toes are parallel to that line they will automatically be "parallel left" (a point which is in fact only about 2 ft left of the actual target).
Parallel left?
First of all I completely agree with you that all that matters is setting up parallel to the intended target line.
What you will see when sighting down the toe line or the alignment rod is that you won't be either "1/8 inch at 100 yards" or "a point 2 feet left of the actual target" like you stated.
Instead the alignment rod on the toe line will be sighted at a point several yards left of the actual target at 100 yards and will appear to point progressively more and more yards left of target as the distance from the target increases.
Vertical Alignment
Hi Surge. You have referred in the today's video to the "toe line".
When I flare my feet out, because of a right knee problem, I do not flared then each to the same amount so the tips of my toes are not be parallel to each other. In such circumstances where should the "toe line" be?
Extra front foot flare
Here is a little bit from Surge about backing the foot with the extra flare off of the toe line.
https://swingsurgeon.com/daily-video-tips/alternative-rolling-over-ankle
There is a snake in the hen house
Brady
This keeps showing up on the blog doing commercials for different sites.
inter4522@gmail.com
Are you folks able to block them or wipe out the juke they keep posting?
Dick
Hyperlink to "Snake" or Worm?
I'm no expert but I would be afraid to click on that link to check it out if you are having problems with it.
Maybe some kind of virus?
Whenever I click on this site (and lots of other sites) my computer says it's only showing secure content and asks if I want to display all content, and I always decline.
I did not go there
Steve
I did not go to the site, but they keep putting ads on the blog.
I never open a site unless I know the sender.
Dick
Adds
My computer must be blocking those adds because I don't see any.