Before I traveled overseas to Europe, I was busy heading up some golf schools in Allen, Texas. Dave Seeman, Doc Griffin, and I shot some videos over the course of the few days that we were there. I'd like to share one of them with you today.
We actually had a lot of knowledgeable Surgites that attended the school, but there was still one thing that most of them struggled with. Can you guess what it was? Watch the video and find out! Dave and Doc will also discuss some other things that they took away from the school and what they'd like to see you all work on in the future.
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
If you can't view the YouTube video above try CLICKING HERE. You must allow popups from this site for the link to work.
Comments
Alignment
Going to open up a can of worms here, but starting to get the impression as nobody has aligned themself correctly in any of Don's schools, then it's apparent that it's either a much more difficult task to undertake and or these golfers have a basic mechanical floor in their swing and align themself accordingly. I play with heaps of golfers and the ones that do aim away from the target line do so purposely and I might say do fairly well in shot scoring at times. As I see it, golf involves a complex set mechanical moves and some golfers just don't have the time and or determination to change, so they set up offline to counteract their flaws. Those that want to change ( ie, me ) set about to initiate change but alas it's hard work, given that I've been doing the PPGS for about three years and only just starting to reap the benefits. Not trying to downgrade the alignment issue, but I believe that the majority people who play golf get other benefits, such as exercise, comradeship and the occasional shotplay that comes off for a par or birdie.
Can of worms?
Neil,
It's like Surge has said before, "Do you want to hit a slice? If not, why play for it?" Most of Don's golf school students are there to correct their problems and learn to hit the ball straight, so it is no wonder that only one golfer has made the grade.
A lot of people have difficulty with parallel left and figuring out how far left to play. I only look at the target one time to get my intermediate point. Once I have that, I concentrate on the box in front of me made up of the ball, my intermediate point, and my toes. As long as I get that box square, I am aligned correctly - every time. Alignment is really that simple. I wish everyone could see it that way.
Slices
OK, here we go, what I'm pointing to Kevin, is that people who slice are chronic "over the top Hitters" has nothing to do with alignment. If they aligned them self correctly, there balls would be on the next fairway.
My prime concern is the myth that "aligment accounts for 90%-95% of swing
error, when there are many other causes for miss-hits. Totally agree with the concept that alignment is critical in set-up for hitting to a target line, but it
isn't the main cause of a swing fault. I sliced for years not knowing that I had a basic over the top swing flaw and still cringe when I hear Surge allude to alignment being the principle cause of a faulty shot.
Sighting in
Playing golf with bad alignment is like shooting a rifle that you know is not sighted in. If the scope is off and the shots are all going to miss a degree or two right or left and you knew it from past shots you could make an adjustment and probably hit the target most of the time if you are a pretty good shot.
Of course it would be much more simple to click the scope a few times and get the scope back in line so no adjustment would be necessary.
Having good alignment and being sighted in are always good ideas and the best marksmen and the best golfers want to take adjustments out of the equation.
That said, alignment is not going to fix a bad swing, and there are certainly other fish to fry that have been in the bottom of the freezer way too long already.
Gun sites
Steve, your spot on with a gun sight, but a bad analogy with golf, the bullet has to go straight as it projectory path will be the same as where the barrel and site is pointing. Not so with golfers, the energy being applied by the club face is affected by allsorts of mechanical effects from legs, hips, shoulders, arms wrist etc etc. The number one mechanical domino is where the club plane is during the FUS, get this wrong and you will be struggling irrespective of alignment, get it right and no argument, alignment is critical.
Analogy
Well...Your opinion is that it's a bad analogy. My opinion is that it's a good analogy.
Worms and Myths
I know what you are saying, Neil. I tend to agree with Surge that alignment issues are the root cause of all the other "corrections" that people make to hit the ball close to where they want it to go. Like most swing faults, an over-the-top swing cannot be fixed unless the setup and the alignment are fixed first, IMHO. This is what I have found with my swing. Now that I know my alignment is right (most of the time), I can hit really good shots when I get my setup correct, which is my bug-a-boo. My head position often sucks, which throws everything else off and causes me to return to the over-the-top swing. I know what the problem is now and can work on fixing it.
Worms & Myths
Kevin, Let me backtrack on my own dealings with PPGS. When I came across this site and heard repeatedly that "Alignment" was the number one cause
of bad shots, I thought allelujah, what a revelation from previous coaching
clinics I attended. I religiously set up alignment sticks at the range both for being target oriented and ball position, nothing change. I still sliced and pulled left continuously, root cause of my problem, still "over the top". last year Steve mentioned about the "butt end of the club" pointing towards the ball on the FUS. Bingo things have changed, still was pulling left a bit, but aimed slightly right of target to correct it. Have just modified my spine tilt to a more upright stance and this has now corrected my ball path. Now, all I have to do is be aligned properly which I did last weekend and became winner in our groups annual 3 day event. From a learners perspective, I totally agree that GSPABP, are critical in the setup procedure as these are non
mechanical elements and but must be in place prior to any other mechanical instruction.
Going fishing with your worms
Neil,
You say "people who slice are chronic "over the top Hitters" has nothing to do with alignment."
This is where I'm going to point out a few things that argue against your idea. Most amateur golfers slice. Most amateur golfers have an over-the-top move. In your theory, most amateur golfers would then be aimed significantly left of their target to compensate. However, when asked to align themselves to a target, 95% of people will line up aimed SIGNIFICANTLY right of the target. To get the ball to actually go to the target, they HAVE to make an over the top move and drag the club back across the ball. The swing flaw develops as a reaction to the bad alignment, not as an originating action. A slicer who aims for the left trees because he knows the ball is going to slice back inevitably continues to find himself in the right trees (or the next fairway), because where he was actually aimed was significantly right of where he thought he was aimed, and he drags the club out and across the ball to try to get it where he wants it to go, imparting ever more rightward spin.
Can of worms?
Simple is as simple does Kevin. The set up determines the motion springs to mind. "Over the top" etc and other faults In my humble opinion, can very well be caused by not adhering to the set up.
From the set up the body responds thus: Sensory and response systems including Visual,vestibular,somatosensory [touch,pressure and stretch receptors in our skin,muscles and joints],and auditory. Acting together,these body systems constantly gather sensory information from all over the body and usually allow us to act on that information in a controlled way.
The set up determines the motion indeed.
There certainly is a learning curve.
There certainly is a learning curve with the Surge swing as there is with any other type of swing. I've found it a swing that just seems to keep getting better, even after a few years of using it. At my age it is nice to have something that is improving with time. Other swings that I've tried over the last 30 years tended to get worse the longer I used them.
Athletic players who are very target oriented can sometimes score well because they have an alignment that is right for their swing. I certainly can't play well without good alignment when using the Surge swing, because the swing template just does not work well, with an incorrect setup. If the setup is correct, the motion has a chance of being a simple one, free of midswing corrections.
Straightning the curve............
I apologize ahead of time if the following seems a little rough.
Neil and fellow Surgites,
I have carefully read every ones comments for consideration before weighing in on this age old topic that we have discussed dozens of times. Here's some observations that some may agree with while others will not. After 4 years of listening to/reading/watching and practicing what Surge has been teaching and recommending about correct alignment, these are some of my conclusions, here goes;
First,
I agree Neil that there is a basic flaw with most golfers when it comes to alignment. It may not be what you'd guess though. Since most attending Don's schools and lessons are likely already Surgites who have studied and theoretically practiced what Don teaches in his Fundamentals video and manual, they evidentaly have still chosen not do what Don says for solutions. I'll get back to this one so hang on.
Second,
As you said in your second comment and in your heart of hearts perhaps this was very telling and represents the disbelief of many who can't buy into the statement you called it a MYTH that "90-95% of all swing flaws are caused by poor alignment". It's okay if you feel that way Neil so don't get defensive or mad at me for repeating what you said. This is an open blog and various opinions are welcome as long as we stay respectful and I certainly do respect you as a loyal Surge fan and fellow golfer. Really. I firmly believe that no true change and improvement happens unless we first of all buy into and believe whatever it is, and in this case it is that mis-alignment or correct alignment leads to a better golf swing and or poor results. I think that many don't fully 'buy into' this standard.
Third,
Though a golf swing is very different than shooting a rifle, I think Steve's analogy and comparison to the need to site a gun correctly and the need to align correctly is a good one. One or two degrees off means a missed shot even as one inch off in our set up means about 10 yards off from 100 yards to our target.
Forth,
Robert Fleck's comment is spot on and all would do well to read it again and think it over. Dave Seeman eluded to this over the top or outside in move when he said that many have their feet aimed right and their upper body pre-set open and left which is the ideal formula for a slice or pull.
As i.dutton said ".... it is about total body alignment"
Fifth, (this is fun)
Vestibular?
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/vestibular
Somatosensory?
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/somatosensory
Well said DH and cause for a verbal education:) I like it!
Sixth,
"There certainly is a learning curve". Well said Everitt. and .... "the swing template just does not work well, with an incorrect set up". So true.
Finally, ret7191 asked about alignment tools and this brings me back to #1
and that is the most important tool we have been given....................
Don has given us the solutions (these solutions are the best tools) for correct alignment again and again but I can almost say with complete confidence that many of (you/us) have never seriously used some of his brightest and best suggestions for ingraining better alignment.
Here's just a few,
If we make a good swing and the ball goes to an unintended place lay the club by your feet to see where you were actually aimed. Surge says he see's few if any golfers do this. Do you?
While playing a practice round of golf always lay a stick or club by your feet while setting up to make sure you are parallel left BEFORE you hit the good shot to a wrong place. Do this for a few rounds or a few months if needed until you physically and visually get used to aiming sufficiently parallel left of your target (for right handers). Have any of you ever done this? With regularity until it becomes second nature and is no longer needed?
Maybe it is your upper body and shoulders that are "crisscrossed" or open left. Some have the shoulders closed although that is less common. Have a 'coach' or friend stand behind you looking down the line to see if your shoulders are square with you knees and feet or not. They can correct you before you swing. One way is to have them take a club or stick and lay it along your shoulder s to demonstrate how off we are and then aim the stick along the shoulders/chest in line with the knees and feet as we readjust. This was my particular flaw and I still have my wife regularly check all my lines, particularly my shoulders. As Dave noted in the video, many have the back shoulder forward. Another way to correct this is to study the Master set up position that trains us to keep that back shoulder back/down and soft with the back forearm lined up slightly below the forward forearm. That helps tremendously in keeping the shoulders square. This fix was very uncomfortable for me to make at first now it's routine.
These are just a few of the solutions that I still practice religiously. Is my alignment perfect? H**L NO! But I am sure I have it correct most of the time because I have done all three of the above and continue too check and re-check. Do I still hit some bad shots? Oh ya. Fewer now than ever before. I can't tell you how many times that when hitting it fat or thin my alignment has kept it going in the direction of the target. I know that most of you (tell me if I'm wrong) will not do any of these suggestions on the golf course for a number of reasons. The biggest reason may be that you think you'll look odd as no one else you play with or see on the golf course does these things. Too bad if that's the case. As I've said before I don't give a rats ass who's watching when I lay a club down to see if my alignment is close to what I hope it is. I also think that until we get use to how open our feet look and feel when correctly parallel LEFT enough, that simply doing our best to be square with a point on our ball/aim line will not get us left enough. We can get use to being, seeing and feeling how left parallel left is if we practice some or all of what I listed from Surge above. Most of you will blow off these words and that's fine. Just be prepared to be lumped in with all the zero's for alignment if you ever attend a school with Don.
sore finger
Bet you have sore fingers after all that. Good info though.
Alignmemt
As on today's blog, Alignment is not just sticks for the toe line and aiming line, it is about total body alignment. If one is aligned properly and the back swing and forward swing are on the aiming line, then the ball will go straight. Well that's what I think to myself on the first tee. happy golfing all.
Don's alingment tools
If alignment is the number one concern, the PPGS school store should offer the same "H" alignmet tool Don uses in EVER training video and Daily video.
Two years ago I inquired about Don's alignment arrows and he said the "Mold was broken" Can any of you reccommend an alignment system that close replicates Don's? If not I am off to Lowes for PVC piping. Eric Tampa FL
Don's Alignment tools
EVF...Mike Bartholomew has developed a good all-around alignment tool called the B.A.R.T. You can view it at www.bartgolf.com.
Mike is also one of Don's certified instructors and works out of Mint Hill GC outside of Charlotte, NC.
Cool
That is a pretty cool looking creation. I like that he designed it to all fit inside the main tube.
Mr. Fleck
I'm just wondering why in the world you didn't introduce yourself to me when we were at the Dallas school. I'm hurt! :(
You were busy
I did say hello several times (like when I told you that the waitress was looking for you to give you your lunch), but you were so stacked up with folks for fittings that I didn't want to interrupt for an actual conversation. If the move to Dallas hadn't been so expensive, I'd have been one of the people getting a fitting from you.
Sorry
I am sorry that I didn't get to shake your hand personally. I will admit it was a crazy few days! Hope you enjoyed it.
Great day
It was a great day, even if it never made it above 50 degrees. And, I did show off the driver you made me a lot. I let Dave Seeman try it on one hole, as well. I outdrove him by about a yard, but he really liked the feel.
DJ
Looks as Dj may be able to make the cut if he plays better 1 over through 3 the cut is projected at -1 right now .
Par's and birdies DJ
Back to following him on shot tracker.
Problems that creep into my swing
1. A tendency to have a very open alignment without realizing it. It's gotten to the point where a square alignment feels like I am aiming a mile right.
(Pretty weird for sombody that never slices the ball).
2. A tendency to get lazy through the ball which doesn't allow my shoulders to open soon enough. That in itself is not much of a problem but an effect of it is that my left arm starts bending much too soon because there's nowhere else for it to go from that position. (Very likely related to problem number 1).
3. Raising up before impact. A long running problem but directly related to problem number 2.
4. Bad path to the ball from the top. Directly related to both problem number 2 and problem number 3.
5. Head always wants to go forward a few inches at the start of the FUS. Seems to be unrelated to anything except that it feels like that puts me in a better postion to hit the ball and I do it without even thinking.
6. Hips sway back during the BUS unless I'm consciously paying attention to only that.
7. Early release with the short clubs and the woods. Not so much with the long irons.
"My swing feels like an unfolding lawn chair". (Tin Cup). Ha ha ha ha!
I have been working on all seven problems and so far so good, but still a ways to go. About the time I fix one fairly well I notice another one has relapsed.
Ain't golf fun!!!
Alignment
Great responses from my original comment on Alignment fellas, I just love this site and all who participate and obviously with great passion, as long as we do it without vitriol or malice. Iv'e learnt a lot about golf on this site and
have a sincere respect for all of you, If ever my path crosses that of Steve Smith, I'll give him a big hug, as one statement he made some months back was a defining moment in my developement. Getting back to alignment, nothing Iv'e read todate has changed my mind with regarding swing faults, but it will be a critical factor in my setup, now that my swing plane has improved.
Hugs
If that ever happens I hope you look just like this. LOL
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=charlize+theron+photo+gallery&qpvt=charlize+theron+photo+gallery&FORM=IGRE#view=deta...
Hugs
Steve, as we would say in Oz, "You've got Buckleys", LOL
Buckley
Well he did survive. ;-)
We are to going to state
Surge Nation
Just wanted to let you know that my team did not make the cut to go to state. But, one of the gals I have been working with was selected to play in the state tournament individually.
We are very proud of her. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
Donna and I took the day off and went down by Ft. Sill. They had a graduation ceremony today. It was great to see all those young troops setting off on their new missions. Keep them all in your prayers.
We made it through the day. I could not have made it through this last year without my Lord, a great woman by my side, and my Surge Nation family supporting us.
Thank you,
Dick
Coach in a kilt
Go, Dick!
I get the feeling that the "real" coach is either going to decide that all the girls should learn the PPGS way, or he's going to really get snippy. Congratulations on the success of your student, Dick. Keep giving them the best information and the best support you can.
And know we in the Surge Nation continue to hold you in our hearts for all your family has been through this last year.
Thanks Robert
Hope the coach will see the hand writing on the wall. We will see what goes on during the off season and as we get going on next season. I want them to work through the off season instead of just doing nothing tell then like they normally do.
Thanks for your thoughts, we appreciate you and the whole Surge Nation,
Dick
Congrats on your student
Sorry to hear your team did not make it to state, but definite congrats on your student making the individual play. We will all be pulling for her.
Thanks Coach
I am pumped about it.
I will let you know how it goes,
Dick