Posture Point - Hips Out

Tue, 12/02/2014 - 15:00 -- Don Trahan

Having correct posture is very important if you want to be a consistent golfer. It's just as important as any other element of the PPGS Master Setup position. 

Today I'll demonstrate how to maintain the curvature at the base of your back all the way to impact. One of the biggest mistakes I see from golfers happens during the forward swing. Many amateur golfers lose the levelness in their hips after the bump and end up thrusting forward with their legs. This causes all sorts of balance problems, which makes it extremely difficult to make solid contact with the ball.

Check out the video to see how to attack your posture problems!

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Keep it vertical!

The Surge

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Comments

Lbraunyyc@gmail.com's picture

Submitted by Lbraunyyc@gmail.com on

Greetings from the great white north where we are in a six month frost delay.

Surge, I am practicing my swing in my garage using a mirror to check myself. I notice that my back swing goes past vertical. I have always been quite flexible and have trouble restricting my swing to stop at vertical. Is this something I need to focus on or is it ok to go past vertical as long as it is not extreme. ( I used to try to emulate a Freddy Couples swing)

Larry B.

Russty Kiwi's picture

Submitted by Russty Kiwi on

Greetings from the small green south

It would depend on how you are viewing your swing in the mirror. If you are looking at your swing face on, then past vertical is ok. Surge looks to be about 1 O clock face on, & mine is between 1 & 2. It is when you view your swing looking along your toe line where you need to be as vertical as possible at the top of the back swing.

Cheers Russty

blainee@aol.com's picture

Submitted by blainee@aol.com on

Hitting balls into a next seem like a great way to "groove" the PPGS. Should I be hitting at a target in the net, such a a bullseye??

Dave Everitt's picture

Submitted by Dave Everitt on

Before selling my house and downsizing to a condo I had a net in my garage to hit into during the winter. Other than being good exercise,it didn't really do my game that much good. The direction and flight of the ball is the best teacher and that is very hard to see, when hitting into a net from short range. It seemed to give me a lot of bad habits that just had to be unlearned in the spring.

Something soft that can be stood vertically like foam pipe insulation works better than a bulls eye because every club has a different loft.

After downsizing I didn't have space for a net but luckily figured out a cheap alternative that was even better. I know that it's more effective practice for me because there is no relearning curve when taking my game back outside.

I hit off a 1X2 foot mat in my underground parking garage. Instead of balls, I hit small (1X2X3") rectangular pot scrubber sponges bought from a Dollar store. They are so soft that they can't damage anything, so no net is required. I use a vertical 5 foot piece of 1" PVC pipe as a target. The sponges work well with every club in the bag and tell me all that I need to know about how my swing is working.

geraldwb1@gmail.com's picture

Submitted by geraldwb1@gmail.com on

I have had 8 major back surgeries, and despite the advice of my back doctor I continue to go to the golf course and play fairly decent for my condition and age 60. On a good day a month ago I shot 4 over on 18 holes, this is not my normal low 80's score but sometimes it's better than others. My question is sometimes when playing and my back is really hurting I pull the ball real bad to the left. I can feel myself not going all the way thru the shot, but no matter how hard I try I just can't get myself to go all the way thru the shot to keep them going down the middle of,the fairway. Also my drive length has gone down over the past couple years to about 225 yards from 275 before even though they are straight as long as my back is not hurting real bad. How can I stop the pulls. I have changed my back swing to 60 to 75% as you suggested and that helps a lot. Thanks for,your tips.
Gerald Bailey, Arkansas

wolftitan's picture

Submitted by wolftitan on

Gerald, I feel your pain. I fell off a ladder last year and at age 60 should have known better. As for your back, I find that when it is a bad back day, it's a bad day for golf. I will also pull the ball left on these bad days. My reason and solution are simple. I found that I was protecting my back thru the swing with poor alignment and not finishing correctly. So the solution was to focus in on my alignment starting with my feet, knees, hips and than shoulders and most important my eyes. I found that when I pulled the ball left the major cause were that my shoulders were pointing more to the left than I thought. Additionally my eyes also were looking more left. Good Luck

twindad9's picture

Submitted by twindad9 on

Love the daily videos and after all these years I do have a question that maybe you've covered but I missed it. In the setup you advocate the left shoulder being higher than the right and I've always felt that was critical to being able to swing up to the finish. So many golfers start with their shoulders level and it causes them to come over the top on the downswing, not be able to do the "bump" and then everything falls apart, as you well know from all the lessons and schools you've given! Can you talk sometime about the importance of the shoulder tilt at address and how it relates to how the right arm is closer to the body than the left to allow for the proper takeaway? I coached high school golf for many, many years and this was one of the things I always had to make sure and keep an eye on because if they got out of the proper address position it is almost impossible to make a good swing.
I've commented before that my Dad taught me your swing 58 years ago when I was very young and other than stupid "experiments" over the years with rotational swing styles I've stuck with it and never have back issues, and once I get surgery on my left hand for Dupuytren's contracture I'll be back on the course next spring! Keep up the great work helping golfers around the world and so glad you are healthy again!

twindad9's picture

Submitted by twindad9 on

Surge,

If you have seen video of Tigers swing on the practice range at his tournament this week I'm sure you noticed that his left knee doesn't break to the inside at all now! Looks to be more of a vertical swing plane as well AND the backswing is not much beyond 3/4! Humm - wonder if he and/or his new instructor have been taking a few tips from the PPGS?

Brady's picture

Submitted by Brady on

Don is working on recording a couple of videos about Tiger's new swing. Look for them to be posted sometime this month or early January.