How to Tell if You De-loft at Impact

Wed, 12/17/2014 - 14:00 -- Don Trahan

Whenever a golfer de-lofts their club at impact, it's essentially the same as taking more club. Taking loft off the club will cause the ball to go farther. Now, that's all well and good if it's your intention, but for most amateurs, that's not the case.

Some rotational swing instructors actually say it's better to de-loft the club at impact. That's because rotational swingers have to fight hooking the ball because their natural follow through would have them starting the ball way left (or right for a lefty) of their intended target. This creates what I call the "lag, drag, hold, block" movement. It's the only way they can save the ball from going the wrong way.

PPGS swingers have a big advantage in this regard. Because we are behind the ball at impact and both arms are straight when we make contact, there's no reason you should ever de-loft the club on accident.

Watch the video above to see how you can determine whether or not you are de-lofting the club unknowingly.

Keep it vertical!

The Surge

Blog Tags: 
Golf Instruction
Impact
arms
Follow Through
Delofting

Comments

louiek's picture

Submitted by louiek on

Hi Surge and thank you for the video on shaft lean.
I purchased your videos a few years ago and have tried many times to capture you at impact, to no success. the shutter speed was just too slow. Any chance we can get a high speed capture of your swing? I would love to see what straight arms look like at your impact position. What I find amazing is, on the FUS, how you and other good golfers can get from waist high, with the right arm bent, to impact with a straight right arm. Mine just are not fast enough, so I have to start straightening long before waist high, or I will have no release.

Thank You

toml5935@comcast.net's picture

Submitted by toml5935@comcast.net on

Hi Surge. Thanks for sharing all your insights to PPGS. I was wondering if you or have considered having Trackman view your swing? I think it would interesting. Thanks again! Tom

newtonww@comcast.net's picture

Submitted by newtonww@comcast.net on

Don,

You receive many email from people telling what a great success your PPGS has been for them. Well I have to say that the PPGS system hasn't helped me very much. I am 74 years old and I play with two other people that are 74 and one guy that is 72, these three guys all use the conventional golf swing, they don't come close to using the PPGS, and these guys out drive me off the tee 99 per cent of the time. It is a given that my ball is the first ball we come to after leaving the tee box. I still slice the ball as I did before I started using the PPGS, My score when I started using the PPGS about three years ago was in the low 100's.. My score now is in the low 100's. My last three games were 103, 102, 105. You talk about the set up and alignment I would say I am a 7 or 8 at alignment. I do not go into the sacred burial ground at the top of the swing and I am into the catchers mitt toe up starting the swing and toe up into the catchers mitt after striking the ball. All the thing you say do to hit the ball consistently straight I do, but after slicing the ball off the Tee 90 percent of the time my next shot will either be to the right or left of the green, very seldom do I land on the green. Just want to let you know that everyone isn't having great success using your system.

Thanks
Warren Newton

Dragonhead's picture

Submitted by Dragonhead on

Warren Newton,
As you bought the videos sometime ago, have you in the last few days applied for the 'FREE' updates to the manual/videos?
In my very humble opinion, interpretation of the spoken/written words is a problem many of us suffer from. The latest updates explain in more detail certain facets of the swing etc.
The reason you are not having success 'using your system' is a failure on YOUR part, not the system : - ( One of Don Trahans mantras when someone asks,'What did I do wrong', comes to mind,'Just do it right'. There are a host of reasons why you are failing. You say you are doing everything right. I can state categorically that you are NOT! You may think you are, but you are not.
Are your clubs suitable for you and the PPGS system? It may be a case of the arrows not the indian at fault. One of the staunch 'Surgites' uses GBSAPS as a checklist. It stands for GRIP/Ball Position/Stance/Alignment/Posture/and Swing. Any one of these could be your problem or my two old Chinese friends Tem-po and Ti-ming!
Your problem sounds like one of mine from a few months ago. My arms were doing most of the work, with little shoulder turn in the BUS. This led to lack of distance and erratic directional control due to lack of the 'BUMP', etc, etc. As recently as last Monday the light went on early in our very early morning round of golf! Hitting a 5iron [usually use a hybrid these days], which has been in the 'doghouse' for some time. The shot was absolutely superb-great ballstrike, long high and dead straight! That one shot turned my game around in an instant!!! It made me realize what I had NOT been doing!!! My forearms were not rotating at all in the BUS!!! From then on every club in the bag behaved themselves and I had more Pars than in many a round on holes that usually caused me grief : - ] The ball was going exactly where it had been aimed. My wife and I played 3 consequetive mornings and had completed 18 holes by 9-30am. Several clubs which had been out of favour were smoking! 'Who needs a driver?' said to my wife and used a 24deg and a 20deg hybrid off the tee on all Par 4 and 5 holes from the 12th hole to the end. Just dropped the balls on the tee and hit the shot. No tees used and the shots were going as far as many previous Driver shots, straight down the middle of the fairway or to the side of the fairway they were aimed on dogleg holes. The 20deg hybrid was consistently longer and dead straight! So what was different apart from the forearms? I had 'relaxed' went quickly through my set up routine and just 'LET THE CLUB DO THE WORK'! Hahaha! No checking club position in the BUS or FUS, but just doing it right!
'RELAXED'? I was definitely 'athletically ready' to make the swing, but all thoughts of arms should be here or my knee needs to be there and at impact.....etc, etc were banished from my mind.
Playing my first round of golf in nearly 5yrs on returing to New Zealand, my round was much like yours-Still have the card to remind me of it : - ( it was 114 off the stick on a flat course!
It has taken me nearly 3yrs to get to where my game is now. Will be 74 in a couple of months and have never enjoyed the game so much. Back to it in a couple of days time and have NO DOUBT that the improvement will continue, as long as I just DO IT RIGHT!
Both my wife and I are having HUGE success with Chipping and Putting and with me pitching too. Both had chip ins and difficult putts dropping in on the last three rounds. Short irons? The odd one off line, but the majority dead on target with around 3 tap ins and the odd in the hole from 140yds in! eg. A 7iron not used in over a dozen years from a different set of older clubs hit to an elevated green from lush wet rough on the edge of the right fairway [where the previous shot was aimed for a better position to attack the green]when it trickled 6" off the fairway. It landed on the bank at the front of the green and rolled up a sloping green to 4" from the cup! My normal 7iron lost the weight/anti-shock piece at the rear of the clubface, hence the back to my older set.
Mighty Oaks from acorns grow ; - ) Just a small change and it is now all happening for me. My wife a rank beginner with the weirdest swing on the planet [IMHO] is improving by the day and has already had several Pars and until a few months ago had never swung a golf club ever.
Tee and other shots from her now increasing to around a maximum at the moment of 150yds. Now she is not interested in the PPGS swing but watches me and her swing is improving. She notes my good and bad shots and her comments 'SLOOOW DOWN' and 'That was a nice rythm' have helped me enormously!
If it were not for the Christmas 'Silly Season' there would surely be much wiser and more helpful comments from my fellow Surgites to aid you in your quest to improve.
Don't quit Warren Newton, just go back to the manual/videos and review the BASICS for a start.It is not as if you don't have the time
; - ) hahaha! or is impatience a problem too?
We all go through highs and lows, that is golf. Have a Lovely Christmas and New Year and soldier on. You can do it!!!
Hit them longer and straighter where ever you are.
DH and DL in NZ raring to go again.

Russty Kiwi's picture

Submitted by Russty Kiwi on

Woops, seems I've made a mistake. Think I get the message. No more wasting precious time. Best wishes to Surge & his team For the festive season. Good luck to the Surge nation for the new year.

bniehuis@cs.com's picture

Submitted by bniehuis@cs.com on

Hoe do I SEE THEVIDEOS AND UP DATE THEM? Bert

Dragonhead's picture

Submitted by Dragonhead on

Hi,
If you have purchased videos previously-go to your account on your PPGS page and they should be there. Mine were and I am no computer geek ; - ) It was very simple to access them. Have watched them right through twice already. Well worth the effort. My first Christmas present and it will take some beating ; - ) Good Luck and enjoy them. DH

toment@aol.com's picture

Submitted by toment@aol.com on

have manual in hand
Purchase history says I bought it in 2013
Am logged in
ppgsmanualv2 Does nothing
Please help

dxb's picture

Submitted by dxb on

Product page says nothing about manual but I own first version so cannot update

anything's picture

Submitted by anything on

I have just done it with no problem . On" my products" you will see the foundations manual link amongst your other products you have bought. Click on that and you go to another page where there is a download link for manual version 2 - right click and 2 mins later you have it

ergeesman@hotmail.com's picture

Submitted by ergeesman@hotma... on

would like to update. how can i do?

saltydog314's picture

Submitted by saltydog314 on

I have been trying to download the new pages, so I can add them to my manual on my computer. How do I do that, pleas tell me how step by step. Thank you, Philip Schwenck saltydog314@yahoo.com

billb0502@yahoo.com's picture

Submitted by billb0502@yahoo.com on

I am having the same problem as Philip. I can't download the updated manual.

Brady's picture

Submitted by Brady on

We cannot answer questions here on the blog. Please file a ticket with support and we will address them as fast as possible.

derbyday16@gmail.com's picture

Submitted by derbyday16@gmail.com on

This is not working for me as coupon
Can it be used for the digital version of the manual.

Brady's picture

Submitted by Brady on

I fixed your account but in the future contact customer support, they are there to help but they do not monitor the blogs and I don't make a custom of doing this either as I don't monitor the blogs either.

shortgamewizard's picture

Submitted by shortgamewizard on

I couldn't find the manual either. When Logged in the videos were displayed but no manual. I found it while logged in under the Videos pull down menu. This update is awesome!

Brady's picture

Submitted by Brady on

Stretch, that is because you are a certified professional so your page is not like everyone else's.

g_wieser@gmx.at's picture

Submitted by g_wieser@gmx.at on

I am not able to apply the cupon code that was sent to me per mail.