How To Test Your Arm Speed

That's my understanding. Sometimes when he's talking fast, Surge says different things at different points, but I believe the sound should start just before the impact point, increase until just after the impact point, and dwindle until near the T Finish. That's certainly the progression I work on with this drill.

Really looking forward to the Masters this year. It looks like it may be one of the most intriguing in years. I'll be watching with great interest.
On another note, Cindy and I celebrate our anniverary tomorrow 4/4. Easy date for me to remember! We are heading to Mesquite Nevada just an hour southwest of Las Vegas to stay at the Casa Blanca Hotel  for two nights. We'll play golf on Thursday at 10am. Shoud be a nice time.
Keep 'em down the middle friends.
PMG

Robert - You and Cindy ave a great anniversary!!!! Have a safe trip  Will miss you at the Surge's golf tournament this next week in HH.

Dick Higgins

Keithi,
I recently went through the same thing you are experiencing, to the point I took rotational lessons.  When I wasn't getting the results I had previously with ppgs, I decided to just start over.  Reviewed the lessons and found numerous faults.  Worst was going past the toe line, breaking my forward wrist which layed the club back, wasn't keeping my weight on the outside of the knees and was pulling my spine ahead of the ball at impact.  When shots start to go weird now, I can figure one of these areas is out of whack. Hope this helps.  Paul

Be careful that during a round you do it with a club held backward, rather than with the broken-off driver shaft. It could get you disqualified in a tournament.

I still remember this old post by Charlie. It was one of those Aha moments for me, when he first posted it. Aug 2010.

" Speaking of Newton's Laws, his first law of a body in motion staying in motion unless there are forces acting on it, I like this because of what I learned in a sports mechanics class concerning why the golf club swing needs to be completed properly (hands past the left ear and not short of the ear).

For those who are interested in an explanation of what sports science has to say about this (it applies to other sports as well), if you stop your hands short of a full swing, that means that you had to slow down the club earlier than you should, which means that you started decelerating the club too soon, which means that you lost club speed. So, in order to keep the club moving fast, it needs to follow through long (for lack of a better word). So, completing the swing properly is important to keep the club head from slowing down too soon."

Robert:

   Congratulations !! And have an enjoyable and memorable anniversary

   Amos

Something that will help slow swingers to speed up their downswing is to also speed up their backswing.  If you swing it back too slowly, you won't get the benefit of the upward flexing of the wrists that naturally takes place at the top of the backswing due to the momentum of the club.  The faster you swing it back, the more flexing will occur which creates more lag in the downswing and thus more clubhead speed.

Some people take such slow backswings that they might as well start with the club at the top of the backswing and just swing down from there. 

The ideal swing tempo that virtually all pro golfers use is a backswing to downswing ratio of 3 to 1.

I've been experimenting lately with a faster overall tempo.  By swinging the club back faster, I've found I must swing it down faster to maintain that 3 to 1 ratio.  This has added about 10 more yards of distance to each club with no loss of accuracy. 

How do you know if you're swinging at a 3 to 1 ratio?  There is an inexpensive device you can buy from TourTempo.com that can help you with this.

That's supposed to be a fun course. Have a great time, and happy anniversary!

 Coach

I had my own home repair business for most of the time I was "on the job."  I used to tell people I only carry 2 things in my truck.  Duct tape and white lithium grease.  If it moves, and it ain't supposed to, then wrap it up in duct tape.  If it doesn't move, and it is supposed to, then hit it with the grease.

I figure I had it covered, coming and going.

Have a great day, off to play 36,
Dick

Well said ....

Happy to be an object lesson of things not to do. ;-)

Surge, In the "swoosh test" . shouldn't the loudest swoosh occur after the ball. The sound level should increase the faster the shaft (or whatever) is going. Since we want to accelerate through the impact the club would actually be moving faster right after impact than slightly before. More speed means a louder swoosh. Yes?

BTW, I suspect that if you practice swinging as fast as you possibly can during your practice time, you will find that over time your average swing speed will increase. Swinging as fast a possible usually costs control so it is not a good idea on the course. This technique is similar to weight lifting where you increase your strength by lifting heavier weights.

Thanks, I have edited a warning disclaimer into the post.

Something hungry clearly found it. :)

 Tom,

Not a bad idea, but rather than have to buy the piece of PVC and having that extra weight and cumbersome tube sliding back and forth, just save one of your old cardboard tubes from toilet paper or paper towels. It will work just as well with minimum weight addition. You could even add a layer or two of duct tape for better performance.

Steve,

Getting max sped at impact is rather hard to do isn't it? When you accelerate you go faster.. I f you reach max speed at impact you have stopped accelerating prior to impact. Doesn't that go counter to Surge's statements that you need to acceerate through impact? I f you do as you say you must be decelerating at impact.

Anyone in the New York/New Jersey area interested in Doc's mobile fitting?

 Steve

I played a course once in New York that had some slopes like you are talking about.  They make for some very interesting shots and club selections.

It is always nice to be able to figure out what to do to have a good shot like your second one.

Both of our courses are really turning out beautiful right now.  But, just like on your course the ball can sure stop in some unusual places.

The snakes sure are coming out early this year.  All this warm weather we've been having, and the unusual amounts of rain are making the water moccasins go crazy.  I have seen several already, and have been able to kill a couple of them.

Keeping It vertical, and killing snakes, in Oklahoma,
Dick

 wow Steve, I'm glad you're safe

We are very lucky down here , as we dont have snakes. But I do beleive that 90% of people who get bitten by snakes were trying to kill the snake at the time.  BE CAREFUL

What about a swing weight attached to your club?  Something like a doughnut used in a baseball bat,  Any comments?  Guido

My guess would be that the apparent discrepancy has to do with what happens AFTER the ball is struck with the two surfaces. As the lie board provides greater resistance, the club slides through in its same orientation, whereas the divot in the grass shows that the toe may be dipping further AFTER impact when you apply the forces that take the club up to the T finish, but it can have no affect on the impact as the ball is gone by that point.

 Robert I just looked at your online lesson with Dave Seeman and it look great It really breaks down the swing. The correction he suggested are minor I would  like to ask you to keep me informed on your progress
Thanks Russ Mikes
russmikes@hotmail.com

Glad you made it home safely. 

Nice, Smith. This is a first for me.

So, was it a straight trajectory?
Did you use a 3/4 limited turn?

This must be a new drill to help increase speed....
the "Rattlesnake Head-Removal" drill.

Bet it would be HIGHLY effective for those
who think they have trouble generating clubhead speed.

Treosoft has been my ball of choice, but I'll play the remaining e6s I have to see if the results hold true.  Cost difference is a definite consideration and I can still get Treosoft.

 I have bought a bunch of TreoSofts at Dick's Sporting Goods. They are one of the outlets that buy out the remaining stock from the manufacturers when they discontinue the product.

Don,
I heard you mention once that if you have a slow swing speed you need to use a soft ball ie. 70 pounder or even less.  Where can you get these balls or what name do you look for since they no longer lable the  pondage.

                                                         Bob L.

 RE; " If you reach max speed at impact you have stopped accelerating prior to impact."

The point just prior to, the point at which deceleration occurs, is/was the max speed. You cannot have max speed after deceleration takes place.

If Steve reaches max speed at impact, then deceleration occurs at a point after that. His speed may in fact remain at top equal/point well through and after impact, before deceleration begins. There does not necessarily have to be one specific point where speed is max, it may in fact remain at that same top speed just prior to, through, and just after impact, before deceleration begins.

At least this is what seems reasonable to me.

I don't think Surge said anything differently. He said that the swoosh should start just before the impact point, get louder through the impact point, and carry on well up toward the T finish. 

Not very PPGS though. He hit down on it.

Surge Nation

I am hitting the rack.  But, I wanted to leave you with this before I turn in.

 

Billy Graham was returning to Charlotte after a speaking engagement.  When his Plane arrived there was a limousine to transport him to his home.  As he prepared to get into the limo, he stopped and spoke to the driver. 'You know' he said, “I am 87 years old and I have never driven a limousine. Would you mind if I drove it for a while?”

The driver said, “No problem, have at it.”

Billy gets into the driver's seat and they head off down the highway. A short distance away a rookie State Trooper was operating his first speed trap.

The long black limo went by him doing 70 in a 55 mph zone.

The trooper pulled out and easily caught the limo.   He got out of his patrol car to begin the procedure.  The young trooper walked up to the driver's door and when the glass was rolled down, he was surprised to see who was driving.

He immediately excused himself and went back to his car and called his supervisor.

He told the supervisor, “I know we are supposed to enforce the law.... But I also know that important people are given certain courtesies.   I need to know what I should do because I have stopped a very important person.'

The supervisor asked, “Is it the governor?”

The young trooper said, “No, he's more important than that.”

The supervisor said, “Oh, so it's the president?”

The young trooper said, “No, he's even more important than that.”

The supervisor finally asked, “Well then, who is it?”

The young trooper said, “I think it's Jesus, because he's got Billy Graham for a chauffeur!”

Nite all
Dick

Smith...

Reminded of so many home runs that we've seen,
getting out of the yard with an unspectacular
(but somehow adequate) swing. 

" How did that ball get out ? "

Jim Wile may have point on backswing speed, 
but we have seen both golfers and batters,
(with nominal backswing speed) put a licking on it. 
Good contact, forward and through....watch "what happens."

....And sometimes it's just freakin' luck....

Man if I had a swing that looked like that I could play some good golf.

Went to the range last night had a really good night every time I go now I figure a little something out. This was pretty good I have been unknowingly been strangling my grips which made everything tight and tense. Last night after hitting a few bad shots I loosened up my grip as an experiment to the point that it felt to loose but was not and hit with power and straight shots without swinging out of my shoes. I don't know why I have not figured this out before people have told me that I need to bee more relaxed when swing the club.