Different Doesn't Always Mean Wrong

Another great video Surge!!  I recall a video blog you did recently where you stated that "where there is a target there can be no mechanics, and where there are mechanics there can be no target".   And I completely agree - while it is important to learn the fundamentals of the swing, we need to adapt them (within parameters) to our individual bodies and thought processes.  I like to focus on the "T" finish, and everything else just seems to fall into place.  Thanks for taking the time and effort to put these video tips together, and for making golf fun again!  R2

How can he do this?  If he pauses, that's a thought.  If he has to think about what he's thinking about, he's not thinking about what he'd be thinking about.  Get it?  Swing thoughts occur prior to beginning any movement.  Once the swing has begun there is really no time for a specific thought process.

Steve, I think that we tend to underestimate the power of our conscious mind .  Until 25 years ago I had  recurrent problems with severe back spasms.  Despite being in good physical shape otherwise,I could count on missing several weeks a year of an already too short golf season.

An interview with a doctor on American television gave me a cure for this problem that has worked for for me, for the last 25 years.  His name is John Sarno, M.D. and I have his book published in 1986 titled " Mind Over Back Pain."
His website is www.healingbackpain.com

 In a nutshell, his theory was that a lot of back pain,,irregardless of the shape your spine is in according to X-Rays, is tension related and self induced to some extent by the reacton to pain of the subconscious mind.  The pain of a back spasm is caused by the subconscious mind reducing blood flow to the affected area.

The cure might sound ridiculous but according to the doctor, works for a lot of people.  All you have to do is give your mind a very strong ,angry, direct order to send blood to the area of the back ache. It also helps to visualize the blood being pumped into the painful area.

 Lynn

I think.  Therefore, I am wrong.

The more I think about that, the more I think that remark was thoughtless and self deprecating.  But that is better than being self defecating.

Now my hair hurts too, thanks,
Dick

Your piece on "Low & Slow" last week really hit a nerve with me.  I'd cultivated the most perfect reverse pivot with all it's inherant problems and was slowly going batty.  Your advice was so appropriate, I'm already hitting the ball more solidly with less obvious effort so thanks a lot - my sanity and wellbeing is now reasonably assured I think.

While I'm at it, your daily instruction is always interesting and appreciated. I've told a number of my friends about it.  Keep well and thank you.

Kind regards

Andrew (Melbourne Australia)   

BUS = Backward up swing
 FUS = Forward up swing

These terms are used in preference of backswing and downswing. In our forward swing, we focus on swinging up to a full finish rather than swinging down at the ball.

In the right lower column of the blog page you will find a search block. You can use that for reference articles and links to any term or topic of interest. Good luck.

OK, Doc, all of these thoughts about thinking are being overthought.  The thought of thinking about swing thoughts leads me to think I need a shrink.  I think I'll just stick to the K.I.S.S. method.

This overthinker thinks he need to stop thinking.  OK, now my hair hurts.

Cheers, DH. Danny's definitely got the Southern Cross by his name today, and without the dreaded Commonwealth or Federation flag under the Union Jack. (Sorry, Aussie cousins).

As I write, Danny's still in 2nd and DJ's tied for 30th but there's still a long way to go.

Hit 100 balls off the rage yesterday and only sliced two, (one on purpose as an experiment), and my mishits went left so the Surge's prescription is finally starting to effect a cure. Never had so many go so straight towards the 200 metre marker. Result: one more happy Surgite.

Cheers
Bob Burke

In that case if I'm listenning to you correctly, I can also practice the BUS while sitting in my chair at the office after having had my dialysis treatment which I get daily.  Meaninng that I can act like I have a club in my hands and lift my hands from the shoulders both by going up in the BUS and then doing the follow through in the other direction.  I don't twist in any case after having fallen off of a ladder and landing on the back of my neck and shoulder bladesm crushing the disks in my back and thenbreaking my left wrist. In addition to that I've had eight knee operations four on each knee. So you can see twisting is out because of the physical disabilities.  But I am able to sit while keeping my eyes focused on a target on the floor. 
When I'm at home, I use hickory nuts rather than golf balls for practice and a whiffle ball flies to far.  But a hickory nut breaks apart or at least the shell does, but the nut will fly less that the 100 feet across my back yard.

I will again suggest a caution for new additions, that one concern that Surge has stated he has, and is definitely one that I battle, is just using the arms.  When that happens, the club will typically go up and end outside the parallel line.  I end up losing power and with a higher right elbow that causes me to slice the ball.  BUT, Wayne and Robert Meade both mention that a small turn has to be incorporated.  For me, that does not automatically happen so I focus on a one piece triangle turn to start the lift.  It makes all the difference for me hitting with power and straight down the fairway.    One addition I am trying to make at address, so not to get stilted as Dragonhead mentions, is to do a small turn of the club just as Surge usually does, right before the full swing.  Much like a batter swinging the club loosely before setting up for the pitch.  It keeps the body more loose and free moving, versus feeling like a statue.  Hope this helps. 

Mike, you have discovered one of my secret weapon training movements that is golf specific. The actual muscles of the arm are working hard to stabalize the elbow joint and do not provide much in the way of power. If you swing right handed the back muscles and rear deltoid (shoulder) provide the power for the left side and the right pectoralis (chest) power the right side. The back essentially pulls the left arm through and the chest pushes the right side through. This will give you some hints as what muscles to train to improve swing velocity. It is important that you repeat the movement on the other side of the body even though you do not swing a club from that side. Strength imbalances will frequently cause more problems than weak muscles. Don and I are scheduled to film a video tomorrow adressing many of these issues.

You'll get it. As was stated earlier a couple of weeks ago when you were at your wits end, A few of us noticed you were turning too much. I had that problem before because I was a rotational swinger. Unlike some others learning this swing I have no problem turning enough and am better off thinking and feeling that I am simply keeping the lower body still and quiet. In reality the video camara reveals I am turning plenty - at least 70 degrees. I think that maybe you will have a simular experience if you can quiet your lower body and reduce your turn. Especlally on shorter shots I think of "all" arms only. Is it? No, again I still turn plenty but my odds of consistently returning to the ball squarely increase tremendously. We all need to see what works.

My pleasure, Dick.  I'm here to help.
Fortunately, when my hair hurts it's a very small pain. ;0)

What is the vertical plane of the target line ,Wayne?  Are you visualizing a vertical wall along the target line?  After having grooved the basic turn and lift moves of the BUS so that they are automatic , my only swing thought going back is to get the right hand smoothly up to position A.  The swing plane just takes care of itself and thank heavens for that because I sure  don't need anything else to think about.

I'm glad you found a swing thought that works for you and as Surge says " whatever produces the desired results."

DJ tees off at 9:17am Pacific on the #10 tee at Monterey, the easier of the 3 courses, a par 70. There was a 61 shot yesterday by Wi. Then he'll play Pebble on Saturday and again on Sunday along with all otheres that make the cut. They may be an advantage if he gets into agroove at Pebble on Sat.
Wife and I got 18 in yesterday. Beautiful whether here. days are getting a little longer. Really proud of Cindy's improvements golfing lately. She drives the ball a good 185 now and is getting better every time out on the greens. She had a birdie on a par 4 Wednesday. Needed to hit her drive down the left side- she did leaving an iron that rolled up to 5 feet. made it for a three. We have decided she will play in the PPGS Tourny out west this year. Hope some other ladies decide to play this year os she may be a shoe in!! for her section:)
Course, the way she's improving she may beat a lot of the men straight up. Going off the forwadr tees won't hurt :)
PMG

 Hi Keith,

I found my swing trigger while doing the clubhead against the baseboard drill.  I have always had a loop in my swing caused by taking the clubhead outside the aim line with the arms during the takeaway .  The only way that I could make a consistent takeaway on the correct path into the mitt was to keep the hands and arms passive and focus on a slow/smooth pulling back of the right/back external oblique. ( the muscle in the love handle area above the back hip )  Focusing on this small and relatively weak area of muscle starting the takeaway instead of the entire back hip puts a governor on the amount of lower body backswing turn when combined with the resistance of the Surge swing address stance.

Since the  BUS is less about creating torque in the body and more about placing the club in a position to use gravity in the FUS, this move can be a slow and controlled one and is very easy to repeat.  I know that Surge talks about starting the takeaway with the right side but he probably doesn't have to think about it.  I on the other hand , find this a very easy and tension free way to consistently trigger the takeaway.

Thanks Steve. It is nice to know that I have a good idea every once in a while. I hope to get out to the range this weekend. I'll report back on my progress if I do.

I understood what you were asking and I'm sure Surge will too. There actually has  been much writen on simple pre swing thought and you'll find some articles with a little research. Some golfers think "smooth". And there are many other good choices. One I come back to (yes just a second before swinging) is "long arms". Another is quiet body/relax, and "breath".
http://swingsurgeon.com/DailyV...
Now swing thoughts during the swing?

http://www.swingsurgeon.com/Da...

The above video on thoughts during the swing is one of my favorites because it focuses more on the idea that we are better off seeing the picture or image of our shot, it' strajectory and results. An image or picture is better than a "to do list " type thought, I feel. So, "long arms" is better than "keep your arms long!".

Right on Robert, I am getting it, I now know all the mechanical points of the swing and my problem was and is still making the swing. But I am getting it for sure but cannot practice as the weather is bad, so I am chomping at the bit to practice just as you say.

When I put in the mitt up the tree out of my head and focused on a quiet lower body in the take away focusing on the right arm position at the top like Surge mentions (cactus drill)in this video the turn has to happen! It is a case then of when the bump kicks in to stop the turn. This simple thought is all I am going to work on for a while and hopefully I will get somewhere.

He will today. Anything under par on Spyglass keeps them in it. Look for something in the 65 range today at Monterey.

DJ's 70 on Thursday is okay considering Spyglass is the toughest of the three venues. Started out so great with two birdies but that dang double took some of the wind out of the sail. Over all he hung in there and came back nicely to still finish -2.
He birdied what many consider to be the toughest hole, the par 5 , 560 yard double dogleg #14. Strong play tomorrow will put him right back into the thick of things.

http://www.pebblebeach.com/sem...

Sounds familiar .

Dragonhead and all us other kilt wearing rascals

This one made me laugh.

A Scottish Pessimist

A Scottish pessimist is a man who feels badly when he feels good for fear
he'll feel worse when he feels better.

People look at half a glass of Captain Morgan and Coke.
Some will say "It is half empty",
Some will say "It is half full",
And a troll will say "That is not what I ordered."

Hi Surge, If you catch this message can you answer this question!

The next time you play a round or practice can you just pause for a split second at the point you are about to start the takeaway and let us know what you are thinking at that very moment.
Do you have a consistent trigger or thought or could you be thinking about what you are having for lunch!

I have heard you quote you may have one or two at the most as the brain can go in to over load, but what thought do you actually have? I would be very interested like I say the next time out you think about this question and capture that thought and also see if you get the same thought throughout.

I guess though if this question pops in to your head then this is your thought at that time lol, so might be an impossible question to answer!.  
Best Regards Keith Kent

Wayne....I have finally met my match for being analytical. 
Are we related? lol. Two pages and a lot of moving parts....

So the following is addressed to me, but there may be something here
that will resonate:

"Dear SG:

To simplicity: lay your paperwork and questions aside.
You already know the core essentials for a good swing.
You get too much going on and it will bog down. True?

Return to having fun with this game.

"Up-down-Up"  is a good, simple swing thought for you.
Keep that one. (A guy named Don talked about that.)

Let others do what they do. Enjoy those that enjoy the game.
But your best watchwords are "quiet...athletic...complete".

Simple enough?

Best wishes for enjoyment.

Your Right Brain."

You think?  LOL LOL

Surge, "Just DO it!" Those words were uttered in my mind at around 5am this morning. I realized that what was missing from my swing after yesterdays practice, was the complete finish,ie, Bus and then FUS. I was not completing the FUS!!!!!!Concentrating on the BUS was forgetting the FUS! How stupid is that. Just before I finished the practice on a hot and sunny day. I stepped up and just made the stroke, ie, just did it. Effortless, long and straight. Won't print what I called myself, would need asbestos to write on.
Recapping at 5am Just do it was the light going on. Getting buried in the detail I become stilted and un-natural in my swing.
This video today has confirmed my thoughts. Wayne Wright, your comments have further helped me through Surge and the video to just do it. Thankyou from a loyal Surgite.
Go get 'em DJ 

 The conscious mind can influence the autonomic system. There are many examples of people with more than normal control of heart rate, body temperature , brain waves and other body systems.  I totally agree that most of us find it harder to think of nothing during the golf swing than thinking of something.  The trick is, to give the conscious mind a positive thought or goal to keep it too occupied, to interfere with the swing.  I think that Surges' "up the tree" image is a stronger and more positive visual than the word "pause" which might interfere with the continuous flow of the swing.

I have an interesting book by Phil Ritson called " Total Golf." He talks about two types of swing keys,active and passive.  An active key is a thought of some movement that the player wants to make during the swing.

 He believes that a passive release key is much  better because it is a thought which triggers your swing but does not specifically remind you of any part of your swing.  He likes to use positive low stress words or phrases like " Wal Mart,"  "Gone fishing," "Kalamazoo." He says that these words  act as a sort of mantra to increase your awareness of the present moment.

I've used passive keys successfully with simple movements like putting.  A word like Kalamazoo is great for triggering a long put that has to be hit aggressively. Hopefully, after using  active keys for the Surge swing  I'll be able to make the progression to passive swing keys.

I really like one of Phil Ritsons' suggested passive release keys, " I love golf."  One of my own that I just like the sound of is the place name Walla-Walla.

Like your specific waggle purpose, meaning establish a target area with the waggle, and then move into a full swing.  Provides more focus/purpose for the swing while keeping your muscles loose.

LOL, it's a character flaw, Doc.  Maybe a defective gene.

The part you forgot, Steve, is when the IRS came in and assessed each of them $20 in taxes on their $100 income. ;-)

Love it Surge! That is all I ever do anymore is lift and go. We know Surge did a video blog a while back that reminded us to turn alittle and that he has to remind himself that there is a turn though only 70*. I have always fought turning too much. That is why for me a completly quiet body and simply lifting the arms from the shoulders in that one peice move is a better thought just like Wayne suggests. Hold those knees, especially the leading (left) in the BUS. Like Wayne, I still turn at least 70* without trying. Great video today and such a so so simple way to think and swing.

Yes, it was a difficult one to ask without it sounding complicated which it isn't or like I am actually asking for advice because I am not. I was just interested what is in his mind at that time. Cheers

That is what I don't believe and maybe what the player perceives, that's why I asked if he could do it when next out, instead of thinking about in advance what he thinks about at that point, if that makes sense! Obviously the better a player gets the more things are ingrained so thoughts will be clearly less.

I believe that those who are looking for swing thoughts are confusing "pre-shot mechanics" (thoughts which are governed by our conscious mind) with actually swinging the club, governed totally by our subconscious mind. Once we have programed what we want to do...visualizing the ball flight, the conditions and the target, the subconscious mind will perform what you want it to do using the methods you have learned (practiced) earlier. You can't force the subconscious to do anything consciously just as you can't compel your heart to beat differently. The subconscious mind controls all of our bodily functions including breathing and swinging the club itself. What we can control is how we program the mind to perform the best swing possible, to accomplish the goal at hand, using the swing we brought to the course. The term "key trigger" is nothing more than getting our conscious mind out of the way long enough to allow the subconscious mind to perform the swing. This happens when we think about one "key word" (a visual thought in our mind) that triggers the swing to perform the task at hand. It is different for everyone and it is practiced on the range before you get to the course. I use "pause" (at the top) to think of nothing but that visual before I swing and then just swing away. Nothing is in my mind during the swing. That's why so many pros practice their routine religiously ... nothing else matters on the course. 
It isn't easy. It is very difficult NOT to think of anything. If any thought enters the mind during the swing, it short circuits the subconscious, and the swing is compromised. What we practice at the range helps our subconscious perform at its best ability during the game. You can't bring the "conscious" practice swing to the course. But you can summon that swing through subconscious thought using a trigger. This is difficult to explain without sounding overly technical but that is what happens to good golfers when they are in the zone. Great putters see their ball fall into the hole TWICE...once before they stroke the putt and again when it falls after they putt. If you don't think you're going to make it, you won't. Hope this helps.

Surge, you are right. However I am like Wayne. Not sure to do it right. 
it would be GREAT if you put a step by step SLOW motion of you swing and/or DJ's.
I have been taking snapshot from some of you videos to really understand and "imprint" in my mind the "lift straight up" movement but it is quite impossible to do it is the video is not a slow motion. Could you do it, please, I believe it would help quite a few surgites. Thanks, Richard

Surge,

As a recovering "overthinker" I love the topic.  I know exactly where Wayne is coming from.  I get my best results when I just get out of my own way and K.I.S.S. and "Just Do It".

Forgive me for being delighted for Danny Lee for his great round and sharing first place after Day 1. Though he's Korean-born we're proud to claim him as a dinkum Kiwi, here in New Zealand. Be great to see him finish Day 4 in second place - to DJ, of course. :-)

 I really like the image of swinging the arms around the base of the neck. When I can forget about the ball and the club and just do that, I tend to have my best shots. The motion is significantly simplified if I'm not worrying about hitting the ball, which counterintuitively, causes me to hit the ball better.

Dick a rather risky one from a fellow golfer of Scottish descent yesterday.
Two Irishmen were bemoaning their luck. They could only muster $2 between them. So a night in the pub was a distant dream.
Suddenly Patrick said to Mick, "Oi have an idea, give me your money". He went into a shop and returned with one sausage.
"Are ye crazy, what the heck did ye buy dat for?"
"Oi have a plan",said Mick.
They went into the pub and ordered two pints of Guinness. After a while Patrick ordered two large whiskeys. Mick beginning to worry said,"How de heck are we gonna pay for dis?"
Pat takes out the sausage and says to Mick, as he unzips his pants and puts the sausage into the front of his pants, "Just take the sausage in your mouth Mick".
Mick duly obliges.
The barman seeing the end result, is absolutely disgusted and throws them out!
So they tour several bars and repeated the process, drinking up large and paying nothing after being repeatedly thrown out.
After half a dozen such visits, Mick says to Patrick, as he staggers drunkenly along, "You know Pat, Oi cannae 'member how much we 'ave drunk!"
"That's nuttin' at all", says Pat, "Oi can't remember in which Pub Oi lost the blessed sausage!"

Hope this doesn't offend anyone. Humour is what pulls us through hard times.
On the golf scene,intend to practice the swing as an entity rather than joining up dots. Good luck to DJ, may he put a good one together and go on to better things.

Rain on the way, just back from an early visit to the Farmers' Market loaded down with produce ; - ) Diet is important in keeping fit for the trials on the hallowed turf ahead. PMGAS