Today, we are going back to a set up question, and it's one that I bet most of you don't think much about. It has to do with the syle of your grip--specifically how you place your hands on the club and how your two hands interact with each other as you do. This is the question from Ross Petersen that got me thinking about this topic:
"Hi Surge!
I have been a Surgite since starting this wonderful game about 2 1/2 years ago. I had always used an interlocking grip from the start. Recently, I switched and started laying the pinkie on top.[An overlapping grip]. It really seemed to improve my driver but it had quite an ill-effect on my irons. I was slicing and pushing everything to the right. I did not realize that it may have that effect until just a couple of nights ago when I decided to go back and try interlocking again. Instantly I was back to straight with a nice little draw and my normal distance. Just wondering why this may have been? Thanks for the help."
Well, Ross, there are a couple of reasons why this happens. The first is that by changing your grip style you have subtly changed the pressure points where your hand and club meet and this definitely can affect the feel you have for a shot and your timing. The second thing a grip change like this can do is alter your hand and arm rotation and this could affect the toe-up position of your club in your backswing and in your Forward Upswing after impact. Also, it could possibly slow down your release and result in you leaving the club face open at impact.
Oddly enough, I use the overlapping grip for most shots--it's just the one I grew used to over the years. And with it, my standard shot profile is a slight draw. However, when I really need to work a ball left-to-right, I will switch to the interlocking grip style that you have been using and I can generate an awesome fade or slice. So I guess what I am saying is, that both styles are excellent--there are great examples of famous pros who used each one--so it really comes down to personal preference. If you feel you hit your driver best with and overlapping grip and your irons best with the interlocking grip, give that a try and see if you can successfully change back and forth as you play.
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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Comments
DH,
DH,
It's great to hear you're alive and well on the far side of the globe. You have been sorely missed. Welcome back!
I think we're all agreed. I'm
I think we're all agreed. I'm not sure RealgolfFan has read or viewed Don's programs thoroughly, or he'd know that "keeping the wrists firm and rotating the club into and through impact with the large muscles of the arm and shoulder" is part of what Don teaches. I think the danger in telling people, though, that they should have a cupped left wrist is that they will actively try to do something to make that happen, and any active wrist action will rob you of power and control. The forces of swinging a club put your wrists in the necessary positions as long as you maintain firm muscle tone throughout.
I've used interlocking,
I've used interlocking, overlapping but each time my little finger of the right hand just doesn't fit well, because my fingers are too short. So ended up with a baseball grip. I know this isn't the right video to mention some other stuff that has confused me because I only registered a few days ago (but here goes). Don says we need to turn and lift (ie, lift after 'Catchers Mitt') and onwards until our upper arms are in line with the toe line, and then continue lifting up the tree. But he also mentions that his left foot is flared out a bit more than his right to make his FUS easier. But if you flare your left foot more than your right the toe line will look open and aim to the left to the true target line (if your a right hander). So turning and lifting until your upper left arm is over the toe line will mean that you are actually lifting too early and probably pointing left of the true toe line (ie, if your feet were flared out at the same angle). I know we're probably only splitting hairs here but shouldn't we be concentrating on ensuring our upper arms swing to an imaginary line across the toe of the least flared foot that is in parallel with the line through our heels?
Missing the FedEx cup will
Missing the FedEx cup will mean four weeks off, then he has to grind out the Fall Series to try to keep his card for next year. We'll just have to cheer him to victory when he's here in Vegas so he can stop sweating it.
Yes, going from a standard
Yes, going from a standard Chamois grip to a Jumbo Chamois grip is a change of 11 grams, or close to three swing weights down. Of course, Doc teaches that MOI is more important than swing weight, and how that change affects the club in actual use depends on a lot of factors, including whether the club was properly fit to begin with. I have a few old clubs that I am cutting down, and adding the Jumbo grip instead of the standard will replace the lost weight.
Hmmm....That's what I do..
Hmmm....That's what I do...Used to fight the urge with the back foot but pretty much gave up and went with it.
Front foot flare limits the back swing and aids in the finish.
Back foot flare.......No....Can't think of a thing it does for me.
(I guess that's one of the places where I take the liberty of a "tweak" from what the book says).
Ah but I love being a mad
Ah but I love being a mad scientist. It's my hobby and I enjoy the learning process even though it seems to be true that the more you know the more you find you know so little. Less than funny thing is, the more I learn and apply, older happens too. So that by the time that they both really cross paths I will be physically limited to use it all. No matter, It's still fun.
Wonder what Surge thinks
Wonder what Surge thinks about Lesley King's theory on the golf swing? King died a long time ago and his teachings were completely different to modern rotary swing teachers who advocated that the big muscles in the body propelled the arms. King on the other hand, stressed that the body is only placed in positions to allow the arms and club to swing separately in the correct arc. The big difference is that he wanted a full shoulder turn allowing the right heel to come off the ground and not to have too upright a swing or too flat a swing. It saved my game after I was left in tatters for 7 years following Leadbetter's teaching (the tail wagging the dog, torque in backswing etc,where the body is predominantly used to swing the arms in the golf swing). I have played pretty well using King's theories but felt that there was just too much room for error and just not getting any better after 4 years (still the odd moments where my swing and club felt alien to me). I must admit that I'm hitting my irons much better with PPGS and now even hitting the 3 iron (which I couldn;t before). If anyone is interested in the Lesley King theories wish to compare with Don's, here is the link.
http://www.golfpro-online.com/...
The relevance of the wrist
The relevance of the wrist position at impact is not what I was referring to as "moot".
The moot part is that the palms can be perpendicular to the ground either way. Grab a club and hold it in the impact position with the wrists completely neutral and the palms perpendicular to the ground. Then bow the left wrist and keep the palms perpendicular to the ground. Then cup the left wrist keeping the palms perpendicular to the ground.
You should find that you can easily do any of the three.
(Unless the laws of physics are different in my house).
Just joking!
You are correct. If we flare
You are correct. If we flare the front foot more than the back foot the "toe line" for purposes of shoulder alignment becomes where the toes would be if equally flared.
Surge doesn't recommend the front foot be flared more than the back foot unless it's just something that works better as an individual tweak. DJ mentioned last year that he started flaring the front foot extra. (I have no idea if he still does it).
Benefits: It's much easier on the left ankle and knee in the finish and (for me) much easier to keep my balance on my left leg.
Having played in two Swing
Having played in two Swing Surgeon Golf tournies I can assure you that every one is still truely quite individual regardless of how much they think they are getting the PPGS swing down. I saw a variety of swings and although most were fairly good there was a big variety of how close each was getting to imitating Surge and DJ. That in no way is a critisism as my swing was and likely still is not nearly as Surge-like as I would like it to be. As for side hill lies, I have actually improved over the years. A couple of weeks ago my brother and I played likely the hilliest course in the Las Vegas area. I have gotten fairly good judging those touch from sloping lies. Key for me is using almost all arms and no body assistance for all shots around the greens. Just back and through with 'dead' hands kept in that forward lean position (unless flopping high) and a super quiet body. I primarily allow the alignment adjustments and loft choices to keep shots to correct distance and direction on slope shots. I do ascribe to the least loft possible to get it on the green and rolling like a putt (again except when a high shot over trouble is the only choice). My challenge remains putting which is hot and cold each time out.
"I always outworked everybody
"I always outworked everybody. Work never bothered me like it bothers some people."
(Ben Hogan)
"The more I practice the luckier I get."
(Gary Player)
I thought I noticed that
I thought I noticed that exact thing in some of the videos you put up, but wasn't sure because of camera angle.
Don't know why I didn't figure this out sooner since I used to flare my rear foot more than 30 degrees in my rotational days to get a bigger shoulder turn. Seeeee, old dogs can learn new tricks. It just took me a little longer...lol.
:) Getting old sure as hell
:) Getting old sure as hell ain't for sissies is it?!!
I read through most of the
I read through most of the lessons. The first few weren't too different from PPGS instruction, just some relatively minor stuff.
That all changed in the lessons starting with the back swing. The PPGS requires a much more dominant right hand, especially in the back swing, for any chance of the palms remaining perpendicular to the ground. The left palm, without great assistance from the right hand and arm, will always rotate clockwise and the club is going to go deep into the SBG.
The illustration showing a "wrong" position at the top of the back swing that is fairly vertical makes a totally wrong assumption of the path to the ball and assumes that the path is a steep angle. Most people think that because they think the club head takes a straight path to the ball from it's position at the top. In reality the hands fall from the top and the club lays off slightly (to moderately) and the path through the impact zone is actually shallower than would appear possible.
Many other things like the point of the weight on the feet, to the left heel (which I usually don't do right anyway), to the "knob knees" are also opposites from PPGS.
There was one quote that I absolutely loved:
"The sole purpose of the backswing is to correctly position the club at the top...
...it has absolutely nothing to do with 'generating power'
You have probably been told that the purpose of the backswing is to generate power. Forget it! It does nothing of the kind."
That's it. As long as the
That's it. As long as the weight transfer is proper and we don't do something silly like reversing close to impact the right position at impact should be pretty natural to do.
Those that intentionally cock the wrists are the ones that better have some serious skill if they want to always be in the right position at impact.
Steve - Many thanks for this.
Steve - Many thanks for this.
You can bet I'll be there.
You can bet I'll be there. Not sure if Cindy and I are going to volounteer this year to work the Vegas tourny or just enjoy and watch. Likely the later. We'll be following DJ and cheering for him either way.
I always thought that second
I always thought that second one was Trevino.
HI THERE, I HAVE BEEN TRYING
HI THERE, I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ADOPT YOUR SWING, BUT I AM HAVING A PROBLEM HITTING DRAWS. WITH THE ROTATIONAL SWING I CAN DRAW THE BALL OFF THE TEE. WITH YOUR SWING I HAVE BEEN HITTING FADES, WHAT I CAN I DO TO HIT DRAWS. THANKS BRUCE
DJ's -1 today after 7 holes
DJ's -1 today after 7 holes but still +1 for the tourny. The cut line is at -1 so he'll need at least two more birdies and avoid Mr. bogieman.
Good to hear from you again
Good to hear from you again Dragonhead, sorry for your misfortunes. We have been missing your posts. Welcome back.
Dick Lee, I hope you are doing well tonight, my thoughts are with you and yours.
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