One-Piece Vertical Takeaway

EDIT: I you have recorded the Farmer's Insurance tournie and don't know the result then please don't read this post any further :-)

Man I feel sorry for Kyle Stanley getting bit by Bruce Devlin's Billabong on the last and then losing the playoff to Brandt Snedeker on the 2nd playoff hole, the 16th, I am happy for Brandt though as he is a nice guy.   I betcha that Kyle is thinking "man I should have went for the 18th green in two" like he did on the first playoff hole to score a birdie as opposed to the snow man he scored on the 72nd hole of regulation.

Surge--- At the top of the backswing, is the club shaft vertical or not.  And, perpendicular to the ground.  Many times you've demonstrated that at the top of the backswing, if the club was dropped, it would fall straight down through the hands. If this is true, then it would seem to me that the club shaft would be at 12 o:clock, whether viewed from down the line or or face on. Where am I wrong on this?

Thanks a bunch -- I enjoy the daily videos

Amen!!!

Ditto for me, couldn't have stated my sentiments any clearer. My back loves this system which has probably prevented injuries and surgeries necessary under the old rotational system.

 I find a lot of folks wanting to know the advanced physics and calculus theories of this system, who really need to stick with some basic shop math. Yes, it may be hard to actually accomplish this swing, but, it is not very hard to understand the basics of it. Get a camera, a mirror, your shadow, maybe even your wife or friend and watch Yourself. It is the only way to know what you are or are not doing. It really is that simple. You cannot correct, what you do not realize or see is wrong. You must be able to recognize your faults, before you can address them. Full length mirrors are very cheap at Wal Mart, and they don't nag you either.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Main...

PMG and KISS

I just found it and it is pretty cool. I will probably get the Pro version eventually.

For some reason I thought it was mentioned that you guys were using VLC.

Robert Rock stayed steady and after Tiger lead in fairways after the first few days he found mostly thick rough and sand off the tee. He actually did well to save par all day long.

Tom,

Do you recall this video from Nov. It explains the entire swing from BUS to FUS.
http://www.swingsurgeon.com/Da...

Steve
I will fix the contact lock thing later I am kinda busy at work for a Monday. I will get back at you later this afternoon.
 I told you I was a mess right now I do not how I got were I am but needs fixing. I think I know were you are going with the left shoulder down and in and that sounds better than down and around.
ADD
I think I have the contact lock fixed.

I think this the best video done on this topic to date not sure why all the confusion. Pretty self explanatory IMO.

Great post SGW.

"In short the mantra is to see the vertical circle parallel to the aim/toe line and swing the butt end on it with the slight fore arm roll through the mitt and on up to the top where the bump starts the FUS."

This has been my theory for quite some time. However, other major flaws that I recenlty discovered prevented it from working. I did not want to talk about it on the blog until I could verify it works. Thank you.

There is one thing that still challenges me, so I want to run it by all of you on the blog. Around here we talk about two things regularly. We talk about the toe line and we talk about "feeling" the swing. The challenge lies in the fact that the hands (where the club is) and the toes are at opposite ends of the body. It is difficult to feel where the toe line is.

My proposed solution is to think about the center of the swing. That spot that Surge talks about at the top of the spine. When I get my hands in the proper position the butt of the club is directly under the manubrium of the sternum (the big bump directly between your shoulders). Rather than think about my toe line, I focus on swinging the butt of the club on an arc that is on (or just inside) the vertical plane that passes through the manubrium and is parallel to the aiming line.

I like this method for "feeling" the swing because it is only an arms length away.

http://swingsurgeon.com/DailyV...

This may help

SGW:

   RIGHT ON Brother!!

   Amos

I was surprised to see the missed fairways and greens stats. Most good ball strikers don't have the good putters' mentality as the average distance to the hole is longer. Some one who misses more greens and gets more chipping opportunities will have a much shorter average putt length. Making clutch up and down putts feeds the good putters' mentality.

Personally I get a bit grumpy if the total putts tally over 27. Maybe it is because I know I can make every putt.

 You are welcome. I have found that the simple things that are overlooked in the Master Setup Position can get back at you in annoying ways. Reaching too far is just as problematical as the crowding the ball.

It seems odd that the swing basics are so simple, yet our personal view jumbles them up into a complication to fit our interpretation.

What I hope to do is to introduce viewpoints as a basis to discuss the simplicities in words that can communicate with the larger audience who find a kinship in Surge's methodology.

Amos,
Glad to hear you're on the way to recovery. Sounds like you're ging through all kinds of adjustments. I'm sure it'll get better with time. Sounds like it hasn't slowed down your efforts to golf as much as possible. Good for that pal!
PMG with better vision!

Great video. I will down load it for future reference as it answered all the questions about the take away that I had.

Back to the question that Eric Crockett, Ken Archer and Poproy_66 are taling about. Not down the line where Surge correctly showed the 12 o'clock, but 180* opposite that I can only guess would be called up the line. The view from the target looking back to the player. This is the problem with English. The language too often can lead one astray because of how many ways a statement can be interpreted. See the mess the term wrist cock has left across the blog.

From that view Surge is most often trying to show the correct FUS from impact to up by the ear. Again today's video is one of the best I have watched. Eric's question sparked it but was not answered due to English being the goofy language it is.

There are two valid reasons for the club to point to one o'clock when viewed from the target or up the line. First Surge swings the feel and to get the correct FUS the club needs to be angled down ever so slightly towards the SBG. This appears to the camera as one o'clock and is extremely important for the on-on-on strike. The second is Surge is not actually hitting a ball at the camera and as a result his spine angle is more vertical than when actually hitting a ball. This also leads to the one o'clock view from the target.

Steve Smith's 12 o'clock from down the line view is right on. We need to get as close as possible given the nature of our physical makeup to that ideal. Lighter is better, nay the best for this swing and all other swings.

The rock and the string are on a vertical plane in the BUS and the bump shifts them onto a slightly flatter FUS plane, the one o'clock as described by the guys cited. This is the limitation Surge talks about when he says there is a perfect swing and the human body cannot do it.

The back yard range does have the limitation of seeing only the face on view while hitting balls into the net. If more views are needed I add my vote to all those who suggested buying the material written and in video form. They rock and explain the swing so much better than the daily blogs ever will.

Yes Kevin I think your right that people trying to learn this swing should try and keep it at 12 o'clock from every angle if only to avoid confusion to what a light club is. Yes a club will not drop straight down at 1 o'clock from front on , with the weight of the club & a sticky grip . If you hold the club by the smooth shaft, it may slide down more freely. The possibilities are endless, but this is not the issue for me. The face on & down the line are two seperate issues. I feel that my swing finishes at 12, front on, but will stop at between 1 & 2 from momentom, the bump & 2nd spine tilt, in transition. The 12 o,clock  light club is only for down the line to get us vertical. When Surge says he fights to keep the club vertical & not get laid off, he's talking about down the line. When he lifts the club straight up & lets it drop to show gravity at work, its down the line. I have never seen him demonstrate a vertical club from front on & say you must do this. The vertical light club viewed down the line is for everyone to aim for. The front on is up to each individuals own flexability & capability

Hi Don,
Although I view all your daily videos I cant remember seeing any of them cover thoroughly the footwork required during the entire swing.
For example you have mentioned in the past that at the top of the backswing the weight is primarily on the inside of the right foot. So which part of the right foot pushes off to start the downswing?  Is it the left side of the ball of the right foot or is it the entire left side of the right foot that "rolls inwards to initiate the" bump"and followed by the raising of the right heel as the ball of the right foot swivels around anti clockwise to facilitate the T finish.
Importantly,during the downswing, on which part of the left foot is the weight transferred first.
 regards

Andrew Papadopoulos
Melbourne
Australia 

I pulled up your 3 coats and Chattanooga vids and checked to see if I could see any insights that might be worth pursuing.

First point is glasses related. Comparing your head position to the  top of the BUS from address and the same at impact there is a 5-8" raising and pulling back from the ball in order to create the width for the arms to straighten at impact.

Your swing looks like my biggest fault in leaning over too much so the ball is in the field of vision with my glasses. My cure is to stand taller with the club grip under my eyes and accordion down to the ball.

Standing taller would let you lift when the shaft is over the toe line a lot easier. Right now the club head is pulling the arm rotation back too far inside because a strong lift would raise your head and make you lose sight of the ball.

I have found that using larger lenses with out bi or tri focals work out better, especially for taller players who have a lot of spine angle at address. One of my good golf buddies got new glasses and started hitting the ball like a 25 handicaper instead of the 3 he was playing to. As soon as he switched back he started flushing the ball again.

Hope this gives you some ideas to work with. I am really impressed at how well you slot the shaft so it planes through the ball.

I have found it easier in my teaching to say we go "through the mitt and up the tree" as it keeps people from segmenting the swing.  Also, Don thinks of pulling back with his right side.  I push with the left side shoulder.  I don't move the hands at all in the turn so the turning of the shoulder does cause the pronation that you are referring to.  Yes, it does look like DJ immediately rotates his hands.  Having worked with DJ in person I can say that he is starting the shoulders and that move at the same time.  It is just much easier to see the movement in the hands as it is quicker.  Basically with DJ it ALL happens fast.  If you look to see that DJ and his Dad have the exact swing, don't because no two of us do it the EXACT same way but the basic principles are in place.  

SS,SGW and T, I find this whole discussion about putting fascinating.

True that total putts and even one putts don't completely tell the tale of the day. In my case making the green in regulation can be hit and miss anyway so of course I want to one putt, particularly if I have needed to chip on after a missed green.
In any case I know if I'm putting well or not.
One of my guidelines for weather I'm putting well or not is looking at the difference between holing my putts and making my putts. If I carefully choose the line and comfortably predict the pace and once the putt leaves my putter and is on it's way, I can feel good about making the putt. And that's weather it goes in or not. Of course if I get the line and pace correct often enough quite a few putts do go in. Once I've done my part then it's either going in or not.
Interestingly since having this attitude toward my putting I have started 'holing' putts more often and have had a healthier reaction after the ball comes off the putter face and is on it's rollregardless of the outcome. I am learning to observe the results and become aware of my tendencies rather than have a spaz attack of self condemnation!. I can then walk away to the next tee with a healthier perspective and not carry to much emotion based on results.

This same approach is aiding my growth and improvement with all other clubs too. Basically I'm getting better at not harshly judging every swing I make but rather become more aware of what is causing the various results I get each time.
One of the recent benifits of this approach is fully appreciating how much my grip had gotten way too tight. Like a 6 on the 1-5 grip meter. Too, this ultimately translated into too much tension in my dominant right shoulder which was in large part the reason I came over the top and sliced or pulled the ball.
The correction has been resulting naturally and not forced. Just being aware of it now I am usually much more relaxed and can maintain the same grip pressure(about a 3) now throughout my swing. It's actually very cool. A calmer and quieter mind does help.
That's my take on it.
PMG

Yes, I have played five days in a row!!  Just finished now, had a good day with my two clubs walked 12 holes!!   It has been great!  We are now heading to watch our grandson play basketball.

Walking outside beats treadmill for sure, but we have one and I will be on it tomorrow, like you said rain.  :o(((   Mountain trails sounds good, we have nothing but flat!!!  

Thanks for all your help, did pretty darn good today!

marilyn

I also went up to Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead and had some good times there.  We also went down to San Bernadino quite a bit.  I did'nt get to Nam either, instead I was at Wheelus AFB outside Tripoli, Libya when Gadaffi overthrew the King Idris.  I'm from NW Ohio so golf is out for a couple of months.  Nice talking to you, its brought up some good memories.  Hit em long & straight ( the Surge way)!!! 

That's because most folks live in a two plane world and have very little if any depth. They see what they want to see, hear what they want to here, and seek out others to support them.

Failure to communicate indeed.  Resistance is futile. They will have it their way or NO WAY. Do not confuse them with the facts,,,etc, etc,

2 Tim 4 3-4

It was painful to watch. The only good thing that can come from it is possibly showing amateurs that they don't WANT the ball to spin back uncontrollably.

Yes your right, I can understand how confusion could come about but still a bit of scratching going on down here too

Thanks for the kudo. It can be annoying, but tonight waaaaay out there.

Hopefully the only projectiles were the ones stuck by your clubs.

No such thing as a bad sense of humor. I'll take it any way I can get it

Surge, very timely video as the one/two piece takeaway was well analysed and dealt with.
I have only just got this "one piece" action going recently as previously in an effort to keep
my wrists flat, found I had to go outside the toe line, which made the vertical lift more difficult.
Was at the range last night and was amazed at how accurate I was hitting my wedges from
50-100M out, all of this due to getting to the toeline and then up, don't have to worry about
my wrists any more.

I know there are plenty of Surgites out there who bemoan new comers on this site, but it shows
that the Surge's message is getting out there and these guys are going to ask the same
questions that we all did at the beginning, keep up the good work Surge.   
 

Surg. I see what the Eric Crockett is saying about your swing not being at 12 o'clock. I have watched your swing very closely. When I try to emulate your swing I try to get to exactly 12 o'clock. When I look at my video of myself I find that I am also at about 1 o'clock from the front view. When I try to get it "right" I am thinking of mechanics and not feeling the swing. So, I simply try to swing the feel as it is comfortable to me and avoid thinking mechanics. A minor variation is not a big deal as long as I don't get into the sacred burial ground. Thinking mechanics is for the range and the practice swing, Swinging the feel is for the shot I want to make.

Theres heaps of putting videos. top of this page on left is SURGE'S SHOP.  They aint free but cheaper than a pro lesson. Knowledge is power & the latest one with Kenny Knox is pretty cool too

Keith, the club does not necessarily have to get laid off to come at the ball from the inside. If you can manage to drop the club straight down the toe line to the release point (somewhere around hip-height to slightly below, ideally), the club head will have to move toward the ball from the inside (on the toe line) to the aiming (target) line. Of course, all of us, including Surge (as he has said), cannot achieve the perfect swing. We can only try to get as close as possible for each individual.

Okay, no ones said a word about it. Is it the elephant in the room or are we all just too focused on understanding what angle 12 is all about? Tiger Woods is on the edge of possible victory playing in a field with the current number 1,2 and 3 players in the world. Shot a 66 Saturday and looks like he may win it in the morning. Anyhow I never stopped being a Tiger fan and am pulling for him to win Sunday. We'll soon know.
Hey, at heart I'm still an avid golf fan. Been watching this kid for 30 years now. Kind of cool to see him turn things around.

Keith, I sympathise with your predicament also, my game has slowly eroded and feel
that some of us do require "one to one" coaching help. Have seen so many videos of myself and no matter what I change/follow advice/read on the blog/listen to Don, nothing is improving. Interesting suggestion from Tom Jans, the Director of Marketing offering online clinics, this is something I suggested in the old PPGS days
and I believe this would be a valuable tool to us who don't have direct access to a
SSGS instructor. I also believe those of us who aren't athletically gifted should stop trying to teach ourselves something we know little about and just listen to a structured procedure from a professional, thereby being able to separate the "trees in the forrest". 

Hoping things do improve for you and best of luck.