Proper Arm Hang And Posture

Tue, 01/24/2012 - 16:55 -- Don Trahan

Today, I'd like to talk about certain factors of the setup that are very crucial to becoming a good ball striker. In the Peak Performance Golf Swing, the setup determines the motion. One element of the setup position is posture, which should be similar throughout all of the clubs in your bag. Bad habits in the setup can lead to bad results in the air, so don't forget these other elements as well.

In the video you'll hear me discuss different aspects such as arm hang, posture, and hand positioning. As the club shafts get longer and the lie angles change, the easier it becomes for any one of these elements to falter. Problems like leaning over or stretching out your arms too far are some common problems I see.

If you haven't done so already, check out 3 time PGA TOUR WINNER, Kenny Knox in our newest video to hit Surge's Shop. As you can see in the sneak preview, Kenny has a fantastic setup and one that takes all of these elements I've discussed into account.

Keep it vertical,

The Surge!

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Comments

Russty Kiwi's picture

Submitted by Russty Kiwi (not verified) on

I dont normaly wear a glove, but have been finding sweaty palms a pain in the heat lately. Might have to look into the roo gloves myself,or find some toweling pants, but I dont think they make them.  Where do you get roo gloves in NZ?

Keith Kent's picture

Submitted by Keith Kent (not verified) on

Steve, I really cannot get my head around not going past the toe line, I think that thought should be scrapped. 
And one should aim for being between the toe line and heel line once at the top. Surely if you are within this range with a vertical ish shaft you are doing very good.

Isn't the SBG behind the heel line so what I have said is what it should be.I for one cannot get near this yet and would be over the moon to be in that zone! 

Doc Griffin's picture

Submitted by Doc Griffin (not verified) on

I posted a response to this a bit ago and I come back, and it's gone. What's up with that. Anyway, thanks for asking about Vaughan. She is doing remarkably well. Her CT scan check ups have been moved from every 3 months to 6 months. The grapefruit sized tumor is now the size of a golfball. The doctor says that he thinks what is left is scar tissue and "dead" matter.

As for the shaft question, it is impossible to give you a specific answer without fitting data. If you'd like to go to our website (www.docgriffingolf.com on the product page) and fill out the Long Distance Driver Fitting form, I can give you a precise recommendation. More important than flex is entire shaft profile as well as loft. It is also important, in my opinion, to make sure that the shaft is in the correct playing position (spined and floed).

In general, for the club head speed you mentioned, a shaft with lower kick, lower torque would be in order. I would be glad to help you more specifically if you wish.

Dragonhead's picture

Submitted by Dragonhead (not verified) on

Love this one, thanks to both Surge and TMedley for it. Will go out and have a quiet swing shortly and to the course later for a few holes. I love the daily videos and the perceptive comments from the Surgite clan. Light on moments are helped by the comments and the videos. Have a lovely day where ever you are. Again many thanks guys, gals and the Surge team. Gratefully yours from sunny Wellington NZ

Hugogarcia's picture

Submitted by Hugogarcia (not verified) on

Re: Open club face
In the lessons "Short Game with Kenny Knox", Kenny says that you should open the face of the club and at the same time square the face??
Can somebody tell me how you achieve this?
 

Doc Griffin's picture

Submitted by Doc Griffin (not verified) on

Ray, 
She is doing very well.  Please email me:   jgriffin@docgriffingolf.com to discuss as there it more to it than just what you've asked about.

C Crary's picture

Submitted by C Crary (not verified) on

Surge,

This may be the reason why the driver is the hardest club to hit straight !!  My 72 year old mind is not letting me know that I slouched and didn't stay in the quarterback position - ready to receive the ball and execute the play !!  Stupid is as stupid does !!  Thanks !! 

Steve Smith's picture

Submitted by Steve Smith on

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Keith Kent's picture

Submitted by Keith Kent (not verified) on

What I need to think about is it being a start point(set up) and finish point (at the top) What is in between isn't two angles so I have to get that out my head!

Doc Griffin's picture

Submitted by Doc Griffin (not verified) on

Ray,

I posted a response to this a bit ago and I come back, and it's gone. What's up with that. Anyway, thanks for asking about Vaughan. She is doing remarkably well. Her CT scan check ups have been moved from every 3 months to 6 months. The grapefruit sized tumor is now the size of a golfball. The doctor says that he thinks what is left is scar tissue and "dead" matter.

As for the shaft question, it is impossible to give you a specific answer without fitting data. If you'd like to go to our website (www.docgriffingolf.com on the product page) and fill out the Long Distance Driver Fitting form, I can give you a precise recommendation. More important than flex is entire shaft profile as well as loft. It is also important, in my opinion, to make sure that the shaft is in the correct playing position (spined and floed).

In general, for the club head speed you mentioned, a shaft with lower kick, lower torque would be in order. I would be glad to help you more specifically if you wish.

Painrxer's picture

Submitted by Painrxer (not verified) on

Bad audio!

548991's picture

Submitted by 548991 (not verified) on

The Surge pointed out a very crucial point of the lie angle with the driver ( other clubs as well .)   When  the  toe is in the " up "  position  and the : over-extending of the arms , when stuck in that lie angle i found my shots either sliced ( under released ) or even pulled .  I found,  as Surge pointed out,  keeping  upper torso more up-right . 
       I  strike  the ball much  straighter with my driver and my irons as well . I  am able  to  " flush " the ball  off  of  different types of  lie surfaces . At the driving range, i basically  work  more on my  irons, especially  the longer  3 to 5 irons with great results , ( well easier off the mat , lol ! )  we all know the feeling !  The rotary swingers  around me  ( some )  has to use hybrids  to get the same distance . Not placing myself  as a better striker than anyone else ,  but as the Surge state , " the set up 
determines the motion ."  My handicap has improved from 31 to a 26 , and i look forward  to this year  to  better that .  Thank you  Surge !

Robert Meade's picture

Submitted by Robert Meade (not verified) on

Actually Kenny and Don make it really simple. Easier seen than discribed by my words. A point that Surge makes is that it fundamentally does not violate basic Surge pararmeters of on,on,on.
A striking difference is that Kenny prefers (in most cases closer to the green -not all) that our weight is more so on the front foot in our set up and stays there. This aids ball first contact. Interestingly DJ had showed his preferance for this at the clinic given in Las Vegas on those shorter shots where lie and conditions dictated.                                                              I agree that basic methods and techniques of our swing can alter where need and circumstances call for it. This is all part of why Surge gives us a variety of approaches and encourages us to use our imagination and feel.

Dmwheat4's picture

Submitted by Dmwheat4 (not verified) on

Thanks so much Surge, sometimes I just might do that, so, will work on not!!  Got out some yesterday on practice range, only 33 outside, but, no wind!!  Took my five hybrid out and a couple of ball, I hate that club and it hates me!!!   Most of all my hits were ok, but, had hard time getting the darn ball up in the air, it was really wet out there, but, still, the club hates me!!   I can take my eight iron out and it can really go, but, not that five hybrid???   Anyway, it felt good getting out, today fog and rain, :o((  maybe in a few days???  Who knows??

Thanks so much for your help!

marilyn

Doc Griffin's picture

Submitted by Doc Griffin (not verified) on

I posted a response to this a bit ago and I come back, and it's gone. What's up with that. Anyway, thanks for asking about Vaughan. She is doing remarkably well. Her CT scan check ups have been moved from every 3 months to 6 months. The grapefruit sized tumor is now the size of a golfball. The doctor says that he thinks what is left is scar tissue and "dead" matter.

As for the shaft question, it is impossible to give you a specific answer without fitting data. If you'd like to go to our website (www.docgriffingolf.com on the product page) and fill out the Long Distance Driver Fitting form, I can give you a precise recommendation. More important than flex is entire shaft profile as well as loft. It is also important, in my opinion, to make sure that the shaft is in the correct playing position (spined and floed).

In general, for the club head speed you mentioned, a shaft with lower kick, lower torque would be in order. I would be glad to help you more specifically if you wish.

Robert Meade's picture

Submitted by Robert Meade (not verified) on

Just released, I don't know how many have purchased and are in a position to coment. I have watched the entire series twice now and don't specifically remember that. Could you tell us where in which one you saw that? Then I would be happy to comment.
I do recall there was a few times they encouraged certain shots where the face would be open but emphasised that swinging across the ball was not recomended but to swing square to the feet which are slightly open, this way the ball would get up more quickly (ex. in a bunker where a steep bank was involved). So we are still even in that case directed to swing square or on,on, on. In many cases he actually swang throuh and up very vertically rather than across the ball finishing left as many do out there today.

MikefromKy Go Bama. Go Irish's picture

Submitted by MikefromKy Go B... (not verified) on

So what you are saying trying to get it perfect maybe impossible. My swing has been vertical in the sense of Jack N./ Watson vertical. I just need to get the legs working properly in the FUS In line with what Don teaches. Maybe I might break into the 60's this year just once. That's the goal anyway

Robert Meade's picture

Submitted by Robert Meade (not verified) on

C,
Of course there are many reasons the driver is the most difficult to hit. Among them are its length and the fact that it has the least loft. So aside from lie angle, have you considered a shorter driver and more loft along with a shaft that may be more flexible? Not assuming anything about your health, strength or swing speed or bility but most of todays drivers off the shelf are not ready for amatures to hit well. Consider a driver fitting and insist that they shorten it. There have been countless blogs on this that are now part of our Surge library in the archives available along the right column in the search post area.
Golf can make us all look stupid. Having a driver that fits you may make you look a little smarter along with the Surge style swing.
Good luck!
PMG

Robert Meade's picture

Submitted by Robert Meade (not verified) on

Actually Kenny and Don make it really simple. Easier seen than discribed by my words. A point that Surge makes is that it fundamentally does not violate basic Surge pararmeters of on,on,on.
A striking difference is that Kenny prefers (in most cases closer to the green -not all) that our weight is more so on the front foot in our set up and stays there. This aids ball first contact. Interestingly DJ had showed his preferance for this at the clinic given in Las Vegas on those shorter shots where lie and conditions dictated.                                                              I agree that basic methods and techniques of our swing can alter where need and circumstances call for it. This is all part of why Surge gives us a variety of approaches and encourages us to use our imagination and feel.

Keith Kent's picture

Submitted by Keith Kent (not verified) on

Hi Folks, just looking at Don's swing videos and can see where I think I may be going wrong and basically going from one extreme to another.

When I try and get vertical I try and get the club to the toe line then up the tree, litterally in straight lines and trying to not let the club HEAD go past the toeline either. After watching Don swings, the club head(down the line)does go past and is laid off on the BUS until the top of the BUS.

Whats your thoughts folks?, I am hoping this is another light bulb moment as I have just tried this and it felt like I was on to something. I have always wondered how he gets the club inside and back out to vertical at the top without any straight lines which the 'in the mitt up the tree' analogy suggests and doesn't work for me at all.

If you come inside to the toe line and past with a maximum 70* turn surely your shoulders cannot continue to turn on their own and can only come back to the toeline and vertical at the top as they work up to the top of the ball/socket shoulder turn.

Hope you get what I mean!
Cheers Keith 

Steve Smith's picture

Submitted by Steve Smith on

This is how I see it based on video of other people and myself, and my ability to hit a golf shot inside of the hoop hanging in my batting cage.

Toe line. No way to make a decent golf swing if taken literally.

Ankle line. Possible but not at all easy or comfortable with the longer clubs.

Heel line. Very possible to stay in this parameter in practice and a worthy goal for our swings, bearing in mind that with the longer clubs in actual play we'll probably go behind that point on one side of the ball or the other, or both.

Butt line. Fairly easy to stay within this parameter in practice and may or may not go behind that point on the course with any given shot with a longer club.

Edit: Another thing I have noticed in my own swing is that so far I have two choices. Stay inside the heel line on the back swing or stay inside the heel line after impact on the up swing. I can do either anytime I want but I can't do both.
A video I just put up from last summer shows the best I can do on the back swing but not on the other side of the ball.

Doc Griffin's picture

Submitted by Doc Griffin (not verified) on

He and I had this conversation over a year ago and he redid the video describing where the SBC is.  It is behind the ankles.  I meant to say ankles instead of heels.  The shaft gets to the toe line and the turn stops there but when you lift the arms into the equilateral triangle at the top, the club head is no longer on the toe line.  It can't be if it's over your shoulder.

Steve Smith's picture

Submitted by Steve Smith on

I wouldn't say impossible as long as "perfect" allows back to the ankle line as Doc says it does.

I would go out on a limb and say "impossible" in practical use if someone is literally trying to use the toe line.

T Medley's picture

Submitted by T Medley (not verified) on

Looks like a handy icer, but presently would not fit over all the dressing,splint and ace bandage wrapping. Hopefully the size will shrink when I get the hard cast put on the 2nd of Feb.

Keith Kent's picture

Submitted by Keith Kent (not verified) on

Thanks Doc and Steve, I go from being flat to basically lifting the club up and trying to not go past the toeline at all which I think is why I go from one extreme to another.
Hopefully I can work on this and get it soon!

The turn stopping and shoulder continuing is something I think I have lacked, I guess if you stop the turn at the right point and continue the lift then the shoulder will just roll in the joint.

Cheers Keith

Steve Smith's picture

Submitted by Steve Smith on

Hey Keith,
I would think of your "straight lines" as being a general path but the actual path will be an arched version of those two lines.
If you drew those two lines on a piece of paper and then quickly started at the bottom and drew a line to the top along the general path of the two straight lines it would be an arc with a little more curve at the transition from one line to the other.

Steve Smith's picture

Submitted by Steve Smith on

Now you're talking.
That's pretty much what I do. However, the biggest drawback to getting where we need to be at the top is where we are halfway to the top so it's a fine line to walk.

One thing is for sure. If you can keep your palms perpendicular to the ground the whole way it's almost impossible to not be in a good position at the top.
(Easier said than done when we are actually focused on hitting a golf shot and not so much our swing).

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