Three weeks ago I did a piece on Hitting Knockdowns The Correct Way and it generated a good back-and-forth dialogue on the blog. Here's an exchange from that day between frequent commenter Keith Kent of Nottinghamshire, England and Craig Sadgrove, a.k.a. Craig63, who hails from New South Wales, Australia.
"Even though I am a committed and regular Surgite, I still do search YouTube and the 'net for video clips, and once you do, it is surprising what good stuff you come across. I have a great hunger to learn and am someone who does a heck of a lot of research and gets in deep when I put my mind to something.
When I saw this post, I went over to the "dark side" [Revolution Golf] to have a look and some of the golf 'sins', or whatever they call them, were interesting. I find most golf instruction is very similar--they all have something different which they claim as their own, but the basics should all be the same. Just because you don't want to swing with a big turn doesn't mean you won't find something useful somewhere else that will help. I have posted a couple of times on here with videos I think are worth sharing, and if Surge and Co. don't like this, they can remove them--I won't be offended as it is their site. But I don't think they are that selfish like the "dark side" was-- banning people when their customers had a difference of opinion. And yes, my IP address got banned [at Revolution Golf] so I couldn't post my support for Surge!!
Regards, Keith"
In his comment, Keith espouses the view that "most golf instruction is very similar" and that he can often find a useful pearl of wisdom in unexpected places. I can't argue the last part of his point because it's true. There are parts of golf where the mechanics of most swings are very similar--putting, chipping and short pitch shots are some that come to mind. But I feel I must issue a word of caution regarding the first part of his comment for those of you that might be tempted to take Keith's advice a tad too far.
When it comes to a full swing, there are definitely two sides of the street. There's our side, where a limited turn, 3/4 vertical swing has proven to be one that many players of varying physical ability can achieve highly consistent results in accuracy and distance. The consistency derives from the fact that the Surge Swing is based on physics (how the club works the ball) and the limits of human physiology (how your body works the club) and not on personal experience, untested theories, supposition or conjecture.
On the other side of the street, there is...well practically everyone else who believes that a big turn and a wide finish delivers better distance. And here's the important part to remember: How often do you hear the words "long distance" and "consistent accuracy" in a definition of a rotational swing? Not very often, I'll bet. Why? Because at any given time there may be several tens of thousands of pros and top ranked amateurs that could say that about their swing while the millions of other golfers around the world cannot consistently hit the ball straight. That's because the basic tenets of a rotary swing are out of alignment with the laws of physics and/or the God-given limits of what the human body can do.
And the belief that a rotational swing delivers better club head speed than a vertical swing is pure supposition and myth. A number of years ago, a Cal State-Fullerton study measured the club head velocity achieved by a group of rotational swingers against that achieved by the same set of golfers who spent less than an hour with me learning the basics of the Peak Performance Golf Swing. The key take away: The rotational swing did NOT produce more club head velocity than a PPGS. In fact, the Surge Swing delivered slightly more speed where it counts most--at the moment of impact. (The rotational swing actually decelerates and loses club head velocity as the hands release through impact.)
So, please, be careful of what you incorporate into your full swing. I would say, if you can satisfy yourself that the advice is based on good science, then by all means listen to it. If on the other hand, it doesn't do that then look at it as an example of something that you don't want in your swing.
Finally, I would like to close with Craig's elegant and simple "sniff test" when it comes to heeding a particular piece of advice:
"I'm with you Keith on this, sometimes you get to smell a nice rose amongst the BS :-) I guess the challenge, then, is to be able to distinguish between the flowers and the BS! :-()
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
If you can't view the YouTube video above try CLICKING HERE. You must allow popups from this site for the link to work.
Comments
Ronaldr11,
Ronaldr11,
I strongly suggest that you drink the Kool-Aid. You refuse at your own peril, the risk is not worth it. Think of your family man!ÃÂ Too many have already made your mistake. Hopefully he's not reading today's blog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Surge tech crew
Surge tech crew
The star rating system is having a bad day again.ÃÂ After I rated the video as a 5, it registered my rating.ÃÂ As soon as I refreshed the page, it went right back to showing only 3 people had rated it and all at a 3.
Surge does not do 3 star videos.
Just my 2 cents,
Dick
I still get the Revolution
I still get the Revolution site emails but almost never open them because the title alone tells me that they're not worth watching. However, yesterday's was titled something about the "reverse slot" which piqued my curiosity and it was snowing, so what the heck, I watched. It was an interesting dissection of Bubba Watson's swing by McClean. He indicated it would be a good swing to emulate. HaHaHa!!! Basically Bubba takes the club way back in the SBG then lifts to the top, then adjusts by rotating back to the right so he can get his club back out of the SBG and llined up to drop it in the correct slot. It seems like lots of wasted motion to start with, then there's the difficulty of rotating back just enough to get where he should have been in the first place. I guess it's a great swing if you're Bubba. After 1 tournament, he's number one in driving distance but drops to 25'th in accuracy. I wonder how much he could improve his accuracy with PPGS.
NOT worth it in my option. Ã
NOT worth it in my option. ÃÂ (I am a 2 handicap. I have won my club championship three times in the past 7 years) . I am a school teacher and have the luxury of playing almost every day in the summer. I also am lucky enough to have 300+ yards of closely mown fields to practice on every day. I am very consistent in my play. ÃÂ My natural ball flight is a high draw, but I can work the ball in either direction. ÃÂ After buying the OPTISHOT , I was disappointed to find that it interpreted my swing path, over its two rows of sensors, as a bomb fade - consistently. ÃÂ I set it up and played a round with three of my buddies. ÃÂ A couple of the guys hit thin grounders into the net we set up, OPTISHOT interpreted these as 285 drives straight down the middle - that said - ÃÂ it IS FUN to play with and have a match if you understand it is not a training tool and use it like a bar game.
EXCELLENT SUGGESTION!
EXCELLENT SUGGESTION!
I just rated it and it went
I just rated it and it went up.ÃÂ Try it again.
I seen a good practice tip,
I seen a good practice tip, place a coin underneath the ball, take your putt shot and don't move the head until you see the coin at least! I can now keep my head looking at the spot until I hear it drop or not!
A very strange feeling at first but it does improve your putting no end, well it did mine....
Years ago I had lessons with
Years ago I had lessons with an old friend, Jimmy Ballard.ÃÂ This was a similar swing to Surges. I got away from it and into the rotational.ÃÂ The back finally went and I was glad to stumble upom Surge.ÃÂ It is fun to practice and play again.
Sure Rodger. If they are not
Sure Rodger. If they are not any good they'll fit right in with mine. ;-)
Dick, I'm glad the wii is
Dick, I'm glad the wii is helping you in your green reading :) Pretty cool that that you can go vertical in the game swing. I read where xbox is going the kinect route with TW2013 and when I read about it,I was wondering if you could go vertical on it as well. Until I get back to work it will still be just a thought and I'll continue to play Augusta until the greens brown. :)))
ÃÂ Enjoy your day, may you be blessed in church & at work afterwards.
Keith, have you tried the
Keith, have you tried the "butt on the wall drill?"ÃÂ I've been working with my wife on that one to help her get more vertical.ÃÂ (I'd really like to get her horizontal more often, but that's another matter!)
I have had the Optishot for 3
I have had the Optishot for 3 years now and it is well worth the money.
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ It senses irons very wellÃÂ but requires good lighting and a reflective strip for the woods.
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ I have it set up in my den in front of my 72 " bigscreen TV.ÃÂ WOW nice senery. My biggest fear is a club head coming loose. I do not use a net or a ball, I use it specifically for measuringÃÂ club face angle(closed or open)ÃÂ and consistant speed through inpact area. I find it very accurate for my irons, distance fade and draw.ÃÂ
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ Mine does not register flight path, how highÃÂ or low the ball travels. You can set the flight path high, medium or low as an option but it does not sence this.
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ I have a 9 ft ceiling and with a normal swing IÃÂ have notÃÂ hit the ceiling.ÃÂ With this said it is very easy to hit the ceilingÃÂ with a wrong action.ÃÂ ÃÂ
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ The biggest plus is the extreamly short period on time it takes for feed back. I can do in minutes what it took hours on the range. I can experiment very quickly.
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ Because of the two sensors on the matÃÂ it does not register the correct shot if you hit the grass mat in the middle, (where the ball positionÃÂ is located), of these sensors. The mat changes the angle of the club and slows it down and the second sensor picks this up.
ÃÂ ÃÂ I try to swing the club just above the mat or lightly brush it like I am picking the ball clean.
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ I have tested the wood shots with it using a rubber tee in my back yard hitting into the lake and the ball does what is shown on the opti shot laptop screen.
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ I have gone from a 1 handicap to a 13 handicap over 54 years of playing golf. I have a tendon tear in my left elbow due to a calcium deposite there. It will never heal and will only get worse. Eventually I will have to have it re attachedÃÂ and therapy. The surge swing and opti shot has allowed me to learn to swing with no pain and keep it in the fairway.
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ If you think the Optishot is expensive, try buyingÃÂ range balls every dayÃÂ untill you get it right.
Grow up, will you?
Grow up, will you?
Surge Nation
Surge Nation
Has anyone seen a post from Ronnie Mac while I was gone?
Dick
Surge nailed it on the headÃ
Surge nailed it on the headÃÂ talking about consistency.ÃÂ I, personally, am trying to be consistent. My friend commented on my swing as he has watched it develop over the last year. His comment was that he would like to hit the ball with the same kind of consistency that he sees from me hitting the ball now. He swears I will be a scratch golfer soon. I owe it all to the Surge and the ppgs. I recently realized that I no longer aim my 5 iron out to the left because it will be fading into the target, no,ÃÂ I take dead aim when I address the ball now. I've had a few light bulb moments in the past year with the ppgs and I've managed to improve steadily. We may be the minority but when it comes to hitting the ball consistently straight, this method is the ticket to success and enjoying the game more.
Another of Surge's golden nuggets is talking about the importance of the short game. Fortunately i have a yard where I can practice chipping. It all starts with the driver but it ends with the work around the green and on the green. When I shoot the lower scores, it's because my short game is good. Thanks Surge for your tireless support and dailies. In appreciation, cheers.
Greg C
Director of League Operations www.bcgolfpages.com ÃÂ
After going through two golf
After going through two golf nets and doing some research I was surprised to find that what they sell as golf nets aren't rated for direct close range impact.
The one I have now is rated for it.
Jim, didn't see that one
Jim, didn't see that one coming!
Yes I do. A very campy movie
Yes I do. A very campy movie.I did see it, but can not remember if it was in a theater, or later when we got our first VCR. I'm thinking our first VCR wasn't until 1984 and the movie came out in 1978.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Surge is right you have to be
Surge is right you have to be careful on which instruction you choose to work with, I only go for tips that are relevant to this swing, I NEVER go for anything that alters my ÃÂ mindset or my efforts to achieve a consistent Surge swing, even though I know I am not any where near there yet.
I have studied and learnt the Surge swing so I think I pretty much know what I need to be doing, getting my mind and body to do the action is another matter as your mind and body lets the club take over if you don't take control yourself.
I am at a stage where my set up is pretty much good, and my swing was starting to ingrain but the video evidence shown that I was in the SBG, so I am trying to break that cycle so at the minute a little mixed up. I also feel a little mixed up as I hadn't played at all for a while on the course until yesterday, so was trying things on the course( it was a practice session instead of the range). I seem to struggle to get to the top, so at one point I just held the club at the top position( like baseball) and try to feel this position. I then didn't think about how I would get the club there I just did it, now it felt like a was lifting the club up and my swing felt quicker.
In reality I don't know how this looked so will video myself doing this action to actually see what I am swinging like to get to the top and see if that position is more vertical.ÃÂ
Going back to other instruction, I really only use other stuff that is not swing related unless it will help me achieve a Surge swing, but of course you need to know the Surge swing in the first instance to be able to know the differences.ÃÂ
So you really need to buy a copy of Surges manual/videos and read, read, read and learn and hope you have the ability to get somewhere near one day.ÃÂ
Thanks Surge, it is a great feeling to know that you read some of our posts and know we are not on our own.ÃÂ
Ted, that's exactly the BS
Ted, that's exactly the BS that I'm talking about. ÃÂ Jim would hate the look of my FUS but I believe (IMHO) that Surge would think that it was "within acceptable parameters" and with a little tweaking would get close to ideal PPGS.
If I were a working man, I
If I were a working man, I would probably get one like this. http://www.dwquailgolf.com/gol...ÃÂ ÃÂ Speaking of which, I may need to go to dictionary.com and look up the word, work. I'm thinking not only are the creditors getting antsy,but Leisa is too! Golf & the PPGS are doing a wonderful job of keeping me sane though.
Absolutely right Steve, can't
Absolutely right Steve, can't mix the two and when I unintentionally allow myself to badÃÂ things happen.ÃÂ It's interesting to me how when I focus on doing the bump I tend to over do it and get the opposite of what I want half the time. I am one of those more fit for the instruction to hold the legs and quiet the body and keep the spine and head still while allowing the body to simply react to the arms coming through and follow the arms up to my finish.(as in how he teaches Matt in those three lessons).ÃÂ Surge teaches us in one of his earlier lessons to just swing up to the T finish and the bump will be automatic. Any timeÃÂ I let any rotational swing characteristics sneak back in I know it even without a camera because I start over swinging into the SBG finishing far left (like Zac Johnson). That swing relies so much on precise timing. Straight up to up keeps me much more on line and with a much higher percentage of on, on, on solid strikes that fly straight at the target. Really is conterintuitive but a shorter swing with less rotation has my irons and fairway woods going consistently further and more on target.
Determined that the old rotational monster from my golfing past will not come back into my swing ever again. Recognize the BS we must :)
Robert,Thanks for the
Robert,
Thanks for the response. ÃÂ Maybe I am missing something on the web site, but there is only the instructor / fitter in Venice FL (150 miles as the crow flies) or the Orange Co. school a few times a year (200 miles as the crow flies). ÃÂ
If I ever get the time, would enjoy going to them, but not really possible now. ÃÂ
Still would like to know if there are any other folks on this blog who live in SE Florida area. ÃÂ It would be a lot of fun to compare swings.
CJ
Paul,
Paul,
Thank you for your detailed response. I am still yet to purchase it but do appreciate your input. Sounds like it has helped you. I like the idea of instant feedback.
Your perspective and thoughts are helpful.
Thanks and good golfing to you:)
Robert
I never had a decent golf mat
I never had a decent golf mat, just a couple of those little cheap things that have the simulated rough on one side and the shorter grass on the other.
I never gave it any thought how wide it would need to be to stand on the surface and hit a driver so I measured it.
You are right and (at least for me) it would need to be 4 feet, or just a little less.
Makes me wonder why they sell so many 3'X5' mats.
Of course I could always hit the driver from off of the mat if I wanted but if I ever bought one it would be at least 4 feet.
Certainly not bragging---- however
OK, I have to tell somebody this. I have been really thinking hard about
using the PPG swing for a long time now, I mean, I bought it, watched it, read the manual, etc. Every once in awhile I would even try what I thought was it, and then go back to what I thought was swinging the club. My driver has sliced so bad for so long, that I have just about learned how to aim it far enough left to have it land in the center (really) of course if there are trees on the left forget
that. Am I any good? Hell no, but I love the game and TRY to break 100 each time I play, I decided last week for the first time to REALLY try and use the peak performance golf swing, I shot the best score in my life, drum roll, please, a 94!! This was after shooting a 106 on this same course the week before. I know many are laughing their asses off right now, but I just wanted to share the fact that if you really TRY and use this swing, it will help your game! Got to take a look at that Driver DVD now. Hit 'em Long, hit 'em straight!
Stick with it
Hey, breaking 100 for the first time is a big deal. Congratulations. Definitely, stick with the PPGS, get some video of your swing to study, maybe get to a school or use the online lessons (I can tell you from experience that they REALLY help).
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