Richard Griffith wrote me a very good email a few weeks back and asked a question about one of my basic tenets of the Surge Swing: "Don't Hit Down!".
"Dear Surge,
I have been devoted to the Surge Swing for almost three years now and I strive to perfect it every time I am out. I am in total agreement with the physical and mechanical purity of the swing, but I do stick on one nagging question. Why is it that when I have a clean hit and take a "regular" divot, that my ball seems to fly further and gives me the boost I need? It just seems to me that a more descending blow will impart more spin and therefore the added distance. Am I wrong here?
It is the only area of our swing I am unable to resolve. Will you help me?"
As you can see from his message, you can interpret his use of the phrase "regular" divot two different ways. Either way, my views on why we don't want to hit down and take a deep divot but rather nip the ball off the ground remain the same. Every rotational golfer is told the same thing over and over by their instructors, golf writers, TV & radio talk show hosts and golf commentators. "To get maximum distance you must hit down on the ball and take a large divot."
Well, besides being illogical, such thinking flies in the face of good physics and sound physiological practice. On the physics side, a steep descending blow of the kind that creates a large divot reduces clubhead speed at the precise instant when it is needed most--at impact. Invariably, the club face will strike the ground before coming into contact with the ball and this sudden contact with a largely immovable force will slow the club head down, perhaps twisting the face a bit as well which will impart dreaded side spin. Physiologically, the sudden jarring can lead to hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder joint issues over time. (For more on why "Hitting Down" is bad for your golf swing, you can revisit Lesson #9 in my free video series "The 10 Major Mistakes Amateurs Make". If you currently don't have access, you can sign up for it by using the form on the Home Page. You'll get a free lesson every day so you'll have to wait a bit for #9 to appear in your Inbox!)
From a swing perspective, a rotational swinger is told to create lag in their downswing so that the hands are well ahead of the club head until impact. Now, a certain amount of lag is required to make solid impact, even in a vertical swing like the Peak Performance Golf Swing. However, rotational theory espouses excessive lag, in my opinion, which can create forward shaft lean and unless you are hitting a short pitch or a chip shot, this is something that you want to avoid in a vertical swing. Why? Because at the moment of impact we want our arms fully extended, with the forward arm and club forming a long lever straight down to the ball and our palms perpendicular. This is a position of strength, as opposed to rotational swingers with excessive lag who give up some of that strength by cupping their wrists and creating a break in that long arm/club lever.
If one takes the position that by "regular" divot Richard meant the kind taken in a rotational swing where one hits down on the ball, this excessive forward shaft lean could explain why he feels he hits the ball longer. Whenever you apply too much forward shaft lean you are essentially de-lofting the club and a de-lofted club can play one to two club lengths longer. One way to know, Richard would be to video your swing from a face-on perspective and do some analysis on exactly what you are doing during your forward upswing.
So to recap, we never want to hit down on the ball but we do want to nip the ball off the ground, tearing the grass out by its roots. This will produce higher launch angles (which is what we want unless we are intentionally hitting a knockdown). You'll experience better ball contact and better ball trajectories with shots that bore through and penetrate the air.
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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Comments
I was in the clubhouse a
I was in the clubhouse a couple of weeks ago and they had some putters in there so while I was waiting I tried a couple of them, knowing I wouldn't like them because they were too short but just messing around.
As I thought I hated them but there was a belly putter there and I thought, hey why not try a belly putter but not in the belly but just choked down on the grip a little.
I don't know at what length I was holding it but it felt really nice. Actually felt a little better than my putter which is 36".
I look at it more like in the
I look at it more like in the bottom 1/2 of 1% of golfers (during the periods when I sneak into that group).
There is a group of about a million that can be called golfers and there's a group that play golf and think they are golfers.
I'm probably on the bubble between the two.
(Just joking!)
I thought she had a little
I thought she had a little more class then that but GCÃÂ seems to be going in the direction of the tabloids.
On another note might be a interesting year to watch Michelson read a article on him that Harmon said after working with him this week that Phil was getting away from mechanics in putting and the full swing and going back to playing by feel. Which IMO is the only way to play on the course.
My favourite putter is an old
My favourite putter is an old Ping Zero 3 putter, which is no longer made. Rather than spend on any more putters, I have decided to buy [thru' my daughter in UK] a couple of new Golf Gloves. My present one started to tear near the wrist yesterday. So it is now a necessity rather than a nice to have.
Check out the HIRZL Golf Gloves on Google, if you are not aware of them. They are made from Kangaroo leather and give exceptional grip in both dry and wet conditions. To me that will affect my game more than my putters. I, like you am happy with my putter. I use four different putting grips with one putter. One goes off the boil, then I swap to one of the others and then back again. Works well. Huge rain storm stopped as I write, now the festering sun is out hahaha. Out for a quick swing in the strong wind on the back porch shortly. PMGAS
I don't care which way it
I don't care which way it goes, just so long as it goes. Just finished shoveling the drive and walks. It took a while, with a couple of warm up breaks in between. It is bitter cold out with the wind chill. They claim more is still going to fall tonight and early tomorrow.
I hate winter, but can't afford to move. Sure am glad I'm retired though. That makes it more tolerable.
You should download the V1
You should download the V1 program. The angle tool makes it easy to measure any angle you want and the line tool makes it easy to keep track of head movement and how close the shaft returns to it's original position.
You left one very inportant
You left one very inportant factor off of your list - the lie of the ball!
I have that but never figured
I have that but never figured all the buttons till this afternoon , haha
If you are anything like most
If you are anything like most of the rest of us it's probably a combination of things and a correction to any or all of them will make a difference.
I wish you could send some of
I wish you could send some of that excess heat up our way. ;-)
It has rained here the last few days, not very cold, but it's supposed to clear off and get colder.
(Can't win for losing, ha ha!)
My son and I always laugh when some obscure player does something and they say "he is ranked 878th in the world" or something like that.
How would they even know how to rank somebody down that low? My son always says "I wonder what I'm ranked?"
I figure I'm at least in the top million. ;-)
Steve
Steve
Did not see Every's putter but did you see the interview that Kelly Tiglham from the Gossip Channel did with him after the round hammering him about his drug suspension. I thought that was classless on the part of her and the Gossip Channel.ÃÂ He did not handle it very well.
Rob,
Rob,
My brief Bio. I first started checking out the PPGS in the winter of 2009, just after full retirement and spending more leisure time on this mystery box instead of the boob tube.
I have never had an official handicap and the handicap system that All Leagues in my area use is a simply formula. Either 80% or 90% (most use the 80) of your continuing seasons Net score average, subtracted from 72. So, a net season average of 84 would give a person a handicap of (84-72=12x80%=9.6) This would be rounded to 10 for 18 holes and 5 for 9 hole matches.
Now, back to the Bio,
Sorry Rob, I hit the wrong key and posted an unfinished comment.
Once again, Back to the Bio. I finished the 2009 season with my old rotational swing at around a 94 to 98 average for 18. In the beginning of 2010 I started trying some of the PPGS techniques, mixing and matching portions with my old style. Some rounds I'd try the PPGS on a few shots and rotational on others, gradually working into a higher percentage of shots being vertical instead of rotational.
I finished the 2010 year as a believer, with an improved average of about 6 strokes to 88-92. The winter of 2010 I made a commitment to seriously get into the PPGS site and system. I ordered the manual some of the lesson and studied and practicied indoors most of the winter. I also contacted the nearest PPGS cirtified fitter, (2hrs away), and had a full set of clubs made at the begining of the 2011 season, Driver, Hybrids, Irons and Wedges.
I finished last season knocking on the door of the 70's barrier many times, with a season average of 84, generally being in the mid to low 80's with the occasional bad day of 90 something. The best part of last year, not one single injury or sore area as a result of playing golf or even too much golf. This was the first year that my shoulders, hips, feet, back, side torsional muscles, or forearm tendinitis did not bother my body, even after the occasional 36 hole rounds.
I have to say it is the first
I have to say it is the first time I have ordered a golf club on line site unseen. The other putters with a similar technology out there seemed too expensive so for $40.00 it seemed like a trial worth the cost. Who knows, it will iether help or join my growing collection of lonely putters.
I'm off to the range and practice. Don't think I'll play today but I want to see if my success with my driver was an aberation or ifÃÂ I really have found something repeatable as it seems. Too i want to see if I can apply the same feeling of equal grip and arm pressure throughout the swing to all of my clubs.
They are saying we might get
They are saying we might get some of that white crap this afternoon. Thinking about a little drive south for the weekend.
Wayne, I grew up in
Wayne, I grew up in Middlebury. I played basketball and baseball against Chester. It seems like a lifetime ago, but it is a small world indeed.
When did you go to school there?
I've had some fun with snow mobiles, but I agree, give me a golf cart every time now. ;0)
On reflection PLHR, or lack
On reflection PLHR, or lack of it was methinks part culprit on yesterdays hole digging with my 17deg driving iron of hard pan. Like you my worst shots were off the fairway. Trouble shots were sublime with it. PMGAS
Cool, my own reply from The
Cool, my own reply from The Surge (and Wayne, of course). Like winning Lotto, after all. Thanks so much for that. I have been checking out the PGA site but wasn't sure if there was another way I could make sure I didn't miss any events DJ was entered for.
I'll continue to keep wartching, and wish DJ all the very best for a wonderful season.
Blessings
Bob
Thanks Jon. It's going to
Thanks Jon. It's going to make it a lot easier to see some people I know.
Dragonhead
Dragonhead
It was COLD here today. cleaned my clubs and shoes.ÃÂ Played a couple of rounds of golf on wii with my friend Donna after dinner.ÃÂ But, tomorrow will be a different story.ÃÂ Going to work on the approach game for an hour or so, then hit the course.ÃÂ Hope to play Saturday before I work at the course.ÃÂ We are having a wonderful winter so far.
Good night all you vertical swinger around the world,
Dick
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