Stop Slicing The Driver!

Now I'm going to be confused reading these comments, another Dale S! Have to remember that I used my last name and not my first for the log in. Dale, I hope you've progressed further than I have learning this new swing. For some reason, I too have brain fade when I pick up the long clubs.

Dales S. :-)

I have very large hands, will the training grip work for me or should I get the regular grip. I would like the training grip if it will fit.

Steve, hyperbole, isn't that similar to 110%, ie "a deliberate exageration used for effect" won't mention this any more as I
know how you feel about percentages, LOL.

Hi Steve & Robert, I couldn't wait until christmas and have just had a go with the swingrite. First impressions are I love it!

Firstly I cannot believe how much you have gotta go after it! I am no where near going after the ball so to speak, mearly going through the motions if you like.
On the first setting I found it a challenge to release on time or just after impact at first which with practice becomes pretty easy to release on time on this setting but still a challenge not to release too early which is good. Going down the settings is very interesting how you have got to increase speed but can feel the exact same release point regardless of club head speed!

Putting other aspects of the swing in to and out of the session you can see what works to improve something.
It was great when I tried a swing with very little transition getting on to the front foot which resulted in no release! compared to getting a good release with weight on the back foot then transition on to the front and up to a good finish!

What has been the massive real eye opener is how much I have just been going through the motions thinking I am putting in enough energy when I now know I haven't.

Just gotta find my balance between timing and energy as I know and can feel it is not all about energy put in to the shots.

I have only used it for about 20 minutes but feel I have learnt more about my swing than hitting 100's of balls at the range!

Sounds daft, but it is good to work on your swing and release with the end goal being a click instead of the pressure of a ball being there which can make you change your swing if the shot doesn't come off.
Practice swings with just a golf club are of no comparison to the swingrite, I would almost concider it a waste of time now I have experienced the swingrite!

Oh and the training grip is fantastic to get you in a good position and get the grip ingrained, got to say though I am happy my grip was in a good position anyway and fits the swingrite great.

RM:  The weather here is just plain bad.  Too cold, lots of haze, and plenty of snow for everyone.  Thank goodness for a garage where I can set up my net and mat and make full swings my clubs and the SwingRite. R2

Steve, thanks for the heads-up, I'll send her one and if I'm headed up that way today I'll drop it in the Oneonta Post Office and make it a tomorrow delivery.

Spread the word!  Post them in other places you visit as well.  We are working on it ourselves :)

Sounds like over analysis Keith. I have found that it is not easy to swing the swingrite wrong. With the grip it gives you and the way it is weighted, it will only help you. My only advice is to not get too anxious to get the setting low too quickly. You may find yourself 'forcing' power and speed when timing and tempo along with balance are more important. I think you're going to love it! Fear not pal, "swing away".

Maybe we should rename it the level right elbow to get away from the derogatory connotations associated with the flying elbow!

i don;t use a   driver because i always get  a temendous slice. ive just had a thought what would happen to the ball flight if i set up with the face closed. i realise this is not a solution  but just curious if it would straighten it  out  at  all?

Keith

Boys and there toys you better put that away before your better half catches you. LOL
Glad you are enjoying it. I hope to get a swingrite after the first of the year myself just need to safe up some cash after renewing my yearly range pass last weekend.

Roger

Surge  I`ve been listening to you, and working your swing for a couple years now. I Would like to know how long you hit your 5 iron. Just as a frame of reference. I think I have the swing down fairly well but distance seems to be a problem.    Jack

Keith:  I just set my SwingRite as far past "9" as possible without it coming apart.  At that setting, you can make it "click" just about anywhere in the FUS.  I make all sorts of partial swings just to get the feeling of the correct release point.  I also have a women's SwingRite that I use for my female students, and it is even easier to "click" than the men's model. The SwingRite is a very, very good training tool - you will be amazed at all the stuff you can do with it.  R2

Hi Dale, thanks for your posting. Gotta love that flying elbow! Happy Holidays to you & yours. Now that you've broken the blogging ice don't be a stranger.
Stay in the present.

Keith:  One more thing that will help you get even more out of your SwingRite is a trick that Doc Griffin taught me - use a real golf ball placed in the correct ball position for the "club" you're using, and work on releasing or "clicking" the SwingRite at that impact point.  Since I've had to move indoors for the winter, I use a round flat disc on the practice matt as my reference point, and move it depending on the "shot" I'm making.  If I'm pretending to hit a soft lay-up, I'll set the SwingRite at 8 or 9 and work on "clicking" it at the correct impact point.  If I'm hitting my pretend driver, I move the ball (disk) forward in my stance, set the SwingRite to 5 or 6, and repeat the process.  It is simply amazing how well the SwingRite ingrains the correct feeling into your golf swing.  Our timing, tempo and release become very smooth and easy to learn.  I make 100 swings a day this way - it is great practice and I never have to hit a ball!  I also have a net for hitting real balls, but the SwingRite is what I always start with to ingrain the feeling.  Enjoy your new toy!  R2

Surge, you made some good points about the driver and slicing. I found it to be all of what you mentioned including the profile of the shaft not just whether it is stiff/regular or otherwise. In my case a more tip half flexible shaft helps square the clubface and get it back to the ball in a position that is not open and flaring the ball right.
Another part of the equasion is that the driver is the longest club with the least loft. Most players would be better suited to a shorter driver with more loft, ie., 42/43 inches instead of 44/45 and 11/12 degrees of loft rather than 9/10.
Another factor is that we may tend to over swing or go at it a little harder with the driver and as a result miss the sweet spot and actually have less clubhead speed at impact because of leveraging the club (muscling it) rather than swinging it. Of course there are many other factors(such as swing across outside in) but these are some that seem to have a common thread with most slicers. Being a lifetime slicer myself I looked at all of these for a solution. I have to say though that most recently it has been the "how to to work the ball" videos from Surge that have helped me nearly illiminate the right side off the tee. I purposely set up for a draw on nearly every drive now. It has been working well most of the time and I am adding 20-30 yards. Again, just talking about the driver here. I generally hit a normal straight shot from the fairway and into the green.
PMG

ps the wife and I are playing 18 at 11am. Someones gotta do it!!

Rusty,

Did you remember to add some weight back to your driver after it was shortened? Surge calls it "magic dust" (lead tape to us mere mortals). It's really an important thing to do for anyone out there who is getting/has gotten their drivers shortened.

PMG

Tom J.

And just who says he's number 3? And are you really that unaware of who Revolution Golf is?  That's Don's ex partner and those of us here don't have much to do with them.  I'm pretty sure that you already knew that though.

You left out Bronson Wright, head of club fitting for Revolution Golf.  Be gone with ya!

Bob, Fairly certain the grip will fit for you. If your hands are big it may force you to put the club/rip more in the fingers which may also actually be good training. I also have fairly large hands. I occasionaly have gone to even very large grips (such as the "jumbo max" and will still practice with the swingrite and it's training grip with good effect. What I work at in that regard is a couple swings with the swingrite, set it down and replicate the same gripand hand placement on my actual club (say a 9 iron) and practice my swing and release with it for a couple of swings then repeat. This ingrains the grip and 'click' feel for both. Make sense? Give it a go.

Hello Surge,

 

I was very interested in your reply some time ago to the two guys who
stated they were having trouble hitting their driver.  I switched to the ‘Surge swing’ about 18
months ago, and have had a similar problem hitting my 7, 5, and 3 woods, as well
as my driver.  After a completely
frustrating round with these clubs a couple of weeks ago, I headed to the
practice tee, and I may have figured out the root of my difficulty.  I discovered that I was not letting my right
elbow ‘fly’, as you have directed us to do. 
I have been able to form the triangle with my elbows at the top of my
backswing with my irons, but was not doing so with any club longer than my 7
wood.  I’m sure this is a habit left over
from my years of using the rotational swing. 
I am still having some difficulty letting my right elbow move into the
proper triangle position on my backswing with the longer clubs, but, when I do
so, the result is a nice straight shot with any of these clubs.

 

I hope this comment is helpful.  This is my first venture onto the Surge Blog.  I am very glad to be using the ‘Surge swing’.  I am 59 years old, and I have been golfing
since my teens.  In the last year, I have
been able to knock 8 points off my handicap, and my body is much happier after
each round.  I enjoy the daily videos and
comments; please keep them coming.  Best
wishes to you, DJ, and your families for the Holidays.

Dale

Jim, there lies the problem with the driver. You said it "one of the
most gratifying shots in golf", what wasn't mentioned is that it's
one of the most mishit shots in golf and for numerous reasons which
aren't worth debating. I play weekly with several groups and I see it
all the time, "one shot wonders" most of the other shots are long and
in the bush. I'm now getting my three wood well over 200m and the
other day hit a 235M drive with it, so these guys that were "once apon a time" out hitting me are now either sitting either along side me on the fairway or in the bush. Thanks to Surge/Surgites/Blog.   

Right on T!  I think it is a very under-used training tool that could help a lot of golfers out there.  Have a great weekend.  R2 

Just wanted to personally thank you for all the very, very hard work you guys and gals put into this site - it is by far the best, most commom-sense site around.  Your efforts and customer service are just outstanding!  I and many other Surgites are doing our best to spread the "vertical word" to whoever will listen.  We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.  The Surge is helping us to establish excellence by forming the correct habits!  Plain and simple!  Thanks again, R2

Thanks, I will.

Great routine Roy, thanks.
How's your winter shaping up in Salt Lake? All indoors now I suppose. Sounds like you are able to stay in 'golf shape' regardless.

Hi Dan. As it turned out Cindy and I had a great time and both played pretty darn good. It was a fun afternoon of golf.Cindy broke 90 for the first time shooting a 43/45 88. I had one bird, and six pars for a 44/40
84. It was one of those days that Cindy held her own and was close or on in regulation all day long. We both made a few putts and we were having such a good time that we didn't even realize we were on the last hole. We both said that we wanted to keep playing.
Two things I was doing different on the greens that was helping was one; I was keeping it simple and focusing on my line and pace. If I did both the way I planned I "made" my putt. If it went in I "holed" my putt. This took the stress off the typical make or miss mentality. Secondly, when I was judging uphill, downhill and pace I would think "back of the cup"- for an uphill and "trickle in the cup"- for a downhill. This works better for me than "hit it firm" or "hit it soft". Both of these are ideas I learned recently from the book,"Zen Golf". All I can tell you is it worked for me as I putted much better and was able to maintain a good attitude. It's Zen a good day:)
PMG

But Neil, if you can hit your 3-wood that well, there's just no reason you couldn't hit a properly fitted driver just as well.  The accent is on "properly fitted." 

Could you find a fitter who could match your driver to your 3-wood specs?

Brendan:  If you have time, talk to your teaching pro and see if he would be willing to become a certified PPGS instructor.  He just needs to e-mail Tom Jans and Tom can get the ball rolling.  I think the e-mail address is listed at the top of this blog under "instructors" category.  Good luck and let us know how things work out.  R2 

A new day brings clarity....I believe that I wanted to believe what I wanted to believe.

My epiphany is that my eyes, from their perspective, "saw" a club face more open open or shut. (see "Surge really does play the ball back in his stance....I can see it".)

Things are not always as they appear.
(Wow. Never heard that one before.)

To you and Robert F. , thx.

Keep an eye out for Santa lol, might have to be warning 1! As I have had it early..........

Yes, have already learnt to keep anything golf away from dogs, I have a 5 month old Westie!

I dare not do a proper swing indoors, when I do I am aware of the suroundings so don't swing properly anyway! very dangerous.......

Hi Surge,

I noticed that when you start the video with an iron, the ball is pretty much way back of center. Is this what the normal ball position should be?

Thanks Robert, I am looking forward to working with it, I really need to get the swing ingrained.

Just depends if you were able to keep it closed.  It also depends on just what causes your slice.  No real way to answer the question except to say, try it out.

Way to go DH. Got the wife hooked. Mine too.
It'd amazing how well they do without all the tips and methods we fanatics have stuffedin our heads. They can just swing free and often hit it naturally well.
I let my gal tee it up any time and anywhere on the GC and she loves it now. Happy wife, happy husband!
PMG and include the wife (when possible:)

Dale, the flying right elbow, God bless it, but don't mention this to any
rotational player, they will laugh at you. 

Great fun Kieth, I knew you'd love it. As Steve mentioned it really doesn't assit as far as vertical or flatter and rotational. however it rock for helping you learn to release where needed just past impact. Can't cheat on it. It really has helped me stop wasting stored energy at the top with thye cast move. It also helped me loose the weak fade and slice.
Well have fun and good golfing!

Jim, It's my next goal to be properly fitted with all
clubs, hopefully after a full recovery of knee surgery.
In the mean time I'm more than happy with my progress via the Surge.
 

Yes Roy, 1/4" or so in to the thread says the instructions.
Obviously at nine it is harder to find the release point so what is the key? It makes me slow my swing down but I have only had one really good session with it so far so have a lot to learn with regards timimg and release.

Two things come to mind to me. First, in terms of the club face being open or closed or square, that only changes if your wrists cup or bow. If it's square at set up, and your palms remain perpendicular to the ground and your wrists stay firm, then the club face remains square. That's what I think Steve was saying.
In terms of more laid off helping with an out-to-in swing path, it's possible that it's countering a fault of under turning and/or starting the FUS with the shoulders rather than from the ground up.

Steve Smith:

    That is my  position of many years.  Almost everyone is longer than me club for club  -- few are more accurate or more consistent on distance, club for club.

     While many of you can probably hit a 7 iron farther than I hait a driver, the question remains -- "WHERE do you hit it?"

      As long as my tee shot is in the fairway, and "something in my bag" can reach the green, I am a happy camper.  Granted it is real bonus when "something" is less than a  5 iron (a rarity these days) as "something" is usually  a 5w or 7w.

     I played 3 times this week -- hit 34 of 42 faiways  (13 of 14 today). At least 4 of the misses were by a matter of a foot or less.  Monday was a anomally (I hope!). Weather was cold and little breezy for here. Driving and putting were great, but I just could not "buy" a second or third shot all day long -- scored 103 (OUCH!!) in spite of 10 one putt greens and a chip in!
     Wednesday was "more normal" score wise -- 93 -- putting a little off, but otherwise a lot of good drives and second shot. Maybe it helped that the weather warmed up a bit and no wind.
      Today, same weather as Wednesday. I hit 13 of 14 fairways with a little longer than normal tee shots. Only 1 GIR (a 5 iron to about 5 feet from the hole - and a RARE birdy)   Chipping an putting was a little off of my "standard" - resulting score was 93.  The best news was a little "pay back" to my friend -- He really put it to me on Monday - winning by something like 7 and 6.  Today he was a bit off his game - I was 5 up after nine, and wound up winning 3 and 2 -- and just for good measure, I pared the last two holes to return to 5 up for the 18.

      Today we played with an older couple (Hard for me to do these days) LOL   They were a delight to play with -- for the most part hit the ball well and straight.  The woman in particular must of have beeen a very good golfer just a few years ago - still good but a short hitter now.   I did hear Surge's favorite saying a few times  - "Doesn't it get boring playing from the short grass all the time?" - -coupled with "You're not getting your money's worth playing from the fairway all the time!"

       Incidentally, I checked my Driver after the round -- I have NEVER seen so many "dimplle marks" in the exact center of the sweet spot!!  If this continiues, I may be contacting Doc in January to inquire about "replacement sweet spots for the KMZ driver" LOL  ( Are you listening Doc? )

      Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

      Amos

One of my regular golf mates uses ping woods all the time. he has 9 , 7, 5 & 3 woods an only uses irons inside 100 mtrs. I hardly ever beat him as he's been at it for a while. I'm goin for a hit now as it looks like rain tomorrow till Tuesday. Good luck & be happy

Yes, I too have experimented with closing the face to overcome my atrocious but consistent slice. Silly thing is, when I do, I always seem to finally connect reasonably correctly and pull it directly out left - straight as a die. Doesn't seem to be the answer for me, either. Oh well, back to the range.