Today's tip continues a discussion we've been having about forward shaft lean (FSL). As I said recently, you have to have a degree of FSL in order to hit a good shot. However, too much FSL can result in balls taking off like a rocket so it is essential that we learn exactly how much is needed for every club and every shot.
About a week ago, Robert Fleck posted a comment back to PatG on this topic that I think is right on the money and worth sharing with the whole Surge Nation. Robert wrote:
"Take any club (other than your putter) and sole it on a table. You'll notice that the shaft leans forward of the club face. This is the way the club is designed to sit at address. If you set up with the club properly soled and grip the club so that your left wrist is in its most flat position, you should find that the butt end of the grip is pointed at your left hip pocket (assuming you're playing right handed). In the swing, you return the club to that position, the shaft lean is a natural part of it.
Flipping of the hands through impact means that you have released the arms prematurely, either by rotating your arms prior to impact, casting the club from the top, or in actively resisting wrist cock you flex your wrists toward the pinky side."
The amount of arm rotation needed in the Surge Swing occurs in the split second before impact as you release and your wrists return to be perfectly perpendicular to the ground. And if you've maintained a flat wrist throughout your backswing you should arrive at impact with precisely the same amount of FSL that you had at address.
Robert's concise answer prompted a second question from PatG:
"Great explanation. So does the club in essence become and extension of the left arm for all clubs?"
And once again, Robert replied with another great answer:
"Essentially. From address to impact your left arm and the club shaft are the string that swings the rock (club head) in Surge's rock-on-a-string metaphor. All of this is very clear in the Foundations Manual and in the basic video series - a must for any serious student of the Surge Swing."
Robert is also correct that if you are really committed to properly learning the entire Peak Performance Golf Swing, you need to get a hold of the PPGS Swing Series and the accompanying 108-page, fully illustrated Foundations Manual. I go into great detail about every facet of the swing and how to put it all together in one simple, fluid and powerful motion.
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
This may be an obvious
This may be an obvious question (my apologies if it is)ÃÂ but thought I'd ask anyway, are you coming across the ball, are you "chicken-winging" on the FUS? No amount of square-ness at impact will fix a slice if the club head path is outside-in..
RT
Kevin, Iôm no expert to
Kevin, Iôm no expert to give you advice. However, since working on the Surge Swing (about 1 year ago) I certainly learned to stick with what was working and work on what I wanted to improve. I really enjoy my golf as I go improving slowly but surely and as a result have brought my scores down by over 10 shots in 18 holes.
People who don't know me
People who don't know me think I'm the most even-keeled person they've ever met most of the time, for exactly that reason. It's a trait that certainly never hurt at the poker tables.
To All At The Surge Nation
To All At The Surge Nation
Sightly off topic but following steves fundamental theme.
A tail of woe.
While on holiday last month in Wales I got to play a few rounds.
On one course which I have played before I shot 61 (par 70/72 not sure), a tail of woe I hear you cry areÃÂ you mad, please be patient and read on you see the 61 was for the front 9 only. Over the next 2 holes I called myself from a pig to a dogÃÂ and tried to work out what was wrong and as I stood at the 12 I realised everything was wrong, turning the shoulders to far, left arm breaking to much (I am rightÃÂ handed), aliglment was off, I think the only thing that was ok was my grip but even that wasn't perfect as I wasn't gripping the clubÃÂ tight enough as I had a burstÃÂ blister on my ring finger (I know call me a wimp I can take it).ÃÂ So starting from scratch and holding the club with the right pressure (it didn't hurt my finger) I took my 8 iron to this par 3 12th, down hill 158 yards and waited to see the result. Watched itÃÂ fly on line and land on the green to finish about 20 feet away. Birdie putt finished 2 inches short (typical)ÃÂ but a tap in for par. Par on the next hole to finish the last 7 hole in 12-14 over (not bad for someone that plays off 26). I was hoping to go back to play another round there for a bit of pay back but the weather was not kind the rest of holiday.
Back at home the score still annoyed me but I went to the driving range afterÃÂ seeing the surges videos again and also to play a small course near me (par 63) and for my last 2 rounds shot 80'sÃÂ which includedÃÂ an 8 in the last round so things are back on track.
It has taken me this long to work up the courage to admit how bad it was and to put finger to keyboardÃÂ but I hope to get a bit of sympathy from the surge nation but knowing what mischievous sence of humour you all have I don't expect any.
So my words of wisdom is simply this DON'T FORGET THE BASICS cus without them it will go to piecies.
Darren
Unless I'm totally off, I
Unless I'm totally off, I think your Titleist irons are taper tipped.
You are registered with
You are registered with Disqus, yes.
FSL. Very interesting and
FSL. Very interesting and vital aspect of our impact position. I find that I have increased my shaft lean and this is both a result of more shaft lean at address and more lag coming into the ball, likely because of practicing with theÃÂ swingrite. I have acheived this in no small degree because of a stronger grip.Stronger to me but appearantly closer to an actually correctÃÂ nuetral grip. In any case I have chosen to back off posting my new grip on you tube as we had discussed last week because I am too inconsistent and would hate anyone to adopt this gripÃÂ until I'm sure I can get more consistent rsults. In any case this is what I've found. One, if I can keep this fsl position when coming back to impact and get that "new york" second release at the bottom timed right I am killing it. As I said last week IÃÂ have beenÃÂ hitting some 7 irons 165-175 yards. That's 15-25 yards farther than previously. However as "gorilla"-lol Surge said,ÃÂ that is partly due to TOO much lean at impact.Yes my 7 may be more like a 6 iron now.ÃÂ This type of impact feels awesome because I perhaps for the first time have felt the trapping and compressing of the golf ball and that sound. You know, that feel and sound of a center hit powerful shot that rockets off the clubface. Challenge now is figuring out my new longer distances. The second challenge is that with this position atÃÂ and through impact I haveÃÂ had a tendency to pull my irons left and long of my target. I am working on two things now, actually three. Getting my grip positioned (along with the master set up of the right arm) so that I can swing more naturally (as Steve talked about earlier). Next, getting into a vertical position at the top- while keeping it limited to 3/4's, and then swing up and finishing at the target- not left of it. I will useÃÂ R2's drill with the alignment sticks at my toe line for this. BTW, I have two alignment sticks already so what I'll do is place them end to end so that they will be in view both on the BUS and FUS.
PMG!! But keep time aside for practice :)
Robert F......
Robert F......
I get the FSL with my irons. Tell me your position with hybrids, fwy woods and the driver.
Thanks. Phillip
Surge's "middle of the stance
Surge's "middle of the stance for 7-PW" is a recommended starting place. What gets you set up squarely and coming back to impact with a square face traveling on-on-on the target line is what's important.
Hmmm!Maybe I should wait
Hmmm!
Maybe I should wait until people are delirious to try to talk to them.LOL
That way I might make "sense" more often.
I wonder what companies take job applications late at night? Ha ha!
New Net Video shows where I put the ball on the second day pretty clearly. Since then I have adjusted it back about an inch.
I'am not 80years old i'am 70
I'am not 80years old i'am 70 years old..I had a hole in one last week not worrying about my golf swing..I practice often but only timing and tempo..The Surges swing has made my golf very enjoyable..I don't due the Paralysis by anaysis golf swing..JP
Yeah i've been on and had a
Yeah i've been on and had a look around. Seems pretty good, thanks for your input fellas
I change my grip almost
I change my grip almost continuously. It depends on what I am trying to do with the ball, and what the ball happens to be doing for me on a given day.
One thing I won't do is hit two bad shots in a row with the same grip.
That's why it always surprises me when somebody changes their grip and "finds" a better grip.
If there's trouble on the right I will likely have a pretty strong grip. If there's trouble on the left I will likely have a fairly weak grip.
As the round goes along and I get a sense of what I'm doing best on that day I will go with that on shots where trouble on one side or the other isn't an issue.
As far as I can tell my left wrist is as flat as I can make it on any shot. Weak or strong is not a factor in my attempt to keep the left wrist flat. Anything other than flat means I made a mistake.
P.S. When I start a round my grip is exactly like the training grip on a SwingRite. Some days that's what I use all day and when it's not working I make adjustments from there.
If you are talking about my last video I was hitting a draw down the right side with a 5 iron. It was as good as I can hit a shot but the mechanics weren't very good with the lower body.
It would seem the only one
It would seem the only one Nit-Picking, is actually YOU. Your claim that others are doing anything close to nit picking is without any substantial foundation at all. We are merely trying to help one another improve our games. You on the other hand seem to want to nit-pick at us, for our effort to help one another. If you have no desire to improve, that is fine, but others do want to improve, and appreciate the help from other bloggers. Otherwise, they wouldn't keep asking for it, Would They?
Try to be more helpful and less Nit-Picking of others when they attempt to help.
PMG
Hey Robert, I use to struggle
Hey Robert, I use to struggle getting in the set up position with regards the right hand and most of the problem came because I was gripping the club first with both hands then placing to the ball, so I may have had the right hand over lapping the left too much for instance which pulls the right inside elbow in and straightens too much.
Putting my right hand on last seems to have really simplified matters and feels right, I would suggest Surgites toÃÂ try it if they haven't already!
Pages