in TV Towers at Tour Events!
I made it home from Orlando (DJ missed the cut) Saturday afternoon in time to catch the Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Classic coverage.
What really flipped my switch on Sunday was when my brother walked into my home office and said to me and my wife that if I had heard what Johnny Miller and the other TV analysts had said about the rotational swing and negative remarks of the vertical swing, I would roll over in my grave.
I asked him if I should say thanks for already putting me six feet under.
Then I told him that I did hear it all and I was typing my remarks at that moment.
I am writing this as I feel I need to say something in defense of the Peak Performance Golf Swing as the TV tower analysts really got on the rotational swing bandwagon.
They even began negating the vertical swing and saying things about both that are not founded in fact.
They started talking about Jason Gore's new swing, pointing out that he was swinging his arms 'around his body' more than up. They then started saying Sean O'Hair swung the same way. They put their swings up on the screen side by side and showed them both at the top of the backswing and the finish. They commented that Tiger also swings this way.
Yes, Jason, Sean, Tiger, and most players on the PGA Tour and golfers of the world swing this way.
Most golf instruction taught today is basically some form of the presently popular Rotational swing, the X-Factor, Stack and Tilt.
Finding an instructor that teaches a vertical swing is hard to do.
Johnny Miller made some comments that, I believe are incorrect.
He said swinging the arms 'flat over the shoulder is better than upright near the ear.'
He also said, 'All the best ball strikers are flat.'
And, 'the flat around the body swing is better for the body.'
Well, tell that to all the golfers, from Tour professionals to amateurs, who swing around the body who have bad backs and other physical problems.
The 15th hole had Peter Jacobsen in the TV tower behind the green.
When Jason Gore was in the fairway taking practice swing, Peter made the following statement:
'He needs to turn his body through to minimize his arm action and hit it with his body.'
This is about 100% opposite of the PPGS where we hold and minimize body movement to swing the arms faster maximizing the law of centrifugal force.
I believe it is obvious that anyone can swing their arms faster than they can turn their body through impact.
Let's look at some facts.
Johnny Miller played with a vertical swing, and he could hit shots to the flag like throwing darts.
Other vertical swing players who played pretty good and had good Senior/Champions Tour records to go with their PGA Tour include none other than Jack Nicklaus, Tow Watson, Tom Weiskopf, Andy Bean, Jay Haas, D.A. Weibring, and Tom Kite, to name a few.
Today, on the PGA Tour, there are some vertical swingers.
My son D.J. Trahan is one.
Let's not forget Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, Jeff Sluman, Chris DiMarco, Jim Furyk, Fred Couples, John Daly, Davis Love, Nick O'Hern, Kenny Perry, Ian Poulter, Rory Sabbatini, Camilo Villegas and Boo Weekly.
Now, all of these players are vertical but not Peak Performance Golf Swingers except for DJ.
They are vertical, some less than the PPGS, and most even though vertical do not swing with the limited turn but rather 90 degrees or more.
Lastly, there are plenty of scientific studies to counter the statement that that the 'flat around the body swing is better for the body.'
The list of players on the PGA Tour alone with bad backs versus vertical swing players nullifies that claim.
I am bringing these comments glorifying the flat around the body arm swing and the derogatory references to the vertical swing to your attention.
It would be too lengthy to present all the scientific data in this article to defend the limited turn ¾ vertical swing.
It is only important here to raise your awareness of the present state of golf instruction and swing theory, much of which is full of opinions but lacking sound fact.
And lastly, to give you confidence and remind you of all the swing data you have been receiving in our daily messages, and for those of you who have purchased our videos and book, the PPGS is the BODY FRIENDLY, ENERGY EFFICIENT and MOST SIMPLE golf swing.
But listen, I don't want you to take my word for it.
I INSIST you put everything I have said here and elsewhere to the test.
Grab your set of PPGS DVD's — on my dime, and without ANY risk.
Then go through them and see the difference for yourself.
Get them while you still can at:
Here's to swinging vertical!
The Surge!