Like you, I want to play my best game. I practice a lot during the week to keep my game sharp, get exercise, and just to get out of the house. I am just as much as human as the next person, so I am not perfect. I find I have problems with my swing by either getting lazy are just not focusing as I should.
Alignment is always essential! I also find that my setup and stance sometimes are not correct.
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Posture
Hi Surge, thanks for another great blog. A golf buddy recently had a non- PPGS lesson and was told to straighten his back and neck at addresss. I have seen others change to a similar posture. To me it looks artificial and not so athletic, almost military-like and stiff, plus he seems to look down as if he were looking thru half rim reading glasses. His shots are much worse. I am more stoopy with my neck bent forward and my back a little curved forward too, but I FEEL that I am looking directly at the ball and I am in an athletic stance. I can hit a pretty good consistent PPGS shot. Is a straight back and neck perhaps more important with a full rotational swing than the PPGS? I would appreciate your views. Thank you.
Backswing plane
It seems to me that the club should be at a slight angle (tilted back), not 100% vertical. Is this correct?
Backswing plane
That is correct. Surge has referred to it in the past as a "tilted ferris wheel."
Fixing
Thanks Surge. This enables me to sort out my pushes to the right. I was thinking it was alignment
Fixing My Swing
Hi Surge,
On my last outing to the hallowed turf and after watching the golf from Hawaii, something twigged in my febrile old brain. This was after my game had nose dived! Grip, Alignment, Stance, Posture and Swing [ha ha ha just noticed GASPS ; - ] all checked, shots still all over the place : - ( In the set up took my grip on the club, left hand my lead hand, then my right hand. Removed the left hand and lined up on the target with just the right hand on the grip, moved around to the left, took my stance and without moving the right hand added the left or upper hand to the grip. There was an immediate improvement to ball striking and direction and an increase in distance. Had only ONE badly pulled shot and one pushed shot in the 18holes : - ) Off the tee straight down the middle almost every time??? My rationale for setting up in that way was that the bottom of the swing arc depends on the lower hand returning to the same position it was at address when the slight bump kicks in. Early days and hoping weather permitting to go again early tomorrow and try it again. Certainly feeling more confident about it. The pull and push shots probably timing problems, me trying to skin the wee pill : - (
Alignment......etc, etc, etc Then athletically relax and..... straight down the middle. Thanks for the tips Surge Regards to all DH and DL
fixing my swing -- within the round
Dragonhead,
Nice to hear from you -- always liked your comments
Today started out badly -- everything going to right - my normal fault is over the top LEFT!
I kept trying to remember the "Surgism" -- "Who cares? Hit the next one correct - Finally it happened on #4(longest par 4 on the course) -- absolutely PURED the drive -- LONG and arrow straight followed by a good 3 wood.
the bad news - I hit more greenside bunkers than I normally hit in month - 4 or 5 to the left and 2 on the right side of the green -- usually I am the worst bunker player you have ever seen -- but today the "touch was upon me" -- 5 "sandies" in 7 bunkers - The world may be coming to an end!! lol -- 2 were from excellent putting, 2 were from just inches from a hole out
I had string of 7 or 8 fairways hit in arrow - and, for me at least, LONG and STRAIGHT too! THANK YOU SURGE -- and DOC too.
Finished the day with a 41+44 = 85, 28 putts - after starting triple bogey, double bogey, bogey, bogey, par.
Just goes to show -- keep on plugging away, good things WILL happen -- specially if the putter gets red hot!!
Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG
Amos
Fixing My Swing -- within the round
Hi Amos,
Good that you persevered and came right during your round. Long may the improvements continue : - ) We were out at the crack of dawn this morning and had a very enjoyable round. A little slower following other early birds who were dead slow until we were finished the first 9 and then for a handful of holes were free to quicken up.
The new 'tweak' during my GASPS set up routine worked consistently again, with only a couple of rubbish shots. Recovery shots and good putting helped to right the boat and finished with a smile still on my raddled old face. One rubbish shot was only a slight pull left shot beautifully struck after a previous mediocre shot off the tee. Had I been in the usual middle of the fairway position off the tee it would not have been a problem, however being very close to the adjacent river bank which curved slightly where my ball landed didn't help matters : - ( The ball landed inches over the edge of the river hit a large stone and bounced high and left into the middle of the fast moving river : - ( never to be seen again ha ha ha! Had played at least half a dozen rounds with that ball. The replacement ball one of a couple of dozen from my daughter took its place and brought smiles back.
Can't wait to get out and keep honing in the new tweak set up. On the other subject of bifocals, trifocals etc? Stopped wearing mine and was amazed to find that they are not missed : - ) My wife keeps an eye on where they go but it is usually not necessary. Well must scoot Amos keep on keeping on with the improvements and keep on with the messages that Surge imparts to we hackers ; - ) Regards DH still smiling and raring to go again : - )
Bifocal
Just an observation, I wear Bifocal glasses to, but the reading portion of the lens is at the bottom of the lens, therefore I can keep my head 'relatively' in the correct position at the set up, but I do agree, glasses are a pain in the tush!
T.R
Video's
Are daily's being made now?
I was wondering since I haven't received any recently.
the short game
Hi Don, I am an "ageing " golfer (77yrs) however I don't hit the ball off the tee as far as I used to and am finding it difficult to reach some of the longer par 4's in regulation, and am having to rely more and more on my short game to score well. I am a firm believer in your method of teaching the PPG swing, but I would like to see some lessons or tips from you on the short game, i e wedge shots, pitching, chipping, sand shots, and maybe "how to get out of trouble" shots.
Is there any room in your video teaching lessons plans to include these short game clips. I am sure that I am not the only golfer that would appreciate your help.
Thank you in anticipation.
Fairway woods on dormant Bermuda grass
Surge, I have a few things in common with your son, DJ:
we have the same initials,
we both have you as our golf coach/surgeon
we both attended Clemson on scholarships... oh, football for me, though (1964-66); I did appreciate them commemorating the 50th anniversary since I last played in 1966 with the National Championship this past season!!!
I became one of your followers in 2010, actually had my first, and only, hole-in-one in 2011!
I can't seem to find anything you may have said concerning the major problem I seem to have, especially during the dormant growing season for Bermuda grass in Upstate SC, and that's the difficulty in hitting fairway woods or rescue clubs. I believe in your "sweeping the ball" without taking divots, but can only hit these woods when using a tee on a long par 3! Any help would be greatly appreciated.
DJ (Dan Jackson)