We just got back from The PGA Teaching and Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Florida where we held the first ever PPGS Golf School. We had 8 students, all males, 6 righties and 2 lefties. All are members of the Inner Circle. They all have the Foundation DVD series and the Foundation Swing Manual. They were all knowledgeable in the PPGS and have worked quite diligently to master the setup and swing.
I start all golf schools the same way I do in all my lessons. That is, I fill out my setup and swing diagnosis form as I watch students hit balls. When the form is completed, they are filmed from face on and down the line. Then they look and evaluate their setup and swing, comparing it to my setup and swing. The good is stressed first and foremost. Then the points in the setup and swing that need to be adjusted and worked on are covered in detail and depth.
Let's look at an overview of the students' state of their setup and swing that they brought to the school. There was a commonality to their mistakes in setup and swing which, when identified should help all of us in knowing where and what to focus on in trying to learn the PPGS.
Number 1 setup problem was, by far, ALIGNMENT. Seven of the eight were aiming poorly. Both lefties were aimed left and the 5 misaimed righties were aimed right and all were off their target at least 20 to 30 or more yards wide of it. All were going through their pre-shot routine of finding an intermediate spot and walking into the ball, making the H and working diligently to be properly aligned because they all knew the importance of alignment.
So, the first order of instruction the next morning was an in depth explanation of alignment, the optical illusion we have to deal with walking into the ball, and then when setup beside it. I spent an extra amount of time discussing the visual concept that as the clubs get longer, they are standing farther left of the ball. Their toe and body lines of the knees, hips and shoulders must also be farther left (for the righties and right for the lefties) of the aiming line. Their parallel toe and body lines must be proportionally more left/right as the clubs get longer, as much as 20 to 25 yards from your aiming line.
I discussed and explained this in an article titled 'Parallel Alignment'¦Defined' that was sent out on 10/31/09 as the article of the day. This is the article where I addressed the ball with a wedge and placed the wedge on the ground with the shaft touching my toes. Then I used a 7 and 5 iron, a hybrid wood, 3 wood and driver. Addressing the ball, I placed each club on the ground. When done, there were 6 clubs on the ground and each, from the wedge to the driver, was farther away from the aiming line. When you stand behind the clubs on the ground, looking down each one, starting at the wedge, then moving sideways to the 7 iron and so on, each club is wider or farther away from the target at the end of the aiming line.
After demonstrating and explaining this visual illusion to proper alignment with the clubs, where they all saw the progression of the clubs being wider/farther away from the target line, the image was locked in. They are now aware and check their toe lines at each address to see that they are farther away from their target line.
There were a few other incorrect setup issues (mostly caused by the alignment problem) that were quite common to the group I will continue covering them tomorrow.
Remember the Surgism. 'Alignment'¦Alignment'¦Alignment! Don't play golf without it!'
As to our eight students: what a great group!
The Surge!