After purchasing our new video featuring 3 time PGA TOUR Champion, Kenny Knox, I received a question from Don Klein regarding bunker shots and how to properly execute the "A" technique.
"Hey Surge, starting year three of the PPGS swing and have gone from trying to break 100 to low 80's on a semi-regular basis. Couldn't be happier. I am still struggling with the greenside bunker shot. All three of your videos that address this shot describe opening up but still keeping the clubface square to the aiming line. I set up in the A position, slightly open, but by swinging on the aiming line doesn't that cause the clubface to be square at impact, not open? Am I missing something? I have watched Kenny's, yours, and DJ videos several times and you all set up the same way. I would love to see a close-up of the clubhead just before impact. Maybe you could clear it up for me. Can't wait till the spring tourney. See you there. Thanks, Don"
Remember that the number one rule of impact is "on, on, on, square and solid." You hold the club with an open clubface, but when you also open your stance, the club now becomes square to the aiming line. That's the key! You don't want to be returning to impact with an open clubface otherwise you'll miss your target.
Keep it vertical,
The Surge!
Don Trahan
PGA Master Professional
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Comments
Good times is right. LOL
Good times is right. LOL
Sounds like you are going to do all of the things I have always wanted to do, but probably never will, all in one trip.
Have fun!!!
Those putts had nothing to do
Those putts had nothing to do with reads. It was simply the worst technique I have ever seen. She never has had good technique but like most kids got away with it because there are not enough bad experiences to cause the bad technique to make them fall apart.
Definitely not true any more after yesterday and today and she better shore up the fundamentals. It wasn't just missing putts, everybody has those days. It was the form used to miss those putts. It's a shame because she was playing well but any 20 handicap player would have putted better.
Don't know about why DJ is in a slump. Golf is a game that has no guarantees of anything. Plenty of really good players can have it one day and it's gone the next and may come back and may not.
One of the best players in our Saturday game has had the shanks for a month. He said Saturday that he was quitting golf and he has been around scratch for 10 years.
One thing Don, you need to
One thing Don, you need to get some better video shots from your back yard. Everything is shot at the same distance with never a close up. It's like someone doing a home video. Look at other golf video's. They have a variety of different shots with close ups to point out what is suppose to be taking place.
Larry EspositoÃÂ
I believe what you're
I believe what you're commenting on is a consequence of trying to talk and demonstrate at the same time. If you look at any of the actual short game videos (Surge's Situational Shots: Around the Green and his series with Kenny Knox), you'll see that in actually performing the swing, the shoulders are open with the stance. Exactly for the reason Steve describes below.
Desperate times call for
Desperate times call for desperate measures. ;-)
I played an entire round one time with only a driver and a 5 wood. LOL
There is a huge difference between having the kind of shanks that occasionally pop up from a swing flaw and "THE SHANKS" where it doesn't much matter what you do and is almost like the ball isn't where you think it is.
Usually starts out innocent enough as a run of the mill shank or two and then the mind takes over and makes it almost impossible to not shank the ball from shear panic of not trusting the swing.
Then when they go away all of those swing flaws that everybody said was causing them don't matter one bit and you could stand on your head and not shank the ball.
Hi Don, thanks for your great
Hi Don, thanks for your great tip. Can I say bunk shotÃÂ set up is same as the "fade shot" set up, just swing path is different? also, fade shot- at impact club face open, bunker shot -at impact face square. ?ÃÂ Also, when the ball is buried in the bunker, should I close my club face to let club head dig more? can you please give me some tips? thanks.ÃÂ Michael
ÃÂ Ha ha ha ha!!!You are
ÃÂ Ha ha ha ha!!!
You are absolutely right. Why in the heck should the best get rewarded for it. We have rights too!!!!
Tina B, not Terry.ÃÂ
Tina B, not Terry.ÃÂ
Pardon me if my envy is
Pardon me if my envy is showing. ;-)
ÃÂ Steve, shanks come from
ÃÂ Steve, shanks come from doing something to miss the slot too flat so the club head approaches from the inside. A number of ways for that to happen. The cure is to get more upright so the on-on-on strike can happen. Hate to see a good player quit because of an easy to correct problem.
Surge,Your bunker shot swing,
Surge,
Your bunker shot swing, using the square clubface to the target line requires an inside-to-outside swing plane which seems to be a violation of the typical ppgs swing since you are not swinging parallel to the toe line. ÃÂ Please explain.
ÃÂ Sounds like you don't
ÃÂ Sounds like you don't have it right Ron. Where your body is lined up is only to achieve and maintain an open club face. The target line where your club face is pointing is the line you are swinging down.
So you are not swinging down your foot and body line. If you did,ÃÂ and if you are right handed you would miss left.
After weekend tournaments
After weekend tournaments report.
Saturday shot a whopping 103 on a wet windy tight course with 6" very thick rough. Hole 1 par five hit 3w off the tee left of cart path 15' below the cart path on a steep slope with deep rough tried to fade it around the dogleg and hit it dead straight took a 10 on the hole. Hole 8 par 4 hit 3w off tee tried to cut the dog leg on the left off landed in deep rough side hill lie took a 12 on that hole shot 58 on the front made the turn and played the back nine better shot 45.
Sunday same course shot 88 windy and cold and rain when we came up 18 fairway the sun came out and the temps shot up to the low 70's go figure.
Very tough course considering the conditions would like to go back and play it in May or June when the weather is better. ÃÂ
It's a two stroke penalty if
It's a two stroke penalty if you put your butt in a bunker. Probably better off just to walk in. ;-)
Thanks Doc,I have alot of
Thanks Doc,
I have alot of respect for your knowledge and experience. I am he really more of a picker. That is why the grinding I've done has been relatively minor. I have left most of the bounce in tact. I am finding that especially with my 58 I now have more versatility and it still works quite well out if the sand. I am moving forward with great caution and care.
Your observations are right on of course.
ÃÂ You should volunteer to
ÃÂ You should volunteer to go to Surge's house every day and be his camera man.ÃÂ I am sure Surge would be glad to pay you the same thing he makes for doing the daily videos.
Then, I could use some help with doing some videos at Christmas time at my home.ÃÂ I don't want them to look like home videos either.
ÃÂ Hey Robert perhaps I'll
ÃÂ Hey Robert perhaps I'll kick off the "occupy Amens corner" protest for ya hehe!
ÃÂ Are you in Arizona?
ÃÂ Are you in Arizona?
I think this is a great point
I think this is a great point about what Surge teaches us. You ALWAYS keep the face square to the intended target, and you always swing the club along the aiming line. It works for straight shots (when the target and aiming line are the same), and for curved shots (where the target line and the aiming line are different).
Hi Steve , thanks for taking
Hi Steve ,
thanks for taking the time to answer
I guess I still have work to do But dont we all
My thinking was that opening the club face
was a correction of my alinement.
But I'm thinking about it andÃÂ inÃÂ
My chipping I Hopen stance the only difference
is My back foot stays square with the target.
I have not started my season yet but cant wait to get on
the first tee box.Thanks again realy appreciate
your help and comments,
Had a great day with Greg
Had a great day with Greg MacDonell at Old South. He fixed my posture. Off to the Masters Wednesday!
Hi T,Nice to see you haven't
Hi T,
Nice to see you haven't lost any of your sass..ÃÂ ÃÂ :)ÃÂ
(I haven't been on the site in a while) .ÃÂ ÃÂ Nice to "see" everyone!
Steve, it's April Fools Day.Ã
Steve, it's April Fools Day.ÃÂ Just couldn't help myself.ÃÂ ;0)
As always both the
As always both the informative video lesson and the helpful comments have added to our understanding of (in this case) the wedges. I have grown in my interest lately with the more lofted wedges as I practice and play. I've forced myself to get better with thw 53 and 58* I carry. What happens when we lay our wedges open the bounce forces the leading edge to be higher. If we're hitting off a tightly mowed fairway or dirt this can increase the chances that we blade the ball and are not able to get under it precisely and get it up into the air. This is one of the characteristics we need to keep in mind if we want our wedges to have the versatility we need. This is what Kenny Knox refers to when he explains why he did the special grinds on his wedges the way he did. By subtley grinding the heal area we can enable that leading edge to remain closer to ground level for hitting those tight shots. I've found my wedges just that little bit more playable now.
Happy golfing,
PMG
Wow!! That's off the hook
Wow!! That's off the hook Phil. It's good to be you right now. Have a ball pal:)
ÃÂ Robert
ÃÂ Robert
Like any family, each of us has a purpose, and hopefully adds to the family.
I think I can speak for the Coach, and even Steve, when I say that we are just happy to be a part of the Surge Nation family and do our small part to make the blog and yes even the whole world a better place for one and all.
Besides, it can be a lot of fun,
Dick
ÃÂ Remember Larry, these are
ÃÂ Remember Larry, these are FREE daily videos. I'll say that again...FREE videos. There are plenty of professionally produced videos in Surge's Shop, all of which I highly recommend.
If you watch Surge's Working
If you watch Surge's Working The Ball series (on sale now ;->) you'll see that he actually talks about three lines total. Target line, Aiming line, and Toe line. Any time you want the ball to fly straight at the target, the Target line and Aiming line are the same. If your intent is to curve the ball in the air, then the Aiming line will cross the target line in the direction you want the ball to start out. You always want to swing the club so that the club face travels along the Aiming line through the hitting zone, and the club face is square to the Target line at impact.ÃÂ You adjust the Toe line to ensure the first two. ÃÂ
ÃÂ Sounds like a course to
ÃÂ Sounds like a course to stay away from unless in the mood for a good old fashioned whipping.
LOL
Surge:
Surge:
I have not have a problem with alignment with green side shots but have always struggled with green side bunker shots.ÃÂ Your explanation pertaining to setting up in the "A" position with the club face square to the target took the mystique out of green side bunker shots.ÃÂ I cannot wait to try it.ÃÂ Thanks much.
Agreed! It's time for Occupy
Agreed! It's time for Occupy Augusta. Let's all go camp out in Amen Corner until they give in to our demands.
When ever we get a classic
When ever we get a classic cry baby I know that if I'm patient and just wait for it...............wait for it.......................
Ah, either Terry or Dick will have an appropriate answer soon. If not one us will chime in soon enough. As my Mom would say,
"Just can't help it!"
I love you guys for being both helpful fellow golfers and your sense of humor and timing. There has to be many a day when Surge, Doc ans the gang back in South Carolina just laugh their asses off reading our quips.
Watching some of the Kraft
Watching some of the Kraft Nabisco Championship today.
Can't figure out how somebody as accomplished as Lexi Thompson could have such awful fundamentals putting.
If she has a putting coach she needs a new one and if she doesn't have one she needs one.
She is hitting the ball as well as anybody but the putting is in her head and the fundamentals are truly bad.
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