Frank Veri recently purchased The Ultimate Alignment Video from Surge's Shop. He's expressed his confusion over a particular part of the full length video when I discuss the target awareness test, or T.A.T. With this test, golfers can easily see where they're actually aligned and what they are targeting before they take a swing.
I can only cover so much material in today's daily video, so be sure to check out The Ultimate Alignment Video for my complete take on one of the most important aspects of your game. Alignment, alignment, alignment...don't play golf without it!
Click here to order The Ultimate Alignment Video
Don,
In the video segment "Test target awareness" you use your left arm to "point the way" to the target. In the segment test alignment tips, you use your left arm out straight to verify toe alignment. I am a little confused.
Love the Peak Performance Golf Swing,
Frank Veri
There's a way I can use my left arm for both, actually. I think that may be what's confusing you, Frank. I use the left arm to find the toe alignment to make sure I'm parallel left of my aiming line. But, I also use the left arm to point at where I think the target is in my mind's eye.
The first issue with target awareness is something I see at Peak Peformance Golf Schools all the time. Lining up correctly is based on knowing where the target is in your mind. Your mind's eye must know where you're swinging so that your feel matches it. To do the target awareness test, get in your setup position and then take your left arm (forward arm), and point it at your intended target. You'd be amazed at some of the places people point when I ask them to do this. Sometimes it can be way left or way right. It should point directly at your target and you will be able to see this.
There's two ways you can test your alignment, both of which I explain and demonstrate in today's video. One also uses your left arm to determine alignment, but in a different way as the target test.
If you really want to learn more about using these tests and other techniques to improve your golf swing, you need to get The Ultimate Alignment Video. Take it from those who have already bought it, this video works! The blog has been full of wonderful comments about the video. Heck, thousands of Surgites can't be wrong!
Click here to order The Ultimate Alignment Video
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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Comments
Brilliant Explanation Surge
On a sunny morning in New Zealand watched this BRILLIANT daily video on Alignment delivered in Surge's passionate homespun style. Loved it. Not playing today was to watch the WGC Accenture Matchplay and wouldn't you know it hailstones and wind halts play boohoo, hahaha! Still have something more important to do. Check out the contents just imparted from Surge! An early birthday present. On the short shots don't seem to need it, but the longer ones, it will be invaluable. A marksman in my day, but with these "Lying eyes" of mine I needed these check drills big time. Thanks Surge for making my day. DH a grateful Surgite.Now come on WGC Accenture, sort out the weather ; - )
Let it snow
Wow, crazy stuff, eh? Reminds me of living on the north Oregon coast. my brother came to visit and we played the links golf course at the Salishan (where I worked as a gourmet food server). When we teed off it was a bit cloudy and by the 3rd hole it was raining side ways with 40-50 mph winds. Within a few minutes it turned into heavy and unrelenting hail stones. It hailed so heavy for at least 25 minutes and covered the golf course so heavily that it looked like an inch of snow. Complete white out! Told my brother, "Let's wait, you never know as it may clear up".
About 15 minutes later it stopped and so did all weather. Sun came out and quickly melted the ice. Play on we did for one of the most enjoyable rounds of golf in memory with my brother.
BTW It seems the storm down south in Tucson will miss us in Las Vegas and blow east of us. Cindy and i have a 12:45 tee time and we shall see if the weather comes. If it does we may have another memorable day. I always play better in worse weather.
Let it Snow!
Had a similar experience years ago in Germany. Nearing one green, the heavens opened and hailstones heavily and by the time we got to the green, the green was inches deep and completely covered. To add insult to injury, there was a LOUD BZZZZZZZZZZZ! and an almost simultaneous flash of lightning which struck one of the golf trolleys!!! The crack of doom had us both with out heads shrinking into our upper bodies. We towed the trolleys to the clubhouse using bungee type elastic cords. SCARY! Same course Burgdorf, Ehlershausen, played a round in icy sub zero temperatures and played some of the best golf ever to that date. My partners quit after 9holes, wimps! hahaha.
Here in NZ in Waioru the main north island Military Training Area, Army Museum etc, there is a good, challenging 18hole course. There it is said, it is not unusual to have all 4 seasons before mid-morning ; - )
Good luck with the tee off time and may it be one of your best rounds ever. One of our favourite TV shows is "Vegas" : - ) Just off to check if play has started again and to try out the alignment tips.
Keep them long and straight more consistently in Vegas.
DH in sunny Godzone NZ
No rain
No rain in Las Vegas today. We had a prediction of 75% chance of rain. No rain and there was golf played. They are wrong on the forecast more times than not until summer. Then they could just say it's hot again today (every day) from June through September 1st.
Cindy and I played 18 at muni and I shot an 81. Only one birdie today but that makes at least one birdie on every outing for the last 6 rounds. Good sign. Two double bogies derailed an other wise fairly good day. Colder and windy but no matter. Was testing out a slightly modified grip after my research for Cowboy and Leeds led me to recall the 'crimp' in the fingers video from about a year ago. The recommendation has the shaft more in the fingers.
Here it is again;
https://www.swingsurgeon.com/daily-video-tips/grip-crimp
As a result I was hitting shots a bit left of target and longer. Not really pulls, it just changed my impact positions just enough to affect the difference. Not a bad thing, just need some adjustment time. Actually felt good but it will take some practice to get use to it and find the feel for it. Did not practice it first just teed off and played and gave it a go on the course.
Because of going left I missed more greens than usual(not by much) but the good news is I had 7 up and downs from around the greens. Hit several great chips close and tapped 'em in. Once I get comfortable with the new grip more greens will come again along with lower scores.
One thing I was proud of today was that I kept my cool and was steady when I had an off shot or bad hole. After my first double bogie I let it go quickly and birdied the very next hole. I'm reading a new book and it is really helping my mental game. "Golf - The Ultimate Mind Game" by Rick Sessinghaus. Excellent. Among other things it is designed to help one stay focused and block out distractions. Also to develop a training program for your mind, body and swing. It does not teach any swing methods only performance psychology skills.
Okay, my current mantra is- "Hit 'em close and tap 'em in". Worked pretty well today. Better scores coming:)
Excellent
I know, some will say, what? And be confused a little. You won't be if you buy and watch several times Surges' UA video. It might be the best 19.95 you ever spend.
There was one point where some may have gotten lost in todays video. It is where Surge pointed at the target and then later pointed left the target and down his foot line parallel left. When pointing at the target with the left hand he uses the index or pointer finger like a pistol. Same with the right hand practice swing and pointing at the target. The left hand pointed along the foot line parallel left of the target is the FAT or Foot line Awareness Test. Notice he has that left hand parallel with his shoulder line and in a Karate chop pose. So they are two different actions aligned for the same purpose and that is to help us hit a good shot to a right place:)
PS. Just my personal opinion but most or all of you would still be best off to purchase the PPGS basics package first before the UAV as it gives you everything to get correctly started and is the foundation for all other teachings.
https://www.swingsurgeon.com/shop/products/fundamentals-peak-performance-golf-swing
Test Target Awareness
Just had a warm up of the shoulders and neck in the sun [sorry for all those in colder climes at the moment], followed by a 15minute swing session on the golf mat. Set up and used today's pearls of wisdom from Surge using both my left and my right arms. Pleased to note that each time I lined up on easily identifiable targets, my target awareness was spot on, every time.
Noted some time ago on the course, that when I aim at an identifiable target in the distance, a tree, or other object, that my longer shots were much better, accuracy wise. No more [as my golf mate does] Just aim, down the left hand side, right hand side or centre of the fairway! Now with today's tips, it is even more important to pick an identifiable intermediate target, other than, 'the left hand side of anything etc'
Noted also that when my head is elevated off my chest,ie, looking down my nose [almost snobbishly ; - ] that it eliminates 'chunks' for me.
Will practice these drills until they too are ingrained in my setup routine.
The UAV video seems to be an absolute must!!! Are you listening dear?
I will now watch today's video again. Alignment, Alignment, Alignment. DH
Let it snow -- or rain
Robert:
Meanwhile in "Sunny Phoenix" -- this winter has been unusually cool, cloudy and WET!! I have accused my visiting friends of "bringing their Seattle weather with them" hahaha.
Nevertheless, I have a few good rounds -- and met a milestones of sorts. I suffered an injury to my RIGHT knee a couple of weeks ago that is stubbornly refusing to heal - a Knee band and moderate walking seems to be the best therapy. The result on my golf swing and ball striking has bee remarkable. Seems to force a more "relaxed" tempo -- with no over swinging allowed. End result is longer straighter drives, almost all down the target line and some 10 to 15 yards longer, on average.
Monday the weather was decent and I played the front nine about a little worse than normal - scored a 47 - with only one or two one-putts -- then "lightning struck" on the back nine -- par, bogie, birdie, and 6 straight pars for a 36 -- with only 3 GIR. Bettered my back nine "personal best" by three strokes - and in the winter time of all things!
On to today -- cool and wet with occasional breezes -- from the southwest in the early going, changing to easterly by the tine we finished. Under the conditions, I was fairly happy with a 46 + 44 = 90 with 12 of 14 Fairways hit and 4 GIR -- but once again a lot of "good putts" that would not fall in the hole. I think my companions scored something like 95 and 97-- they both hit several "long and wrong" shots and nobody was putting up to our "normal standards"
Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG
Amos
Congratulations Amos
Wow! A 36 for nine? Sorry I'm a bit late seeing this entry. Just read it. #6, that's marvelous my friend and puts you in rarefied air. Well you beat me Amos, although being my senior you were due to be respectfully first! lol!!
A 36 is on my short list of goals for the year and a 75 for 18 is the other. After that who knows.
Glad to hear about your milestone. not a minor accomplishment as likely most of us have been more likely to get eaten by a shark than shoot 36! way to go:)
Pointing
A weird thing about pointing:
When I was a kid my neighbor was trying to teach me to shoot a pistol from the hip. He told me to point my finger along the barrel, just for a drill, and he said "your finger will always point at the target".
Well it didn't work for me at all and I always missed well right of the target.
After that day I practiced pointing at different objects and then moving my head over to look down the "barrel" of my finger to see if the finger was actually pointing at the object. To my surprise I found that if I pointed at something with my left hand the finger was actually pointing well right of the object (EVERY SINGLE TIME), but if I pointed at something with my right hand the finger was always right on the money no matter where my hand was (and I am left eye dominant and shoot a rifle left handed).
The next time we went to shoot the pistol I shot it right handed and immediately I was better at shooting from the hip (or other unusual positions) than the guy that was trying to teach me.
My conclusion was that even though I am left eye dominant my hands are right hand dominant and when not sighting with the eyes it's my right hand that knows exactly where the target is.
I still shoot a pistol right handed to this day but shoot a rifle or a bow and arrow left handed.
If I attempted to shoot from the hip (or point at an object without sighting down the arm or finger) with my left hand the only chance I would have to be accurate is to intentionally point at what feels like parallel left of the actual target. Not so with my right arm or hand.
Alignment problems
Hi Surge,
I have problems with alignment and your "ultimate alignent video" doesn't say anything on this topic:
When I stand upright with my toes on a line, my shoulders naturally point approximately 10 degrees right of that line. How can I adjust to my somehow contorted spine? Should I open my stance so that my shoulders are on the correct line? Or should I try to turn my upper body against the natural contortion and hold it throughout the swing?
With regards, Thomas
Thomas
Sounds like you have your logical answer which is likely to follow your shoulders and open your stance to accommodate your natural spinal curve.
Really you would be in the best position to answer the question through experimentation. Surge may not have covered that specific challenge, however he has said many times that we need to work within our abilities and limits or liabilities.
Here's daily video that will apply in general to your challenge.
https://www.swingsurgeon.com/daily-video-tips/find-your-swing-range-motion
Thomas, Surge may or may not 'catch' this question here but if you send it in through customer service he very well may give it attention and answer it on a daily for you. Mean time, understand that this is still the most body friendly swing for the majority of us. You need to adapt the fundamentals in away that you will not increase your discomfort yet reach your potential as a golfer and enjoy the game. though I would never wish that anyone have a spine that twists in any fashion perhaps you can turn it into an asset to some extent. I, for example tend to set up with my shoulders open and tend to fight coming cross the ball(as do many other golfers). Having naturally closed shoulders may even assist you in coming through square and even drawing the ball which would add length to your shots verses a fade. Just a thought. In any case good luck and let us know about your progress in the coming weeks.
Thanx for the confirmation
Surge,
Late at viewing this daily. Last year I started pointing parrell left on all shots. Great help with alignment. Should I be swinging to the target or to my parrell left target?
Eric