Like most golfers I watch a fair amount of Golf Channel coverage, from Tournaments, to promos for shows and even the occasional infomercial. This past week I saw a promo numerous times for one of the Golf Channel shows dealing with instruction, mainly with tips, drills and swing aids. The promo was announcing that the next show would focus on helping you swing to hit it longer. The message or tip for the show was clear and concise. The key to more distance was a bigger backswing turn. And the show would cover tips and drills and exercises to help you develop a bigger turn.
While watching a Champions PGA Tour event for a short time, I caught one of their swing evaluations of one of the players, Tom Watson. They made note of his recent super playing despite just having turned 60. He lost in a playoff for the British Open to Stuart Cink and has been playing well, contending in the Champions Tour in three consecutive weeks of major championships.
They showed Watson hitting a driver and commented on his long and fluid and well balanced swing and his ability for his entire career, even now at 60 years old, being a consistently long hitter. Watson's swing is without doubt well balanced and long as his driver is well past parallel and most of his irons go to parallel. The main comment pointed out as the key to this power was his huge shoulder turn, which they pointed out was possible because of his lifting his left foot and his left knee moving inward to allow more hip and shoulder turn.
What they didn't mention or point out was that at address his head was centered on his shoulders and he was looking down at the ball. If you drew a line from his nose to the ground, it would line up with the ball, so he was 'nose on the ball' (NOB), which means his vision is dead focused on the ball. I like this position as it is easier to hit something you are looking straight at and focused on. What I also like to see is at the top of the backswing, this NOB position is still present so that the golfer is still looking and seeing the ball in the center of his/her field of vision.
At the top of his backswing, Tom Watson, like Tiger Woods and all big shoulder turn golfers , are not NOB. They are NBB (nose behind ball) in that the line from their nose to the ground now points behind the ball and it is way behind the balml as much as 3 or more feet. When one is NBB they at best can only see the ball in the outside of their peripheral vision. What this also means is in their downswing, when their shoulders begin to turn back to the left in the transition, their head is also turning back as it is riding their shoulders. So now their golf ball, as seen by their mind's eye, is moving left and in essence they are visually hitting a moving ball. These pros can do it quite well, but this is a major problem for most amateurs and casual golfers.
The key point here is that it is anatomically impossible to keep one's head still and in the same position as address relative to looking NOB at the ball with a 90 degree shoulder turn or more. The head rides the shoulders and turns with the shoulders until your nose line is way, way behind the ball. For most golfers, this big turn also pulls the body off the ball and is a major cause of hitting chunks/heavy shots to all the thin blades and blocks.
The PPGS limited turn ¾ length backswing is the only way golfers can set up NOB and keep their NOB all the way to the top of the backswing. If one has their nose on the ball at the top of the backswing, they are likely in a more stable and balanced position and have maintained their spine angle, from address to the top of their backswing.
We have all heard the expression 'Keep your eye on the ball' and worked and practiced to do it and most golfers can't. The reason is the big turn. Because as long as one's head remains attached to one's shoulders, the head riding the shoulders in the 90 degree or more turn will be pulled off the ball as the shoulders turn.
So, if you want to hit it more solid and straight, which always equates to longer, the limited 70 degree shoulder turn (left arm is over the toe line) of the PPGS is the only way to maintain your nose on the ball to the top of the backswing. And, I promise you, it is easier to hit a ball that is centered in one vision and sitting patiently waiting for you to just smash it right down the middle of the fairway or onto the green.
Keeping your head still and nose on the ball can only happen with the PPGS 70 degree limited turn.
The Surge!