- Audio version at the end of this post – We all know that starting anything correctly is basically the only way you have any chance of carrying out the task correctly to completion.  Naturally, the same goes for swinging a golf club.  Starting with a correct takeaway is no 100% guarantee to making a perfect swing, but it does increase the odds a lot.  Harry asks about the takeaway, looking to see if there is a better way. Harry Thompson says: Is it correct to think of presetting the wrists ASAP on the backswing rather than the conventional low and slow wide take away that has always been promoted … this swing thought makes me cast the club on the downswing, where the other thought helps me to hit the ball later, thus with more power. What is your professional opinion ? The Surge says: Let’s look first at Harry’s comment about, “the conventional low and slow wide takeaway that has always been promoted” as that swing thought makes him cast the club on the downswing.  This takeaway c ...

- Audio version at the end of this post – Release for many golfers, and instructors for that matter, is a nebulous term that they know exists and they know they have to do it.  The problem is they can’t wrap their hands around it or get a good picture in their mind as to what it is and how to do it.  Mr. Surakka expresses his dilemma about Release and seeks a definition and explanation. Aapo Surakka says: ‘Release’ is a concept unclear to me. I have not found a good definition anywhere. In simple terms, what is it and what is its role in PPGS? Anybody would like to give a simple explanation? The Surge says: Release may be vague and unclear to most golfers.  But if you want to hit the ball solid and straight you better be releasing the club at and through impact.  Release is performed by the hands and arms rotating, approaching the ball, squaring the club at impact to the aiming line and then swinging up to the finish. Here’s a refresher course on forearm rotation:  The arms are ...

- Audio version at the end of this post – Tom’s question is really about path to impact and ball contact point as they relate to the laws of  physics and physiology as they apply to impact itself. Tom T says: Surge, I really enjoy your teaching and have lowered my score by 6 or so shots using the Peak Performance. I would like to know more on the forward swing as far as the proper position of the club at impact in relation to the swing plane?  Should the club be coming from inside and where exactly on the golf ball are you looking for that impact strike of the club? Is it 7:00 or 6:00 in relation to the golf ball..I believe that the reason you start the forward swing ahead of the club reaching the top of the backswing is to get the club to drop on the perfect line as it gets ready to approach the ball…I just wish you would talk more about what this should look/fell like so that we are sure to be striking the ball in the slot position.  Is that mysterious slot position the same on the ...

- Audio version at the end of this post – For the greater part of my teaching career any questions I was asked about knees and the golf swing was really about bad knees. Knees that were beat up playing football, baseball, hockey and other sports. Knees so bad that they needed surgery to correct torn ligaments and other problems. They were functional but not anywhere near optimal in performance. The questions were always the same, asking if there are any setup and swing adjustments to reduce stress and strain on them — and pain. Now the knee questions are often of a new and different nature as Steve reveals as he asks for help with his new “replacement” knees. Steve says: I just had my second knee replacement so I have two new knees. My first knee replacement was my left knee. I was playing pretty good golf afterward, keeping my handicap at around 6. But after a few months it started going up because my right knee started bothering me and my handicap had ballooned to a 12. So I w ...

- Audio version at the end of this post – I know many golfers suffer from starting their round slow, hitting mostly blocks, fades and slices in the first few holes. Their swing then kicks in for them and they start hitting it ok to pretty good, solid and straight for the next 10 to 12 holes. Then, as the expression goes, they can’t get the horse to the barn and crash and burn on the home holes. John suffers this fate and explains it, asking if increased adrenalin is the problem. John Neswadi says: Don, My biggest problem seems to be increased adrenalin as my round continues. I always start by hitting no more than 50 golf balls on the practice range. I hit the pitching wedge, my 7 iron, my seven wood and my driver. I almost always start with a fade or a push. As my round progress’s I start hitting the ball straighter. Then on the last three or four holes I start pulling or hooking. How can I start & finish the same as I hit the ball in the middle five to fourteen holes? Note: I a ...

- Audio version at the end of this post – Robert tells us below that he is having good results with the PPGS.  His driving has improved as well as overall he is swinging and hitting the ball better.  But he reveals he is in a quandary about having firm forearms and hands and at the same time keeping his right (back shoulder) soft in the through swing and not come over the top approaching impact.  Let’s look at what Robert says about his challenge between his hands and shoulders, and swing path.  I know I have the solution to conquer his challenge. Robert Meade says: Surge, I think I’m getting the picture of how important the forward -up swing to a T -finish is. You have mentioned in other articles and videos that a good through and up can actually do much to help our backswings improve. My results, especially on my drives have improved with equal use of both hands as you recommend. However something that has been an occasional challenge, is keeping my right shoulder soft in the throug ...

- Audio version at the end of this post – (A note from The Surge and the Staff at PPGS: We hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season. For me and my family, we’re celebrating Christmas! In honor of Christmas, I’m taking the day off from the blog, but will return Saturday, December 26. Everyone at PPGS sends best wishes and good cheer. We truly appreciate your comments and thoughtfulness.) One of the great things about golf is being able to play with your friends.  And one of the aspects of playing golf is the willingness of friends to jump in and give swing advice to each other.  After all, golf is difficult. We can’t see our swing, so do we need the eyes and advice from our golfing buddies to help us play better?  In most cases they are always ready, willing and able to jump in and play teaching professional.  Paul mentions his friends are always helping him, but it doesn’t seem to help much.  Paul also can’t seem to keep his forward arm straight in the backswing.  Could there be a ...

The right arm is the “good guy,” no matter what you’ve been told. Students often come to me because they have problems with the longer irons and woods.The primary reason they have difficulty is because the longer clubs are flatter. What happens is the longer clubs, being flatter because of their length, are thus swung on a slightly flatter plane, even though we are swinging them basically as vertical as the shorter ones. The key here is that in both the backswing lift and the forward upswing lift, the law of centrifugal force wants to keep the club on the same path through impact on through to the finish, which is lower, flatter and more tilted, due to shaft length. Add gravity in the forward swing, fighting your wanting the club to go up also adds to the dilemma of lifting the club up vertically. Thus, in the forward swing, like in the backswing, once the club is into the mitt (parallel to the ground) the main player becomes the right hand.The right hand, the hand that everyone has been tol ...

- Audio version at the end of this post – How your arms extend or hang down at address is an important aspect of correct posture and being in a dynamically balanced setup to make a dynamically balanced swing. Arms hanging too close to or stretched too far from the body opens a Pandora’s Box of balance and swing problems. Jeff in his question below is searching for the answer to what is correct arm extension. Jeff says: How far away do I need to stand from the ball? Is there a certain shaft angle I should be looking for? I’ve read the PPGS manual about the setup, but I’m not sure it specifically talks about this? Thanks, really enjoy the videos and the site and the inner circle! The Surge says: You mention that you have read the PPGS Foundations Swing Manual and missed where I covered this point. It is in Chapter 6, “How Posture Affects Your Swing,” and found on page 47 and reads: “The fourth step toward good posture is to extend your arms comfortably. If you have properly per ...

Chicken Wings make for a great appetizer but in the golf swing they are a great appetite suppressant.  As Jamie tells us below, he has them despite being a real low 3 handicap player.  He speaks of checking out his club head on the downswing, relating it to time on a clock.  The problem here is when using time on a clock for reference points, I need to know what side of the ball you stand on to more accurately diagnosis the problem(s) and prescribe the cure(s.)   For Jamie, I am assuming he is playing right handed. Jamie Pasterick says: Hey Don, I really enjoy your DVDs and daily blog. My question is, how do I prevent the dreaded “chicken wing”? On my follow through, I can feel my right elbow flaring out from my body. I am a 3 handicap, but I hit the ball very inconsistently. My consistent miss is a duck hook left and it happens on almost half of my full swing shots. I duck hook with every club, even a wedge. I believe the duck hook is due to my poor downswing. If I stop my swing half way do ...