How To Avoid Hitting Hosel Rockets

Surges' and Kenny Knox's short game instruction has really helped me with this kind of shot around the greens.  Surge suggests picturing the angle between the lead wrist and the club grip as a speedometer setting that never changes during the swing. Kenny Knox says that you should feel a connection between the end of the grip and the belt buckle at setup and throughout the swing.  For me the key to doing these two things is to focus on holding the grip extra firmly with the little finger of the lead hand throughout the swing.  If I do these things I'm able to add a little instinctive right side throwing force without any breakdown of the lead wrist.  The feeling is that the belt buckle/navel area is the engine of the entire swing with the rest of the body playing a support role of maintaining the triangle.  I can get plenty of height and spin with this shot, which has a lot less risk than a conventional full swing flop shot.

CJ,

Just wanted to add my 2cents for what it's worth. I agree with Steve. We need to have a focal point with the SwingRite. I always use a ball, positioned for various clubs from wedge to driver and try to maintain the correct posture body/arm wise associated with a particular club. It is a little harder to click at a driver slant than at a wedge slant. You may benefit by trying various arm/ball positions with it. Good luck

Robert

Yes he did make the cut I followed him on shot tracker. 
My comments were to point out that he has had back issues this year and may be the reason for his sub par play this year. 
I kinda detect a little sarcasm in your response if not I apologies .

It breaks my heart that week after week, DJ plays so well off the tee and on his approach, yet breaks down with the putter.  My guess is he's lost over a million dollars the last 2 seasons from 10 feet in, considering missed cuts and missed opportunities.  At this point, ANY amount of time and money spent to fix this problem would be worth it in the long run.

Todd, this is one of the major hurdles when shifting from rotational to a vertical swing and I don't think there's any one solution. From my personal experience
I had to undergo a long hall to pacify my lower half and some of the things that have helped are 1.Remembering the action is an upper half swing, not
a lower half. 2.Having wide knees and sinking into them is important, practise this in front of a large glass door. 3.Obviously having flared feet. 4.In my early days I use to mentally think "I was a tin soldier" down below, then swing
only the arms.

Eventually the mind/body starts to understand, the upper half starts doing its job first and the lower half goes along for the ride, hope this helps.      

Ray, just an FYI, I have had the opportunity to follow DJ at two tournies and always made sure I was respectfully in the background. Timing is everything. After one of his rounds as he was walking to the scoring trailer I shouted out a quick hello and he was quick to say hi back in a friendly manner. As Robert F mentions, he is focused on his golf and I noticed he is fairly oblivious to the fans when he is playing. That's totally okay and understandable. I've now met him sereral times including two Swing Surgeon tournaments. Nice guy for sure. Again, timing and situation make a big difference. Be slow to judge Ray. I know you are a favorable fan and only hope he plays well.
My wife and I got to work inside the ropes as score keepers at last years JT tourny in Las Vegas. Most of the players were polite but focused and there was no chatting during the round. Afterwords we would get signed golf balls. I actually got a signed golf glove from Billy Hershal. Cindy got a signed ball from eventual winner Kevin Na. This was at the end of the round. Timing.
My guess is he either didn't hear you or was just too pissed off or mind elsewhere when you said hello. It was a bad time. Who knew. Only human.

 I like this tip Robert and intend to give it a try. Like many others things this tip brings to mind Lee Trevino's statement.

"From the top I think about putting my right elbow into my front hip pocket."

Not my intention Mike. Simply observing that he was playing a bit better today. You are likely correct about his back still bothering him. Maybe the warm weather actually feels good and helps keep the back loose. How are you doing? Been able to play?

Sorry guys, I'm having a Tin Cup moment here from when he lost his swing and had every gadget in the world hanging off his body trying to get it back. LMAO

Todd, this is a major issue when changing from a rotational to a vertical swing
and there's no one solution. In my early years this was a major hurdle for me
and some things I did, were 1.Think of the swing as an "upper half and not
a lower half" swing. 2.Definitely wide knees and a sinking feeling in the BUS,
this minimises over rotation, practise this often in front of a large glass door. 3.Obviously flared feet. 4.I use to think of myself as a "tin soldier" down below
and let my upper body do the work.

Eventually the mind/body starts to understand, the upper body starts to dominate and the lower body goes along for the ride. Hope this helps.      

Me too!  Modifications are welcome :)

T,
I will give your idea a try.  Thanks for the reply.

CJ

Yes I have been playing. Have two tourneys this weekend upper 90's both days. The only good thing is we have 8:00 am shotgun both days. 
I have not been posting lately trying to clear all golf thoughts out of my little brain sometimes we can get over thinking things. My tournaments scores are way better now mid 80's where I would expect them. Freindly rounds are in the mid 70's. 
Hows you and your wife's golfing going these days? 

If the drill helps me to stop spinning-out my hips, then it's worked for me. :) Need to get to a store to get an appropriate rod and give this a try..

Neil thanks very much for the suggestions. Numbers 2 and 3 I've worked pretty hard at. I like the mental imagery of #1 and #4, I'll give them a try. Deprogramming years (decades?) of rotational swinging certainly is a challenge.

cheers

 Ray,

Get a hold of yourself my good man. Do you honestly for even one second, think you care more about DJ's putting woes than he himself or his father. Do you honestly think they are not trying and considering EVERY OPTION. Just quit ragging on about it, and start praying about it and for him. Build him up, don't continue to tear him down. If it was I, and you had said the several comments about me, as you did in regards to him, I probably would have spoken to you, BUT it might have been something completely out of line. Keep the faith man, seek out those things which help to build him up, and by all means keep him in your prayers.

PMG

Steve,

I even tried putting a marker on the shaft sticking out to see where the imaginary club head position would be, but no luck.  Maybe I will go back to the Matze club and try swinging that... the big yellow head is easy to see.

CJ

Good thanks. she has made steady improvement. Basically the only swing she knows is the PPGS. She is often the model for alignment. She even corrects me often as she knows what I am trying to do and what Surge would say! My game is okay. Haven't flirted with breaking 80 for a few weeks. Putting was improving now off just enough to miss my share. My biggest improvements have been with my long game. Finally getting the hang of my Adams a12 hybrid. Put a new Prolaunch Blue 65gr r shaft on it and it is working out well. Fun part is, I put the shaft on. Been tinkering alot with clubfitting and having fun with that. Have a good week end Mike:)

 Ed

I wonder if his back is still bothering him ?

He is ranked
154th in greens in reg.
129th proximaty to hole 37'4"
111th in driving accuracy
161 in putting.

I think there is a combination of things to fix. But does it hinge around his back issues ?

Rtnowlan,
I saw a tip the other day that helps keep the hips moving more laterally and not spin out early while assuring that your hands are ahead of your hips in the downswing and releasing as Don discusses here. If you have an alignment rod, slide it in your two front belt loops of your pants so that it is parallel to your hips and target line at set up. Can you visualize that? Okay, now practice swing several times and you'll see that if your hands are in the way or late  (under releasing) you'll bump into the rod. Then actually hit balls with this set up. This will train your timing of hands and lower body for your short irons as Don refers to the 9-wedges as the most challenging in regard to lateral shots. Give it a go and let us know if this helps.

R2,

Sounds like having a target to line up the angle of your wrists is a great idea.  Will give it a shot.

CJ

 To Robert, Steve, and T---  Ouch!  No way would I be ragging on about DJ--am one of his most loyal fans and only want the best for him--period.  It was just a thought that a change of scene (looking down at a new putter) and another opinion and/or help with the actual stroke and alignment just might get him through these difficult times.  As a loyal Surgite (for many years) I have only the best of wishes for DJ.  Incidentally, I would never bother him during a playing round but approached him near the practice area well before his starting time.  Sorry if I didn't make that clear but come hell or high water I'll always be a true fan.
Regards to all,
Ray

 Hi Ed- I saw first hand last weekend the problem you wrote about regarding DJ's putting woes (my comment to that effect suddenly became "unavailable" when I checked for responses).  Whatever the cause might be, a new direction (putter, teacher) to change his current mindset would most likely help.  I wanted to lend him my putter after watching miss after miss at the first round---if I can average 28-30 putts with it as a lowly senior amateur someone of DJ's athletic ability could conceivably do much better---but it would probably been considered an insult to make the offer.  As one of DJ's most loyal CT fans it  hurt to get ignored when saying hello on Saturday's round--guess he might have read my reaction to his putting problems from Thursday.

I do hope DJ gets the help he needs.

Ray

CJ,
See the dill I have offered above.

T,

The Kallassy looks interesting, you can drive balls and practice at the same time.  Will stick with the Matzie Assist for a while as I build up my strength again.  

Thanks for the input.

CJ

Awesome,thanks Robert I'll give this a try too.

Ray,
Easy to be misunderstood, especially on a blog where we're brief. Most of us would like to somehow find answers for the less than hoped for play of our favorite player. We all mean well.
He played just a tad better today shooting even par. Maybe he is finding it. Nice to see him through the week end. It was wild to watch with no fans lining the fairways. Crazy weather going on. Really hot across most of the country.

Ray, I'm sure he wasn't intentionally ignoring you during his round. He was trying to focus on his game. Especially with the struggles he's been having, I would not expect him to be conversational with fans, or even actively take note of their existence. He's putting all his energy on the course.
Also, before we all jump in with our Monday Morning caddying, all athletes go through down periods. The last two years have held a lot of struggles in real life, as well as on the course, so let's all cheer DJ on and stop trying to second guess how he and Surge and the others around them are working to help DJ get back on a winning track.
And if you can average 28-30 putts a round on the greens DJ plays on every week, more power to you. The greens on one of our courses that used to be one of the Las Vegas Invitational courses, are currently playing tournament speeds (stimping around 12+). My putting is out of whack right now anyway (working on that), but when you barely tap a putt for a 6' downhill roll and your next putt is 8' back up the hill, you gain a lot of respect for what the pros go through.

CJ:  The best way I learned correct hand release was to purchase a SwingRite training aid from Doc Griffin.  This is an outstanding learning tool, approved by the Surge, and teaches proper release, lag, tempo and timing.  It also is a great warm-up tool and can be used year-round.  I practice with mine daily and highly recommend it.  r2 

Try unflaring your front foot. (perpendicular to the toe line)

I'll bet you think, I didn't think of that. In my usual polite way, ha ha ha, I just thought I'd try it (My Way), before saying too much. I haven't yet, but my way has the rod through the back belt loops to get my elbow down in front of the rod and more towards my front pocket or hip bone. I don't even have to try it it front to know it ain't gonna work with my swing. I still like the idea though, just with different loops.

Ray,

Sorry if I offended, it was not my intent. I was just trying to get others to see a different side. If I or we were in DJ's position., knowing I/we were trying every thing possible including long practice sessions and following the best advice of the best instructors, AND THEN, having amateurs trying to tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing or trying, it would tend to aggravate me.
 I think we would all do better to realize, in spite of the results or appearance, we should know that DJ and Don are doing and taking the course they feel is best. All we can do is try to hold them up in our thoughts and prayers. Hard as it may be, we should keep our advice to ourselves. Armchair quarterbacks rarely do anyone any good.

Best wishes for you and yours.

PMG

Surge,

Once again you describe my swing problems with a great explanation.  Recently you had a video on turning your back hip and knee during the up the tree part of the BUS.  This seams to make me BLOCK the ball out to the right also.

Are there any exercises or drills that you can recommend (after the set up is checked out) on "releasing the hands" at the correct time?

CJ

CJ:  I had a lesson from Doc Griffin last fall and he strongly urged me to use a ball when practicing with the SwingRite.  I cut a ball in half and place it where my release point "should be" for each club.  It helps me get the "feel" of the correct release point.  When I'm at the range I take a few swings with the SwingRite to "feel" that release point, then use a club to hit a ball and groove the "feel" of squaring up the clubface.  Takes some practice but it works for me.  So much of this game is just learning what a decent swing feels like, then trying to remember that feeling.  As the Surge always says, "feel the swing then swing the feel".  Too much feeling here - now my head hurts!!!  r2 

R2,

I actually own a SwingRite and have been using it while re-building my swing.  The problem with this trainer for me is you can make it click, even if the theoretical club face would be open.  It does really help you feel the snap.  But I often pull the rod down more than where my 6 iron naturally sits.  

I hope to get back out on a course in mid-late July.  Will use the SwingRite every couple of days to keep re-building those "golf muscles".

Thanks for the reply,
CJ

Lynn42,

Some thoughts are universal.  I had the exact same "Tin Cup" vision when Robert posted about it.  I guess the writers must have played a few rounds.

CJ

CJ,
I too have a Matze swing aid and also a Kallassy, both work well with the PPGS as practice aids. The Kallassy is great for getting that right elbow back to the side. Here's a video on it, just ignore the bull about the big full turn and watch how it actually looks when they make their 3/4 turns.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Surge,
First I want to say what a tremendous help you have been for me and my game.  The Peak Performance Swing has made golf much more enjoyable, less stressful and taken 20 strokes off my game.  I am still a high handy capper but improving every week as my confidence grows.  My latest problem is with flop shots aroung the green.  Last week twice in the same game I hit the ball twice in my delivery consequently I had to take an extra stoke.  I find that things like this are what keeps me making doubles, triples and more.  Suggestions please.  And God Bless you I pray you stay well so you can keep helping people like me. 
FairTax Pete
Recently relocated to Lakeland, FL.

Meanwhile, he played better today and it looks like he'll be playing the weekend.

Robert,

I read the drill about the alignment poll through the belt loops.  I will give it a try, but still not clear on why you would hit the poll if your hand release late.... Can you explain further?

Thanks for your reply,
CJ

Apparently the writer and producer of Tin Cup studied the life of Gary McCord.

For those who enjoy following, DJ is just off the 10th tee to start his round.

R,
You can buy  a small diameter yard length stick like an alignment rod at your lumber or Home Depot or Lowes type store cheap.
You of course should use it for alignment practice with it on the ground too.

Basically it just aids in getting better timing and over 'spining out' your hips too much or too soon. it also promotes a bump down the line(laterally) verses a rotational move. If you spi out your hips to soon or tooo much while swinging you will crash into or be stuck by the rod. It's also a visual aid for aligning your hips with your feet, knees and shoulders at address.