Today's question comes from one of our European students, John Farrell, who has been using the Peak Performance Golf Swing for nearly a year now.
"I like the easy power that comes from the Surge Swing and the backswing is really easy to get, but I find it almost impossible to stop myself from over-rotating my wrists on the downswing and hitting my shots with a closed club face, which is not something I would normally do. Although I do "bump", I must obviously be starting the swing partly with my shoulders and getting my rear hand (I am a left hander - so my left hand) on top too quickly. Its the momentum that seems to mess up my timing and, of course, it is a big problem with the driver if you do that."
As is often the case, one of our regular contributors, Steve Smith, offered John some helpful advice.
"When you skip a rock do you throw from the top? Probably not. We LET the elbow fall toward the body and the hands fall toward the toe line until we feel the position to swing the hand (and the rock) on the shallow path through the release zone, then the hand travels upward. Don't get in a big hurry to hit at the ball from the top. Let it fall toward the toe line and then swing through the ball. It may feel as if you are giving up power by doing that but it gives up no power at all. "
Well said, Steve. And, John, while the problem you are having could very well be that you are not aligned correctly as you say, I want to focus my comments today on the rotation of the arms in the Surge Swing because it is quite different from what you see in a rotational swing.
The key to controlling ball flight is the club face, that's pretty obvious. If it isn't square at impact the ball is not likely going straight. What may be less obvious is that the key to controlling the club face is the rear hand, which for lefties like John is the left hand and for righties like me, the right land. If you let the rear hand roll too soon you're going to hit a snap hook because the over-rotation has closed the club face. And if on your next swing you try to control the over-rotation by consciously under-rotating you are likely to leave the club face open at impact with equally disastrous (and frustrating) results.
So as you'll see in the video, you need to go back to the basics of the Peak Performance Golf Swing to stop over-rotating your arms. Begin by reviewing your grip. We want it to be square, with palms facing each other and perpendicular to the ground. Then, keeping your palms perpendicular begin your backswing with a limited turn and slight arm rotation to get the club toe-up into the Catcher's Mitt. From there, continue your turn only until your forward arm is over the toe line and then lift keeping your thumbs pointed skyward.
If you are turning too much, or if you fail to keep your palms perpendicular, your momentum will carry you into the Sacred Burial Ground and/or your club will get flat and laid off as you reach the top of your swing. So focus your practice time on getting the feel for controlling your arm rotation and limiting your turn so that you don't over rotate. Then concentrate on doing the same thing during the Forward Up Swing. When you get the hang of this, you will cure your tendency to pull and hook and I'd bet that your drives will begin to fall within 10 yards right or left of your target line. And with that little movement, how much trouble can you can you be in?
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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Comments
Lol..not sure I could follow
Lol..not sure I could follow all of the steps for the setup, but with that ball contact I'd sure like to try.
Hi Neil, I am in exactly the
Hi Neil, I am in exactly the same situation as yourself, so Iôm glad to hear that Iôm not alone in this. As a kid I fell and broke my left elbow which took 1 year to get semi right, since the elbow has remained at a slight angle and also somewhat weak.àThen I played tennis all my life which stregthened my right arm.
As a result I must be careful to control the strength applied to my right arm during my swing since if I let go I will invariably come over the top for a perfect pull !!
Hence at set up I follow Surgeôs recommendation of a 50-50 grip strength in both hands and then concentrate in making sure the right elbow comes down next to my right side to balance forces and ensure a straight shot.
Surge, love the back yard
Surge, love the back yard approach and this video has brought up an issue with me on
which hand controls the club face. To me it's my left hand, I use it when initiating the down
swing and the FUS. If I use my right hand, then I'm casting from the top and also pulling
left on the FUS, if I try to useÃÂ a both hand approach, the right hand always dominates.ÃÂ
Am currently hitting the ball heaps better now, but would love to hear any comments
from fellowÃÂ Surgites or the master himself. Just had a Arthroscopic surgery on the knee, so
it's rest time for a few weeks, but suffering withdrawal symptoms already and it's only day 2,LOL.
Sounds like a blast.ÃÂ
Sounds like a blast.ÃÂ Enjoy and keep us posted
Hi SteveYou are right it
Hi Steve
You are right it doesn't always feel natural. I have taken all the best surge bits and fitted them into my own swing. Everyone has different height, weight and natural ability. My advice make the swing fit a comfortable as you can with your own swing and work on one part at a time. I am not there yet with the driver but the irons increase in accuracy each week with a great long and high flight. ÃÂ Good Luck
You have my jealousy stirred
You have my jealousy stirred up. I hope that everyone has a great week. I kook forward to hearing the reports.
PMG
Mike
Mike
Those are some nice rounds.ÃÂ Enjoy the ride and I hope it never goes away.
Hey Mark,Did you read my
Hey Mark,
Did you read my edited comment? I feel really good about what I did today.
I was hesitant about going to 43" with a 36" wrist to floor but it feels great and I can use my speed to release through the impact zone like I have neverÃÂ been able to do before.
Looking forward to what tomorrow brings.;-)
Terry, I know you would love
Terry,
I know you would love to be here. I wish was you were too. Hopefully you can start figuring on it now for next time.
PMG pal
Use the time to go over
Use the time to go over everything in the manual and go thru' the basics and start with a run at playing again once the knee is up to it. Good luck with the recovery period Neil lad.
I am Left Handed. I feel like
I am Left Handed. I feel like the Right Hand controls my swing. The Left Hand isn't doing that much and I am losing some power. If I use the Left Hand it seems like I usually hit a big fade.
It seems like it is hard to get the Left Hand to Rotate over to draw the ball. I do everything Left-Handed. I have been playing for years. I have been as low as a 5 handicap. Right now I do not play as much and my handicap is higher.
Thank You,
Lonny
Owatonna, MN
I have felt your problem on
I have felt your problem on lifting properly into the mitt and up the tree on the back swing.
Here is what worked for me. From the set up at address I reference where the back hand would be using the cactus drill. A Saguaro if any one wants to know. With that position in mind I move the back hand off the grip to that position and follow the arc it moves on.
Next I moved the club back with the back shoulder and hip with the back fore arm not rotating. The forward arm does appear to rotate. One of the secrets that made Moe Norman a great ball striker. Anyway the back arm in this position is in a position to keep the club head from going into the SBG and let the arms lift vertically which eliminates the two part feeling you have referenced.
What helps is imagining the butt end of the club traveling parallel to the aim and toe line. This promotes a one motion instead of the two parts you talk about.
Surge has said that there is a perfect golf swing, but we can't do it. There is a chance we could get close.
POOR FOLKS UPDATE:
POOR FOLKS UPDATE:
We are just hanging around close to home like we always do.
;-)
Edit: Ha ha! That was still close to home. I never said we don't have fun close to home. Not any less fun, just cheap fun.
There's no place like home but the yellow brick road is made of gravel around here. ;-)
Just soak it up thru' every
Just soak it up thru' every fibre of your being. The 'poor folks' are sitting in the sunshine in New Zealand [only came out a few minutes ago here] and wishing you, Surge and all those lucky enough to be able to attend all the very best. You will know that you are all indeed blessed. Look fwd to the updates.
B*gger haven't checked my lottery ticket numbers for last evening, hold the phone hahahaha ; - )
Hi JohnDon't know where you
Hi John
Don't know where you are in Europe but if near London the beginning of Oct I am at Selsdon Park for individual one to one training
Contact me PPSS Golf Director Europe atÃÂ malcom.rawle@vr-wwb.deÃÂ Malcom
SurgeI'm just getting around
Surge
I'm just getting around to watching this video,ÃÂ It explains the swing very well, but please, please, can you have the swing filmed in slo-mo?ÃÂ I believe it will be easier to pick up the points you are describing.ÃÂ Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Neil, radical surgery.
Neil, radical surgery. Certainly want to wish you a speedy recovery.
Take care and you'll be back on the golf course.
Neil, good opportunity to put
Neil, good opportunity to put the putter through its paces
All the best for rehab
BACK YARD OVER BACK PORCH
BACK YARD OVER BACK PORCH ANYTIME.. WATCHING YOUR RHYTHM IS GREAT!
You can save the video to
You can save the video to your computer and use a media player such as VLC media player and you can watch anything you want, including golf swings in slow motion.
Seems like I heard you
Seems like I heard you talking about a pretty cool golf trip just a few short weeks ago. I'm not quite ready to pull out the tissue box yet, sniff, sniff :(
I totally get it Surge, but
I totally get it Surge, but contolling it is another matter. I can get to all the Surge swing points in slow motion but doing it in real time is another matter.
I really struggle to lift the club once in the mitt, it feels so unatural when I lift and feels like it is in two parts. Trying to make it feel smooth is difficult.
Is this the right feeling when lifting the club?
Regards Keith Kent
Jem,
Jem,
Perhaps this link of sequenced stills will be helpful to you. You can click on any pic to enlarge it. Good luck
http://picasaweb.google.com/Ca...
Best of luck to all Surgites
Best of luck to all Surgites heading to Sin City for Surges Tourney!
Hopefully we can meet at the next one!
Have fun.....
Phillip
Hey Keith,It all feels
Hey Keith,
It all feels unnatural to me too. It seems some of us have a little more trouble making it feel natural than others.
When I have the discipline to try to swing the way I am supposed to swing I still feel very uncomfortable but the results of my shots are (or at least should be) worth the effort and uncomfortable feeling.
Every time I start losing my discipline and just swing the way I want to swing it feels great but my accuracy and distance fall off.
All I can do is keep trying and maybe at some point a perfect PPGS swing will be what feels natural to me.
Even though I have never looked at one of my swings and thought it was perfect, it does seem that some of the short iron shots come fairly close.
What gives me some hope is that those swings are progressing up to longer clubs but at a very slow pace. It seems like about once a month I get the feeling that one club longer feels as natural as the short irons with the same swing.
I need to practice more and practice with discipline if I'm ever going to really get it. If I had access to a driving range I could probably get things straightened out pretty quickly but a net just doesn't give me what I would need.
As of right now to really play my best golf I have to use a different swing for my driver than the other clubs. (Which I hate). A couple of months ago I had to use a different swing for the fairway woods as well for best results, but I don't get that feeling anymore most of the time.
I'm very sure that part of that is that I don't have a properly fitted driver.
All I know for any of us to do is to keep working on it until a good swing is what feels like our natural swing. If it never happens at least I had fun trying.
Great playing Mike, sounds
Great playing Mike, sounds like you're playing some great golf and super scoring!
Robert Meade:
Robert Meade:
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ And did you notice that Fred Astaire was reasonably vertical (but still rotaional) on those swings? Makes me wonder how good of a golfer he was.
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ PMGAS
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ Amos
Speaking of tempo.........
Speaking of tempo..........http://www.chucktheputter.com/off-the...
after about 20 seconds some great rythmic swings by Fred
Neil,
Neil,
Went through that with the left knee in 3/2009. As I recall, I was in full golf mode within a month. The one thing that did take about 6 months or so, was being able to actually kneel on the knee with my full weight and not have pain. Working in industrial mechanical maintenance made that a little tough and sore at times.ÃÂ Good luck and speedy recovery.
Lonny, have you purchased Don
Lonny, have you purchased Don's video lessons? If not you will only get bits and peices of help by this blog. Go to the top and click on Surge's shop and buy the Foundations manual and PPGS foundations videos online. You will never regret it.
Robert Meade:
Robert Meade:
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ YEAH!! RIGHT ON!! It was GREAT -- the outting at Paiute and meeting a lot of fellow Surgites.
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ OTIS ( formally known as Amos)ÃÂ ÃÂ
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ Sorry Surge, I just couldn't resist that one :<((
ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ Amos
I wonder if he was set up
I wonder if he was set up parallel left on all of those. ;-)
I think I need to video
I think I need to video myself and try and get close as I can to the swing and if the unatural feeling is pretty close to the PPGS then keep this feeling until it is more natural. I think I slip back to what feels body natural very quickly. I still don't think I have had the PPGS feeling yet so it is very easy to swing what is natural without any resistance.
Tomorrow is day one of our
Tomorrow is day one of our Big week with Surge. Can't wait. I'll be picking up Amos from his hotel at 7:45am and heading out to theÃÂ Piaute golf complex. The golf "fest" runs fromSunday through Tuesday night including the tournament, ect.
Many of you may recall that my wife andÃÂ I are also going to being working as volunteers at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Golf tounament from Wednesday through Sunday. So I have taken 8 days off for this in town vacation/golf week. Every once in a while it's good to be me. This week is one of those times! Yaahooo!! At the JT Tourny we will be walking score/stat keepers and then starting Friday we'll be assisting as laser readers for shot link. Wow, you know the folks who measure the shots of all players that are used both by the PGA,TV and shot tracker on PGA.com.? So we attended a 3 hour training for newbees today. I will definately be seeing Surge and Dj during the this PGA event and hopefully we will be able to walk with DJ one of his rounds. It will be just luck if that happens.
Anyhow as my Dad used to say when we were enjoying some good time as kids, "I wonder what the poor folks are doing?"
I'm not financially rich by any means but I sure feel rich at the moment. I will do my best to keep you guys and gals posted over the next week.
Keep it down the middle,
PMG!!
ÃÂ
ÃÂ
Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay
Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay.
Robert, thanks for your kind
Robert, thanks for your kind thoughts, should be back on the green stuff in about 3-4
weeks, meanwhile I'll have the blog to keep me mentally fresh on the game.ÃÂ
I know just what you are
I know just what you are talking about.
Edit:
Well Keith our chat gave me the motivation to try some more things today. Wasted a few golf balls lost in the hay field but hey, they make more of them every day.
Final verdict for the day: I ended up shortening my driver yet again. It is now 43 inches, and I took one 6 gram weight strip off of it. I know that's not "according to Hoyle" but that's what I came up with.
My theory to start the day was that there was no way someone should be able to hit a three iron as well as I do and not be able to hit a driver.
End of the day: I just hit ten shots over the hayfield and all but one dead straight. The one that wasn't was just a slight pull with a little draw. I haven't gone to check the distance yet but I'm pretty sure they were all killed. It's 275 to carry the hayfield into the pasture and I'll be surprised if they all didn't carry.
I don't know how things will go on the course but I feel pretty good about it. They were definitely the first shots I was ever able to hit with a driver where I felt like I was using a PPGS swing (at least close) and could swing as fast as I wanted, and feel really good about making perfect contact.
Dear Surge,ÃÂ Every time I
Dear Surge,ÃÂ
Every time I hit the ball with my new Surge Swing I am wanting to tell you how very happy I am. ÃÂ Why, because I have never enjoyed hitting the ball so much. ÃÂ My old swing was ÃÂ a combination of every fault you have described. ÃÂ I spent most of my time in the sacred burial ground, over rotating over swinging and over wristing , which put me in a recovery mode on the forward swing. ÃÂ I am 69 , 5'2 and ÃÂ and have ÃÂ a handicap ranging from 6 to 8 and have a knee replacement. ÃÂ I have accomplished this because I practice a lot, because a wirlygid swing with good tempo requires better timing than a good swing. ÃÂ I have taken thousands of dolllars worth of lessons over 45 years and now I have found you and your videos and and daily tips and now I am committed to this totally different approach. ÃÂ Also my knee is ÃÂ not as stressed!! ÃÂ At first I had trouble making the verticle moves, because I had such a flat , behind the toe line swing and when I went up I raised everything up and straightened my back leg and lost my stable base. ÃÂ But when you gave the DOWN TO UP concept one more time I was thrilled. ÃÂ Now I have to train my brain to automatically, sort of squat while I raise my hands up to ring the bell. ÃÂ Then I have to let the gravity do its job. ÃÂ This is much different for me, because when you have a whirlly swing your whole body has to unravel to get back to the ball. ÃÂ I am hitting the ball far and straight in the middle of the club face. ÃÂ I know there is much to improve on, but I am committed to your philosophy. ÃÂ Don't give up on us, because sometimes we have to hear things several times before we get it. I can't thank you enough for giving me a new challenge and enjoyment in a sport I love. ÃÂ When you come to Calif I will be there. If you don't come here I'll have to go to you. ÃÂ Regards, SusieÃÂ
SurgeThis video really helped
Surge
This video really helped me. I had been pulling the ball a little or a staright pull and from this video I realized that when I made my limited turn from address I was not rotating my arms enough and my club was less than toe up when I went up the tree.
Just a few swings at the range got me back to striping the ball right down the line and a straight high ball flight.