Daily Video Blog

Authored by: Brady
Posted on: 21 March 2026

Don Trahan's analysis of his own swing with different clubs reveals golf's most misunderstood concept: it's your arms that swing on plane, not the club.

Most golfers focus on getting the club on plane, but Don's demonstration shows this is wrong. At address, your arms start below the plane—especially the trail arm (right arm for righties, left arm for lefties). This is correct and necessary.

During takeaway, Don rotates the clubhead first, moving the toe toward "the catcher's mitt" and "up the tree." This rotation naturally lifts his lead arm onto the plane, where it stays throughout the backswing. At the top, his lead hand and forearm align perfectly on the plane while the clubhead passes through it.

The downswing shows his lead arm maintaining plane contact until just before impact. After impact, physics takes over—the trail arm moves onto the plane while the lead arm comes off it, demonstrating equal and opposite reaction.

Don's vertical swing style... Read More

Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 9 February 2010
Comments: 12
I have been asked in person and in blogs to comment on Steve Stricker'€™s swing as to his being vertical and no wrist cocking at the top of his backswing.‚ Since he won the Northern Trust Open at... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 8 February 2010
I received this E-mail from Gaetan, who was one of the students in our first PPGS Golf School in November at The PGA Golf Center for Learning and Performance in Port St. Lucie, Florida.‚ ... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 7 February 2010
Continuing on with KH'€™s golf lesson, it was now time to address his swing problem.‚  K was deep and laid off at the top of the backswing.‚  He had improved from his last lesson in that he... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 6 February 2010
Continuing with the lesson I had with my 12 year old left handed student KH, we'€™ll now look at his setup and the necessary adjustments he needed.‚  A short review of his ball striking... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 5 February 2010
The basic purpose of a golf lesson to anyone other than a new golfer has two elements.‚  The main one is to diagnose the setup and swing problems.‚  The second is often overlooked but is the... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 4 February 2010
The Surge asked me to do an article regarding shaft dynamics and how they relate to the golfer.‚  Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation propagated by retail clerks, professionals, and... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 3 February 2010
Comments: 1
I turned on The Golf Channel the other day and caught a short piece of a '€œPlaying With the Pros'€ show featuring JB Holmes.‚  I had seen this show featuring JB a few times but had never... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 2 February 2010
While walking around the PGA Show I ran into a subscriber who asked me a question about the takeaway.‚  He said that he had a problem starting his takeaway with a slight sway off the ball. The... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 1 February 2010
Note from the Surge: Travel day today, so I'm using a “page” from my old tips booklet on Stance. These illustrations are only meant as a general reference. Soon we'll be using photos when we... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 31 January 2010
Note from The Surge: We've finally finished in Orlando. I always learn some new about our sport and make some new friends. Did a good interview, which I'll tell you about later — don't want to... Read More