Daily Video Blog

Is Your Takeaway Ruining Your Swing Before It Starts?
Is Your Takeaway Ruining Your Swing Before It Starts?
Authored by: Brady
Posted on: 5 May 2026

You've probably been told your whole golfing life that you need to keep moving before you swing. Waggle, forward press, rock the knee — whatever it takes, just don't stand still. Surge heard that too. He just never agreed with it.

His thing was this: if you're pressing forward to start a swing that needs to go backward, how do you make that feel exactly the same every time? With every club, every lie, every round? After a while, you start to realize — you can't. That little forward move changes just enough, just often enough, to mess with your timing without you ever knowing why.

What Surge taught instead was to come to a full stop before starting the swing. Feet planted, waggle done, one last look at the target — then still. From there, a simple three-count: squeeze the grip equal in both hands, press the knees out slightly, and go. The toe of the club moves first, the arms follow, and the club finds its way back up the plane. Nothing fancy, just quiet and controlled... Read More

Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 21 September 2011
Dave Bories is a relative newcomer to this blog, having registered back in June. He recently asked a question on the website that I would like to address today. Dave writes: "I've read and heard... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 20 September 2011
Welcome to the "new" blog, direct from The Back Yard! This new location will give me the opportunity to make full swings as I discuss the topic of the day and hopefully, many of you will find that... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 19 September 2011
Today's tip comes from Rick Simmons, who writes: "For the 30-something years I've been playing golf I've had a problem with my hands. I understand that the grip is the connection of the club to... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 18 September 2011
Last week, I answered the first of two really good questions from Dan Swantko (Level Knees In Backswing). Today I will tackle his second one. "Is there a place in the Surge Swing for a conscious... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 17 September 2011
Harold Klein recently asked me for help in getting his swing more vertical. His playing partners keep telling him that his swing goes from Catcher's Mitt to Catcher's Mitt. Harold, a lefty who is... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 16 September 2011
A couple of weeks ago, I received this comment and question from Dwight, who had been having problems with his driver. "Surge, great video today. Awhile back I was coming across my body with my... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 15 September 2011
  Warning: Do Not Read This Unless You Are Frustrated As Hell With Your Golf Game In Your Special Report... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 15 September 2011
For today's tip, I am joined by Bruce Chaffin, PT Extraordinaire and PPGS Certified Instructor, better known to many of you as The Rolfer Golfer. Bruce was at Odessa National helping me teach a... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 14 September 2011
Comments: 33
I recently received a couple of really good questions from Dan Swantko, who has been a student of the Peak Performance Golf Swing for a little over a year now. Dan made the observation that the Up-... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 13 September 2011
Comments: 38
Today's tip comes from a series of questions Michael Forrest had for me regarding a video Doc Griffin did back in June. (Over The Top? It May Be Your Clubs) Michael was confused by what he saw Doc... Read More