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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: 25 April 2009
Setup Fixes Swing in a Jiff I got a call from the father of one of my regular students, a high school golfer. His son, Josh, was playing poorly in matches and the playoffs were coming up... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 24 April 2009
Does Long and Crooked Make Sense? A grandfather of a friend of mine played 18 holes three times a week. He was a scratch golfer most of his adult life and was now always shooting UNDER his... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 21 April 2009
Comments: 4
Golf Lesson: The Surge Learns Too I had a lesson Sunday morning with JT, a scratch to 3 handicap, and a 5-year veteran student of the PPGS. I see him around two to four times a year minimum... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 20 April 2009
Direction Vs. Distance I got this great question from '€œTom'€ and I had to share it '€“ and my answer '€“ with everyone. We get this question, or one like it, every day. So, here'€™s Tom... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 19 April 2009
MAGIC DUST: IS THERE SUCH A THING IN GOLF? You bet there is.‚  In the golf world of club fitting and repair and tinkering, it'€™s known by the name '€œlead tape.'€‚ ‚ ‚  I like lead tape. I feel... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 18 April 2009
Comments: 1
(Staff Note: Don really enjoys your comments, but can'€™t possibly answer all of them personally. He'€™ll continue to share some of his answers on these pages. Virtually all topics are... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 17 April 2009
(Staff Note: Don really enjoys your comments, but can't possibly answer all of them personally. He'll continue to share some of his answers on these pages. Virtually all topics are covered in... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 16 April 2009
Wrist Cock on Not? I am standing behind the par 3 seventh tee at Harbour Town Golf Links watching D.J. hit his 6 iron tee shot to the green during Wednesday'€˜s Pro-AM. After he hit it and... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 15 April 2009
AIM THE NAME It probably doesn'€™t come as a surprise that I enjoy playing lessons with low handicap golfers. Because they want to knock that five down to a two or three, they can present more... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 15 April 2009
Flag Pin: In or out? This has been a question talked about and debated for centuries on the course, in the locker room, dining room, club bars, and in numerous magazine articles.‚  In or... Read More