Firing The Right Foot At The Right Time

I think this is one of those times when feeling & actual aren't quite the same, ie when
I froze the video on the second demo, I saw no movement at all with Surge's back
foot at point of contact, although it was difficult to see what the back of the heel was doing.  No doubt he was feeling some muscle activation at this point, but foot
movement I didn't see, I know some people use the back foot to push off/up and Iv'e tried doing this but I still think a nice balanced stance at point of contact, is the way to go.

Does any one else feel the same?
   

I think this is the article I have been looking for. I have played to 7 for over 20 years but now slipped back to 10, as a result of age & lack of concentration. The latter is related to me hitting 2/5 shots per round where I am unable to see the ball, as I have commenced the downswing"Forward Upswing" with my head. Staying behind the ball consistently is a problem but now I have something to work on. Thanks Surge

Their new name is Revolution Golf and here is a link to their site. Your old pass word and username should still work with them.
http://www.revolutiongolf.com/
However, as Robert mentions, due to legal disagreements they no longer represent anything to do with the PPGS or this new site. If you contact customer suppoprt through this site and explain the situatuin to them, just as many before you have had to do, they will help you sort it all out. Also, welcome back. Click here
http://swingsurgeon.com/Suppor...

Good luck and PMG

Jeff,
     I had this same problem a while back.  The cure, in my case, was to make sure that my palms were parallel.  These days, I use the feeling in my right pinkie, right ring finger, and left index finger to tell if my palms are actually parallel and the grip is in my fingers.  For me, the pressure on all three fingers has the feel the same.

Robert's comment is also quite valid.  I pulled out an old set of clubs yesterday with equally old grips and found that I had to grip them much tighter to hit the ball.  Afterward, my fingers were unusually sore.

Dave, sounds just like the problem I had, being a rotational player for about
10years and also being a left hand dominate player, courtesy of a PGA professional. Think about the "Skipping a Rock", which is all right handed and
also check out the "One Handed ( RH ) Drill" that Steve Smith has on his Utube site, both of these have totally changed my hitting action and consequently now getting longer and straighter ball flight.

T, I think I know where your coming from, but for me there's never been a problem of the follow through as Iv'e broken 
several clubs rebounding off my back, although something that changed my vertical action was thinking about the "Neck" being the hinge of the FUS and not the shoulders as I
think if one thinks about the shoulders, especially the left one, then this induces shifting of the body to compensate.
Thought I would make this comment as it has worked a treat for me.    

Agree completely Robert - not only is it "the indian and not the arrow" but when the indian follows the chief, this swing really does work. Sorry for overdoing the analogy :-)

Thanks Neil, I will give the neck some focal test time as well today. I can't imagine having the kind of acceleration that would break a club on my back. 

Yes, that can definitely help as well. Depends what you're comfortable with. And Avon does make a Jumbo Chamois.

Hi Don-  Thanks for the right foot reminder in our swing.  If you remember working with me my right foot is fused from corrective surgery (polio) and I cannot turn the foot (after impact) so that you would see the bottom of the shoe when viewed from behind.  Would dragging the right foot forward after impact serve the same purpose?

So glad to see DJ come in at -1 today and hope for even better rounds for the rest of the tournament.
Regards,
Ray

Dave,

In addition to Neil's recommendation, here's a link to a good video from Don on the hands role during impact.
http://www.swingsurgeon.com/Da...

When I give it a good rip, I'll feel the club on my back, but certainly never hard enough to actually damage the club (or me). Had fun with one the other day that I really took a rip at and got it out close to 300 yards up a slight hill. I was about 60 yards past the two guys I was playing with (neither of whom hit their drives particularly well, in addition to being shorter hitters than I am to begin with).

Surge, I purchased your online swing videos while you were with your previous company. How can I access that web site and redownload the videos?

While the tournament is on a weather delay, I noted that Shot Tracker shows DJ having a penalty stroke on his current hole and I'm wondering if anyone knows why. His tee shot shows as being on the right edge of the fairway. Did he accidentally move it? Have an unplayable for some reason? 

EDIT: Found it. Unplayable or OB, not sure, but his third shot was right edge of the fairway and hit an approach to 4 feet. When they're back from the weather delay, he'll have that left to save bogie with some great birdie opportunities on the last few holes.

Jamal,
That web site has nothing to do with Don Trahan and the videos you seek to re-download. This is the only site to access all of Surges stuff from then and now. Look above and click on 'support' for customer service. Communicate with them and explain your needs and they will direct you.

Hi Surge, I am having trouble with my back knee straightening on my back swing. Are there drills to help this problem?

Neil:  I've been experimenting with the back foot "feeling" and also seem to get the best, most consistent shots when I keep it on the ground until impact, as the Surge talks about. If I try to "push-off" the back foot at the start of the FUS, bad things happen.  Everything happens so fast but the feeling I get is  one of balance, and if I stay in balance, the "T" finish just seems to happen automatically.  Had a chance to play a few holes today, and whenever I kept my lower body and feet quiet, it was much easier to stay behind the ball and hit decent shots.  Gotta love this swing - it is the best!!!!!  r2

Dear Surge,
I have tried your swing for two years. Even took a lesson from one of your teachers.Occasionally I hit a good shot but most of the time nothing more than weak slices. I thought I  followed the manual. Gave up your swing multiple times and went back to my rotary swing. Was about to give up completely until I saw your lesson on how to start the swing. It was as if a light bulb went off. I had the starting sequence all wrong. As soon as I started the swing with my right shoulder and right hip I am consistently hitting some of the best shots in my life. My driver is going where I aim the shot with a slight draw.  I have had the lowest scores in years in my last 2 rounds of golf. Can't thank you enough.
LMZ

Hi Don: I love your daily videos. I get really nervous when alot of people are at the first tee. do you have any little things that might take my mind away from this nervous problem I have.   Wayne Ontario Canada

Tom:  Thanks for the great reminder.  I just want to second what you say - each one of the videos that the Surge has made explains and reinforces the details of the swing - it is MUCH easier to learn with all the tools now available.  The training aids are also a great way to gain a better understanding of the swing mechanics. r2 

Wow, IMHO Surge has been on a real roll with the past three Daily's. The preloading tips combined with the ball position reminders have helped me to correct a few problems I've had all along, and I know for a fact that pushing off the right foot too soon is something I do too! I'm starting to feel the right swing a lot better now.

thanks
Todd

Amazing how one little thing can get us "on" and then we forget and we're off and adrift. One thing I know for sure, the flaws in my game are not from Surge's swing, but from my execution.

Try to find a ritual to get you into the right frame of mind for the shot. I (almost) always sing Simon & Garfunkle's "59th Street Bridge Song" to myself (in my head, not aloud, as that would probably get me banned for damage to other players' eardrums). Also be sure to control your breathing.

 I do not recall where I heard the tip, don't think it's Don's, but I like to have a feeling of my feet being in cement with no movement until contact. I've heard others express it as having your feet nailed to the ground until contact.

Lately, my problem is getting that sack of taters over my forward shoulder. I'm cutting my follow through short and robbing myself of the power, as Don mentions here, I need to check this one out more thoroughly.  Today, with the new Enlow on the driver,my focus will be a proper transfer and to get that sack over my forward shoulder. The other good thing about this, if I get hungry, there's plenty of taters.

PMG

Off subject.  Maybe someone has had this problem.  I've been practicing the Surge swing for about two years.  (Its taken that long to break old bad habits.)  I'm feeling like I'm really starting to grove the swing now.  I've practiced a lot, so I developed a very sore right hand.  The pain is in my right ring finger.  It is so sore that it is effecting my overall grip, and I'm right handed.  I was gripping with the pinky overlap, but had to change to the baseball grip to lessen the pain.  If I try to grip anything with my ring finger somewhat extended I get a very sharp pain up my arm.  Other than the wiseguy comment of "don't do that anymore", what do you think I am doing in the swing to put so much pressure on that finger?  I am only gripping with a medium squeeze at address.

Should the pressure in the hands during downswing be about equal? I feel like I can only hit the solid shot when I start the downswing with my left hand and about half way through let the right hand take over. Dave

Deb- Great point about the larger spongier grips. My clubs were beginning to feel like pencils in my hands and I was squeezing them so hard it ruined my swing and consistency. I also put a jumbo grip on my putter- WOW what a relaxed putter stroke will do !  - Gregg K.

Thanks for that. Just one simple question - Should my head be behind the ball for each club on contact?

Have you changed the grips on your clubs? I get that when I use a club with an old, hard grip. Change out your grips for something with more cushion. You'll probably also feel like you can hold the club with less pressure, as the grip grips more. Personally, I recommend the Avon Chamois grips for both quality and softness on the hands, but there are a number of other good grips as well.

 Len,

Congratulations on finding the light! This swing makes golf fun again for so many of us. Glad to see that it's your turn now...

As a gentle reminder to all of you out there that are finding yourself in the same boat as Len, I would only say that you really cut your chances of finding that "aha" moment with just using the Foundations Manual and the daily videos. At the very least, consider getting the PPGS Swing Series videos. They comprise nearly 4 hours of video with Don explaining AND demonstrating the Surge swing. At about the same cost as a lesson from your pro, you will find that these videos will repay the investment many times over.

Tom Jans

Yes it should. As don likes to say, Your head should never, never ever, move ahead of the ball, never ever. NEVER EVER! He really does emphasize this as a tenet principle.

Check that you have proper outward pressure on the back knee and practice your takeaway in front of a full-length mirror (a sliding door or window can often do the trick if you don't have a mirror) paying close attention to settling onto the right leg. The leg straightening is often from a setup problem when you don't have proper outward pressure on the back knee and aren't preloaded right properly.