Left Knee Action During Backswing

Sat, 09/21/2013 - 14:00 -- Don Trahan

One trademark of the Peak Performance Golf Swing is our wide knees with outward pressure. You want to hold your knees and swing your arms with a limited turn, vertical swing. However, there still needs to be a little bit of a turn, so the left knee will move slightly.

Samuel Vasquez had been struggling with his swing, until he realized he wasn't turning at all. His lack of any turn caused him to become too stiff and robotic, and his results suffered because of it.

Surge,

I just watched your video on the proper amount of turn. I have been struggling with your swing and after watching your video I realized I was not turning like you mentioned in the video. In fact, I probably wasn't turning at all. As soon as I started turning in the backswing, all the other parts of the swing started to come together.  

Before I ask you my question let me preface by saying that the way I understood your instructions, is I should be athletically ready, outward pressure on the knees, feet flared out, take my club to the catcher's mitt, swing up the tree and at the same time turn. The turning part was the issue. I could not make the proper turn without having my left knee moving out (if I am facing the ball, the left knee jets out parallel with the ball). It does not move a lot but enough to let me turn. I noticed it in your instructions and videos but you have never mentioned it. So am I wrong in my assumption about the left knee because I know you want us to
keep our lower body still but if I can't move the knee I can't make the proper turn. The swing becomes stiff and robotic. I hope this will help others who are having turning problems.

A PPGS swinger forever,
Sam

Remember, a little bit of movement is okay. It's a limited turn, which means there has to be some turn. The left knee should come in a little bit, but you want to restrict it from breaking in. Sam was right about everything he listed above, and I'm glad he's starting to find success.

For those of you who may think this swing promotes absolutely no turn and all lift, you're misunderstanding. The way I like to describe the PPGS is that it's a little bit of turn and a lot of lift. Let your front knee move a little to allow your turn, just don't let it break. Otherwise, you'll start having a lot of problems and most likely shoot a lot of high scores.

Keep it vertical,

The Surge

If you can't view the YouTube video above try CLICKING HERE. You must allow popups from this site for the link to work.

Comments

Robert Meade's picture

Submitted by Robert Meade on

10% body, 90% arms

Many of us will never reach the goal of 10/90 with our arms and body which is the opposite of the rotational swing. Some of us are really flexible and have o fight over rotation. (that's me) While others need to make sure they turn a little (enough). Not turning enough has never been my challenge but limiting has. I need to constantly monitor it.

Here is a set of classic Surge lessons giving to Matt, a young flexible man.

Notice the later instructions of this first one and then enjoy and save the others. They are NOT fund in the archives but are among the lost videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaL3i0YjPXs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VdNcjAnJRk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nns0vBSeVd

Many of Surges most important fundamentals are taught in these 3 vids and I recommend all to SAVE these to your favorites and review them when you need a refresher.

resumez@cox.net's picture

Submitted by resumez@cox.net on

Robert;
AMEN Brother! I suffer from the same problem -- namely a tendency to keep rotating as I am lifting. the result is a near vertical club "down the line" - but a few inches too far back. In not in the SBG, then certainly "on the border". This frequently leads to a reverse loop in the FUS, creating a pull to left (right handed golfer) that may (or may not) have a fade back toward the target line.
Followed by a "correction" of not rotating enough, which creates an "outside in" swing path, also resulting in pull to the left, specially if I yield to the temptation to "put a little more on this one"
Thanks for the Video links

Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

Amos

Robert Meade's picture

Submitted by Robert Meade on

Your welcome Amos. Those lessons with Matt have been among my favorite to review from time to time. They are among those lost to our SS site but still in You Tube land.

Straight and Long. Fairly long has rarely been a problem for me but straight and in the short grass is another story. I was really fortunate that a fellow Surgite let me have his Doc Built 355cc KZG SP700 driver that he chose not to use any more. At first I was not sure how I would hit it because it is 14 degrees. I do hit it really high but almost always in the short grass. I am giving up 20-30 yards from my 460 cc degree drivers but my scores have improved because I am hitting my second shots from the fairway and not out of the trees or rough. I may look for the same driver in a 10 degree loft some day. I really like the 355cc head of that KZG. It really feels great off the club face. The 77 I shot a few weeks ago was while using that driver. I get 220 yards out of it consistently. On most courses I play that still leaves me with an iron into the green. Even on longer holes and courses I would still rather be hitting off the fairway with a mid iron than out of the rough with a short iron.

resumez@cox.net's picture

Submitted by resumez@cox.net on

Robert;

I have always been a proponent of "STRAIGHT first; DISTANCE second" -- unless you talking about extremely short versus extremely long.
Personally, I get about 165 to 175 consistently from my Doc built KZG 355cc Driver - with an occasional 190-200 yarder. Lately though, I have been hitting it somewhat shorter, due to lusher fairways and needing a higher trajectory. I think I have over corrected -- playing the ball a little too far forward, producing a high shot with a slight pull to the left and usually a gentle fade toward the target line -- the shot Surge was recommending for me at the Vegas tourney.
I concur with the other responder -- video 3 seems to be the same as Video 2. Did you possibly make a typo in the address for video 3?

Amos

TinaB's picture

Submitted by TinaB on

Hi Robert,
thanks for the video links! But it appears the 2nd and 3rd are the same?? Is there a different third video?
Loved the first two! Surge is probably describing my current problem perfectly - overextending! He always blames having the chin on the shoulder from over-turning, which I was pretty sure I wasn't doing, but actually it's over-extending, which I probably AM...sigh..

Robert Meade's picture

Submitted by Robert Meade on

Tina,

Glad someone was paying attention. I re-entered the correct link to the third video by quick edit. Quick? ha ha ha. I rarely do anything quick on the computer. Still a two finger hunt and peck guy on the key board. Glad you loved them though. For the same reason, among my favorite 'paid for' Surge videos are the hours and hours of LIVE instruction found on the 'Junior Blueprint' series. Now that is a must in my book. I would be willing to bet that many Surgites may not have those still. Seeing Surge teaching live is the best way to catch all the little and big things that can click something in our brains, hands and swing. Though he is teaching kids from 13-18 years old, all the same stuff applies to us more grown up (or at least bigger, he he:) folks.

https://www.swingsurgeon.com/shop/products/junior-golf-blueprint

When Surge is involved in teaching he is less concerned about the camera and we learn tons of little nuances of golf and the swing.

PS Tina, ask customer service to give you my e mail. I wanted to share something with you. I'll give them a heads up.