Odessa National Golf School - Day 1

They are for a golfer!  Doesn't matter your experience or ability.  Don takes you where  you are and teaches you.  It is worthwhile.

Thanks Surge,    played today, did ok, still trying to keep in line, just hate it when I come across and not up the tree.   We had to play the front nine twice, working on the back. 
   #2 hit right across the water on the green, second time around, hit right in the mudd!!! on the other side, why, lifted up all of my body, please tell me how to stop that, my body moved forward almost before I hit the darn ball.
 Thanks for all of your help.
marilyn

Not that I have the answers for putting, but I found something that helps me with the curvature of the green.  I've learned to feel the curvature with my feet.  It's not 100%, because sometimes there are two curves to deal with on the way to the hole.  It's a little hard to explain, but try to adjust your feet to align with the curve.  It takes a little practice.  Its a feel thing.  I've dropped some long putts doing that.  The less the curvature the less effective it is without practice.

Ha! I'm more likely to do it when I get up at 4 am. Fortunately, over my back wall is businesses, and the only neighbor who could see my back light on, I wouldn't mind waking up. ;-)

Alignment, alignment, alignment, don't leave home without it! - a great Surgism.   I've been a Surgite for two years now and I still get it wrong and have to work hard with drills to get consistency.   I also have to trust my alignment because when I'm lined up correctly I sometimes get a nagging thought that my feet are open (like Bubba Watson).   If I don't pay attention then my feet would dance around to the right slightly with the result that I think that I've blocked my shot right but in actual fact I've changed my alignment.   Regards, Craig

thanks for the reply guys,
I actually tried placing the ball closer to the heel at address while I was out there, and it worked to a degree, but wasn't super consistent.  I like the idea of the hands getting too far inside the toe line on my downswing/FUS.  I think a good fitting for some new blades is in order too ;)  I'll have to post some swings so you all can get a better look.

Keith, do you have very short legs?

Marilyn, I waited for someone more attuned to the technical side of the swing to reply to your query. Here are a couple of things that may help you,they have helped me. As for the coming across and not up the tree, I would assume you are referring to the tree of the FUS and not finishing in the proper T-finish. Surge showed a great drill on this called it the towel drill. I think this would help you get into the T finish properly.
http://www.swingsurgeon.com/Da...
I happen to use the drill but with a length of doubled back 1/4" nylon rope instead. It really helps you feel where you need to be at the finish.
 Now as to your body moving forward and/or lifting up before you "hit the darn ball" I sometimes still have that problem if I hurry in my swing and get out of my rhythm. Doc told me while at his place for my fitting that I sometimes want my pop tarts before the toaster is hot.Meaning that I blew my rhythm and was rushing my swing.
As to the body moving forward, I think, if you concentrate on being PLHR and then start the FUS with that slight motion of the bump,which will give you your secondary spine tilt it will help you stay behind the ball. You will have to make sure that when you do bump, that you're not sliding everything forward. Remember the bump is a slight movement of the hips about an inch or so that gets your weight to moving to the outside of your forward foot,thus onto your left side as a whole.
 Hopes this helps, Ma'am & Happy Golfing

I battle to get the shoulders aligned and feel mainly open at address, I am more concious now of the right arm at set up to pull in and square up the shoulders.
 
I really need to get a updated video of my swing to really see where I am at with regards alignment.
 
If my feet/knees are correctly aligned but my hips are open due my shoulders being open is it a case of getting the right inner elbow more skyward and tucked to fix the issue or should I be checking something else?
I have now watched the working the ball video and know it will be a valuable source once I am more consistent with hitting straight!. It is also a great help with difficult lies that we face with every round of golf and this will help me straight away! I will now know how to set up when I get the hill lies which my local course is more or less most shots!! Most fairways are slight hills and some are seriously elevated so you are finding yourself with these shots all the time.
Cheers Keith
 

Surg,

Could I get a list of Certified Instructors - I winter in Bonita Springs, FL.

Thsnks,

j

testing

Nostradamus, Not that I carry any weight with regards to the swing but I, from experience,can relate to Doc's response and agree with it wholeheartedly. Like you, early in my swing with my new clubs from Doc I had impact markings near the toe.
The shots were still relatively straight which was nice but lacked a little zip or crispness.Knowing from some past blogs about the optical illusion of ball position in relation to the face I began to address the ball nearer to the heel and noticed immediate results. My shots were more in the center of the face, crisper and had that sound that we love to hear at impact.
 I also started making a concentrated effort to get my hands moving more out towards the ball as I come into impact.Mainly because of what Doc mentioned in #2 below,while I wasn't reaching for the ball I developed a habit of letting my hands come to far inside the toe line coming into the ball. It's not much of a movement of the hands outward but allows me to get the feeling of coming into the ball from 4:00 o'clock and exiting at 10:00 o'clock which cancels out my tendency to come into the ball slightly on a out to in swing path. In actuality this gets me to the "on,on & on" scheme of the swing.
Happy Golfing.

The other of my posts above I did last night but it didn't load properly so have just uploaded it again.
Anyway moving on from that I did a video at the range tonight so will upload to youtube tonight hopefully.
After viewing the video it is clear that I am no where near as vertical as I thought and to be honest am pretty much lost how to get more vertical! I am probably around 11 oclock and no matter what adjustments I made it made little difference. My arms/shoulders just seem to naturally role to this 11 oclock postion. This movement just seems natural for me so should I fight it being as I have started to strike the ball more consistently and my drives have improved no end too.
cheers keith

I keep thinking that I do a good job of alignment.  But, I can still be off on shots even from within 120 yards.  Hopefully, you can address the alignment process you teach them tomorrow, as well as what are the tendencies that make us set up incorrectly.  Keep up the outings as I hope to bring my wife (just retiring and willing to give golf a try) along with me from Kansas to attend one of your schools.  Kevin McCarthy

@robertlfleck:disqus @robertmeade:disqus @80steve55:disqus Guys,

Thanks for your comments. I realise there are better things, i'm thinking for temporary convenience.

Also, the green speed around my area is actually pretty similar to my carpet (when i say my carpet is quite thick, its not HUGE. Its ideal i suppose)

Anyway, i'll be looking to invest in a putting matt in the next few months

Thanks again,

Callum

Hello all,

My question for today is this:

I have very little access to a putting green, the closest I come is using my bedroom carpet. I've become quite the master over the last few days, but how close is it to the real thing?

- In actual fact there are a few lumps and bumbs in my carpet, so its not PERFECTLY straight
- It's quite a thick carpet (i say this because the one at work is so thin, the ball seems it will never stop. Quite ridiculous!)
- I use various targets both small and large, but my favourite is to turn a plastic cup upside down. It is almost the exact same size as a golf hole at the top (open end).

Putting has always been a weak point, but i've added a little theory and technique and seen big changes already. I know the only closer alternative to the 'real' thing is to convert my garden. But i dont think my parents or dogs will appreciate that. Lol.

Thanks as always in your replies,

Callum

I noticed ball marks on my toe tonight so this is something I need to check!
Thanks Keith
 

Go to the top of the page and click on the tab "Golf Instruction".  We are all listed there.

You're much better off getting almost any kind of putting mat from a golf store than putting on a thick home carpet. You'll be whacking balls off the green trying to get the feel. You can get a mat that you can roll up and put away between putting sessions. That's really the easiest thing (and doesn't require modifying the yard to make it less fun for the other people and pets in your house).

Hi Folks, Here is my latest video of my flatter swing!
It looks like it has got flatter since I am using my body more to swing the club, should I think more in the lines of 'picking the club up from the get go'? My swing looks more vertical to me when I first started but I am more consistent now.
What to do next?
Cheers Keith

Hey Doc,
Went to the range and was hitting all my irons dead straight perfect. Only problem was when I looked at the clubface after each shot, I noticed I was making contact way out on the toe. No matter how good I'm hitting balls, I just hate seeing my ball marks out there. This has got to be a setup issue.  What causes this?

Surge, your swing has been most helpfull to me, but I have not seen you applying it to the short game, chips, pitches etc. I'd find your thoughts on this most helpfull.

Mike

Marilyn,

If you can get to the range to practice a little, take a comfortable mid-iron (6 or 7) and don't worry about distance, but try this. Set up normally, paying as much attention as you can to getting yourself settled in the correct Master Setup Position, preloaded right, accordioning down to the ball, etc. Slowly take the club up to the top of your back swing and then feel the club and your hands drop straight down. Don't pull them, don't swing at the ball, just feel them drop and let your body react to that.

Hi Kent,

Interesting. Your practice swing or rehearsal movement looks nothing like your actual swing. A few things to note in the swing that are at variance to the PPGS. At setup, your right arm is dominant (what Surge calls by the helpful nickname BAD, Back Arm Dominant). That makes it difficult to lift the club in the BUS, creating that flatter motion. At the same time, your left knee is kicking in behind the ball significantly, allowing a lot more turn and also contributing to that flatness in the BUS. Interestingly, your finish isn't bad, right up by the side of the head.

My bet is it's one of two things.

#1. (and most often the case)  The ball is out on the toe at address even though you may think it looks in the center.  I see this malady quite often.  Have someone stand behind the club looking towards the target and see exactly where you ball is on the club face at address.

#2.  Reaching.  If you are reaching at all, hands out beyond a vertical line drawn down from the mouth/chin area, the hands will come back into the body as you are swinging the club thereby causing the club to come inward as well resulting in toe shots.

There are other issues as well that could be swing related or really excessive toe droop but I'm betting on one of the two that I mentioned.

Great stuff, Don and Dave. Thanks! So when are we going to see the custom "Swing Up!" head covers in the Surge Shop? ;-)

I think carpet putting can be very helpful. I have one of those ball return gizmos I can putt into. It has three slots (simulating holes). I aim for the correct slot. It is easy to see if I've pulled or pushed a putt, et. It is a good thick but smooth carpet. Better than the greens at muni but not as quick and smooth as many other fine courses here. In any case I have actually improved mt putting when I practice both on my carpet and then on the practice greens on the GC. Your stroke should be the same in either case. The only thing that changes is the legnth of your back and thru stroke. Think stroke and smooth, not 'hit'.
Happy putting Callum. This may come in handy during coold and bad weather months ahead.

Hi Robert, i dont know what I did at that particular practise swing but it wasn't bad was it, vertical and in the slot! i can get vertical but only when i turn my head and look! I think I may also be getting the right arm stiff or too  straight in a attempt to open the right inner elbow to tuck it in, what is the trick to getting the right arm in position without pulling your alignment out?
I will also note that left knee.
I feel kinda frustrated at the minute as i just cannot click with this part of the swing and dont really know what to work on as i have tried most things and know the swing pretty good.
Thanks Robert/Steve

Hope that you and the family are in good fettle Doc.
Like your explanation to Nostradamus on his off the toe hits. I believe I was 'reaching' too until recently. I noted on a couple of balls I chalked the strike was off the toe. I revued my swing and came to the conclusion that I was reaching and the arms were doing exactly as you say, the arms were coming closer to the body on the FUS.
Some months ago I started to play the balls at address a tad towards the heel of the club, and noticed an immediate difference in my ball striking.So 2 out of 2.
Just stopped raining here in boggy Wellington, New Zealand. Not good weather for gracing the green sward, boo hoo.
Thanks for all your help, from a convinced Surgite.
Can't wait to get back to swinging and trying the Dave Seeman drill for hitting up

I couldn't wait I had to take a look at this FAD, got to say I am excited as I have just quickly tried it in the garden and yes it has just gone midnight here in the UK! And think I get it, basically you role the right arm clockwise to open the inner elbow but without it straightening, i pretty much thought this was what i was  doing but can feel even with a quick tweak without hitting a ball that i wasn't and in attempting to do it made my right arm as dominant as the left.
looking forward to working on this and the left knee, it gives me some hope!
Cheers Keith
Here is the FAD link which everyone should read and read again until it is locked in the memory bank, so important to the swing to succeed.
 http://www.swingsurgeon.com/Ho...