Daily Video Blog

Authored by: Brady
Posted on: 21 March 2026

Don Trahan's analysis of his own swing with different clubs reveals golf's most misunderstood concept: it's your arms that swing on plane, not the club.

Most golfers focus on getting the club on plane, but Don's demonstration shows this is wrong. At address, your arms start below the plane—especially the trail arm (right arm for righties, left arm for lefties). This is correct and necessary.

During takeaway, Don rotates the clubhead first, moving the toe toward "the catcher's mitt" and "up the tree." This rotation naturally lifts his lead arm onto the plane, where it stays throughout the backswing. At the top, his lead hand and forearm align perfectly on the plane while the clubhead passes through it.

The downswing shows his lead arm maintaining plane contact until just before impact. After impact, physics takes over—the trail arm moves onto the plane while the lead arm comes off it, demonstrating equal and opposite reaction.

Don's vertical swing style... Read More

Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 28 January 2011
Comments: 2
If you saw DJ talking about his swing at the Bob Hope Classic, you noticed he went right back to fundamentals. He went back to his setup. And that'€™s where he found his problem. That'€™s exactly... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 25 January 2011
DJ talked about it in his video at the Bob Hope Classic: flaring the feet 30 degrees and bending his knees more. Remember, we want outward pressure on the knees. Golfers used to be taught to bend... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 25 January 2011
I was watching the Bob Hope Classic and a celebrity came on at the break to get a lesson from a teacher. This wasn'€™t just a tip, but it looked like a real "make-over." I watched the celebrity'€™s... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 23 January 2011
Saturday at the Bob Hope Classic, DJ found he had a problem with his setup. As you know, a major Surgism is, '€œSetup determines the motion.'€ DJ found his legs were not quite bent enough, that is... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 22 January 2011
DJ sent me this from the Bob Hope Classic. He had a GREAT -7 round and wanted to share some pointers with you. Someone asked me once why I wasn'€™t with DJ at every tournament as his coach. When he... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 21 January 2011
Comments: 2
Jim, from Australia, asked if there is any relationship between chin contact and the bump in the backswing. Yes, Jim, there definitely is and I'€™m going to show you in this video. I call it the... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 20 January 2011
I remember having a new student on the practice range at '€œThe Golf Stop'€ in Columbia, SC. That'€™s home to our Director of Club Fitting, J. Lynn Griffin. My student was having a horrible time... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 19 January 2011
'€œGood wrist action is no wrist action.'€ That'€™s one of the fundamentals of the '€œSurge Swing.'€ Jim, one of my students, sent me a great email, which reminded me of the '€œchin-shoulder'€... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 18 January 2011
When amateurs really want to step on the gas off the tee and crush it, most of them give it 100%. More often than not, the player loses control, destroys his balance, and the ball goes off target... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 16 January 2011
Remember, the '€œSurge Swing'€ is based on physics and physiology: The laws of nature and science. We do turn, but it is a '€œlimited'€ turn, no more than 70 degrees. We get power and distance... Read More