Daily Video Blog

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: 29 May 2011
Comments: 104
Do toes come into play in the Surge Swing? Leigh had back surgery and part of the result was nerve damage to his toes. He says he can'€™t get the correct balance in the Surge Swing. He needs help... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 28 May 2011
Comments: 86
Ouch. Ball marks high on the clubface will tell you instantly you'€™ve got a problem. You are obviously not hitting the ball in the sweet spot and, most likely, you'€™re hitting pop ups all over the... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 27 May 2011
Comments: 257
What is it with golf publications? I understand they need to report on the latest swing that promises you an extra 50 yards or gives you the ultimate tip to sink that 30 foot putt. Fine. If that... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 25 May 2011
Comments: 148
Mike, from Ireland, said he got in the catcher'€™s mitt and up the tree in the backswing, but was having trouble understanding where the hands were supposed to be in the downswing. Good question... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 24 May 2011
Comments: 61
You may remember my advice about practice swing. I always say you take a practice swing (or two) to feel the swing. And when you'€™re ready you swing the feel. But it was pointed out on the blog... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 22 May 2011
Comments: 164
At one of our golf schools, a student had the Surge Swing down pretty well. In the mitt, up the tree, good T-Finish. But he was lacking one important part: power. Watching him swing was like... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 21 May 2011
(A Surge Classic) The Surge Squad has been going over video tips from the past that drew some very good response last year. Since we'€™ve got so many '€œnewbies,'€ they suggested we occasionally... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 20 May 2011
Comments: 140
The Surge and Derek Hardy finished off the final day of the Swing Surgeon golf school at Golden Bear Training Center in Carrollton, Texas with a discussion on how much the students improved. They... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 18 May 2011
Comments: 114
The Surge reviews the second day of the golf school at Golden Bear Golf Center in Carrollton, Texas, just outside of Dallas. He'€™s talking with Certified Club Fitter, Russ Ryden, who helped... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 18 May 2011
We are proud to give you a great conversation with Don '€œThe Surge'€ Trahan and the head of our West Coast golf schools, Derek Hardy. Derek joined Don for a golf school at Golden Bear training... Read More