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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: 26 July 2009
I got a call the other day from Mike C., a long time student from Florida, who was in South Carolina on business and was checking to see if I was home and could give him a lesson the next day... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 25 July 2009
S.T. showed up for his second lesson this morning. We started with the usual recap of his practice and playing since his first lesson two weeks ago. He was well pleased with his progress,... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 24 July 2009
Comments: 1
I have been down in Beaufort, SC since Saturday July 19th running a Nike Junior Advanced Golf Camp at the very beautiful (and very private) Secession Golf Club on Lady'€™s Island. We had... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 23 July 2009
Comments: 1
I have been teaching the “Surge Swing,” a limited turn '€“ ‚¾ length backswing since 1984 when I began learning about physiology from orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ned Armstrong, and then… the physics from... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 22 July 2009
For some of you, this is going to be a repeat from early spring. But the number of visitors to the site keeps asking if the PPGS will help with sore knees. Mr. G was using a wide stance and... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 21 July 2009
You are standing on the tee. Thick stands of trees run down either side of the fairway making it look like a bowling alley. Far ahead you see bunkers jutting out into the short green, giving... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 20 July 2009
Golfers from PGA Tour Players to high handicappers play par threes both ways. Some like the ball up, some prefer it down on the deck. Some tee it up sometimes, and sometimes not. Is there... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 19 July 2009
Sweet spot. We all know the term. Hitting the sweet spot is the way to get the most solid impact and straight and longer shots '€“ in any sport using an instrument to hit a ball, like baseball... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 18 July 2009
I was reading the July 11th edition issue of Golfweek and saw an article on page 6 in a section called '€œThe Toy Box'€ that was about putters that the Tour pros use and can be bought by... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 17 July 2009
I was watching Golf Central Wednesday evening the night before the 1st round of The British Open. They were doing a feature on past champions Tom Watson, Greg Norman and Nick Price. As I was... Read More