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Tom Watson and Fred Couples played some awesome golf Sunday in the closing round of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii. It came down to the final putt on the 18th hole, with Watson sinking a 5 footer to beat Couples by one shot. Watson actually birdied the last two holes to shoot 22 under. What is really impressive about this 22 under score is that this was a 3 round tournament. Watson shot 63-65-66 = 194, which averages out to better than 7 under per round.
I went to www.PGA Tour.com and checked out the Hualalai Resort Golf Club course and the course was no pitch and putt. The course measured out, according to the listing on the site, with nines of 3556 and 3467 to max out at 7023 yards. Pretty long course for seniors, especially for Watson who, at 60 years old competing with younger guys, like first-time, just turned 50, Fred Couples. Hale Irwin, who finished 5th at 14 under is now 65 and is really hanging well with the 50 to 55 year-old youngsters.
One thing I must point out about the PGA and Champions Tours is that although 7023 is really long for seniors, it plays much shorter than what most golf courses play. Why? Because one of the standards that the PGA Tour requires for course setup is that they play hard and fast. That is, watering is restricted on the fairways a week or so before the tournament to get the fairways hard. These hard fairways are cut a lot shorter than every day courses we all play. That allows an extra long amount of roll out on drives which makes the course play shorter. The main reason the water is reduced is that the players and officials despise soft fairways for two reasons.
The first is MUD. We all know that if you have mud on your ball, not even God knows how it will fly. The second is that the USGA and PGA Tour officials hate with a passion having to let players, when conditions are wet, put their hands on the ball in the fairway. They call this Lift, Clean and Place. The player gets to clean and place his ball and so everyone on those days gets nothing but pure lies when they hit the fairway. Usually, those days are low scoring days as the pure lies, together with soft greens, allow the players to go for the flags and hit it closer than normal.
For all us who use the PPGS, which is a limited turn, ¾ backswing to a vertical square to the target finish, watching the Champions Tour, you’ll see a lot vertical swings at their best. The vast majority of the Champions Tour, all players over 50 and having played for way over 3o years, are vertical swingers. When they took up the game the swing in vogue being taught was about high hands at the top of the backswing and a square to the target finish.
Very few Champions Tour players have changed to the rotational swing that came in vogue starting in the early 90’s. The irony is a few of them who have son’s playing professional golf that I have seen, the son does not swing vertical like the father. One exception is Kevin Stadler. He is as vertical as his Dad, Craig Stadler, The Walrus both in the back swing and the finish. Kevin’s deviation is his backswing is parallel or longer as compared to his dad, who is perfect ¾ and vertical to 12:00 o’clock.
Tom Watson is a perfect example of pure vertical back swing and finish. Yes, Watson goes to parallel and even a littler past it with the driver, but he is pure vertical. At the top of the back swing his shaft is over the center of his right/back shoulder as it should be in a PPGS. Watson’s finish position is pure PPGS. His arms fold up and his hands and shaft finish over the center of his left front shoulder. His torso is square to the target and he recoils and relaxes pulling his arms and club down and in front of him into a perfectly balanced finish.
The thing that rang my bell in the telecast is when they did a side by side analysis of Tom’s driver swing of the early 80s against one today. The backswings were almost identical except the 80s swing had a little more, barely noticeable, front foot lift and knee turned inward. The finish had a real big difference that both announcers pointed out and made strong comments about.
Young Tom Watson in the 80s swing had a real big reverse C. The announcers drew a line from his head to his legs and the line looked like this ), with a little more curve. Today’s Tom Watson, when they drew a line down his back, looked almost straight, just like the PPGS T – Finish and square to the target. Both announcers’ comments were in high praise of Tom’s new finish, saying it was much better for his back. The announcers then mentioned that Michael Allen, who won the PGA Seniors Championship last fall in his first event on the Champions Tour had made a swing change over the winter. They said he worked hard on flattening out his swing, which is going to a rotational swing. He finished 3rd, so his new swing worked well. I guess we’ll just watch and see how it keeps performing and how his back holds up.
I recently wrote about Jack Nicklaus and his 70th birthday show on The Golf Channel, after which they showed his 1986 Maters win. I commented that it was great to see all the vertical swingers as we mostly only see now on the Champions Tour. We don’t see many vertical swings on the PGA Tour, as these younger players have grown up in the rotational swing age of instruction. And as all of us who follow the PGA Tour, Nationwide and LPGA Tours know, this New Age group of professional golfers, as well as junior golfers, are experiencing much higher degrees of back, shoulder and other physical problems than ever before.
So, if you want to see vertical swings at their best, the Champions Tour players are the ones to watch. You will see more vertical backswings, and ¾ at that, as well as vertical T – Finishes square to the target. Great swings to watch to reinforce the PPGS image into your mind’s eye.
The Surge!
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A few to watch on the PGA Tour include: Bubba Watson, Steve Marino, Ryan Moore, Jim Furyk, Kevin Stadler and, of course, D.J. Trahan. By the way, congratulations to D.J. for finishing 7th in the Hope. It’s a shame they didn’t show more of him in the telecast.
Surge:
I never really understood the vertical swing tell I found your instruction system. I first worked on stabilizing my legs with the outward pressure move and then had my swing analyzed in 3D motion capture. I was down to 57% rotation. Far less that the 70% you recommend even as my length only suffered a tag. It felt like 70% but when I measured it I was far below what you called for. I regularly stretch trying to increase my X factor.
Any ideas on stretching and weight work would be greatly appreciated.
I want to hit your 70% target and not move past the toe like. Where should I be putting stress on my body to create the extra turn.. I feel like I have very little pressure on my back at all. This also unlinks the kinetic link d’Acquisto talked about. But the finish is accelerating and I’m getting lots straighter shots,
So when does stress become too low. This all gives me the sense I am leaving 40 yards in the bag on the driver … potential distance I’m not tapping. Your training works but it is very hard to feel where you are in 3D space vs the place you want us.
I work with a golf fitness trainer. I would like to add distance and do strength exercises that gave me more functional strength in the PPGS swing slot. Is there some way my guy could get accredited to teach your system here in San Diego?
ps … I love the way you flood my email with good ideas. With other golf instructors I felt they fed out ideas slowly to keep me on the hook for more money. You flood us with great ideas on a continuos basis. Wonderful.
Hi Don
It,s frank here I agree with you on the PGA re not showing DJ during the Bob Hope tourney as I was looking forward to watching hit a few shots however it was good to see him finish as well as he did.
As you know I am relatively new to the ppgs golf swingand have not had a lot of time to practiceit as I live in Ontario Canada but I have been working on the swing at home and look forward to trying it out in the spring and just maybe my back will thank me as I have noticed when I do practice when I can my back does not bother me at all
anyway I just wanted to let you know that I am looking forward to our golf season Fank
Surge,
I give you full marks for the swing you teach and am finding success. I especially am impressed with my ability to keep the angle of my spine when I pre-load right. While your son has good distance; he is a tall man. Can you please find us some examples of 5′10″ practitioners of ppgs fundamentals that are averaging over 290?
Thanks,
RJ
Peter Kessler on his program “Making the Turn” recently interviewed Tom Watson. Kessler noted that he was always amazed with Watson’s ability time after time to hit the ball on the sweet spot of the club. When asking Watson how he did this so successfully, Watson replied that he inherited great genes that gave him a wonderful sense of balance and with good balance the club always came back to where it started. He further went on to say that the first time a pro saw his swing when he was 8 years old, the pro also mentioned his good balance in his swing. Last night on the “The Fix” Michael Breed in comparing Watson’s two swing some 30 years apart also pointed out what good balance he had and still has. Unquestionably, all fine golfers seem to have excellent balance. What I wonder is whether balance can be learned if one is not overly blessed with it. The idea to swing to a balanced finish is fine but it doesn’t seem to go far enough. Maybe I have just missed it, but I don’t see a great deal of discussion about this critical aspect of a good golf swing.
Hey Surge: I am a 77 year old Canadian (albeit very fit) 6 f’t and 155 lbs and playing to a 17 handicap from the white tees. While I look forward to D.J., I am still a strong supporter of Mike Weir and our latest guy Graham Dalaet.
Unfortunately, I have a history of changing systems every year and sometimes more often. Regardless, PPGS is where I am and intend to stay. Truly looking forward to PPGS and its benefits for this upcoming season.
Your explanations are relatively clear, but any visuals would help if you can manage to set them. Thanks Surge.
You rarely mention who on the tour(s) use or try to use your technique. Are there others besides TW?
Your son of course, and you can brag….that was quite a tournament he had last weekend! He will win again I am sure.
Chuck
Surge:
I am 64yrs young? I have alot or arthritis, two herniated discs and severe spinal stenosis. Is there a pictoral book I can buy to show the stretching exercises for golfers, and also a book for the strenghtening? I have been on disability for over 9yrs so money is limited. Thanks.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Lofendo Sr.
Dr. Surge,
If you dont mind me calling you that. I have had two ruptured disks and a blown out knee that I have had to get all the cartlidge removed from. I have changed to the PPGS swing and have found great relief. Here is a little tidbit. I found online a practice golf ball called a floppy ball. (www.thefloppy.com) It works great inside. I practice almost every morning for about 30-45 minutes. I have even taped a penny to the glass window as a target.. Yes glass window. I use the 3/4 turn and about 50-60 power in my swing for the practice session. Have even hit 100% a few time… Yep no broken windows. I do have to move the lamps and pictures but its great. You may want to look into the floppy ball and with your swing and in bad weather practice still goes on. Just want to say thanks for the email and all the good info. Cant wait to hit the practice range and go for the 200 mark. I am 64 and enjoy golf to its limits now… pain free thanks to PPGS.
Roy McCollum, Virginia
Paul, the best way to learn better balance is to hit full shots with your feet completely together. The cure for bad balance in simple. If you swing too hard and are out of balance with your feet together, you are going to fall on your butt. Hit 10 shots like this at the start of every practice session and your balance and tempo with almost automatically improve.
Fred
Roy McCallum,
For additional information on how to play without any pain whatsoever, check out http://www.disabiltygolfer.com which is a website dedicated to helping people with challenges such as yours.
Fred
I like the way you explain the art of golf and it makes alot of sense, more then likely I will order your instructional videos. But I’m getting way to many e-mails.
So I am a 5, 6, or 7 handicap 67 year old 5′2″ who love to read you emails. Does this swing apply to me if am so much shorter. I have gotten two lessons, the one on the turn and length of the backswing, and one on the grip. Will I get more lessons maybe one a week. I think this is fun and I love your whole approach and emailings of you thoughts. Thanks
Congrats to DJ on nice Hope tourney. The winners avg was 6 under. It was obvious to me that DJ putted better than he did last week. But when i checked the stats I found that everyone putted better. The winner ranked 70 in putting. DJ ranked 130.
DJ is 13 in driving. Obviously his gift. He also ranks well in GIR. Scrambling is up there as his putting doesn’t support him in lowering this stat.
When DJ plays a course with greens that suit his present visual perception he will have a much better chance to finish first. I still would like to see what working with someone like Craig Farnsworth would do for him. I also recommend he practice with the Taly device on as it will reveal push or pull tendicies and enable him to make immediate corrections. Especially important to DJ on those 5 footers he missed.
re DJ not getting enough tv coverage!!!!
my mates and myself have always said how terrible
tv golf coverage in the US is.the telecast is padded
out with so much drivel.where as in australia they are
showing the leading 10 players so DJ would have been
on screen a fair bit.you know and hear the commentators
not see them so you see more golf.
regards digger
I went out to the driving range for the first time since getting and watching your on-line ppgs. I was surprised at how much the alignment issue really came in to play. My back did bother me some though during the swing process. It may have been from the lack of playing time and my not using those muscles in the other activities in which I participate. My accuracy was pretty darn good for the first time out. I do need to work on the swing dynamics but over time I think this program will help me dramatically. Thanks for your efforts.
Hey Surge,
I’ve just finished viewing all of your ‘free’ videos’ and think what you’re advocating could work for some people but why not just refer to it as a two plane swing?? It’s a karate chop with the arms. Hogan, Trevino and Moe Norman were the purest ball strikers and they were all flat. What I’m saying is, stop using fear of injury to support your methods. If not for his accident Hogan was relatively injury free. Your son D.J. is a great golfer who would more than likely be just as successful as a one plane swinger. Desire, determination and talent make a great golfer, just ask Trevino! I speak from experience, not ignorance having tried both your two plane method and the one plane method. The two plane swing you are advocating requires great timing and for the beginner golfer makes it far too easy to come over the top on the downswing. I appreciate that you are helping golfers improve but it seems to me you are putting down the one plane method in the process. Your two plane swing hurt my back, the one plane swing I use now does not. By the way my handicap is 3.8. It looks to me as though you have invested a lot of time and money into getting your methods seen and heard. Although I disagree with your two plane method 3/4 golfswing, I admire your passion! Good luck to you!
I too was disappointed with the lack of coverage of DJ in action at the Hope, has he run over in his car the chief of TGC’s dog or something?
I think we cover golf on TV better in Australia by showing more of the top guys in action and we also dont “Breed” bad golfing habits. I also could not believe the amount of coverage given to guys not in the hunt.
Anyway its good to see DJ’s finesse game working better and hopefully he will keep improving to the point where TGC cannot ignore him any further.
Its great to see that a “shortish” course of good design can highlight the great skill of a champion like Tom Watson. I’m not a believer in lengthening a course outright to deal with the big bombers, I think you need to balance length with target difficulty.
Regards, Craig S
P.S. we watch feed from TGC on Foxsports in Australia but its the commercial TV stations that do the superb coverage of marquee sporting events such as the Australian Open etc.
Hi Surge,
Firstly let me thank you for reinvigorating my thirst to play golf ( I used to play regularly and consistently to 12 at a championship course) but now after nearly 30 years of iregular and inconsistant golf. I decided to rejoing my old club and to relearn so to speak what is the best way to play and iliminate inherit errors which attach to your swing over the years. So consequently purchased your videos and have been working at the range to adopt your principles of the PPGS.
I look avidly at your posts everyday and look for what new gem you and your forum espouses. On your forum the other day ROBERT THOMPSON (25 January) talked about how he was impressed with the Moe Norman swing and its similarities to the PPGS.
I have looked at it and “wow” it is impessive and so simple with a lot of similarities such as the 3/4 swing and keeping the swing on plane. The differences I can see are that it is a single plane swing in that at address the left arm is in line with the club and at impact, whereas your swing at address the left arm is at an angle to the club but comes into inline with the club at impact. Also i notice that the ball is opposite the left heel for all shots plus interestingly the club at address is approximately a foot behind the ball so as when you start the swing you essentially go into the lift mode (to the catchers mitt) imediately eliminating going over in the swing causing those well know problems.
The other thing I was impessed with particualarly with a back prone to soreness was that the angle of the back down the spine stayed the same throughout the swing to impact. DARBY GUNS above made mention of this and how the PPGS can give him back soreness. he also mentioned the two versus the single plane swing of the Moe Norman (and others) as a reason to eliminate this.
Would it be possible for you to make comment on the similarities and differences of the the two swings and is following some of the principles outlined in the Moe swing counterproductive to pursuing the PPGS. I really need to follow a direction in my swing change and am a little confused.
Cheers,
Miles warmuth (Australia)
PS would also love to know if near Melbourne you are aware of any teaching pros that advocate the PPGS
You will note that Tom Watson does not have a 3/4 backswing or bowed legs. He hits it with a full turn and use of his legs. How is that the PPGS?
Don
I appreciated your thoughts on vertical swingers on the Champions Tour, although, apart from his finish position, I’m not sure that Tom Watson fits in with many aspects of the PPGS. One thing I have noticed about Tom, and this applied especially to his brilliant performance in last year’s Open at Birkdale, is that he hits the ball with draw on a low trajectory and that’s why his distance is good on hard and fast courses. With the PPGS, I find the vertical up and up swing tends to make me hit the ball straight but high and I can’t hit a draw. I don’t mind that if there is no wind, or if the wind is behind, but here in Europe there are few days when there is no wind. I’m pretty sure my ball position is correct and would appreciate your comments.
Neil
PS. There is a very interesting short film of Tom Watson on youtube where he is giving a clinic on his swing change, or on “when he discovered the secret to good, consistent golf”. His key is to get the shoulders on the same plane coming back through as on the backswing, and he definitely turns through 90 degrees.
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Don, I think there are other issues at play here with the PPGS system that is causing some confusion with the results. I pesonally have been a vertical swinger and high almost T-Finsh for years. I am 55 years old and play very cosistently at a 6 hdcp. In the past before I found your web-site/program the numerous instructors that I used attempted to change my swing to a rotational as oppose to my vertical swing. The main issue here is that most of the teachers of today only know the rotational method. That’s what they learned and now that’s what they teach. Monkey see, Monkey learn, Monkey do. You are correct in the statement that golfers of 30 years or more do have a more vertical swing along with the high hands at the finish. Most of them never changed or attempted the rotational swing.
I think that the second issue here is the mind games that we play on ourselves. Until the mind is willing to accept your vertical methods there will be this continuing battle between the golfer’s body and their mind. If you don’t truly believe it and accept it then that is when issues can occur.
I myself fight this on occassion while playing. I try to keep it simple! Because if my mechanics are simple and repeatable then the swing will be realiable.
Why RELIABILITY? I believe that a golf swing that is simple to maintain and dulicate is far more reliable than those that employ complicated methods to achieve the same desired results.I want a swing that Simply Works!
Keep up the good work.
Regards, Randy
Surge,
I was hoping to spot DJ on TV at the Farmer’s Open at Torrey Pines this week but noticed he wasn’t playing. I thought he was fully exempt this year. How does he choose which events to enter and which to let pass by?
Ed
To Ken Genz
First of all, I like and respect your posts here on Don’s website but the surge pointed out that Tom Watson is a vertical swinger of the golf club and he has eliminated the C finish that he had earlier in his career which are both traits of PPGS, he made no mention of a 3/4 backswing or bowed legs that I find about Tom Watson, at least not in this post, so while I respect your opinions could you at least try being accurate if you are going to nitpick the Surge!!??
Happy Golfing
Ken
Fred Couples is as vertical as humanly possible yet has suffered problems with his back throughout his career. I think I have tried more swings in my life than any other human on the planet at age 68 and have had my share of back agonies. Still using Fred Couples as my model I find I hit the ball straighter and longer than with the flatter swing of Lee Trevino. As for back pain I recommend an exercise where one lays on one’s back and pulls up the knee of each leg as close to the chest as possible and with the opposite hand presses the whole leg as far to the side for 30 seconds alternating between legs. Using this exercise I was able to go to the range yesterday and hit 360 balls and suffered only mild lower back pain afterwards and today and am planning to go out and hit 165 more today. Try the exercise it works. Your ten free video’s contributed to my having perhaps the best ball striking round of my life in a tournament ten days ago hitting 11 greens in regulation and shooting 82 with three 6’s and an 8 with 37 putts. I’ve been an avid golfer for 40 years and have never shot par for 18 holes though I did have a 7.8 index for a few months four or five years ago and shot 79 last year in a tournament. Right now I’d say the best key for consistent ball striking is Hogan’s pane of glass with the head through it and not allowing the arms to break the glass and Leslie King’s free arm swing with no conscious use of the body in making the down swing. Whether the swing is upright or flat or in between is not so important except that the lie of one’s clubs needs to match whatever plane one choses to use. I would love to be the great ball striker but I know the short game is much more important to getting the lowest score possible.
This is my 5th e-mail concerning the PPGS swing.
I find the swing to work and would like to teach some of my students to whom the swing would be of benefit. Am I free to do so or do you require certification????
I agree with John Digger and Craig63, the Golf Channel has much too much junk footage, and way too less coverage of all the players who are scoring well. I watch both the Golf Channel from the US and the European PGA Tour on SKY here in Germany, and the coverage of all the players who are up front is much better on the European tour. I was really disappointed that the commentators often just skipped over DJs name when talking about past winners at the HOPE, or about scores that were way below what DJ was shooting. Best from Bavaria! Rick
To the great Aussies and fellow PPGS’ers,
You hit the nail on the head regarding the Golf Channel’s coverage (i.e. LOUSY). They could show at least 30-40% more shots per event and skip the commentary barf. How many times have they shown some unknown at +5 or more when players in real contention (DJ for one) were ignored? I really believe someone in that organization has a feather up his tush when it comes to showing DJ on camera. Unfortunately, we’re stuck with this inferior coverage as I’m certain they wouldn’t accept any kind of genuine criticism.
Ray Gawlak
I thought i was the only one that noticed. Since i signed up for the ppgs 7-8 months ago, i haven’t seen DJ on TGC, CBS or anywhere else. I was wondering if the Trahans were banned from national television.
Even when they show the leaderboard, they NEVER mention his name.
Seems like good ole boy politics at best.
Don,
what are the main differences between the ppgs and the “stacked” swing they advertise on TGC 10 times an hour?
It looks fairly similar to your system.
FRED COUPLES USE OF A LEFT HAND BLACK MITTEN BETWEEN HIS GOLF SHOTS.
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHY HE DOES THAT?
ALSO, WHY DON’T GOLFERS USE A GOLF GLOVE ON BOTH HANDS INSTEAD OF JUST THE LEFT HAND?
THANKS FOR YOUR RESPONSE
I have a problem hitting the short irons with the PPGS.
I tend to shank my shots with these clubs.
Can anyone help.
Thanks
Surge,
I feel as tho I’m rushing and forcing my follow thru in order to achieve a satisfying ” T ” position,at follow thru.
I need your expertise on this phase…
Thanks
Dick Kraft