Check Pin Placements While You Play

Written by admin2 on September 29, 2009 — View Comments

I went to The Golf Club at Star Fort in Ninety Six, SC to visit my friend and club fitter/builder PGA Professional Billy Delk. Billy is my “near home” upstate South Carolina club fitter (72 miles away). When I’m in the Beaufort/Hilton Head area, doing PPGS video taping and other things at our office/studio there and I need club fitting or repair, building or advice, I see my Lowcountry friend and club guy, Chip Usher of Usher Golf in Savannah. I wanted Billy to check out the shafts on some of my older, smaller headed drivers. I was pretty sure they were not correct for me any more.

I also had another reason to visit. Harold, a member at The Golf Club, is one of my long time students. He was one of the first to take a lesson from me when I first moved to Inman, SC in the mid 90s. When I go to Star Fort to see Billy, I always call Harold and if we both have time, we usually play 9 holes and get Billy to play if he is also free. Billy is a good player and has a connection with my son, DJ. Billy played on the Clemson golf team in the late 40s, back when Clemson was a military school.

After finishing the club checking and Harold and I were getting ready to go play, he asked me for a favor. He went to his car and pulled out a rolled up poster that was around four feet wide. When he unrolled it, it was a little longer than 6 feet 3 inches. I know that for certain as he had a life size picture poster of DJ that Belk uses in its department stores, advertising the company’s Belk Pro Tour line of clothes that DJ endorses. Somehow Harold got one, as I could plainly see, and he asked me if I could get DJ to autograph it. That poster will surely go down as the biggest autographed “photo” DJ has ever signed.

Harold and I teed off on number 1, up and down. When we arrived and walked up on the second tee, Harold pointed to a green off to the right and said that was the 3rd green and the pin was back right. He mentioned that when it is back right you shouldn’t miss right as the green runs off sharply and you will end up off the green in deep rough. He then pointed farther right and pointed out the pin locations of 3 more holes on the front nine, all easily visible from the 2nd tee. With that I turned to the left and could see the greens and pin locations of 2 more holes on the back side. I finally said this was really good. From this tee we could check and see for future reference the pin locations on 1/3 of the course from this one spot.

Harold then dropped some wonderful words of wisdom. He said, “You can’t believe how many golfers stand on this tee and never even look at and check the pin on #3, the closest green, never mind any of the others you can see from here. It is crazy to not take a look and see where the pin is on the green.” He is 100% plus correct. Knowing the pin placement can affect how you play the hole, like trying to stay down the right side for a better angle to a left flag location. Star Fort uses 3 different color flags to define front, middle and back locations, but that does not reveal where the flag may be more right or left or center on greens. You can’t see the surface. Seeing the pin lets you know exactly where it is and that is good/great information for playing “smart” golf, especially if you are playing on a strange course. Even if you have GPS and laser range finders and pin placement sheets, seeing the actual pin on the green as you walk or ride by, makes all the info from those sources more relevant and clear and vivid in your mind when you get to that hole.

Harold’s words of wisdom were a great tip for playing smart golf. Follow his lead and check out the actual placement when you play your round.

The Surge!

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Posted in Golf Instruction

Tim

Hey Don, I work at a nice private course in Michigan and I am trying to get all the facts on how many yards your pin placement should be from the collar and tee marker length just so I can shove it in my bosses face. Can you give me some good advice and facts please? Thank you
Steve Burch

Don, Ihave been practicing your tips on driving for 2 weeks. I am hitting the ball straighter & about 15-20 yards longer. My question is when you grip with the straight left wrist with the club turned toward the right,do I grip with my right while the club is turned or do I bring back straight then grip. I am right handed..Thanks Don for your advice .........Steve
dontrahan

Steve,

Your question sounds good but I am not sure I really understand your gripping with the club turned toward the right, so I will give my definition of gripping the club properly.

I believe the best way to grip the club is when you are standing in front of the ball just before starting to setup moving your feet, I lift the club with my right hand as my left is also lifting up to meet the right which places the grip into the left hand while the left hand is out in front of the left hip. This is where the PPGS differs from most other instruction that believes your grip the club directly in front of your belt buckle with the club pointing straight forward perpendicular to your hips. Grip it in front of the hips and you will have a strong left and right hand grip. Grip the club with the hands in front of the left hip with the shaft pointing a little to the left in perfect line with the left palm and you will have a lat left wrist with just the right littel amount of right wrist cock/hinge. When you swing/lift both hands and arms in the backswing to the top and down to impact, maintaining the flat left wrist will also mean the angle of the right wrist will not change either. Now, comes the big reversal. After impact and to the finish, the right wrist becomes flat and the left gets the little cock/hinge because of the lar of physics of every action has a re-action. I hope this answers your question.

Don
Bo

Don "The Surgeon"
I joined your PPGS and saw improvents immediately.
Still my biggest error is hitting shot on the toe of the club, right at the end of the scoreing lines.

I have tried standing taller, moving closer and moving further away.
I am playing a 36.75 inch 7 iron, 3 degrees upright and my toes are 17.75 inches from the center of the ball.

What causes it? What would you suggest that I can I try to cure it?
craig

Don, This is probably for your eyes only and i will add another e-mail i feel is good for this page with a couple of comment/questions about the swing. i just bought the dvds/downloads a couple of days ago. i had problems getting my log in to work and kept being directed to a sales page. im not sure why that happened but the page was offering me exactly what i had just paid $78 for at a price of $39. Now i'm not sure, did i overpay?, or what the deal is. To be honest i have no problem with the price (i have one exception to this which i will address) but why would anyone want to feel they paid more than they should have,. i sent this to support but got no reply. My first reaction was to feel scammed. You and DJ seem very genuine and sincere so i thought I'd point this out so you can address it, if you can see what i mean. If i did in fact over pay i used payupal and it can easily be rectified. Now for my one exception to the value of your work, I think your concept and explanations are truely powerful and intriguing, and invaluable to anyone who can apply themselves to this swing style. But, i was blown away by the fact that there are no actual swings to look at!!! What little glimpses i get of you and DJ swinging I really like what I see. You guys are physically so different that this creates two perfect models of this unique style for us to understand all that you have explained so well in the dvds . I think having both you and DJ dmeonstrating the swing with some different clubs and possibly some different types of long shots would complete the foundation of your product IMHO. You very accurately try to explain to us the fact that some of these positions are "dynamic", we (Iianyway) would love to "see" what you mean. Maybe you had a reason for this but i can't figure out what it could be. I'm sure you'd agree that visualization is the best way to learn any physical motion. Maybe this package is so new you hadn't completed the work? I did read in the e-mail(/newsletter?) you sent me (that i am commenting from) that you now plan to add some videos like this. Will i have access to these, or will i have to pay for them seperately? and how soon will they be out? i am desparate to see some swings so i can feel more comfortable learning this swing. Maybe you have something temporary you could let us see until your high quality 3 view product is complete? I hope you find all this constructive as i really am excited to learn your method. i am a single digit handicapper with a strong sports background of playing and coaching tennis. i had experimented with a limited turn backswing on my own but never found any good information to support such an idea. Jay Hass seemed to do this (am i right that he is close to your system?) so i was always curious. I hope you have time to respond and i do have a couple of other questions that might be good for your newsletter so i will write another. thanks guy and gl Don and DJ on tour and in you coaching.... Craig
cindy giles

I just started playng golf this March for the first time. I did take lessons at the beginning with the golf pro that taught the 3/4 swing, that was great. I have been getting your email tips and have loved them. I learn something new all the time. My game has improved so much. I dont hit it into the woods to much. I can keep the ball on the fairway most of the time. I have only golfed on one course so far, which is a tough course to begin with, that is what everyone says. They say if you can golf the Gauntlet you can golf anywhere. So I am playing in a tournment this Friday at a different golf course, so I hope to do well. With the video lessons and tips I feel that my game can only get better. I am so excited about this sport, the only problem is that I cant get out more than once or twice a week. I look forward to letting you know how the tournament went. Thanks for all the great tips.
Doug

Don, mesmerized by your pitches and my own results, I bought everything you offer - I believe.
Now I don't have it sorted out, know what I really have and what is accessed where. Being 90 that's partly understandable. Need help in sorting it out as well as a road map of what where an how access. Due to PPGS I've mitigated back pain and after a 7 months absence from the course because of spine problems am now ready to go again as the PPGS removes the stress.
jeffr

Surge,
I've been working with PPGS now for a month now and found early success with solid contact, but most recently have been hitting fats shots on the course (more than I ever have) My feeling is that the weight distribution (pre-loading right) and flexing my knees at address is the culprit to the fat shots. This is just my thought and would like your advise.
I like the three quarter swing, it has done wonders for my back pain, but I'm frustrated with this new problem that has me wasting lots of shots on the course. I'm a 10/11 and would like to get to single digits next year and will work hard to get there.
Your advise would be appreciated.
dontrahan

Jeff,

Hitting the ball fat means that your spine angle has changed moving downward and closer to the ball in the downswing. The key is to find the cause. One likely cause is not keeping the knees level in the downswing with the right knee driving downward too much. Another cause could be in the weigh transfer your upper body is hanging back too long. Another is when you transition to the left left side/leg, if the hips turn too much and the left leg straightens this causes the upper torso to be held back and even pushed back a little and being too far behind the ball you can hit it fat.

Don
Larry

Bought your videos, practiced, then played several rounds. I don't see it. No improvement, and shorter distancd on my clubs. How do I claim a refund?
dontrahan

LArry,

Just call customer service and they can take care of it.

Don
Seiji

I would think that hitting fat is a constant problem with PPGS, especially for the longer clubs. The vertical arm swing just doesn't make sense (from physics standpoint) for the trajectory of the club head for longer irons and woods/driver. I haven't see any responses to this problem many people have posted...
bill mayo

Hi Don:

I like Bryan have been hitting some fat shots during a round. I would like to have some suggestions to help avoid.

Bill
dontrahan

Bill,

Check my answer to Jeff R above as I gave him 3 possible causes to check out.

Don
Chris

Hi Don,
3 eagles in the last couple weeks,a bunch of birdies and a PB 73 in league play.
I'd say things are starting to click!
Thanks,Chris D.
dontrahan

Chris,

You're welcome. Sounds like things are going well. Keep it up as playing good is great fun and satisfaction.

Don
Ray Burdine

Don, I am 58 years old and have been playing golf on and off for 30 years. I nearly had to quit playing this year because of severe lower back pain after playing a round of golf. After subscribing to the PPGS lessons my back pain is gone and my game has improved greatly. The one problem I am having is when hitting a ball that is teed up. I slice nearly every time no matter what the club is, driver, fairway wood or iron. When the ball is not teed up I hit a fairly straight shot. Any ideas?

Thanks Don
dontrahan

Ray,

I suspect that when it is teed up there is a good chance you have a tendency to scoop it off the tee or swing up in a manner that opens up your hands (your right palm turns skyward) which opens the clubface causing the slice. when teed up, make sure that you swing through impact with the forearms, hands and club turning/rotating to the club being toe up when the shaft reaches parallel to the ground in the followthrough. This is a perfect release position to hit the ball relatively straight.

Don
kenneth Poniatowski

I also just watched the dvd's and did not get any idea of where ball position should be on my driver, and longer clubs. I would like to see a full swing from setup to follow thru is real time, and slow motion. at different views. I hope this will improve my consistancy on the course. I have been having trouble all year trying to setup for a good crisp shot, in the fairway I sometimes hit behind the ball.
Thanks, Ken
dontrahan

Kenneth,

The ball position for the PPGS is we play wedges thry 7 iron in the middle and then the longer clubs gradually more left. The long irons and hybrids are a little back of the heel. Fairway woods are off the heel and the drive is on the inside of the heel or back of the instep. Naturally, each player can adjust these position a little to fit their swing and the impact and ball trajectory and flight they like to have and see.

As for slow motion and swing from face on and down the line they are being edited as DJ and I shot many swings using 3 cameras last month. These should be up in the Inner Cirlcle member area soon.

Don
John

Don, Gone thru your package a number of times , practiced and played using new method. I find I am losing distance (ie: wedge was around 115 - 120, now is 100 - 110) and driver is causing problems and much shorter. Like the new swing, more accurate and will get much more accurate the more I play and much less strain on the back. (age 55). Where can I find your replies to these emails? Regards,
dontrahan

John,

Replies are found right there. The usual cause for loosing distance is that when one changes from a rotational big body turn swing with the emphasis on power being body turn and then goes to the PPGS limited turn where the emphasis is on arm swinging with more speed, they don't swing the arms fast enough. If you swing your arms with relatively the same speed as you did with your old swing while keeping the body more still as the PPGS requires, you will hit it straighter but shorter. To regain your distance and likely even more with the added solidness of contact and accuracy, just swing your arms, hands and club faster into impact and through and up to the T - finish. NAturally you swing the arms faster well within a controlled range of power and speed, with nalance and control.

Don
Steve

In regards to "check pin placements while you play, why not walk the course before a tournament and see where all the pin placements are? Is this legal under the rules of golf?
dontrahan

Steve,

Walking the course before a tournament is legal although you cannot hit any practice shots or putts. The only problem with walking the course is that it takes a lot of time and if other players are already playing you would have to be careful to stay out of their way which would slow you down even more. So, use the pin sheet if one is provided, GPS if you have it and if they have a yardage book which had a diagram and layout of every hole would also add more info to helping you know and be able to play with good course management along with checking pin placements of any hole you pass.

Don
Kelly

Good advise, Don. I'll take it one step further. When walking up fairways, I try to remember to check out the location of traps, ponds, undulations, etc. on upcoming holes. If you have a GPS that provides this information or know the course well, you might not need this information. But if you are like me and play alot of different courses without any GPS assistance, this is really important information. You can watch for obstacles that might be hidden from view, and also take note of how far trouble is from the tee or green to plan your strategy and your club selection.
dontrahan

Kelly,

Great advice about checking out all the sand traps, water hazards and other nuances of holes you pass by to know what to expect ehen you get tho them. Nothing is worse than hitting a good drive right down the middle into a trap and even worse a pond or stream crossing the fairway. Another good thing to always check out in the golf shop of a new course you are playing is to see if they have a yardage book as these usually have a diagram of every hole and green with distances to all traps and problems to aid you in playing each hole. I always ask for one and will buy them if not free for tournament rounds and even just for casual golf as I know that the more info I have the better I can play. I have at least 3 shoe boxes full of course yardage books keeping every one I have ever bought or received having them for future use if I ever play the course again.

Don
DON DEDEAUX

ENJOYED YOUR VIEDO'S AND WILL NOW GO TO THE DRIVING RANGE. HOWEVER, WOULD LIKE IMPUT ON BALL LOCATION WHEN HITTING THE DRIVER & IRONS OFF THE TEE.

THANKS DON
dontrahan

Don,

Ball position is wedges thru the 7 iron are played in the middle of the stance. As the irons get longer the ball is moved forward until the long irons and hybrids are just inside of the left heel. Fairway woods are hit off the back of the left heel and the driver off the front of the left heel. These positions may vary a little based on a player's swing and preference for ball trajectory and flight pattern. I would also add that the positions are the relatively the same off the ground or teed up for hitting your normal shot.

Don
Fernando

Don,
Thanks for your videos and manuals. I'm practicing my new swing and it feels more natural to me. Tomorrow I have a lesson with my instructor. He hasn't seen my new swing yet, but he'll notice I'm hitting them more solid and straighter. I'll keep you posted.
brian rypien

Hi Don , I bought your system about 2 months ago and started really striking the ball solid , I'm a 9 handicap and started scoring well right away , however the last couple of rounds I've been really hitting the ball fat , what do you think contributes to this? I hope thisis just a temporarily thing , and what do I do to fix this if it starts happening on the course again
thank you and I really enjoy your videos Brian

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