If the key to hitting the ball long and straight is hitting the center of the club face every time, that “simple” is obviously not a bad idea. Take a look at how simple Don’s Peak Performance Golf Swing is:
It’s pretty easy to see how Don has won so many state tournaments and has 13 Aces!
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"The Surge"
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Don:
Have been using the ppgs for a couple weeks now and having tremendous success with my irons, but not so much with the driver or fairway woods. I feel like I have to re-route my swing with the woods. Any suggestions on this.
I have watched your videos and have been changing my swing and I STILL hit a slice. I have gone from a 9.5 driver to a demo 10.5 . I have always hit the driver very high. My driving distance has decreased from 250 to 230 max. I am 68 but in very very good physical condition. I am a DR. of Chiropractic and have no physical problems. I have ONE problem I have a bruise on my right index finger on the second nuckel. I do not understand how I am turning my right had at impact. Please help me.Thank You Dr. Len Edwards
Surg: I am a 14 handicap in good shape but I am having the identical problems as Len 9/23/09 I went to the range twice and hit 2 buckets each trime. My irons are not as much a problem as my hybrids, 3 wood & Driver. All fade to right and I have lost about 20 yard with driver & 3 wood. I then played a round. Still fading to right and loss of distance. Any Idea’s? Thanks, Craig
I would like to see the missing part of the swing also, i.e. the lower half thru the ball.
Hi Surge
I have taught myself the 3/4 swing but i want to know how to deliberately hook or slice using this swing.
I have tried without success
Mike
MIchael,
Normally I would say that if one is not a single digit handicap the emphasis should be on hitting it straight and no need to try and work or shape the ball.
But since you ask he goes. to get a soft draw of 5 to 10 yards the simplest and most consistent way is to take your normal setup with your alignment aimed 5 to 10 yards right. Then, turn the club face toe in a little shut to where it is aiming at the target and then just make your normal swing down the slightly aimed right aiming line. The closed club face to the aiming line at impact will put the right to left hook spin on the ball ans it will curve/hook right to left. The same applies to fading or hitting a slice. Aim left the amount needed or desired for the fade, open the face to the target and make your normal swing and the open face at impact imparts teh left to right spin and your ball fades or slices depending on how much left you played the shot.
Don
Hi,
I’m interested. How is your method different from the “Natural Golf” swing?
Thanks,
Bud
HI SURGE,
I AM ONE OF YOUR NEW BUYERS OF YOUR FINE DVD’S. I ALWAYS CHECK YOUR DAILY NEW TIPS AREA TOO.
I WAS JUST LOOKING AT YOUR SWING SEQUENCE AREA AND THINK I AM SEEING YOUR LEFT HAND IN A “STRONG” MOTORCYCLE GRIP AT ADDRESS. IS THAT CORRECT? I BELIEVE YOU WERE SUGGESTING A MORE NUETRAL GRIP TO REDUCE OVER TURNING THE CH THRU IMPACT.
JUST WONDERING! THANKS
Hello Don,
A good friend of mine from NY sent me your web site. Just wanted to say hello and congratulations on your son’s success.
regards,
Bob
Regarding my comments recently about triggering the downswing, so as to prevent swinging over the top, I notice in your swing sequence that you do what I was suggesting is hard for us amateurs. That is, you drop the club inside on the downswing that makes it seem as if the club head is falling well inside of 12 o’clock. On the take away in frame 4, you are at 12 o’clock, but at a similar position in the downswing, in frame 6, your shaft appears to be tilted behind (have dropped “to the inside”) and the club head appears to be well inside of 12 o’clock. I understand the virtues of this move, but what I’m having difficulty with is getting to the that inside position from the 12 o’clock position. What are the cues you use to get from frame 4 to frame 6.
Thanks
I have been having some success w/ PPG but I’m still having the same problem I’ve always had which is hitting the ball fat a lot. I really can’t tell what’s making me hit the ground several inches before the ball especially when I don’t do it on my practice swing. Please assist!
Thanks!
I have been playing golf for last 14 months. My biggest problem is to lift the ball high. I could hit the shot with driver average 175-200 yards. Lot of hooks and slices. Over 75% of shots going a bit left and not straight. 20% straight and 5% going more on right. Can you give me some tips?
Don, your system has improved my accuracy with irons. However, I am now less accurate with the woods, especially the driver. What could be the problem? Neil.
B Weiner’s question is EXACTLY what I want to know…EXACTLY! I think this missing information is the reason so many responders slice the driver and fairway woods. I would also be interested to see the frames between 6 and 7 as did another person. The “pro” secret is how to get the clubhead square at impact. We always hear that when you “bump” your hips, your arms will automatically fall and your hands will square the club face. It’s not that easy for “us.” PLEASE RESPOND!!!!!
To Frank Jones
Don has answered questions concerning the driver dozens of times throughout this site.Go to “Home” and click on “golf instruction.”
Here is a sample of a response he wrote recently to a reader. This response will also apply to your query:
“I have written this hundreds of times in blogs and there are articles in clubfitting that will add more to what I will say now. Since you are hitting many of your clubs well and other especially your driver badly, the problem is likely not you but your clubs. There is a good chance the shafts in your clubs especially the driver since it si slicing badly are too weak for your swing speeds especially as you can hit it quite far when you catch one.
My recommendation is to find a PGA professional club fitter or a certified club fitter and get the flex checked in your shafts. The next part of the program is for them to check your swing speeds which will tell them what flex you do need. If your shafts especially the driver are too weak, they oyu will need to get them re-shafted. ”
You wrote: ” The “pro” secret is how to get the clubhead square at impact. We always hear that when you “bump” your hips, your arms will automatically fall and your hands will square the club face. It’s not that easy for “us.” PLEASE RESPOND!!!!!”
There is no secret the pros have as regards squaring the clubhead at impact. This “squaring” event
does not happen for the pro nor for the amatuer unless we all do one thing. Swing the clubhead with our hands. A pure swinging motion is what makes the “bumb” and sets the legs automatically! A pure swinging motion is what squares the clubhead everytime — automatically!
So, in order to apply the PPGS methodologty, swing the clubhead with your hands. How to to do this properly? Pick up Ernest Jones’ book “Swing the Clubhead Method” and you will be saved!
Namaste
To answer Bud Shaw, the PPGS mirrors the Natural Golf Swing. More vertical and a different grip. As to Frank Jones point the “pro secret” is the right elbow/right hip relation shown in frame six. When the arms fall down properly the right elbow drops to the right hip and then is delivered into the ball. Frame seven shows how the right arm has been released through the impact zone and at the target.
THIS NOTE IS ADDRESSED TO DT AND NINERMIKE
OVER MY PAST AND DURING ALMOST ALL OF MY INSTRUCTOR LESSONS, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT “YOU ARE TOO HANDSY”
FRANKLY THAT WAS ALWAYS SAD NEWS SINCE I FELT LIKE I WANTED TO USE MY HANDS/WRISTS SOMEWHERE IN THE GOLF SWING. AND TO BE TOLD THAT IT WAS WRONG TO FEEL THAT WAS OH SO FRUSTRATING.
BUT YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE “HANDS GOLF SWING” EVOKES HOPE THAT I WAS RIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE. BUT PLEASE ADD MORE WORDS ON THAT SUBJECT.
WHAT SPECIFICALLY MUST THE HANDS BE DOING (RIGHT HAND IN PARTICULAR) TO “CLIMB THE TREES” AND PERHAPS OTHER ACTIONS AS WELL. HOPE YOU SEE THIS POST AND I WILL BE WATCHING AND WAITING FOR THAT.
Don, in the 5th frame down, it looks to me like your front(left) shoulder is turned past the ball, or more than 90 degrees, not at 70 degrees. Is my sight going with old age?—George
To GPGaylo
Of course Don turns his left shoullder past the ball, this is a natural and acceptable move. And yes, his shoulders are in the 70 degree position.
Perhaps this will explain it better. When the shoulders are in the 90 degree position, along with the back of the left shoulder, you can also spy the back of the right shoulder.
To Lee
I’m guessing but it sounds like the complaint about you being too “handsy” had to do with the observation that all the other body parts were being neglected to some degree as regards their contribution to the whole swing motion.
You are correct in stating that you want to feel the use of your hands in making a swing. The PPGS often refers to the hands (specifically the right hand) and their contributions. But the hands must first be educated. How? Here’s how.
Read the post “Words from Warren” and the related comments on this forum. Then pick up a copy of Ernest Jones’ “Swing the Clubhead Method.” Do this and the PPGS will be yours forever and the feeling of the hands being in charge will be swiftly returned.
Namaste
to SURGE ( and NinerMike)
Maybe I am missing something here — the end of my backswing looks similar to frame 4 — but with less left shoulder turn — and my finish similar to frame 8 (that is far as I can go do to a weak left ankle and balance issues) Also a weak right hip/spine area do to missing muscle tissue
I suspect this may contribute to my lack of distance (About 165 yds with my driver) — but I am “Hell for straight” — 11 or 12 fairways hit and near to the front of opening of most greens .
Any comments appreciated
Amos
To Namaste: Not sure where you’re going with the Ernest Jones reference, but unless he’s added another chapter that I somehow missed, he certainly does not advocate the hands in a swing. His whole “thing” was swinging the clubs with the arms and the hands are very passive. His famous drill of putting a pocket knife on the end of a handkerchief and gettting the student to swing the knife from waist high right to waist high left was all based on arm movement. As soon as the hands entered the picture, the tension was lost and knife “flopped” straight down. So, perhaps you could shed a little more light on just what you meant.
Is it just me or does frame #5 not look like a fairly good shoulder turn? Sure looks like 90* to me. What say you others? I’d like to see the same sequence from down the line.
Does frame #5 not look like a pretty good shoulder turn almost 90*? What say you? I’d like to see this same sequence shot down the line.
To J Griffin
Don’s shoulders in frame #5 are very definitely at a 70-75 degree. If he were at 90 degrees, you would see his right shoulder very clearly extending out with the left shoulder.
You guys forgot to mention that in clip number 5 that his right side has turned as well on his lower part of the body. Yet he and DJ say to keep the lower part of the body still. So still that DJ says to hold the legs and knees in place. . Gee it looks like the lower body is moving according to these sequences.. But hey it could be me.. Would like to see this swing from the backside.. But if you have the videos like I do you will know that there are NO shots of MR Trahan from the back side. EVERYTHING is shot from the waist up and from the front..
GJ
To J Griffin Again
No, you did not miss a chapter in the Jones’ book. You missed the whole book!
Ernest Jones is very clear and very specific about the role of the hands. As he repeats over and over, the hands are the only body part that touches the club and therefore the best and most natural body part to initiate the swinging of the clubhead.
Yes, the knife flops every time if you have your hands in a static position and merely turn your wrists. But when you start swinging the knife with the hands you will see both ends of the handkerchief (hands and knife) moving together and in the same direction. And this moving of the hands and knife in the same direction is what a swinging action produces. Again, the knife will only “flop” when no “swinging action” occurs.
I really don’t want to get into a …..contest you know, one of those contests but ninermike, you might want to re-read the book, seriously. I’ve been teaching a lot of years (master professional) and Mr. Jones book is the cornerstone of our teaching principles. His advocacy on the take away motion initiating the backswing was to push the club back with the left side (arm/shoulder). About the knfe thing. Keep your arms still and try swing the knife from waist high to waist high with your hands. You can’t do it. I’ll even go one better, get the knife moving from waist high to waist high with your arms straight and then while you have the knife moving, put any angle in the wrists and you’ll lose the tension. Jones taught that the only things the hands did in the swing was to cock and release. Well, only thing other than the obvious … the hands hold the club. Unless you have a copy of the book before you (I do), I wouldn’t step in it again. Check it out closely then post what you find out.
In anticipation of things to come, I’ll add this to the previous post. The thing that made Jones such a “revolutionary” teacher is that he didn’t teach starting the swing with the hands. When he was teaching the common practice was to take the club back with the hands. But, this is Surge’s forum and sorry for the can of worms that got opened here. But Jones and Don would compliment each other in the take away as it’s done with the hands and the hands are very passive. In Don’s swing they don’t even cock. Also, the #5 statement was actually just a compliment to Don as even though it’s not a full turn, it’s a good turn and the right side is loaded. The real way to tell the amount of rotation of the shoulders is look at the back. Where is it pointing. You can’t always see the right shoulder.
GJ…The point of the lower body is to have the sensation that it stays very quiet. It is impossible to turn your shoulders even 3/4 of a turn and the waist not turn some. If you’ll notice the belt buckle at address and compare, it’s only moved a couple inches. This bit of coil also creates some tension, not much, but some and it will help some with power as compared to if there was absolutely no movement at all. The average amateur has way too much lower body action and results in sway as a rule.
To DJ
The lower body movement as it is displayed in Frame #5 is astoundingly quiet! In other words, the movement is kept to an absolute minimum. Don does not contradict his original position.
“Gee,” I hope someone isn’t overly nitpicking in hopes of recording another “Got Ja” moment.
Oh,oh! If a certain someone were doing just that, he or she would be proving themselves as very inauthentic and very dishonest. Oh,my!
To J Griffin
Please cite page number and paragraph where Jones actually states “…His advocacy on the take away motion initiating the backswing was to push the club back with the left side (arm/shoulder).
Please show me for I believe you will be unable to do so. Your interpretation of his words contradict everything Jones taught about the swing.
Please, it’s like this! Jones maintained over and over that it is the hands that lead, accommodate, guide, control, initiate, the functioning of all the other body parts in a pure swing. This is the one and only foundation of his entire teaching!
You wrote: “..get the knife moving from waist high to waist high with your arms straight and then while you have the knife moving, put any angle in the wrists and you’ll lose the tension.”
I think you are confused about Jones’ definitions. When you put on a swinging action with the hands, you are of course moving the arms along with all the other body parts. And no, in Jones classic example the wrists are not allowed to break. To do so would cause that number one swing killer, “leverage.“ Again and again, you never break the wrists in this exercise.
And yet again, Jones was an advocate of the hands performing and controlling the whole job — not the big muscles of the body. Please reread his book because I really think you have fallen into the trap of “reading in” statements or words that simply do not exist in his tome. Griffin, you’re not alone! Even master iinsructors Manuel de la Torre and Dick Farley, great admirers of Jones, also misinterpreted and changed a number of Jones’ pronouncements.
Happy Thanksgiving
Well, I will have to post more tomorrow on the take away as for the pages as the book is in my shop. However, you state that “leverage” is a swing killer. You have stated the point quite succinctly that I have been trying to make. That was the whole issue of a ‘handsy” player as they introduce angles, i.e. leverage into the swing. That’s my main complaint with Ledbetter is this early wrist set by moving the hands into the cocked position before top of the swing. Works for the one plane swing but not the two plane swing. So, I think we were on the same page as to the issue of hands and leverage and I will responde tomorrow as to what initiates the take away. Moving forward now as we’ve taken a lot of space on Don’t pages regarding other subjects.
Page 47, paragraph 3 on to page 4 through paragraph 2. I realise that some inferences have to be made based on other material in the book also. Where it says left hand for right handed players initiates the swing, it also states that the club is an extension of the left arm up to shoulder and that the hand is a guide of the power, the source being the arm. So, if I take and hold a club in my left hand, I can not start a swing by simply moving my left hand. If I do, I have created a lever. I think this is a case of the tail wagging the dog or the dog wagging the tail. It’s really semantics. The left hand can’t move the club head without the left arm moving which can’t move without the left shoulder moving. So, which starts the movement? If we look at the left side, shoulder, arm, hand, shaft, club head as being the pendulum arm that Jones refers to often, then we know it can’t start moving in the middle of the arm, it has to start at the end which is the center of the arc and the source of power. I will say this. Jones does mention the hands a lot. But, the hands are a means of directing the power and controlling the club head, not a medium of swing. The hands are a link in the swing. Any seperate movement of the hands during the swing creates angles (levers) and breaks down the swing. Again, I think we’ve been on the same page as to what we were saying but saying it in different ways
Can someone help with a question nobody can seem to find time.
Surge
After you have gone up the tree but just before you start your down swing, it appears your club is about 2 o’clock. 2 o’clock is not lite.
Should I be at 2 o’clock before I start my down swing or as you say on my way back up ?
Surge:
Have enjoyed the lessons very much but somehow lesson #10 did not come through. Would it be possible to resend it?
Haven’t been able to get to the driving range yet to work on any of your concepts but intend to once our freezing weather warms up.
Mike
Don thank you so much for your help! I am a 10 handicap and have struggled to maintain it for months. Until you gave me your tens simple and free tips on PPGS. Made perfect sense. Thanks I just needed to be reminded. Shot a 78 today!
I was looking at the golf swing sequence and wished there were a few more photos from just before impact to just after impact to show the position of the body at these points of the swing. You have nine (9) photos after impact with five (5) showing the takeaway and only one (1) photo of the down swing and that one is still far from impact.
GRETTINGS TO ALL AND HAPPY NEW YEAR I HAVE JUST RECENTLY IN THE PAST WEEK BEEN WATCHING DON’S VIDEOS AND READING THE COMMENT SECTION AND NOW I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN YOU REFERR TO JONES WOULD THAT BY CHANCE BE THE LATE GREATEST GOLFER BOBBY JONES VIDEO? AND IF SO WHERE WOULD I FIND HIS VIDEOS HE WAS MY WIFE’S GRAND FATHER’S COUSIN THANK YOU DON FOR THE VIDEO’S AS IT IS VERY COLD HERE IN ATLANTA AND HAVE NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO USE ANY OF THE INFORMATION AS OF YET HOWEVER I LOOK FORWARD TO THE SPRING
Don,
I know you’ve covered this recently but in frames 5 and 6 it sure looks like you have cocked your wrists. Not a problem for me because the PPGS is fast improving my game and I will continue to develop it as you teach it.
seems to me you are doing 3 things you said not to do:
1) strong grip
2) full swing
3) cocking your wrist
Comments by rseveral readers imply that Don cocks his wrist during his backswing. I disagree. Don’s wrist is flexing, not cocking. There is a huge difference between the two.
Altogether, there are three movements that can take place in the human wrist. Simply put, they are rotation, flexing and cocking.
-If you hold your arm straight out in front of your body and roll your hand so that the palm faces the floor, and then back, so that it faces the ceiling, you are demonstrating “rotation”.
-If you hold your hand out perpendicular to the floor and move your hand back and forth with the wrist acting as a hinge, you are demonstrating “cocking”.
-If you hold your arm straight out with the hand perpendicular to the floor, and then twist your hand up and down with the wrist acting as the hinge, you are demonstrating a “flexing” of the wrist.
A certain amount of flexing must take place during the back swing in order for the club to reach a vertical position at the top of the backswing. However, this flexing does not change the relationship of the clubhead to the ball and target line. The same cannot be said for rotation and cocking. Both of these movements are poisonous to a golf swing because they inherently change alignment and rob power from the shot because they change the relationship between the clubhead and the ball/target line and require physical effort to return the clubhead to the desired swing path prior to and during the forward swing.
Isaac Newton would have been a terrific golfer. He would have recognized that once the clubhead began accelerating to a high rate of speed, that trying to correct any error in the backswing would be impossible.
If you remember, He said that a body in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.
Once it starts down the wrong path, nobody is strong enough to apply enough outside force to a speeding golf club head to accurately change that path.
If a golfer cocks the wrists or rolls them during the backswing, then the clubhead will automatically be set up on the wrong path for the upcoming forward swing. These errors can only be corrected during the split second between the end of the backswing and the beginning of the forward swing. Since this is a near impossibility for most of us mortals, it is best if we never introduce the errors of “cocking ” and rotation in the first place.
That friends, is why Don stresses not cocking or rotating the wrists during the backswing.
Hit’em Straight!
when going from the more “traditional” swing to the more upright PPG swing, what affect does this have on the lie angle of the irons. Is it necessary to have the lie angle changed due to the change in swing plane?
What a gas! I love reading this blog because it always seems the conversations get back to the blasted wrist cock or shoulder turn arguments. At the end of the day, all that matters is “if” you keep your swing on a swing path that will return the club face to square at impact while traveling parallel to the target line. Learn to hit the ball straight first and then learn to increase your swing speed until you are satisfied with your shots. Everyone is searching for the “Holy Grail” of golf secrets. There are no secrets people. Each individual must find his own best swing that puts the club along a reasonable plane (one-plane, two-plane, Rotary, Slot-Swing,PPGS, and others) that works for “them”. If the PPGS is the right swing path for you because of your age, or physical ability then go with that. But unless you can get back back to square with that swing you will not hit it straight. I would ask J Griffin to comment on whether it is even possible to have the club shaft and club face in the proper position throughout the swing without having all the associated body parts “also” in the proper position? (assuming we aren’t talking about triple-jointed people) This is a bit reverse thinking because golfers are taught body positioning first because teachers know that the end goal is to get the club on the proper swing plane and keep the face square relative to that plane. Don’s guidance is admirable and I believe his swing fundamentals are sound. What is difficult for most however is converting verbal instruction (or written) into learnable cognition. Babies “mimic” their parents lip movements and learn to speak. Some babies learn to talk early and some late, same with walking. Imagine trying to teach a baby or young child how to walk by “telling” them how to do it? If your shots are curving to the right (slice) your swing path and/or your club face is not square. And it is more likely that position was incorrect at some point previous to impact. Find that point and correct it there. A swing that stays on plane and square (club face) has less to go wrong by the time you get back to impact. If your swing gets off track you must make a “compensation” (compensating movement to get back to square) prior to impact. Hey, I didn’t just make this stuff up and BTW, it’s not any big secret. Most all the big swing theories out there work for somebody. Don’s PPGS appear to work for the older gents among us. That’s good news.
Don
I live in Sydney Australia.
I recently bought your DVD series but I am yet to receive them.
Picture number 5 above has totally confused me. Your club is not at 12:oo o’clock when you finish your back swing -it appears to me like it is more at 2:00 o’clock -which looks like a full swing to me not a 3/4 swing.
Don’t think many average golfers get is past 2:00 o’clock. I have been practising the PPGS in the range and I only swing to 12:00 o’clock as that is what I thought this was all about.
Please let me know -also I think the proper word is “tenets” not ” tenants” in the first line of your spiel of 22 January 2010.
Also -I hit the ball consistently straighter after watching your dvd’s ( on line) and my back is not hurting after I hit two buckets in he range ( oops sorry – practice tee) .I just had a 1/2 knee replacement 4 weeks ago -and its going great. I am only 48 years old but played a lot of sports at high levels. I am not a very good golfer though -handicap 21.
Thank you for improving my swing. I can’t wait to try it out on the course.
Cheers
Carlos
Don
I bought into the program in December on Cape Cod, that means not a lot of time to practice.
I couldn’t wait to hit the recommended “two buckets of balls”. It is now January on Cape Cod and I did get to hit the “two buckets” and low and behold… you’re right. The PPGS works. I’m 63 and still active and pretty supple for my age. I have not played much golf in 35 years. In 2009 I got back into the game and got bit hard by the bug. To start I bought a $100 set of clubs. Well, you
know what you get for a whole set for $100. For Father’s day last year my children (grown) gave me a new Callaway driver. Then of course came the new set of Callaway irons, the new putter, bag, push cart…etc. The point is that I was trying to regain what I had years ago, which was pretty good at the time. I was watching videos, reading magazine articles and trying to be a sponge of swing knowledge. Yes, I did improve. I also teach music as a side job and I tell my students, the way to improve is practice, practice, practice, it’s almost a mantra. Last year when I began playing again, I realized that I’m no different, to get better I needed to practice.
I joined the local practice range and all I did was practice, very little golf rounds. Well, it all started to come back because of the practice, but something was missing. Having bought your
PPGS system I now realize that what was missing was 35 years of my body. As mentioned, I am fit for my age, but came to realize that my love for the game of golf was very much limited by
what my body could to at my age. Here’s the payoff. Your swing advice from your videos has remarkably changed my accuracy and that is the bottom line of golf. My putting is strong. My striking was not. Now, when I remember to do it right, in balance, catchers mit, up the tree, the ball goes right where I was set up for. I say “when I remember” because it’s still new to me.
January on Cape Cod is cold, but I managed to play nine holes today (1-22-10) and it was exciting. I played alone and was able to hit two balls whenever I wanted. If I forgot what to do,
I was able to correct it in the moment and the results were very exciting. It’s early in the year and I’m hoping for an early Spring. I must tell you and all those who may be involved already or still questioning your methods, that you are right on the money with your advice. Especially for
the less flexible like my old bones. Thank you for making me better and the future of golf, for me,
so much brighter.
Bill Jamieson
Hyannis, Mass.
I notice in the photos above you go one step beyond club at 12 o’clock in the backswing!
The club is at a 45 degree angle at the top?? Did I miss something in your 12 O’clock backswing finish!
Maybe that’s why I’m still hitting left a lot! ( I’m a right handed golfer!!) Where do I see response to this question?
Jim
A knee replacement on November 5 has really slowed me down. I am going to Florida in February for 3 months. Any suggestions on practice or exercises to let me play a little while the knee gets better. I played to an 8 hdc last year. A 5 two years ago, best was a 3 many years ago. I am 62 started playing golf early thirties. I am very flexable but the knee is quite stiff. I hope the warm weather and walking will help.
Enjoyed your comments and videos, I think it is a place to start for me. Thanks again. David
to JIM:
TWO clocks are involved.
The Vertical (12:00) end of backswing refers to a clock seen when standing BEHIND the golfer, looking “down the target line”. In this view, 12:00 is ideal, “laid off” to 11:00 is acceptable.
However this series of swing sequence photos is shown from “face on”. In this view, it is acceptable to go to about 1:00 or 1:30 (clock centered on golfers hands at top of swing)
I know — two clocks is confusing — I too thought it was 12:00 in both views for a LONG time!!
Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG
Amos
There is a classic picture of Ben Hogan hitting a 5 iron at impact. His legs look like a turkey wishbone. This position would be between frames 6 and 7 of your sequence. Can you stick in a couple of frames between these frames? Thanx. cave
I watched the Youtube video of a drive of DJ’s at the 2009 Masters attached to this blog topic and it is clear to me why he was rated inside the top 10 on the driving stats. (There are much better and clearer videos available – do yourself a favour and purchase his driver DVD)
A smooth one piece takeaway with hip and forearm rotation to take the clubhead back into the mitt toe up.
The silky smooth transition into the up the tree motion, no Furyk type hitch, to finish at about the 13:30 – 14:00 position on the backswing.
The wonderful flat left wrist, the stand out for me, from the catcher’s mitt position to the top of the backswing and through the forward upswing until it squares up during forearm release at impact.
The right arm powering through post impact with the forearms finishing the release of the clubhead toe up in the forward mitt. The right wrist becoming and remaining flat from the forward mitt and up the tree right on through to the Tee finish.
The other stand out was the quiet wide knees on the backswing loading up the big muscles of the legs and hips just prior to the bump and forward upswing. This allowed for a smooth and efficient transfer of power and speed through the kinetic chain – legs, hips, upper torso, arms, hands and clubhead.
I thought the swing was awesome.
Regards, Craig S
Recently purchased series on line. Yet to be tested. One major question – in the backswing you say stay vertical. I assume this means keep the club shaft in a vertical plane , or do you mean keep the club SHAFT vertical
Soon I will be 85 and golfers 20 yrs younger are puzzled how I can out drive them most of the time and amazed how I stay in the fairway. My index has dropped to 16.5 and enjoying golf once again. Thanks Don. PPGS works for me. Keep up the good work.
I was looking at the golf swing sequence and wished there were a few more photos from just before impact to just after impact to show the position of the body at these points of the swing. Would it be possible to get the additional photo added and send this out once again? Thank you.
Well, I agree with all but one; When you made the back swing I thought that you didn’t turn your shoulders back enough to generate more power.