- Audio version at the end of this post –
We have somewhat of a compliment and a statement from Inner Circle member “Golfmonkey. I certainly hope you don’t call yourself the golf monkey because you’re playing golf too much in the woods.
Golfmonkey has this to say: “I have played golf on and off for years.18 months ago I had a hip replacement and returned to golf after a long layoff. I have had lessons over the years but consistency has always my problem. One day 78 next day 88.I tried this and that fix with various lessons, etc. I began going from bad to worst. I finally subscribed to the PPGS as it seemed a natural physiological approach.
“The turning point came watching the Don Show and your talk about the front foot flare. The light suddenly came on. Could it be that simple? Just position my front foot like my tennis or throwing action. I always felt that one should flare out the front foot although modern teaching says parallel. Well after your show I began flaring the front foot 45 degrees and instantly my shot making improved. My fairways in regulation tripled and my greens in regulation improved dramatically. My driving is longer and straighter. The foot position allows me now to keep by swing up and down the tree. I couldn’t believe the answer was so simple.
“Thank you for showing a simple man the simple solution. Simple is best.”
I guess that’s why they call it the “KISS system.” I think what is critical here for Golfmonkey to improve is that he had hip replacement surgery. Anytime you have any type of surgery that works on your hips or your knees, it’s more important to get your body in a proper setup to allow it to physiologically to move correctly.
One of the things that’s really great about the flared feet, especially the forward foot. I have had a lot of lessons with men who played football, basketball or other sports and have had injured knees and surgery. We flare the foot even more in those situations to allow more external rotation which, when the knee externally rotates, it stays more level, it’s more fluid, it’s more flowing and it’s a lot less stress.
Knees and ankles are flex joints. They are designed to be in dynamic motion flexed. So when the front foot is flared the weight can roll over to the outside edge of the foot and the knee stays flexed. That reduces tension, stress and strain. A straight knee is always accompanied by a flat foot. That means the ankle hasn’t rolled, the knee hasn’t stayed flexed and that creates tension, they’re locking up. When the ankle and knee can’t move fluently it then puts the stress on the lower back.
That’s why it’s critical for the knees to stay flexed. The best way to do that is to have the knees over the ankles, apply outward pressure, and we achieve that best by having both feet being flared. That allows the knees to rotate externally and to stay flex and level. The more level they stay the more correctly they’re going to move with freedom, flow and without stress and strain.
The Surge!
- Use these controls for the audio version of this post –
Get Flash to see this player.
Tell me what you're thinking... and what part of the golf swing, or this great game... you'd like to know more about. If you want your pic to show with your comment, go get a 
Question: I haven't received the product(s) I ordered.
Question: I received 1 or more of the 10 free videos, but I'm missing 1 or more. How do I get the free videos that I'm missing?
Question: I emailed customer service and I never got a response back. How do I get support?
Would you flare your feet with all long clubs? Or just drivers and FW-Woods?
all clubs … it's part of the PPGS setup
I know steve stricker uses the three quarter turn, but does he flare his feet and use other principals that you teach?
Don
I have been playing golf for 30 years and a subscriber to the PPGS for just 12 months. In the past year I have been able to lower my handicap by 11 shots by applying the PPGS principles.
Just a semantic point on your use of the term “external rotation” when applied to the knees, which may be confusing to some who are trained in anatomy.
With the PPGS, the knees DO rotate together, but they do not externally rotate together.
For a right-hander, on the backswing, the right knee externally rotates, whilst the left knee internally rotates. On the forward upswing, the right knee internally rotates and the left knee externally rotates.
I hope this clarifies the point for some users.
Don , your system works . I have gone from high 80's to now after 3 months to
shooting 79/ 80 each week and i Know that will go down. My confidence has
soared. thank you . Ken in MD.
Well, let me ask something. Wouldn't it actually be correct to say that the knees rotate outwardly and inwardly as internal and external would be descriptive of location and as we all knows, the knees are both internal as they are housed in layers of tissue?
At the top of the web page type in “Steve Stricker” in the search engine box and click “GO”. You should come up with a couple of interesting articles.
Hit 'em up the bowling alley, Regards Craig S
Hi Surge, I read each of your emails and while reading I think about my swing and if I am applying your advice to my swing. Recently you talked about grip pressure. I have always tried to hold the club lightly. I felt like this would allow the club to come thru faster thus increasing distance. The other day I was having a bad golf day and decided to try getting strong with my grip, arms and body. Low and behold I hit my drive an extra 25+ yards past my normal drive. Ah Ha, I've hit on something. I realized that I had connected my golf swing with my body and everything was moving in unison. I have been able to repeat this feeling consistantly. Today I shot my best round of the season, an 80.
Thanks.
I am trying the PPGS but still have an out to in swing resulting in bad slices, i know i need to be persistent but it is off putting..
This will clarify the point for those familiar with anatomy and confuse the rest of us. It would have helped the rest of us if you defined internal and external rotation for us. Luckily I have a smart friend (google) who told me that:
Internal rotation is the rotation of a body part toward the midline
External rotation is the rotation of a body part away from the midline.
The midline is the plane that cuts down the center of the body dividing the left side from the right side.
Yes, the front knee rotates toward the midline and the back knee rotates away from it. The key is that they rotate together rather than oppose each other in flexion (decrease the angle of the joint) and extension (increase the angle of the joint).
Also, wrists don't bow and cup either, they flex and extend.
As long as we understand what he is talking about, it doesn't matter how he says it. I didn't have to resort to google to figure out what he meant by external rotation (I did have to google bow and cup the first time I read those terms).
Now, that's good stuff.
All I know about a cupped wrist is for me it is the kiss of death and was the bane of my existence for a few months this year.
Steve,
Based on your statement about having an out-to-in swing and slicing the ball after beginning the PPGS, the first thing that comes to mind is “set-up determines the motion”. You may need to spend more time working on getting in the correct PPGS set-up. The next step would be to practice your takeaway based on the prescription in chapter 8 of the Peak Performance Foundations Manual. It sounds like you still have not mastered “in the catchers mitt and then up the tree.” It is difficult to achieve a solid/consistent golf swing if you do not have the correct PPGS set-up and back-swing. You have a fair amount of time to get in the correct address position/set-up and only a fraction of time to make the back-swing. Spend some practice time making sure both are correct. There is no extra time in the golf swing to correct set-up or back swing flaws.
I've been paying you 20 a month for quite some time now what am i supposed to be getting for this
I have a right leg amputation above thew knee , also a prsteriorly dislocated right shoulder . I am a left hander . The accident happened 10 years ago . I hate the distance that I have lost . Any hints that will help .
Steve, just adding to Coachjoegolfs tips on setup
Think of this as a choice
Set up correctly or recover from an incorrect setup
I've tried both & one of them is easier than the other
Your persistence can be rewarded if you use the SEARCH function at the top of this page
Much smarter guys than me have addressed this issue from all sorts of perspectives & they can be found using the SEARCH function
Happy golfing
mrvebes, I'm NOT trained in anatomy & contrary to the detractors below, my mind picture gained from your clarification
Thank you
I've seen clouds from both sides now (come on guys, sing along together)
I'm not familiar with anatomy & your clarification didn't confuse me
It enhanced my understanding
Thanks for your diligence
Do the knees rotate at all?
They are connected to the upper & lower legs & as such are transported by the legs & can't move independantly of the legs
Should we therefore be describing leg action?
I'm not quite correct here – I once received a football injury where they did act independantly
Joe, do you have a prosthetic leg or do you play one legged?
I have seen both done to great effect – much better than I can play with 2 legs
A guy called Gerry Hogan years ago made a golf instructional video
It's not PGGS but it is a vertical swing method
It was called ” THE CHALLENGE”
So long ago it was VHS & a bit corny but you may enjoy watching his mate Stumpy – one leg, one prosthesis & great swing
Stumpy would be 140 pounds dripping wet & still pounded the ball down the middle
I liked it & you may get even more out of it than I did
All the best & happy golfing
as a avid reader i read with interest the flared foot,my problem as been sciatica my right leg collapsing,my solution was to keep my right foot on the ball of my foot while just keeping my heel just off the ground,I have been able to play better golf for years combined with the limited swing.what do you think don
mrvebes. Can you explain internal and external rotation please?
hi surge,
i have a small problem, i'm a left handed golfer, my right arm is 4″ shorter than my left arm and i can't bend my right wrist,(child hood injury) i'm always hitting the ball to fat or to thin. i also have a really bad slice, i'm not even sure if my short arm has any thing to do with it. what do you think. thank you. jim
To anyone that is not sure if the PPGS works I just want to let you know that I have been using the system since late April 2010 and that yesterday I shot a 75 at a notoriously difficult golf club in the Chicago area. It was like having the ball on a string ! It was the first time I made 3 birdies in one round. I don't think I had 3 birdies all of last year !
I've come a long way from the high 80's low 90's I was shooting last year, and earlier this year.
Thank you so much Surge. You've helped make this great game enjoyable to me once again.
Dermot, I'm not real sure i understand it either, but this is my perception. I think they are both saying very similar things in different ways. It's obvious that the knees will be rotating in the same direction during movement, either both forward or both rearward. If you are right handed, during the forward/up swing the forward knee will rotated outward, ie away from the center of the body,and towards the target. While at the same time the rear knee must rotate forward also, but this would be an internal rotation, ie towards the middle or inner area of the body, but also towards the target. In order for both knees to move/rotate in the same direction, ie left or right, one must move in and one must move out. However, after saying all of this, we should not be having any knee rotation on our backswing, knees being wide and fixed, but on the forward/up swing the knees must both rotate forward, the front going outward and the rear going inward,both towards the target, to reach our AFAP T-Fininsh facing towards our target. It's also possible that i don't know what the hell i'm talking about, but thats the way i'm seeing it. Good luck
after watching the new videos i noticed when i transitioned that i was straightening my left leg, and having the flat foot which i learned is a no no. trying to ingrain in my head the flexed knee and hip idea i dont know if i swung too hard or if i placed too much weight on my ankle at one time but i think i either sprained my ankle or tore ligaments in my the top of my foot. all i know is i can barely walk and would like to know just exactly how the weight is supposed to properly transfer. also, i was wondering, in the forward up swing does the right leg drive towards the left? thanks
keith
Don
I tried using the customer support and while I had someone (Monica) try to help, she was unable to. Apparently there was no golf professional available at the time. She said she would get someone to get back to me, that was two days ago and still nothing. I bought the program and I am enjoying it. The swing is working well from a contact perspective, but I am pulling most shots. Half look like their hooking a little, the other half look like straight pullls. I'm not sure if its purely a closed club face issue, or an out to in swing with a closed face???? help
Darcy
thanks
45 degrees? I was under the impression that it was 15 degrees. Am I wrong? Please answer me this question I have. Thanks, Parslayer
hi don
i am 52 years old i have been playing golf last 20 years i hit the ground before striking the ball do you reccomend any tip
Can someone link to video of Don and DJ's swings using various clubs I've seen posted before?
Good to see DJ's name at the The Greenbrier Classic. I've been worried that he had another injury or something.
You signed up for the Inner Circle membership … look in the member's area.
My golf swing has always included and unintentional and exagerated turning of the torso. I try to contain the turning but usually unsuccessfully. The flaring of the feet seem to make my exagerated turns even more probable. Any suggestions?
Roger
Spikeball, try this link, ihope it's what you want and it works. http://www.pgaprovideos.com/don-and-dj-swings
Flaring your feet should make it “harder” to turn your torso. Especially with the outward pressure of the knees.
Julie,
Congratulations! Surge stresses firmness in the grip; try rereading the Foundations Manual regarding it.
As another hint, rereading the entire manual from time to time is helpful because it allows you to rethink the material bolstered by the experience of having done it in practice or on the course. This enables you to grasp nuances which might have escaped attention in the initial reading. It also reinforces what you already knew and reinforcement is never a bad thing.
Keep improving and enjoying,
Michael
It seems like a lot of guys have trouble locating the ball and /or the club on the ground. Here's a tip that should work for everyone. Always place the club, no matter the number, in the center of your stance. Locate the ball 4″ in front of the driver, 1″ in front of the f/w wood, and right in front of any iron. This should get the ball in the air, and you can adjust the height of the tee to fit you liking. This takes the guesswork out.
Michael, Thanks for the advice. Julie
Go to the member's site, log in, and take a look at the revised videos Don put together for us a couple of weeks ago. He has a new video on the stance, and he states that the 15* foot flare (or 30* total) is really just a basic starting point. Each one of us needs to determine what degree of flare works best for our particular set-up. For some, it may be more. Don flares his feet about 45*, and can actually flare his front foot 90* so it is pointing at the target, and still make perfect shots every time! The key is to know the parameters of the PPGS and stay within them. I teach several golfers with disabilities, and every one of them has a different foot flare, but still maintain the “ride a skinny horse” stance and hit the ball very well. Hit em straight! R2
Jim: Remember the basic premise of the PPGS – “The set-up determines the motion”. If you continually hit the ground, there could be something wrong with your basic PPGS set-up. Several of my beginning students have had the same problem, and they were not keeping their spine angle the same thru their swing. Their back shoulder would “dip-down”, causing all sorts of problems. Also, you need to have a club fitter take a serious look at your clubs and see if they are right for you. If you have never been properly fit, your clubs could be part of the problem, too. Good luck to you and hit em straight! R2
Thanks to T Medley and all the others who clarified the issue of internal and external rotation. I appreciate it. The bane of all golf instruction is a lack of clear definitions and frames of reference (eg clock faces etc).
I need more details on this. Is it the club head in centre of your stance or the hands?
Sorry, Darcy, but I really have to ask (because I see these types of comments on occasion and it surprises me every time): “Do you actually believe that customer service should be able to answer your golf/swing related questions?” When I go to a store and buy a book/tape/video program, I don't expect that I will be able to call then call the company and get ongoing support for the content. Go to Golf Town (or whatever your equivalent is), and buy a different set of golf instructional DVDs, and then see if you can call up the company to get further “lessons.”
As I see it, customer service is there to help you with the physical product, not the content: Did you receive your product? Was it shipped to the right address? Were you properly billed? etc. I'd be amazed if any company could afford to man their customer service lines with golf professionals. As it is, I think Don and company provide amazing, ongoing support of their product in the form of this forum. I don't think you can expect to be able to phone-in for golf tips/instruction. Maybe I'm wrong.
Kelly
I came onto the website looking for a forum where I could get some advice. To me, some form or forum where questions could be asked is part of customer service. If, a CSR was not the right person to provide that advice, two points then : 1. why did she put me on hold for 10 minutes while she tried to find a golf pro to answer the question & further to that, commit to someone gettign back to me with an answer (which never happened) 2. your example of golf town makes no sense to me. Golf town is a retailer of otehr peoples product, this customer service group is for support of the actual product being produced and sold, do you not see the difference between the two? If I bought somethign from golftown I woudl call the manufacturer and expect them to help, isn't this the manufacturer?
Lastly, this would nt have been an issue at all if the website was designed better. I only found this forum by doing a google search for information after I got n where with the website. I looked and could not find anything that looked like a forum link on the main webpage. If they are going to sell this product, there should be people answering questions because real people are going to struggle to execute what is being taught and need a forum to ask questions
maybe I am wrong………
There “is” a forum to ask questions and this is it. Surley you don't expect Don or one of his instructors to be on 24 hour call for you because you paid less than $100 for some videos. Many of the readers that frequent these blogs are very knowledgable about not only the PPGS but golf in general. They answer people's questions everyday. Mostly the questions that go unanswered are questions such as yours where someone wants to know why they are pulling the ball or pushing the ball or slicing ect. All anyone can do in those instances is give you some general information since they can't see your swing. It could be something minor that could be fixed in minutes or the swing could be such a disaster that many things could be wrong. If you actually read the blogs and use the search bar at the top of the page there is a wealth of information on almost every golf subject.
To johndryden: I was told that both hands and club heads are in the center of the stance. rbraman
To johndryden: I was told that both hands and club heads are in the center of the stance. rbraman