Some of you have called customer service and have spoken to Ken, my younger and only brother. As such, he is quite knowledgeable of the PPGS. Ken was a plus handicap golfer in his junior and college days and won many amateur tournaments. When I was the Head Professional at Pinetree CC in Kennesaw, Georgia in the early 80s, Ken came to work for me in the golf shop. He turned pro and entered the PGA Apprentice program. He won the Georgia PGA Assistants Match Play Championship for his only professional win. That is because after 3 years he decided being a club pro was not his career and went back to college and got his degree in Accounting. He was reinstated back as an amateur by the USGA in 1987.
Ken knows the PPGS as well as any of my head instructors, and with that knowledge and accounting, I asked him to come to work for PeakPerformanceGolfSwing.com.
What I also know is that Ken is a wizard with the putting wand and a short game genius. He definitely is the player that the adage for putting and short game describes when saying, “He can get it up and down of a garbage can with the cover on.” He has helped me with my putting stroke and short game as well as DJ,s. As far as the Trahan family is concerned, he is #1 in both putting and short game. DJ and I battle it out for ball striking, but I am #1 in that department and DJ is a close second and catching up. I will add that if I could have putted as well as Ken coupled with my ball striking, I could now be playing on the Champions Tour. I think I can also say that if DJ starts putting as well as ‘Uncle Kenny,” he will have a lot more than two PGA Tour Championship trophies on his mantle.
I am sure many of you know that I have a student, Jack Moore also helping me and DJ with our putting and short game. Jack is another wizard with the wand and short game. He and Ken have some real great putting matches and up and down contests. DJ and I are really lucky to have Ken and Jack as our putting and short game coaches. My plan is that soon we will shoot a putting and short game video series featuring, Don, DJ, Ken and Jack. Between us four we will have a boatload of instruction, tips and drills galore to help improve your putting, chipping, pitching and sand game.
Ken knows putting and short game and has 40 plus years of quality playing experience and knowledge. I felt he has good advice on setup and stroke technique that should be shared and passed on to all of you. So, I asked Ken to write something on putting and here it is for his debut article.
THE SHORT GAME & PUTTING GRIP
The perfect grip does exist for all facets of the golf game, and of course there are numerous grips that can be used, both in the long and the short game. Most teaching professionals advocate that the grip is the most important and fundamental part of the golf game. Some teachers also recommend that a different grip should be used exclusively for putting and chipping. We believe the grip should stay consistent with all clubs being used. Why should you change grips when you are hitting a driver versus a 5iron or a 9 iron or a chip shot or even putting. That seems like a lot of things to remember when it comes to the grip only. Never mind the other hundreds of things that have to be acquired to hit the golf shot accurately, consistently and, of course, long. Here is a quote from a renowned teaching professional (Note: need name of pro. Seeing the word “thus,” I would guess it is Donald. Nobody uses the word “thus” any more …):
“For the power game – driving, long irons, and all other full swing shots, most golfers should take a strong grip, with the V’s formed by the thumb and forefinger of both hands pointing between the chin and the right shoulder (for right handed players, reverse for left handers). From this position, the hands and forearms have a better chance of releasing through impact, thus returning to the square position at impact. Therefore the back of the left hand is perpendicular to the target line”.
There are many teachers who recommend that when accuracy rather than distance is involved, a neutral to weak grip is recommended. Suppossidly the hands will return to a neutral position at impact without adding unwanted power. They also advocate that the grip for putting is similar to that for the short game, in that the hands must remain quiet and in a square position, which means they are both parallel to each other and to the clubface. You can use overlap, interlock or even baseball grip. The quote that, “Exactly how you grip the club in not as important as making sure that the hands mirror the position of the face,” is absolutely correct.
PPGS suggests that, as a bold statement, try using the same grip for all shots, from the driver to the putter and concentrate more on alignment, and setup and other key fundamentals of the golf swing.
We advocate using the same grip for all clubs, granted of course you will probably tend to grip the club firmer, for instance, hitting the driver compared to the 2 foot putt. But the point is, use the same grip for all shots to help you in all facets of your golf game.
Ken Trahan (“Uncle Kenny”), PPGS Teaching Staff
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 
I have your tape, but it doesn’t go into pitching and chipping. Could you devote a couple of letters to those two aspects of the PPG swing.
As an NLP Practitioner I know perception is the most important aspect of acheivement.
So what is your perceptual difference between putting and ball striking.
I bet they differ in shape and size and color and…
I would love to offer a book I had written a few years ago that I am giving for free on one of my websites.
The name of the book is: Why does the second putt always go in and how to get it right the first time around, Shattering the comfort zone.
Or something like that…I haven’t looked at it in a while.
Either way, I believe you would be AMAZED how much difference there is between success and…
Don:
If your brother and Ken can’t improve your putting stroke, why would they be able to help anyone else? You are with them every day.
As long as the hands work as one unit I agree that you could use the same grip for all clubs. As a personal preference I use the reverse overlap on chips and putts. Tom Kite showed me this grip one day and I have used it ever since. Now Tom has changed grips so many times with the putter that I can’t keep up. It seems that the grip in putting should be whatever works best for you. I am a very good putter, but even if I wasn’t I don’t think I would use the claw or the long putter. I like to hit putts with my right hand as if I was taking the palm of my right hand right at my target and rolling the ball. http://www.aboutjuniorgolf.com
Hi Don
Can you help me get over this problem?
I got sooooo concerned a few years ago to make sure my putter head was going back straight that i started watching it a bit too closely.
So much so that now I i cant seem to take it back in one smooth back motion. I sort of have a yippy take back. Start and then stop and then try to start again. Its not great at all and I think the main reason for my constant 7 handicap for past 3 years.
Any tip to remedy mch appreciated.
Thanks MIke
Have tried to call you to order your program but no one there. My half off ends tonite. I would like to know if you send tapes or disks to me or is the program downloaded direct to my compuerter.
Winter is setting in here in Connecticut and I have been ‘trying’ your PPGS system for about a month or so with varying results. As a low handicapper I realize it will take a lot of work to improve scores over the long run, but I welcome the challenge. What intirgued me the most was the notion of being able to play as I age gracefully, now 65. What one or perhaps two things would you recommend I work on over the winter at an outside range? My worst shot is the pull hook.
Thanks for the daily emails, they are great to read.
Don, I miss more 3 foot putts than I’m willing to admit, especially when I have to wait for everyone else to putt first. I realize I’m better off to putt out but say I have to wait to avoid stepping on someone else’s line, what would be the best way to approach this (so called pressure) putt?
Thanks Don
Really enjoyed the article recommending Ernest Jones Swing the Clubhead and your kind of endorsement of it. I have worked on that for many years and can see where the combination of your teaching and Jones’ make a good sync.
Question though? Jones recommends a naural wrist break as a result of the swing. How much do you agree or disagree?
Jim Morgan, Sr.
Austin, TX
Well, I use same grip for the driver and irons but not for the putter. Yet my putting is the best part of my game. No matter where on the green my ball is I sink it in two. Could it be my grip which I changed this last season is responsible?
So, I do not believe that your advice in this regard is applicable to all!
For John Currid – The DVD online version is a website where you can access the DVD’s 24/7 anytime you want. There is a Hard Copy version but the price is $97.00. The online version also contains alot of bonus videos, including a putting video by Don. Don’t worry about the midnight deadline, call me personally Ken Trahan PPGS Customer Service at 888-847-9464. I am usaually around M-F 9 to 6 PM EST, if not leave a message and I will get back to you ASAP, thanks Ken.
Dear Don,
You talk so much in all your articles, but the reality is you say so little. By that I mean there is hardly anything of significance being said that one is able to take away.
Retjui
Hey Don, The swing feels great but I lack power and therefore my drives are approximately 20 – 25 yards short of normal [ 185-190 on dry fairways. Could it be that I am not winding up my left Lats as I make my turn to 3/4 on the back swing ??? Just lifting my arms doesnt seem to provide the power I am needing to be competitive off the tee , whats your take on this issue ??? Jack
TO Mike Smith,
when you have to wait to put out, I would suggest that you step to the side and relax and chill not thinking about your putt. Look at the trees, the landscape, listen to the birds but don’t think about your putt. I would only watch the others putting out only if one of them is on or close to your line so you can see the break. Thinking too much and reading the putt too many times only creates confusion and builds up tension and pressure. So relax and chill till your turn.
Then, when it is your turn, snap back into your game mind, replace your ball, check out the line, step up make your practice strokes, step in take one look and stroke it then go pick it up out of the hole.
The Surge!
To Tom Rung, and also Mike smith,
Tom, I got your answer mixed up with Mike Smith’s. So, read the answer above under Mike’s name as it is your answer.
Now, Mike, this one is for you.
Usually when a player has trouble making a smooth stroke or yippy as you say it the hands and primarily the lower one is hitting at it and likely down at the ball.
Let’s start with lightening up both hands on the grip, but they still must be the same pressure and force. Next, we need to get rid of the hit down at the ball to stroke or come up on the ball. A drill I use and teach is to tee up a ball on the green about 1/4 to 3/8 inch off the green at around 3 or 4 feet form the hole.
The point of this drill is to fist and foremost feel like your stroke is coming up and catching the ball below the equator. This lifts the ball of the tee and the ball hits the ground with over spin which has it tracking on top of the grass as compared to hitting down on the ball driving it into the green and it skipping before it begins to roll which can knock it off line and not have a pure over spin roll.
Once oyu have he feel for stroking up off he tee, then you have to loose you training wheels an do it off the green. Again, focus in catching eh ball below the equator while making sure your stroke is coming up into impact to get the over spin.
The coming up should keep he hands working together and smooth out the stroke.
The Surge!
To Jack Stephenson,
Lifting your arms in the backswing is good. The power comes in the downswing or as I call the Forward Upswing, by swinging your arms faster. This is the same as throwing a ball farther or faster, you swing your arm faster.
With the PPGS we make the 3/4 limited turn and move the body less to be able to swing the arms faster which is creating centrifugal force, the same as swinging a rock on the end of a string.
So, work on swinging your arms faster with all your clubs and I am sure you will see an increase in distance as well as accuracy.
The Surge!
I am enjoying reading you tips to try to play better golf my problem is always getting ahead of the ball producing a weak shot why can;t I keep my head behind the ball very frustrating is it because my turn isn’t good enough on the back swing? I used to have a single figure handicap but i am certainly not improving with age !
Dear Ret
Is it possible the problem with finding anything of signifigence from Don’s articles could be yours and not Don’s? In other words, perhaps you have a learning disability that retards your ability to learn and retain.
Or perhaps you have never received training in deductive thought and as a result you struggle to put together ideas and facts in any discernable order. And also as a result, you miss out or simply don’t perceive critical information that would sustain you as a reasonably intelligent being.
Or maybe you are just an insecure type of guy who hides, disguises his inadequacies by disparaging others.
Let me know if any of the infornation I have written for you and about you is in your own words
“… anything of significance being said that one is able to take away.”
Namaste
To Andrea Boyce
Quick! Jump over to the PPGS post entitled “Words From Warren.” Read the post and the comments to that very same poast. You will find the answer to your issue right there.
This is some of the worst golf dribble I have ever seen. Gems like “Swing your arms faster for more distance” are real pearls of instruction,Don! Your son plays well is SPITE of your lame teaching methods, which have no value. (Except to fleece unknowing golfers who want believe there is an “easy” way to play well.) You talking about playing on the Champions Tour is as big a pipe dream as this instruction series. If your Brother is so “good” at putting and you can’t figure it out from his “expert teaching”,what chance would ANYONE have of improving? NONE! The SAME chance they have of EVER improving with this poorly made “basement” video. (I LOVE that you say you will “speak” to the cameraman about fixing the shots of “nothing” that your videos contain! What a joke! Get a real job. Maybe as a weather vane,where you can swing your arms faster!!!
To NinerMike. Reference your reply to ret.
There is no need to be insulting and condescending just to try and score a few points. Ret is entitled to his own opinion, right or wrong, and your ultra defensive reply makes me wonder if there might not be something in Ret’s comments. I too find the Surge’s articles a little over much. He spends more time talking about his friends and relatives rather than about the point he is trying to put over, which is usually quite a valid one but hidden amongst all the other junk. Sorting the wheat from the chaff can sometimes be quite a problem.
You really ought to stop writing anything on here, if you have to be abusive just to make yourself look big, when all you really achieve is to make yourself look a complete idiot.
Yeah Tommy,
I hear you, only wish I’d seen your comments earlier.
I paid and got ripped.
HI Don
THis is one of the first articles that actually doesnt make me feellike a freak. Since starting PPGS six months ago I have used the same grip for all my shots especially PUTTING. Even before starting PPGS I tried loads of different swings but they were just not comfortable. My playing partners all used to laugh about it.
NO I HAVE PROOF THAT I WASRIGHT ALL ALONG, HA HA HA.
Don have you heard of the two thumb grip? i saw it went i went down to my local store last week. Have a look at this link
http://www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/Golf/videotips/searchresults/Putting2/Two-Thumb-Putting-Grip/
Hello Surge,
I appreciate your greater experience in this matter of grips , however I am not sure that I agree with your comment of having the same grip for all clubs.I have always been a hot and cold putter, sometimes very good and sometimes too cautious , that is not getting the ball to the hole.I have based my grip on having the palms opposite and having a very soft grip.3 months ago , i was shown a grip by some friends in Switzerland which requires me to press the inside of the upper part of my right hand thumb, the palm part, against my left thumb.The result appears as if the right hand is on top of the shaft, but in fact the palms are still opposite.In my case , this allows me to hold firmly with the left hand , without the club turning over ,and to hit with the right hand.I am now now never short and am holing good putts with consistency.Since I have tried this grip I never make more than 30 putts a round.As an extension of this grip , i am now trying it with short chips and wedges.So far ,I am getting good results , because I am striking the ball firmly and getting stops on the ball .This obviously requires calibration.My handicap is 6.8 and I am 68.Thanks , i enjoy reading your mails
wow, all these nasty critical comments! have you people forgotten what this sight is all about? No one , and I mean no one, is accessing this sight and Don’s system in order to secure a PGA or Champion tour card. If the ppgs method is helping people go out on a sunday afternoon and hit even a few more quality shots, and enjoy this GREAT game just a little more, well, is not that what it’s all about. I’m sure backbiting and rudeness certainly does not lend toward fine reputation of this game, it just make us look, well, stupid and immature!
What is meant by: “… the hands mirror the position of the face …” ?
I have no doubt that “swinging” the club is the correct procedure. When making a “dry” swing the timing and finish feels perfect. Go to the range (hit to a target) and it all becomes less perfect. Go to the course where each shot counts and that smooth swing and finish degrades some more especially as you become a little tired. Of course this is a somewhat universal problem decsribed by the old saying about “taking your game from the practice tee to the first tee”. I know the problem is between your ears, but is there a way to minimize the loss or is this just a measure of the quality of the player??
Randy, Like everyone I have experimented with every putting grip. The one I was most accurate with on short putts was a split hand grip with the shaft between my index and middle finger of my right hand palm facing the target. This gives me the feel you speak of rolling the ball toward the hole with my right hand.
To Ted
You wrote “… He (Don) spends more time talking about his friends and relatives rather than about the point he is trying to put over, which is usually quite a valid one but hidden amongst all the other junk. Sorting the wheat from the chaff can sometimes be quite a problem.”
Now I can relate to your statement. I believe it is critical, yet at the same time, supportive and insightful. Your words beg for Don to be less verbose and more direct. Valid points made in a respectful manner. Good Job!
As regards my comment to Ret. I can’t and won’t relate to a statement whose sole purpose is not to instruct but to slam — not to offer valid suggestion but to disparage. Yes, Mr. Ret is entitled to his opinion but it is my entitled opinion that his words are mean spirited and thus he and them should be taken to task. Which is exactly what I did.
I believe Ret is experiencing a sobering moment right now as regards the way he relates to others due precisely to my cutting edge, condemning reply to his nonsense. If he is finally going to be honest with himself, he will thank me for giving him a well deserved “realty check.” And his acquaintances in life will thank me too (for they must be tired of his periodic emotional body slams!) His reply to my reply will be a defining moment in his life.
I understand your dismay with my reaction. You believe criticism should perhaps be more civil. And you hate such a bitter edge reaction is revealed on a golf site. I don’t disagree! But I felt in this instance, given the out and out ridicule of a man who attempts to offer so much for so little, I needed to hit this guy between the proverbial two eyes. Again, to criticize Don is fair play. To call him, in effect, a fool and his words insignificant goes against propriety and goes against the overwhelming majority of the readers on this forum.
Again, thanks for your criticism of me! I honor and respect your opinion while at the same time dishonoring and disrespecting the opinion of another.
To Dave P
You wrote “.. I know the problem is between your ears, but is there a way to minimize the loss or is this just a measure of the quality of the player??”
No, no, and no! You are definitely a guality player who is the universal victim of non-quality golf instruction.
Dave, the reason that the average handicap has not gone down in 30 years is because the majority of golfers do not swing the clubhead. They think about body parts and fundamentals. None of this has anything to do with a pure, true swinging motion.
Do not dispair. You love the game too much to give up now. And here is what is preventing you from having an excellent training session at the range and “taking it to the course.” You still don’t make nor understand a true swinging motion using the hands to swing the clubhead. And you don’t understand, because like the rest of us, this simple action seems too simple to make and because of that simplicity, it can’t be that important, that critical to the golf swing.
Before the PPGS can be yours, you must discover, make a reality that pure swing motion which does exist, right now, within your body (and your head)!
Read and reread “Words from Warren” and the comments written to his message. Then read and reread Ernest Jones. also, If you google Frankel Golf, you will find a site that is completely and accurately dedicated to the Ernest Jones methodology.. Do as I say, and again, the PPGS will be yourrs forever.
Namaste
To Tom Ordzie
If your hands grip the putter with the back of the left hand facing the target, then your hands will be mimicking (mirroring) the face of the clubhead. In other words, the face of the clubhead faces square to the target line because the face or back of the left hand is also square to that same target line.
For all those that oppose surge have the right to.Many posters are not happy because of poor service. Many have ask for their money back so this is not an isolated subject. So there must be something wrong and don has not responed to it. I am also one not happy with the service many times trying to get in touch with someone to find out what I bought and received no answer. I even said I will take it to a different level(lawyer) and still didnt get an answer. If this was my dad or uncle I would be ashamed of the way customers are handled….joep
I must say Joep that I agree with your comment that “Many posters are not happy because of poor service”. I have seen many posts to that effect. Perhaps Don should really take a look and see if his support sytem is really doing what it should be doing. As for Don himself; as a teaching professional who directly supports his son in his endeavors as a PGA Pro, I can understand how much of his time this must occupy. That said, if Don wishes to sell his system on the internet, he must give it more than just lip service. He needs to keep himself au fait with what is happening.
Putting that aside, my own dealings with customer support have been perfectly amicable, though obviously that can’t be said for all.
As a final comment, there are always numerous posts asking for advice that never seem to get a reply. If Don doesn’t have the time to reply, would it not be better to get one of the”experts” to respond, rather than leave things hanging?
Don, you must surely be thick skin. I can”t believe some people say what they say- no one has asked them to read what you are saying. Keep it it up- I for one enjoy and appreciate what you are doing. Thanks for answering some questions in the same blog.
To Tommy “Sunshine”
Never in the history of mankind has a moniker been so inaccurately and inelegantly designated.
The only light you shed is upon the sadness that makes up your reaction to life and living. And what I read into your words, what lurks so clearly behind each and every one of them, is an anger manifested from a massive frustration of not having fulfilled the goals and expectations others have demanded of you all your lifelong days.
Stop! Take a time out from this post and reflect.
A great philosopher once espoused “The authentic self is always revealed by what one truly cares about.“
Reflect now on what you really care about in this life. Reflect on how those cares motivate your every action — both physical and mental. Reflect on how Don’s words of encouragement fall mightily on deaf ears because of your own eternal frustration with the golf swing. Reflect on this one critical moment in your life that you can become really in touch with whom you are and you can make a decision to actuallize your life to a place of glory never ever before envisioned!
God bless you and have a good righteous and purposeful introspection.
PS It’s “drivel” not “dribble.”
Don, I took your ideas to the range Monday for the 1st time. My start was disheartening until I reviewed in my mind what i WAS supposed to be doing. After this, I was hitting ball straight & long.I got another bucket of balls to see if it would continue. I was real happy with results. I have a few tweeks to make.I have 2 bad discs in my back. After 2 buckets of balls I was pain free & very happy……….Steve
Don, on your homepage, the PPGS sequence shows the clubhead going behind your head into the Sacred Burial Ground. Is it only your left hand that musn’t go into the SBG? I was under the impression that the clubhead must not venture there. Please clarify.
To Dave Lyon
The SBG is defined as the area behind one’s back — not behind one’s head.
The club and hands being located behind the head and/or above the neck are not in the SBG and are therefore in an acceptable correct position in the PPGS.
To Dave Lyon
I assumed you were referring to Don’s backswing. Am I correct?
Don,
I have a case of the “short and right” with my irons. I am right handed. Trying everything but can’t fix it. I am losing a good 10 yards of distance as well.
Any advice?
Dan
I am 74 and have played about four or five rounds of golf in the past four or so years. 18 handicap then. Got overweight from 175 to 210 lbs, resulting in a loss of agility and stamina. I was forever tinkering with my swing, and rarely played two consecutive rounds with the same swing thoughts in about thirty years as a weekend golfer.
I still enjoy watching the game on TV, and visit the driving range from time to time when the golf bug strikes, or when I THINK I see some move that I have not tried before in the past thirty years (Not Many)
I also enjoy reading the comments on this site, and feel that if I had those PPGS dvd’s and video’s 20 or so years ago I might have stopped all the fiddling around with my golf swing.
I particularly like the comments “Swing The Clubhead” I read earlier on this site, and other interesting questions and remarks.
To link the concept “Swing The Clubhead” and the Surge’s PPGS where he advocates swinging “up the tree” to the twelve o’clock position without cocking or breaking the wrists on the backswing, and his “up the tree” to a T finish in the forward swing, I THINK I have stumbled on a great mental image or vision that would assist in doing just that.
Whilst reading the comments on this site a few nights ago, and glancing at the TV at the same time, a picture appeared on screen where a young man was guiding his son backwards and forwards (or up and down) on a larger than usual garden swing.. This movement was so rythmic, smooth and graceful it struck me that it could be a useful mental image in practising the concept “Swing The Clubhead”.
Now I’m not suggesting for a minute that one tries tying his fifteen monthold to the clubhead in order to improve their golf swing (Never), but the mental image could still be applied.something like this:
Visualise having him sit facing you on the clubhead holding on to the clubshaft, and swinging him back and up the tree using centrifugal force (to help him hold on) to the twelve o’clock position without cocking or breaking the wrists, be aware what might happen if you did cock or break your wrists, he would probably fall down on your head. NOT GOOD
Now in the down and or forward swing imagine accelerating him through and after impact “up the tree” to the T position, forcing him to loose his grip, and landing on a branch about eighteen feet up. PS> In order to increase distance try landing him ten feet or so higher up. What do you think ????
John
On the issue of good putting. I practice what I believe is the best method. I have shown it to many people and it has helped them a lot (from beginners to low handicappers.
This involves standing about 30 degrees open to the putting line, playing the ball off the toe of the front foot. The putter is drawn back no more than a foot from the ball and accellerated through the
ball with an upward motion through the ball and down the target line. This method duplicates the
pitching motion of the right hand (which just happens to have the putter in it) making the distance the ball goes automatic! It lets the natural brain-hand-eye coordination work as nature intended.
I promise you if you use this method you won’t leave putts short and will probably never three putt again providing you read them correctly!
I have been playing/hitting the ball better, I have a 20 handicap playing only once a month, but shot an 89 to win third place last week at a tournament. That is with 40 putts. So I hit much better than a 20 handi. I also shot a 41 for nine holes recently, my best in years. Driving is much straighter.
My putting and chipping is terrible. When I chip well I have a 5-6 footer which is not sinkable for me. When I chip bad i have a 10-15 footer. I ordered a new Cleveland 60 degree wedge maybe that will help as I use an old Wilson Staff tour blade JPII SW now from within 70 yards and miss 50% of my shots.
So any videos on chipping (which makes putting easier) and putting will be very helpful.
I know this is against most putting techniques, but I bagan gripping with no overlap and have been putting better.
I am not a good putter or chipper and the lack of self confidence compounds and amplifies the problem (secret #5 – who cares if you make a bad shot, do it right next time has helped).
I use a baseball type grip for the short game but I might take Ken’s advice and use the same grip for all my shots, and only vary the firmness, so as to simplify things in my setup and remove some variables.
I think, from other advice and feedback that I have read, I also need to focus more on alignment and setup my swing so that I swing the clubhead with my hands like a pendulum on an arc (i.e. Ernest Jones/ Torre method – I’m also a former student of Galileo, Newton et al teachings so I understand the concepts of these “swing” guru’s).
I need to be able to consistently reproduce the on-on-on effect of striking the ball solidly along the target line and on the up. Putting the ball with the ball placed just inside my forward heel in my stance, to hit the ball on the up, will hopefully get the ball starting straight and impart a good over spin roll onto the ball.
A few grey areas that I’d appreciate some feedback with:
1. The advice I have been given by the better golfers is to putt with a slightly open stance. Is this to make sure that you avoid putting with a closed stance, which could cause your forward side to interfere with the on-on-on swing path of the arms and hands, so that at the very least your body is aligned parallel left/right of the target line?
2. The short backswing and accelerated follow through. What are some tips regarding distance control and maintaining a smooth pendulate swing – do you vary the acceleration of the club head or vary the length of the backswing or a combination of both? I guess it comes down to feel and finesse.
3. Chipping the ball cleanly on the up in the forward upswing, where do I position the ball in my stance? I’m guessing forward in my stance like with my putting.
Regards, Craig S
P.S. I find this site to be extremely helpful with my game, my body and my mental approach. I appreciate the feedback from the positive minded bloggers and I appreciate and relate to the concerns of the frustrated members as well. If they navigate their concerns through the right channels, e.g. the “Contact Us” icon on the homepage for their customer service queries, then their frustrations may be alleviated much quicker.
Thanks for the reply about the “Ret” matter NinerMike. I can appreciate your frustration if you consider his post to be a direct insulting to Don. As you said, however, it would not be my way of responding. A different personality and style of upbringing quite probably account for this. I was taught to respect what others say, even if I totally disagreed with them, because I am not the fount of all knowledge and their opinion may be the correct one. That aside, I do agree that Ret could have made the point with a lot more decorum.
Please excuse the typo. I originally wrote “directly insulting” and then changed it to “a direct insult” but forget to removed the “ing” from the end on “insulting”
Regarding the folksy newsy aspect of Don’s articles, I enjoy them immensly. It is like a conversation over the back fence with a favorite neighbor. Relaxed and fun like the game should be. It is not required reading. If you don’t enjoy them, scroll on to your next email.
Because of my training as a certified teaching professional in another sport I know that teaching points should not be layered one right on top of the other lest you confuse the student with too much information. So, it is good teaching that there is only one main pointer in any given article.
When I purchased the videos that is exactly what I bargained for.Videos. Less that a hundred dollars does not entitle anyone to a lifetime of personal coaching over the net. Any information you get after the video is a bonus not an obligation. That said, questions are good and I am glad they are asked as I assume the Surge uses them as starters for future topics.
To joep:
I appreciate your comments and you may contact me personally at 888-847-9464 Ken Trahan PPGS Customer Service to get your situation resolved ASAP. I am sorry you have had a problem, but is is Don’s philosophy to try and make all customers happy concerning the PPGS system. Consider this your formal response to get your situation resolved and I hope we can be of service to you in the future, thanks Ken Trahan.
Note: For PPGS to help you we need more information, Like first & last name, E-MAIl address, City, Zip Code etc: so that I mak look up your Invoice to get the situation resolved. Simply joep is insufficient for us to help you. I personally guarantee that if you call me at the above number I will resolve the situation personally, Ken Trahan PPGS Customer Service Support Staff.
To Steambootjohn
Bravo! Your point about the teaching and learning of the PPGS is very well stated.
To David
Thank you for sharing your putting method. I like it!
Questions:
Using the stance and ball position, I found myself automatically placing a tad more weight on the front foot.. Was that your experience?
Also, when you 30 degree the leading or front foot, are the toes touching or squaring up on the same line or is the front toe pulled back (opened) a number of inches from that same toe line?
To Ted
Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks NinerMike. I know Thanksgiving is an American holiday but we don’t celebrate it here in the UK, so I have no real idea of its significance. Suffice it to say that I accept the sentiment on face value.
I am a women you has been playing for 3 months now and love it. My husband says that when I hit the ball I turn my wrists, that is why the ball goes left. I am a right handed golfer. Thanks
To Dianne,
This is only an amateur’s feedback to your blog – hopefully to help you out a bit with your problem. I assume that you are studying the Surge’s method and have a grasp of the fundamentals of grip and setup from his videos and manual – which is a great start for any novice.
The turning of the wrists when you hit the ball sounds to me like you are forcing the swing (or creating “leverage” – in swing guru language) which is not good. It sounds to me like you probably need to develop a feel for swinging the club freely, in particular getting a feel in your hands of the weight of the clubhead as you swing the club (this is probably better expressed in the Ernest Jones book “Swing the clubhead”).
As an example try swinging a small weight attached to short thin rope and the idea is to keep the rope taught and the weight moving smoothly through the air – get a feel for the weight at the end of the rope in your hands as you swing it smoothly. Try to translate that to the golf swing and feel the weight of the clubhead in your hands as it travels smoothly through the air as you swing it.
Hope this helps, regards Craig S
To Diane
I completely agree with Craig63’s assesment of your problem. Please, please follow his advice.
To Craig63
For an amuteur, you sure have an astute professsional understanding of the swing motion.
surge;
I don’t know you well enough to really put comment to the rough comments that have been made about your articles. what I do know is my game would be improved 100% if I could drive the ball with any consistancy uhhh help! By the way LOVE THE SHOW
Surge,
I am working on getting my hips in motion to start the downswing, but I seem to get them moving too quickly, resulting in a loss of club control at impact. I seem to either hook it, or push it hard right. Once in a while I hit long and straight but cannot feel the difference in timing. Also, I have developed a habit of missing the ball inside of the sight line. I think that I am developing an out to in swing trying to climb the vertical tree. Is this due to not rotating enough before starting my downswing? I actually whiffed a ball 10 times in a row the other day on the driving range. The only conclusion I can come up with, is that I am missing the catchers mitt.
To Tom Daugherty
You talk about getting your hips in motion too quickly, you hook and/or push the club hard right, your swing is out to in, your missing the catchers’s mitt, you “whiffed’ ten times, you worry about rotating enough.
Stop! Enough!
Tom, all of these thoughts are swing killers because they all involve an emphasis on body parts which always will involve some kind of leveraging action by you and thus retard the pure swinging of the clubhead. The PPGS sets up your whole swing event by telling you were to go and how to get there. But working on individual parts of the PPGS system will only retard your skills. To make the PPGS work for you and give to you a golf game to be proud, you must first learn to swing that clubhead with your hands. It is a pure swing motion that will correct all of what ails and it is that same pure motion that will facilitate, make happen, the PPGS
Go to the “Words from Warren” post and read its wisdom. Also read the comments. Once you understand what a true swing motion entails, what generates it, what maintains it, then you will rejoice in the success you will have with the PPGS!
To NinerMike,
I think it was Isaac Newton who once said when replying to a question of why he was so clever “I like to stand on the shoulders of giants so that I can see further” referring to his heroes such as Galileo and Da Vinci.
Participating in this forum and perusing the positive bloggers I not only get the chance to stand on the Surge’s shoulders but also be introduced, by guys like yourself, to some mighty shoulders such as those of Ernest Jones.
Thanks for the complement and keep up the helpful and educational contributions.
Regards and Namaste (or should I say secret #2), Craig S
Surge:
Yesterday I asked a question concerning how far to rotate, etc. I read your reply to another golfer with a similar question last night. I worked on the 70% turn and concentrated on keeping the right shoulder over the toe line on the downswing. Today at noon I took an opportunity to hit a few at a local driving range, concentrating on the right shoulder moving over the toe line into the catchers mitt and T. I am amazed! I hit the ball solid and straight. It appears that the shoulder moving along the toe line forces the arm and club over the aiming line in a parallel line. I do have one question remaining however. You keep referring to a swing book you have written, but I cannot find it anywhere on your web site for purchase. Where can I go to buy this book? Thanks. Tom
To Tommy Sunshine and NinerMike
Just want to say I totally agree with you Niner Mike! Nobody could say better what I felt when I read T.Sunshine´s comment……
When my friends ask about my lovely and beautiful swing, I tell them that I´ve got the best on-line coach ever! (just 2 years playing golf and 55 years old!..ah! Hcp.24 and down….)
Regards, Elisabeth
To Elizabeth Kruger
Thanks much and have a “Happy Thanksgiving!”
To Niner MIke:
Re: My putting technique:
Yes the front foot is pulled back from the target line a few inches. This opens up the look at the hole which makes the stroke a much more target oriented swing, duplicating the open stance you
use for chipping. The only difference is when chipping you play the ball back and hit down on it to
get it airborne. My part time job is a ranger on a golf course and the most rewarding part of that is
I pick a couple of customers each day I work that seem to be having putting problems and give them
a two minute demonstration of this method. Most of the time when I see them on the back nine they tell me how much they like it and how it makes putting so “natural”!
I like John’s comment from 11/6 6:03pm