While walking around the PGA Show I ran into a subscriber who asked me a question about the takeaway. He said that he had a problem starting his takeaway with a slight sway off the ball. The longer the club the worse the sway was and the more he laid the club off. His question was, “Would concentrating on rotating the forearms and the clubface toe up into the mitt help stop the takeaway sway?”
Absolutely! Takeaway sway happens when the body slides laterally toward the back foot to start the back swing. The sequencing of starting the backswing is correct but the move is not. The square of the torso, from the hips to the shoulders, must move first. They must turn a little, not sway or slide straight back toward the back foot to load the weight over and onto the rear foot and leg.
The other problem that arises when the takeaway is a slide and not a turn is that the hands and club are left behind a little until the arms connected to the torso finally start pulling the hands and then the club. By the time the hands start pulling the club and the head moves, the club is lagging way behind and the forward wrist is bending. About the time the hands reach the back leg, the brain has figured out that the club shaft, still lagging the hands and low to the ground, must be lifted for the backswing to continue. The forearms and hands now pull and flip the club up and above the hands. The problem is that this flip usually flips too much, over rotating the forearms. The weight and momentum of the club sends the club past vertical, 12:00 o’clock, to laid off and heavy and around 10:00 o’clock.
The PPGS takeaway starts with the back side of the torso, from the shoulder to the hips, turning a little. The center of gravity of the body is a point at the base of the spine which is basically in the hips.
Think and picture the body as three boxes. The bottom box is from both feet across and up to the knees. The center box is from the knees across and up to the hips, and the top box is from the hips to the shoulders. The hips are the top of the middle box as well as the bottom of the top box. This connection of the center box, the core of the body to the middle and top box, is what keeps the synchronization of the swing motion connected.
Now that we have described the three box principle of the body, we need to add one more geometric figure to the picture: a triangle. The shoulders and arms to the hands holding the golf club form the triangle.
The key to the takeaway being smooth, in sync and with proper rotation and lift, is to make sure that at the split second the top box starts turning, the triangle also starts moving as well as the club. The feeling of this all together synchronized movement of the square and triangle is that the club head “MUST” move first. And the club head must move first with the TOE leading and turning toe up as the arms and hands lift the club head into the catcher’s mitt, toe up. This synchronized square and triangle movement is also referred to as “The One Piece Takeaway.”
The one piece takeaway with the feeling of the club leading is critical to a successful and consistent takeaway and swing up to the top of the backswing. The rotation of the forearms and the lifting of the club into the mitt, toe up, sets up the lifting of the club up the tree to the top of the backswing.
The torso turn and rotation ends when the club is parallel to the ground over the toe line. From there it is all the arms lifting the club up the tree to vertical, 12:00 o’clock and light. At this point, you will feel a definite and abrupt snap up or sweeping up motion when the arms really start lifting the club up vertical above the hands. All this vertical lift is done in one simple, smooth, flowing and controlled motion.
Sway or slide the hips and you drag the club away and that will lay the club off. The square and triangle turn, with the feeling of the club head moving first, is the key to a consistent one piece takeaway to a vertical, 12:00 o’clock light club at the top of the backswing.
The Surge!
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 
Dear Sir,
My problem is that I can practice swing perfectly, but when I look down and try to hit the ball. It’s over. I’m quick, jerky, and totally out of synch. Help !!!
Dear Surge, I read that you are or will be certifying teachers as to your format/technique. I am a teaching professional in the Oakville/Burlington are of Ontario Canada, and would be interested in learning more.
I look forward to your reply,
Sincerely,
Jeff Howe
Your daily instructional thoughts are incisive and of tremendous help to us out here on the receiving end.
Hi Don: Your set up instructions make alot of sense in most cases. One that I can,t understand however is when you choke down on the club when the ball is below your feet. Can you please explain this to me again?
Thanks alot.
Conrad conant.
Marvin:
The quick and jerky move, or what I call the “Zorro” is in part due to the focus of the swing being the ball.
Many amateurs believe the swing begins and ends at the ball when in fact the swing should be focused more toward your target and the ball should just get in the way.
Focus your attention down the line to your target. You will be surprised to find that your swing will be more relaxed and therefore much smoother.
http://www.aboutjuniorgolf.com
Hi Surge,
I am making much much better contact and I am starting to hit the ball better than I ever have with the PPGS, with a couple of exceptions. I am really having trouble hitting my driver and have found that I have shortened my backswing considerably to try and make good contact. I am practically stopping my backswing as the club reaches parellel to the ground before initiating my downswing. If I take the driver “up the tree” I notice that I am really pulling to the left on my downswing and follow through creating a massive slice. For the most part I am really making good contact with all my irons, but I occasionally notice I am pulling those to the left as well. I watch the ball after impact and it is going dead straight, but left, and usually right where my belt buckle is pointing. I feel like my hips are rotating open too much on my downswing and follow through. Any suggestions or tips to help me get to where I stop opening my hips so much? Thanks again and I look forward to your responses.
Mike D:
Don’t let the hips get out in front. Especially with the driver.
Firing the hips ahead of the upper body creates a lot of problems. Keep your down swing in sync with everything moving toward the target together. The pulls and slices will go away and you will have a lot of power with the driver.
http://www.aboutjuniorgolf.com
Hi DJ,
I just texted a good golfer friend of mine your website.
He informed me he will undergo a right shoulder surgery.
I recommended your simple system for a stress free golf.
Kudos to your efforts!
Thanks.
Pete
Been stuggling with sway myself.
Seems like it’s connected with a reverse tilt .If I try to start with a one pice takeaway and turn to the toe line my hips want to move to the right and if I hold me head and shoulders over the ball a reverse tilt occurs.
But, I’ve found if I concentrate on a setup with my right shoulder slightly below my left shoulder and my weight preloaded a bit on my right leg along with all the other fundamentals of the PPGS setup ( feet shoulder width apart, feet opened 30 degrees, oand particulary outward pressure on the knees) everything starts the way it should.
Does anyone have any tips or swing thoughts on how to make the setup and backswing motion more automatic?
Next problem- What are some tips on learning to get the timing for “the bump” to be correct.
Thanks!
surge, this was a good artical for me, i liked the way you put it. this year i have decited to put a lot of time into my game, and soak up every bit of information i can get, and work on it every day. what do you mean by12:00 o’clock light club???
Keep up the great instruction Surge
Don,
I don’t know where all this info comes from but I can’t get enough of it. You have transposed a very ugly game into one of pure enjoyment. You should get an award for what you do! Don’t ever stop.
Rod
Well Mr. Trahan,
It’s starting to come together. Mechanics are one thing, feeling the timing is another.
To me the 3/4 swing feels like it happens faster. When I’m hitting it as good as I can
my balance is stable, and my arms and hands fly. The occasional fat shot happens
when I get out ahead of it, as you described earlier. Dynamic balance is key, I had my
doubts, but now I know I’m on the right track. Thank you, HG.
Hi Don: Have been following your good instruction for some time now. I’ve taken lessons twice and my PGA Pro does not disagree with your methods. I do know an older (Say 70-75) yr. old retired doctor that practices at our range that has the oddest looking swing to me. He is a tall guy and looks like he is taking the club away almost strqaight up but then comes down strong and blasts the ball l70 yds with an 8 iron. I use more of a flat circular swing and the 3/4 swing but put power into it coming into the impact zone. I told him everything I had ever seen taught a flatter swing but he said this is the way the new guys on tour are swing the club. Well I’ve been playing for 3 yrs. and the Doctor has been playing for 5 yrs. but he shoots in the 70’s on a tought RTJ course here in Huntsville, AL. He claims all the golf instruction now is geared to fit us older (64) guys that arenn’t as fit as we used to be. But he appears to do what he does with the utmost ease. And he looks like he doesn’t even bend at the knees and uses the most narrow stance I have ever seen. I tried what he does and I can only hit the ball fat and dig the ground up. I say – GO Figure some of these swings I see;especially the one the Doctor uses. John McFarland
Don,
I got the video set and find that I have one problem. When I look at the picture you provide in these blogs of the catcher and tree the player is clearly taking the club outside the line of his shoulders by about 10 to 15 degrees.
If I rotate the club back it comes back to the line of my shoulders whereas the picture clearly shows that it should be out in front of me, forward of my head. I’m confused, the only way I can get there is to move my arms away from the vertical plane.
I am enjoying the ten free lessons and will buy the advertised lessons later. I learned to play golf using Jack Nicklas’ video back in the dark ages. He taught to swing the club around s fixed axis comparing the action to swinging the club in a barrel. Later in life I studied the the Byron Nelson style which advocates a simple “straight back and straight through” swing. You cover both of these swings in your ten lessons.MY problem is this: How can you swing the club straight back and TURN ? I was playing to a 8 hdcp. until the Byron Nelson style. Now I have problems deciding which swing style to use etc., and the game has gone bad. Hope you can help me on this issue. Regards Al.
Hello Don
Towards the end of 2009 I sent you money for some videos which I expected to be sent through the post. They have never arrived. (The money was extracted from my bank account.)
I do receive VERY regular emails from you but they are not videos, and since I am a visual learner I am completely put off by the written word. They also come in on to the family computer and I wouldn’t often be in a position to sit there and watch them if they were. I was expecting videos that I could watch again and again. This has been a disappointing experience in ordering anything from overseas. (I am in New Zealand.) I have sent several emails to you via your marketing website without getting a response. If you do actually have a set of videos I would appreciate receiving them; otherwise I would appreciate receiving my money back. I am forever hopeful that this can be sorted.
many thanks
John Miller
252 Taita Drive
Lower Hutt 5011
New Zealand
Hi surge, I have been enjoying the lessons as well. The part of the swing I still have trouble understanding is at impact dealing with rotation. What is the proper way to follow through? With your hands or body? I use my hands a lot and am real inconsistent in my iron game (long irons especially). A lot of the time when I try to hit ball first I get a shank to the right as a result? How can I fix this? Thanks
Thanks , Surge for the last few emails on the swing , have been playing great golf with your system, but when it does go pear shape , because of what every reasons its great now to no the finer points, that you have described on the take away , to bring me back to the middle, swaying is a big issue, with regards Warren
I did a diagram of the boxes and it really helped me see what you were talking about. Thanks. Harry
This sounds like a good idea, but complicated. The takeaway, or back swing should be smooth like water. Any tension here and the swing may fail.
Hello John Miller,
The easiest way to access Don’s Lessons is to click on the Link at the top of the page that says “Members Login”. Simply enter the email address that you used when you made your purchase and enter your password. If you don’t remember your password, there is a link that will help you to retrieve it.
Once on the Members Page, you can view more than fifty videos. You can even download them to your computer and watch them using Windows Media Player. From there, You can burn them onto DVD’s and then watch them on your TV.
Also, there is a very good forum where you can discuss all sorts of stuff with some very knowledgable members.
Give this a try, and I bet you will be very happy with your purchase.
Hit’em Long and Straight,
Bob
John Miller: Hey John. I can appreciate your problem with orders placed overseas. We often have the same problem here in Australia. With regards to your not receiving your videos from Don, I think the answer is; The video series is made available to you via your account. ie. The members login area at the top of the screen. I am only new to this site and have not purchased the videos yet, but I think that is where you access the videos. They arrive as downloads and not physical videos or DVD’s. Maybe someone who has been here longer will correct me if I am wrong. Hope this helps.
cheers,
John
Sorry. By the time I finished typing in my response someone else had also answered your question John Miller.
cheers,
John
I am liking most of what you are saying, but the Swaying on the Backswing article was way too much technical. I like your teaching, it is simple, and it is natural. It feels right when you do it properly, the last thing I would think you would want is the “paralysis by analysis” Just my thoughts, keep up the good work.
Surge, I have found that a good way to find out if you are swaying at all is to stand with the sun directly behind you. As you swing back and ahead, watch only the shadow of your head to see it it moves rt. or left. It is very effective in teaching yourself the feel of not swaying your body during the backswing. Thanks for all your help.
i know u were wondering why i had no comments or feedback for quite sometime. on doctors advice i had to rest my back for a month or two. but i continued reading your ten lessons. and just this morning i tried applying it with 2 basket of balls at driving range and wow i finally had my drive and ball going straight and for additional distance. i changed my grip using the baseball grip for i played baseball then in high school. now i finally know why i keep on having slice shots. thanks so much for the lessons and someday as class “B” player i can now play golf happily with my friends lowering my score to single handicapper.
Don why do you never talk about working the ball is that you can not work the ball with this theory. What tour pro;s are you working with besides your son.
Really doing good – then went bad – but found one of your earlier fixes had been violated-
so I lifted my Chin and everything smoothed out – cause i could swing wo blocking .
Bet htis helps some others who think they have other “complicated” problems.
and the “Bow” legs sure help my drives too !!
thx loads
Great to see all these replies. Those who have the video of Don hitting sand wedge to driver hopefully noticed how absolutely still Don’s head stays. It just doesn’t appear to move and he certainly doesn’t sway!
Hi Folks
One of the difficulties I have is keeping my eye on the ball during the backswing. I got into the habit a few years ago of tracking the movement of the clubhead for the first 2 feet or so to check it’s path, and for some time now this tracking wants to to take place on every backswing I make.
When I force myself to keep my eye (or eye’s) on the ball, I get the uncomfortable feeling of not really knowing where the clubhead is going during the backswing. I’m sure this contributes to many of my poorly hit shots, including some fat, thin, offline ect.
I realise age 74+ (hcap 18 a few years ago) could also be a contributary factor, but this problem goes back a good mant years. Is there any remedy out there, rather than “throw in the towel”
JohnOB
wudda a 3 deg upright driver help me get rid of me slice/fade? I use 2 deg upright irons and they
with the A fllex graph shafts have helped me game tremendously!
Of course surges ppgs helped very much also!
There are often many good questions asked by your readers. Is it possible for other viewers to see your answers?
On “swaying”
an easy way to stop this is to concentrate on keeping your weight planted on the inside of your back foot (right for righthanded…left for leftys) when making your back swing. if you sway you will feel your weight move over to the outside or towards your little toe!
keeping your weight on the inside of your back foot will help you create more power and should help you get a better strike on the ball..
http://www.archive.org/stream/golfswingernestj00hammiala#page/10/mode/2up
More good reading
Marvin,
Your problem, and I don’t know why I’ve never heard this from any lesson giver is: You are trying to HIT the ball and the ball should only get in the way of the swing. Make a good swin and let the ball just get in the way of the swing. Don’t HIT the ball just like DON’T hit down on the ball are similiar in nature and should be part of your thinking before you address the ball..
Read this while sitting in my chair at work and decided to try it . . . without standing up. Give it a try’; you’ll be amazed!
To Conrad,
I believe I said you choke down on the club when the ball is above your feet. When the ball is below your feet you bend your knees more to get in balance and reach the ball.
The Surge!
hi, i have a problem shifting weight to my left side. i have played baseball for 25 years and i think that has something to do with it. any tips?
Coach!
I am concerned with the plane of the down-swing. From the 12:00 position, I worry about being too steep through the hitting zone. What should be my swing thought regarding the down swing? Thanks. WG
To Randy Beckett,
Thanks for the advice Randy. I’ll be hitting the range today. I have been trying to inititate my downswing with the “bump” that Surge talks about…and unfortunately my hips keep flying open. (Too many years of baseball) Are there any drills or practice techniques you or anyone else can recommend to keep me going toward the target?
I am told I have a “perfect” practice swing…but I get over the ball and my actual swing seems to get screwed up. I really have to make a effort and remind myself to slow my swing down quite a bit and and that seems to help. Like I said, Since I have been practicing using Don’s PPGS, I am making great contact and the ball is getting up in the air and going straight, but left …in the exact direction of my open hips.
Mike D,
If you are hitting the ball straight but straight to the left, it’s not from over rotating the hips as much as it’s caused by coming over the top. That means the right shoulder is rotating outwards instead of down, under, then up. You may be going in the mitt and up the tree in the back swing but you aren’t doing it in the follow through. You may want to try taking half shots concentrating on the follow through and letting the club stay on the target line then up the tree. I have also found with my students that have a tendency to over rotate the hips that I’ll have them hit shots where they try to keep the lower body still the complete swing. You can’t do it but that’s the thought I give them as it then causes them to have the correct hip movement.
To WG,
There should be no swing thought during your down swing. Swing thoughts are for after the game or at home when you can replay your game in your mind.
Once on the golf course it should just happen. Swing thoughts during your game are killers. Walk up to your ball, say “I feel great right now” and swing. Too simple
A couple of days ago I got totally confused with the diagram of the Catcher and Mitt and tree. Fortunately a day or so later someone clarified that the mitt and tree should have been shown virtually over the toe line, which clarified it. Now today i’m off again…..(and honestly, i’m not arguing semantics here…..i’m just confused). Your tip today stated, a couple of times, that the forearms ROTATE? I thought a basic tenet of the PPGS is that the palms remain perpendicular…..that can’t happen if you rotate the forearms. I thought it might be simply referring to the arms describing an arc as the torso/shoulders move in the takeaway but it’s the reference to “Forearms” that’s got me banjaxed. Could some cleverer person explain it to me in really simple terms/
Thanks
Mike D.
I to have tendency to pull the ball from time to time as you have described. I try hard to maintain the vertical PPGS methods the Surge has taught us all, but the brain does struggle with alignment and many other issues with the longer clubs, especially the driver.
The new pictures Don is including now are a great help to visualize the correct posture and path, as well as today’s tip on not swaying.
I’m sure many of the so called experts will disagree, but after beating about 100,000 balls using the PPGS method, I found my secret. Make sure the setup is perfectly balanced and square to the target as the Surge has described so many times. My secret is to move the ball to the toe or even futher away from me during the setup, without reaching or changing the setup in any way.
Make the perfect PPGS swing, up the mitt, etc. Your brain now knows to go get it, eye to hand coordination and all that. Let the brain do its job and go get it with your eyes focused on the back of the ball. You will be amazed at the results, the forearms will naturally roll over and square the club face as you finish in the PPGS T finish.
It took me a long time to realize that switching from the rotational swing to the vertical PPGS swing doesn’t mean I had to get closer to the ball which is what my brain tried to tell me to do.
Standing to close to the ball caused my hips to clear too soon, caused me to hit pulls, fat shots, etc.
I know I am the right distance from the ball now when my divots are very shallow or a strong brush of the ground with just grass flying and very little dirt.
Try it on the range, I think you’ll have an “AWE” moment and follow Surge’s instruction in every area and focus on all of the details he trys to teach us.
Luck is where Preparation meets Opportunity
Thanks J!
I really appreciate the tips.
Thanks Brad that makes a lot of sense and I will try that next time I am on the range.
Sometimes when I use my iron, it vibrates and it hurts my hand. May I know what you could suggest to minimize the vibration?
Johnny Mac,
How you can make a swing if you don’t ever let the right hand bring the club head back to the ball and then through and up? It is impossible for this to take place. So, the movement of getting the club head back to square involves the rotation of the right forearm. At no point are the palms of the hands parallel with the ground. They always stay perpendicular.
Reading the article today, I am also a bit confused. I would like to receive clarification on the 2 following points concerning the takeaway; forearm rotation and toe up head position.
1) Perpendicular palms to ground. From address using a neutral grip, the left hand (for right handed) is not quite perpendicular with hte ground. In fact it is maybe 20°-30° turned CW (clockwise). From that position, to execute the takeaway, the left hand (and both hands) should turn CCW (counter clockwise) so that both palms are reset perpenticular to the ground and remain perpendicular during the whole swing. QUESTION. Is this the case?
2) Toe up. As a consequence of the above condition (e.i. CCW rotation of the forearms during the takeaway), my club face has been also turned into a closing position so that my palms are set perpendicular to the ground as I reach to MITT and up the tree positions. QUESTION. Is this close face position a ‘toe up’ position as I was told during the PPGS school in November 09?
I need Surge to clarify these terms.
Gaetan
to Gaetan:
STOP!!!
1) that does NOT sound like a neutral grip — it sounds to me like a strong grip.
2) for a right-handed golfer, the forearms roll CLOCKWISE (CW) (left foreaem over right) duirng the backswing into the mitt — NOT CCW! It sounds to me like you are producing a toe DOWN motion.
3) this CW rotation of the forearms producies the “toe up into the mitt” condintion.
Keep hitting them STRAGHT and LONG
Amos
The #1 problem with my takeway is that I do not move the club sufficiently back to the mitt before I take it up the tree. The result is that I collapse my left arm too much, and then I come down I am too steep and unable to rotate my hips. This usually creates a slice and I feel that I am chopping into the ground. The solution for me has been to feel my arms stretching the take away to the mitt which automatically allows a bump, and proper down swing. When I do this, the shot takes off like a bullet and goes straight as an arrow.
To Amos,
Thanks for your comments. I live in Florida for the whole winter and can practice or play everyday. Your description is the one I understood ‘toe up’ also before I was told otherwise during Don’s school last November, therefore, the reason for my confusion.
Without any forearm rotation, if you just turn your shoulders from address to the mitt, you will see that your club face will not remain toe up (facing the sky). It will be a bit toe down as you say. To avoid this, one would have to turn his forearm a bit CW, I agree… but I am not certain that this is right after my PPGS golf session.
My grip is not strong. As Don instructed me, I have my left thumb between 1;00 and 2;00 o’clock which gives about a 20° turn angle for my left palm. This is pretty much a neutral grip, no more.
Would I go your way and turn my forearms CW during the takeaway, this brings the shaft of the club toward a bit of a laid off position right there. Consequently, as you go up the tree and reach the top of the swing you have to fight seriously against a natural laid off position and … probably save it all around and 11;00 o’clock final position. This is far away to the ideal 12;00 and I cannot be consistent if I have to fight with my positioning of my hands at top.
Gaetan
Can you send me the names of club fitters in the Phoenix, Az area. Thank you Gerry
I noticed that sometimes you personally reply to a comment. Does it mean that if I do not see your comment after a responder’s comment(s) that you agree with the comment(s)? Please clarify.
Thanks Don for all your instruction. I read them daily and use the tips you provide throughout my game – where it applies. As I learn a lot more from ’seeing’ rather than ‘reading’, are you able to post your video lesson in which you and DJ were hitting clubs from wedges to drivers simultaneously. These videos were fantastic – showing slow motion and real time swing action. I watched these videos at least twice a week, but unfortunately I’ve lost the link. Would you be able to post that link again please, so that I can learn more?
Many thanks
Kay