- Audio version at the end of this post –
Continuing with the lesson I had with my 12 year old left handed student KH, we’ll now look at his setup and the necessary adjustments he needed. A short review of his ball striking problem is that K was hitting a lot of thin iron shots. The good news is they were relatively straight. Despite my impact motto of, “Thin to Win, they were happening much too often and causing him to miss too many greens, so we had to cure the thin shots. He was driving the ball well and hitting fairways, which more dramatically highlighted the thin iron shots and the need to correct the problem.
K has the ¾ length backswing and a really good, dynamically balanced T – Finish down pat for all the clubs. What he doesn’t have down pat is a consistently TE setup which then makes having a TE swing difficult to impossible. K’s setup nemesis is he tends to creep in too close to the ball and his feet get too much under his hips, and his weight is, thus, back on his heels. This also causes his arms and hands to hang down too close to his body.
This lesson had a new twist. K, in getting “Pre-Loaded Heavy Left” PLHL (he is a lefty) he got into a good position with the proper spine tilted back and weight on his back foot, but his head was out of position. As he loaded and his spine and shoulders titled a little toward his left, he was tilting or cocking his head also to the left. In other words, his left ear was getting closer to his left shoulder.
His head was no longer at right angles to his shoulders and his neck muscles were now out of dynamic balance. This also caused a third problem in that this tilt caused him to be “NBB,” Nose Behind the Ball rather than “NAB,” Nose At the Ball. I felt this was the primary cause of the thin shots. His focus point is behind the ball. This causes his upper body to move forward to the ball and ultimately he moved ahead of the ball, causing the thin impacts. Then every now and then he stayed put or hung back and hit it a little chunky.
The first setup adjustment was getting his feet farther away and his weight distribution off his heels. That made it more forward and centered over his arches. Moving the feet back and away from the ball also caused more bending of his upper torso at the hips. This added spine angle tilt caused his arms to hang straight down from his shoulders and gave him the perfect distance from the ball.
We next worked on a setup adjustment move to re-set his head perpendicular to his shoulders after he correctly walked into the setup. After K was set up, I had him raise his upper torso back straight up and set his head in line with his spine and perpendicular to his shoulders. I demonstrated the right angle position to him with his dad watching, by touching his left ear and diagramming a right angle, moving my finger out parallel to his shoulder and then dropped it straight down to his shoulder. I then repeated it with his right side and stressed that with the head straight up from his spine he had a right angle on both sides of his head.
From there he had to return back to his “PLHL” setup. The key was now he had to concentrate on keeping his head position, relative to his shoulders, exactly the same. He had to maintain his head to shoulder right angle relationship. I had him walk in and out and re-set 10 or more times to get the routine and feeling down pat. Every time he did it his Dad and I were standing face on to him so his Dad could learn the head look he needed see that K must have. I do this with Dad because he is my assistant when out with his son when I am not there.
The last check point I worked on with K was for him to make sure his nose was pointed at the ball. I reminded him of the ball position vision “Focus Test” and had him do it a few times. Pure focus on the ball means that the ball must be in the center of your focal field of vision. That point is directly out from your nose, thus creating the concept of “NAB,” the nose pointing AT the ball. This is important because when we swing we tend to return the club to where our center of focus is. If the ball is not there, then the body moves forward and that is when thin shots are hit. It also leads to hanging back in the transition and chunks can be hit.
The “Focus Test” is simple and takes a second or two. You can do it right now by standing up and looking at something on the floor straight on. Once setup correctly and you are looking at the object, close your eyes. Then immediately open them up and see where you are looking. If you are NAB, nose AT the ball, it will be in the center of your vision field. Now, turn or tilt your head like K was, with his nose behind the ball. Open and close your eyes and you will see your object is now not in the center of your focus, but out toward the periphery of your vision field. K being a lefty, his ball was outward right of his focus. For right handers the ball would be outward left.
Now, with K into a TE setup with his nose back in the Nab position and ball in center focus, it was time to now get his swing into Technical Excellence. Almost all of K’s swing problems were at the top of his backswing and transition. Despite all of that he was getting to a really good balanced T – Finish. He was getting deep behind his toe line, and he had the club laid off at the top of his backswing. He also had a slight re-route now and then in the transition that was happening too often.
I will discuss these problems and the corrections in tomorrow’s article. I will also include the swing test and drills we worked on. These involved K doing 2 swing position tests and practicing 3 swing drills. I know since ya’ll love taking tests and doing drills, waiting till tomorrow will be tough. But, it will be worth the wait.
The Surge!
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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 
Don,
Thanks for the “NAB” refresher tip. Please remind me what the “TE” setup is.
Marc Jartman
Hi Don, I got a stupid question for you. Would the PPGS swing pass the medicus driver test? It looks like it’s designed for single plane rotational swings only.
Hi Don
I have been using the ‘into catchers mit and up the tree’ out in the back yard hitting snow divots (Sask., Canada) since you demonstrated this a few days ago…( the neighbors must think I’m nuts). My tendancy is to route the club out and over the top in the down swing creating left fscing divots when I do this. I swing right handed…any thoughts on this ?
Dwight
Marc:
Answers to your question on what is TE are in yesterdays post ” The importance of the Pre-Lesson Q and A”
Don,
I’m right handed. This head positioning, where you mention NAB, is this with every club? Because I have always heard and seen where one is to have a slight tilt with the torso, toward the right side. With that in mind,especially with a driver and the ball placed on the front foot, how is one to be NAB? Please explain. Also, I understand the head being perpendicular to the shoulders and again, if there is a slight tilt in the torso, does this mean the head tilts a little as well in order to stay perpendicular? Can you please help.
Surge the nose at ball info was some of the best ever. Makes all the sense with the irons. How do you accomplish that for fairway woods or drivern when the ball is positioned forward and your spin tilt is to the left (for us lefties)?
Geoff, you remind me of the guys that want to know of a club fitter closer than an hour away. Most of the questions can be taken care of by there askers, if they had a brain to do it with. That might explane why they don’t understand right from left if they are facing the other way.
Phil
Hello. Don
I have a question,
Do you, or someone out there,
Could tell me something about,
Tennis elbow, or. Golfers elbow
I think I might have one or both !
I know that tennis elbow is on top
And golfers elbow. is on the bottom.
and my elbow is keeping me from
Doing just about EVERYTHING.
any help would greatly be appreciated.
Keith
Don mentioned early in his post that K was hitting thin iron shots, he only mentioned the driver to tell us that K is driving the ball well, so your nose is not going to be above the ball for a driver since it is played off of the front foot. The head remains in its normal relationship to the torso as we move the torso to our preloaded side, it was just that K was also cocking his head towards his shoulder in addition to moving his torso into his normal preloaded position. I hope this helps.
I have seen a commercial for Stacked done by several pros. I t seems very similar to the PPGS
Swing.
Ken is absolutely correct about head tilt and the driver. NAB is achievable on all irons; just don’t cock or tilt your head.
To Geoff; If you look up at the top of your e-mail, you will see a word, usually typed in blue, that says “unsubscribe”. Now simply click on that word and “VOILA”! You will no longer receive these e-mails. I hope your simple brain can grasp that concept.
TE = Technical Excellence
I’ve played this game I so dearly love,golf now for over 25 years. Your comments and teaching techniques are great! The head tilt one I’ve never heard before and can’t wait to involve into my game but i have to wait for a couple more months as I live in Edmonton,Canada. Thanks Surge!
Surge wrote about K, “The key was now he had to concentrate on keeping his head position, relative to his shoulders, exactly the same. He had to maintain his head to shoulder right angle relationship.” Ken wrote, “The head remains in its normal relationship to the torso as we move the torso to our preloaded side” For both right handers and left handers who have the proper NAB position this will cause the player to look inside out of the toe line. Under pressure this will cause the player to swing along his eye line and not the toe line. “He was getting deep behind his toe line, and he had the club laid off at the top of his backswing. He also had a slight re-route now and then in the transition that was happening too often.” wrote the Surge about K. This is also indicative of the eyes being aimed inside out. To have the eyes align to the toe line means the head needs to be perpendicular to the ground and not the shoulders when at the NAB. This will be a slight inclination towards the front shoulder and will feel a bit unnatural. When at address with the proper NAB, look up at the horizon to orient the eyes properly and then back down to the ball. This simple drill will eliminate a lot of poor strikes under pressure.
I have a hard time absorbing and retaining narrative instructions. Could you include illustrations or diagrams with your instructions?
Don,
I would add one thing to what you recommend about where your nose points. I agree that you need to focus on the ball with in the right head position. I found that as a senior, 82, that I have a better and smother take-away if I rotate my head slightly to the left and look at spot on the ground just in the front of the ball.with my left eye. It helps me maintain my head position by not moving to the right when I start to take the club back and up the tree. It is especially helpful if you a thick and short neck. Maintaining a steady head during take away is very importand in maintaing ballance, that is unless you believe in the Jimmy Ballard system of your take away.
Don,
I don’t understand how your nose can be at the ball (NAB) when using your driver. With the ball at the instep of your front foot and being pre-loaded on your back foot, how is this possible??
to Larry in Oregon,
both tennis and golf elbow are tendinitis injuries (inflammation) that are usually caused by overuse. Go to webmd.com and search for tennis elbow. They have a lot of suggestions and, depending on severity, you may end up needing to see a doctor and/or physical therapist if self treatment doen’t show some improvement in a week or two. Personally, I had golf elbow so bad I couldn’t hardly shake hands with people. What worked for me was icing right after play and then a few times at home after a round. You may have to back off a little from hitting balls or playing to give your elbw some rest initially. Finally, the inflammation doesn’t go away quickly but will slowly get better and disappear. I played the whole time so don’t get too discouraged. Best of luck!
I’m with Stan….a visual person. A picture would help me immeasurably to understand your instructions.
Don’t quite understand what you did with K’s setup adjustment. I am having some of the same problem. Being a lefty also I don’t won’t to miss out on something.
I have a lot of trouble with my hips. Osteoarthritis. I just was out in my garage using the new swing that you teach. I made 100 swings using various clubs (a normal round for me LOL) and I have no pain. It was stress free. Can’t wait for spring to see how effective this is going to be. I feel like I am down the line better. Even if I don’t hit it as far hey! I will still be playing golf. Because of the pain I was going to give up the game that I love so much.
NAB (nose at ball) means your nose is pointing at the ball. It does not mean your nose is directly over the ball, which, as some of you have pointed out, would be impossible when playing the ball off your left heel for the longer clubs. Just picture a line drawn straight down your nose. It should point to the ball.
Good morning from New Zealand. I am very interested in the NAB theory. I recognise the focus behind ball the ball and the body moving forward because this move has driven me to distraction for quite some time now. This is made more acute by the fact I don’t see out of my right eye [a birth defect]. Please what is your advice on my situation with only seeing with the left eye, would the right angle head position and NAB work the same for me and my situation. I am now 66 but still can see perfectly with my left eye and play off 8 although you made me feel a little better last week because I now mainly go off the forward tees which makes the game much more enjoyable. I am with you leave the 7000+ yards to young guns.
I have a problem with the transition and mentally cannot seem to correct this. It feels as if I’m out of sync with my arms causing a feeling of will I hit the ball squarly on coming down into impact to it.
Don:
When do youm load the back foot?
1 When you set up.
2 Gradually in your back swing.
Pete
J Griffin-
These blogs are difficult to respond to before the next one comes out some times. Yesterday or the day before I responded to your club fitting explanation with a comment on Mizuno to which you responded “they aren’t even close”. I appreciate your candor and do respect your opinions. I know club makers change stuff so quickly it’s hard to keep up. I have two comments. First, and this is obviously anecdotal, Mizuno “is” regarded as one of the best at least by testing panels in the rags and their staffs. Mizuno gets top rankings usually the best on most “Hot Lists”, etc. Tiger played Mizuno through college and early on before Nike bought him. Fluff told me Titliest stamped their name on MP’s his first couple of years before they lost him to Nike. Around here most of the top amateurs play MP’s as well. Now, I don’t endorse Mizuno but do play them and have found them as good as “I” can hit with feedback and all. I will say their new club is bit ugly when compared to their last years model however. Second comment: How in god’s name can one find and trust a fitter such as you across the US? How do we separate the alchemists from those who actually know what they are doing? Reputation is only as close as the last guy who liked his new set he just bought. Do you guys get certifications and how is that obtained? And why can’t the USGA demand the manufacturers follow some common standards? Frankly, the only reliable way I have found is going to a “Demo Day” where all the big names show up and let you hit so you can A/B different brands. Thanks for your help!
Pete P, do you look at the ball when you swing? Driver position simply turn your head until you nose is at the ball so your freaking eyballs don’t fall out.
Geoff, bail out and have a good day. Try tennis
Tony, buy a medicus and try it. Respond with the results.
Bill, I think stack and tilt puts weight on the forward foot at address.
TO: Mike Lucas,
I’m sorry to read of your wife passing. When you log onto PPGS at the top of the page there is a
title: >CONTACT US> and you can write to the PPGS,or if you read the blogs from this page at
the bottom of the page where the Surge picture is read that content also. Hope this helps get
your issue resolved. Just writing a blog doesn’t go anywhere unless the Surge happens to be
reading them that particular day. Good golfing and best wishes to you.
Clark K
Larry in Oregon,
The continuos rolling of the arm after impact with the golf club can aggrevate the tendons and cause inflamation to occur. If you do repetitive things like using a screwdriver or wrench this can have an impact also. Get a band that can be slipped onto the arm and slide it to about two inches from the bend of the elbow. Don’t over tighten the band or your hand will go numb, or could cause hands to swell, but only tighten enough so the muscle on top is isolated from moving. You need to wear this band until that pain is gone. Also get some motrin, or alleve, advil to help with the inflamation. I’ve had it and I know it hurts. It may take awhile for it to subside but if you continue to play golf you will need to wear it while playing to restrict the top muscle. You didn’t specify if it hurt on bottom or top. My recommendation is for the top muscle hurting, or elbow. Good luck, if all else fails see a orthopedic doc or chiropractor.
Clark
Absolutely amazing! Are you serious? Have you ever read what you write?
Let’s see now… How many swing thoughts are you putting into someone’s head?
You cannot be serious.
To: Larry in Oregon
Regarding “golfers elbow”, I had a serious case of golfers elbow and suffered greatly. I believe I injured my elbow by hitting down too hard on the ball on very dry fairways. What I did to heal my injury was somewhat unorthodox but worked for me. I purchased, online, a Therion Magnetic Elbow Brace from BetterHealthInnovations.com. I chose to wear it at night when I was sleeping. It took a few nights to get used to but, after about three weeks all pain was gone and has not returned. Believe me when I say, I was in pain! I also took a regular dose of Ibuprophen for about a week. Not having this pain in my left elbow has made the game much more fun. Good luck and happy golfing.
SURGE HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THE MARCH 2010 GOLF DIGEST.?THERE IS AN ARTICLE ON PAIN FREE GOLF BY A TEACHER NAMED SEAN FOLEY. DID YOU TEACH THIS GUY? A LOT OF HIS STUFF IS SIMILAR TO YOURS. IF FACT IN ONE OF THE PHOTOS IT LOOKS LIKE HE IS MIMMICKINGI YOUR TRADE MARK….WIDE KNEES
Noel, “To Geoff; If you look up at the top of your e-mail, you will see a word, usually typed in blue, that says “unsubscribe”. Now simply click on that word and “VOILA”! You will no longer receive these e-mails. I hope your simple brain can grasp that concept
What a classy guy you are Noel. Unfortunately this kind of comment is typical on this blog. If you disagree with anything that Don Trahan says his shills come after you.
Geoff, to unsubscribe go to the bottom of your email (bottom left) there is a hyperlink labeled “Manage your subsciption” click on that and there will be a couple of ways that you can stop the e-mails from coming to you.
Noel, there is no word anywhere on Don’s emails that is labeled “unsubscribe”. Can your simple brain grasp that concept? Or do you need some pictures? See, it’s simple to be a jerk as you well know.
To Larry in Oregon
I had a similar problem and found a cream on the internet (which was sent to me in Australia).
Have a look at http://www.ctcream.com
Bob
Jerry Foley,
Let’s see now. I used to play the MP 14s and loved them too. Tigers irons were actually forged by Hoffman Forgings in Tennessee when he signed with Titleist. The stampoing of Titleist on the MP 14s was just a rumer.
As for my comment about Mizuno not being close to the best was not in the qualtiy of the head or how they are put together but rather in attention to detail such as lie angles being right, lofts being right, and weights being correct. The best that I have seen, most consistent, is Titleist. However, the comment of the BIGGIES only fit you as far as lie, length, flex, and grip is still true and is a far cry short of what a fitter will do. USGA doesn’t care about this stuff.
As for trainging, there are various schools for builders and organizations for fitters and a lot of independent research and study. Even the best are always learning how to improve our craft.
Bill,
Stack and tilt isn’t even close to the PPGS. First, they preload heavy left rather than right. They take a full rotational swing and are considerably flatter with their swings. So, I’m curious as to what similarity you saw? Also, as an extra little footnote, most of the guys that you see in their advertisements are not even using that swing method any longer.
J Griffen-
thanks for your response. You come at things from a different perspective than me. I look at the swing simply as a personal signature of the individual and not as much a way of life. If you stand behind a tee at a pro event and simply concentrate on swing paths you will observe the same thing from all pro’s. At impact they all get back to square and parallel through the impact zone. So if you reverse engineer from there what’s the simplest swing to get you there? Now mitigate that answer with the complication of age or physical impairment and you may wind up with a variation from plane. But invariably you “must” get back to that plane or you won’t be square. One doesn’t need to be a PGA pro to be a to say this. The laws of physics say this. The PPGS system works for those who follow that swing path dictum. Whether it is “the” best path is open to debate. Where I am coming from is this; if the golfer can keep his clubface square relative to his swing path or plane he has less to correct on the way back to impact. And if the golfer cannot stay on a consistent path he must make a compensation to get back to the proper path. No two ways about it. I have blogged that I beieve you guys and don’t disagree with where you are coming from. I am down with PPGS but have to say that it is but one way to get you where you are going and not the “only” way. Let’s face it, if we could all swing like Tiger, we would. But at age 50 the body stops working like it used to. I just watched a Hogan video with Ben at age 50 plus. Wow, he was da man. But most us aren’t that superhuman so other swing motions must be employed that get us where we need to go. Don’t get so uptight, the PPGS is a great swing for a segment of the market. I wouldn’t be so defensive if I were you. Celebrate your success.
Like Larry above I have a golf elbow at the moment. Getting back into golf and swinging at the ball and putting into place the PPS swing Ihas put muscles a long time dormant into place.
I have been usuing a elbow elastic tube (covers a little of forearm and upper arm) plus use some Voltarin anti inflammatory or linament and its working (I hope). I realise the importance of doing warm up stretching and some regular exersise on the arms and shoulders.
Gary Player suggested that the perfect golfer had forearms likd Poeye and strong thighs like Jack Nicholas (gee I have a lot of work to do he he).
Cheers,
Miles
J. Griffim I’m presently playing MP200 I’ve noticed that the irons are stronger than (what I think )are standard. — PW 46 instead of 48, SW 54 instead of 56*– is this customary? What fitter is available around Westchester County N,Y. or Fairfield County Ct. Thanks
Easy game this: All you’ve got to do is make sure that you have got your toes, (nails clipped) heels, ankles, the balls of your feet, calves, thighs, knees, hips, belt buckle, belly button, chest, shoulders, spine, back, head, chin, eyes, hands, fingers, lower arms, upper arms, elbows, biceps, triceps etc in the right place, and of cource your nose, and you should be ready to go.
I wonder if there could be any other part of the anatomy that should play a role.
JohnOB
To Ken
Why are you so abusive to people you silly small minded moron. Try taking on someone like me if you want a ‘lets make derogatory remarks and belittle people’ fight. You are just the sort of bully I like dealing with as your nothing but a pipsqeauk, something I trod in walking in the grass. Golf & the people who play it, with the exception of morons like you, normally respect what other people are trying to say or the questions they ask, unlike you! Sorry for the complicated language but unlike yourself the other people reading this will be able to understand words with more than four letters & one syllable.
Golfer’s elbow can be a real pain, I know. Some of the best advice on dealing with it I found was at http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/tennis_elbow/index.html The apparatus is cheap and at hand, and the treatment really works.
Thanks
To all who responded to my question yesterday,
About. Tennis and golf elbow.
I will check out those web sites , and try a few of
Those. Ideas.
I’ve got to get this taken care of before spring !
I can’t wait to get back to the PPGS.
KEEP’EM. STRAIGHT
LARRY
to Larry in Oregon -
Here is one more thought to add to your list – my severe tennis elbow was determined to be caused by a subluxation – IN MY SHOULDER!!! Creams, ice, and braces, etc. might be helpful, but a chiropractor identified and eliminated my problem. Most provide a free examination and consultation. Good luck.
Anyone with sore joints (like I had) and are unable to swing a club, should investigate the benefits of using DSMO. Absolutely fantastic results. The FDA doesn’t approve it for humans, because the Pharmaceutical lobby blocks it.
Try ti, you will like it.
I have no interest in DSMO other than using it myself for “frozen shoulder”. It works.
For Peter Billek; re your question, “When do you load the back foot?
Answer: The PPGS system teaches that you pre-load your back foot to about 60% during the set-up, when you get into the “ride a skinny horse” posture”. And you keep your weight on the back foot until you start the bump and downswing, at which time the weight is transferred to your front foot. Hope this helps. R2
I have a dual hinged 5 iron medicus and I can swing the club, I have it adjusted very weak or senitive you might say, and swing it just fine.
I too had tendinitis in my left elbow (on top) that continued to the center of my left shoulder. This always intensified after hitting practice balls on the range. Besides that I had pain in my right elbow in the same spot as my left side but not to my right shoulder. After being convinced by one of Don’s on line lessons NOT to try and take a divot the pain in both elbows and left shoulder disappeared. I’m positive the continuous pounding of the club heads into the practice mat had every thing to do with causing the inflammation of my arm tendons.
Since I stopped trying to “hit down” on the ball, I have gained extra yards with my fairway metals and medium to long irons. It also has helped me level out my swing using driver and “miracle of miracles” have learned, after 40 years of hacking it around, to release the club head properly. I am going to be 66 in 4 months and was always able to keep up with the whipper snappers in driving distance. Since I’ve learned to release the club head properly I have picked up 30 yards with my driver and now none of the younger guys want to be in my 4 some.
I still struggle with my wedges and short irons in taking a divot however. I think I simply play the ball too far back in my stance. Will be working hard on that.
I really need help with sand trap shots tho. Here the courses use very different types of sand in the green side traps. Some are almost hard pan while the resort type courses have extremely fluffy sand almost powder. Techniques on escaping both types will be appreciated.
thanks and keep up the terrific lessons.
Bill K. Honolulu Hawaii
Just started getting the PPGS e-mails, I think my # 1 problem is alignment. Half the time I don’t know if I am looking at the target when I try to glance down my left shoulder to see where I am aiming. I am 18 handicap, but feel like i hit it well enough to post better scores.. I also was thinking of getting a medicus to use in conjunction with the PPGS system.
As a fellow left hander to the person receiving the original comment I wondered if there were any particular tips for left handers? There are 5 golfers in my office and 4 of them are leftys so there are plenty of us about yet not many make the top grade . Any ideas why
John handicap 15