- Audio version at the end of this post –
The basic purpose of a golf lesson to anyone other than a new golfer has two elements. The main one is to diagnose the setup and swing problems. The second is often overlooked but is the ultimate purpose of the lesson: know how the student is playing. Knowing what is happening on the course gives great clues to setup and swing issues. It also gives good insight to the student’s playing ability. This is important because swinging and playing, although intertwined, are two different things.
The more serious students are about playing well, shooting low scores and doing it consistently, what happens on the course becomes more important. Their stats and knowing what they feel is good, mediocre and bad is critically important information for their swing lesson.
I gave a lesson to K, my 12 year old lefty student who I have been teaching for over 6 years. K knows all the terms and points of the swing, so all our swing lessons are basically tightening up, fine tuning his Technical Excellence (TE) in his setup and swing. Like DJ and all my long time students, even me teaching myself, “TE is the key.” Fine tuning TE on a golfer is as critical as race car mechanics checking their race car after every time it goes out on the track. Fine tuning TE is the Key because in the PPGS, our main mantra is, “The setup determines the motion.” We can’t have the swing we want if we are not setup properly for the swing to happen.
K is playing a good schedule of junior golf tournaments on the local, regional and national levels. Playing well, scoring well and winning are important to him. He had just returned from playing in a national level event in Pinehurst. So the first order of business was to find out how he hit it and then get his stats and info about his playing. He hit it pretty well but scored poorly.
Along with tightening the TE and making the necessary swing adjustments caused by the TE being out of order, I always spend time with K and his Dad on discussing his stats and how he played shots in his last few tournament rounds. These discussions are critical to helping K develop into a quality player. Having a Technically Excellent setup and swing makes one a good swinger and is one serious component of being a player. The term “player” means one is skilled at maneuvering around the course and getting the ball in the hole with minimal strokes.
The key here is the ultimate purpose, goal and reason to play golf is to score low playing the course. Not just being able to setup and swing well on the range and being a “Range Player.” You have to be able to take your setup and swing to the course and get the ball in the hole. So K and his Dad and I spend a good amount of time discussing his shot evaluation and execution and playing strategy, especially when we do our occasional playing lessons.
This lesson, like all lessons, started with Dad and K giving me a briefing on the last couple of tournament rounds ball striking issues and fairways and greens stats. K was driving the ball well but missing many greens because of a lot of thin iron shots coming up short. At this point, K jumped in and said that although he hit a lot of thins they were good thins in that many got on the green. The problem was short game when he missed the green. He did not have a good up and down percentage.
So here we go. K already knows a big problem is that his short game is off and needs work. But the big question I asked him was how was his execution? Did he hit good pitches and chips overall or a lot of poor to bad shots? Did he feel his shot and club selection were good for the situation or after the shot, did he feel he chose the wrong shot or club for the shot? K felt that overall his execution and club selection were good, but the ball did not react as planned and should have for the execution. He was consistently coming up short and had an occasional one go way too far for the way he hit it.
I knew the answer was wet and soggy, but asked K anyway about the overall conditions of the course, especially the greens. He said wet and soggy and the temperature was on the cold side. Knowing I would ask, K came right out and said that he had rain gear and hats and gloves and worked hard at staying warm.
I started by saying that soggy greens are the most difficult to chip and pitch to as you cannot really know if the ball will bounce and roll out. You land on a fairly firm spot and get good to too much rollout. Land on a soft spongy spot and it can stop dead or barely roll out.
Thus, Rule #1 when playing soggy greens is you have to walk up on the green and walk near the line to the hole to check out the firmness or sponginess of the green. Rule #2 is to use less lofted clubs than you normally would for the shot.
Bringing the ball in on a lower trajectory reduces, as I call it, the “Impact Penetration Factor” so the ball will roll out more. The penetration factor is greater, that is the ball going deeper into the green making a bigger and deeper ball mark, the higher the trajectory or arc of the shot. So, on wet and soggy greens we bring the ball in lower, for less penetration. In fact we are looking for it to more or less hit and skip or skid, not dig and die or stop like a brick landing.
This lower trajectory, less penetration approach works. But, like anything in golf, shots coming off exactly as planned, is not a sure guarantee even with perfect execution. This now takes us to the after shot evaluation stage. This can be done immediately after the shot and should also be done in post round evaluations.
The first big question is simply, was it the right shot and club for the situation? Yes or No. IF No, then what was the right shot and club? And once that decision is made, it is filed away in your memory bank for future reference. If the answer is Yes, then a completely different mental approach is needed.
If yes it was the correct shot and club and good execution and the result was not what you anticipated, you did your job well. The point here that I stressed to K and his Dad is all you can do is make good assessments of the situation and conditions, choose the shot and club, and then setup and swing. If you setup and swing well and execute your decisions, AS PLANNED, you give yourself a good pat on the back and a say to yourself, “Well done!”
What you cannot do after good execution is second guess yourself. And worse than that is never, and I mean never, beat yourself up or get angry and disgusted or depressed about it. Golf is tough enough to deal with when you make wrong or not so good decisions and/or poor to bad swings.
Golf is filled with good breaks, which are great, and bad breaks and they hurt whether the execution is bad or good. The problem with bad breaks happening on good execution is that they are harder to swallow and deal with and leave us open to disappointment and depression and then trying too hard. That is why I always tell DJ and all my students before every round F&G&P. Fairways and Greens and the P is for Patience. Patience breeds control, a level head and clear thinking.
Lastly, as regards bad breaks which can drive one to insanity on the course, especially when they happen off a good shot, is you have to accept it as part of the game. Some call it the “rub” of the green. The best answer I ever heard about dealing with bad breaks was given by Gary Player when asked how he handles the bad breaks he said, “A good player makes his own breaks.”
I believe what Mr. Player was saying was keep your head high, mind clear and go play smart golf.
Shortly we’ll look at what I did to get K’s setup back into Technical Excellence.
The Surge!
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Mr. Trahan-
Love this article and how it shows what is important in teaching the game as opposed to the swing. Could you suggest a good way to chart statistics? I use a spreadsheet for fairways, greens, putts, up and downs inside 50 yards and then try to gage my focus on a scale of 1-5. That is all I use. Am I missing some key component?
Cheers,
Sean
Sean,
You may want to add charting where you missed shots that is right or left, and maybe also include the contact, solid, heel or toe.
As for putting you also can chart misses as to right/left and if short or too long. Also for putts you can chart on breaking putts if you played the right break, too much or too little. All these extra info will help identify patterns and your major problems as the one you do the most is the major one. The opposite of it is an over correction.
The Surge!
For some reason I have not been able to download all the lesson programs.I am not a computer wizard and must be doing something wrong. Could you please walk me thru the process. Thanks
Surge,
Great info on the impact of soggy greens on chips.
Terry
WORKING ON MY SWING IN A COLD BARN IN NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND. MY QUESTION IS, AT SAY 10 FEET FROM THE TEE, HITTING INTO A NET, HOW HIGH OFF THE FLOOR AT THAT POINT WOULD BE A GOOD HIGHT FOR THE BALL TO BE A GOOD SHOT.
HI !! I LIVE IN SUN VALLEY, IDAHO AT 5500 FT. I’M AN ATHLETIC 75 YRS. 6′ 200 LBS HANDICAP 24 TO 30. I’VE NEVER HAD A CONSISTENT SWING WITH ANY OF MY CLUBS…WHICH ARE VARIED AS TO MAKER. I’M NEW TO YOUR LESSONS, BUT TRIED THEM IN THE GARAGE (WE’RE KNEE DEEP WITH SNOW!) AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE…NO MORE PRETZEL !!!! I NEED TO FEEL MORE CONFIDENT WITH MY CLUBS, AND AM READY TO MOVE TO NEW ONES WHICH WOULD BE FROM THE SAME MAKER, NOT THE VARIED CLUBS I USE NOW…..TAYLOR, COBRA, CALLAWAY, CLEVELAND AND A PELTZ LOB WEDGE. SUGGESTIONS PLEASE……HOW IMPORTANT IS FITTING……..I WOULD HAVE TO FLY FROM HERE. I’M RETIRED FROM THE SHOPPING CENTER DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS, SO I HAVE THE TIME WHEREWITHAL TO DO THIS RIGHT. WE HAVE A SECOND HOME IN THE RANCHO SANTA FE/DELMAR/LA JOLLA AREA (NORTH COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO.
WE’RE GOING TO HAWAII ON FEB 20TH…..WOULD LOVE NEW CLUBS….BUT NOT TERMINAL IF CAN’T HAPPEN.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ADVICE !! JACK THORNTON
Don, I have an older copy of your book and am tryignto incorporate all the aspects of your system. Do you have a site or sitss for golf schools or individual lessons where I might come for instruction? thz TG
Hi Don, I tend to be mainly a cart rider but this year I want to walk the course more for the exercise. I was wondering if walking would help make my game be more consistent because of having more time to plan my next shot.
Thanks
Tony Rung.
To Don Haynes,
The first point to be interested in is are you making solid contact. If so, the general thinking about launch angle is that 14 to 16 degrees is good. Since I believe in higher flight and use 16 or 17 degrees the key would be what height is 16 degrees at 10 feet from the tee? I would guess it has to be at least 2 to 3 feet. I would think that much higher would have been hit high on th eclubface close to a pop up and lower would be low on the face close to a thin shot.
The Surge!
I just wanted to say that you are a tremendous blogger. I don’t know how you do it Surge, but your production of regular (in fact, daily), high quality content is an inspiration to us now and then bloggers. Great stuff (and my golf game is also improving thanks to you
).
Mr. Surgeon
I have an absolute terrible time with concetration when playing in wet/rainy conditions… I tend to get way too hyper… anything that you (or anyone else) can recommend reading-wise?
SURGE GOT TO GO OUTDOORS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE TRYING TO LEARN THE PPGS I DISCOVERED THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TRY TO SWING BY THE “SO CALLED NUMBERS” HOWEVER TOWARD THE END OF MY PRACTICE SESSION I DISCOVERED THAT IF I PRE LOADED MY WT. TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND DO NOT PICK MY FRONT FOOT ON THE BACK SWING EVERYTHING FELL INTO PLACE AS LONG AS I COMPLETED THE SWING TO 3/4. IS KEEPING THAT FRONT FOOT DOWN ESSENTIAL IN LEARNING THE PPGS? THANK YOU
Kent
I definitely feel your frustrations with playing in difficult conditions, unfortunately for us players who are not touring and playing the best courses in the best conditions most of the time (there are exceptions for some of the players in other countries but they do play regular enough to get an idea of what to expect), we have to deal with these crazy conditions about 90% of the time and I do well to play four times a month on average but I always seem to be battling cold, scorching hot, rain and/or wind here in central Texas and it is difficult to score your best in these conditions, PPGS or no PPGS, it is very difficult to calculate how a shot will react into a strong wind into your face on one hole and then at your back the next, etc… I have seen these tour players brew over a shot into the wind for long amounts of time, that would get me tossed off the course for taking too long to play and it would not help me anyway. I have had one round in the 70’s while playing on a windy day and it was only because I kept getting up and down from every place on the course and I was playing about 4 times a week in those days and had an 11 handicap. I have found that playing in the wind in a tourney motivates me because first off, it eliminates a good percentage of the golfers contending before the match begins and I just trudge along and focus on hitting the ball solid and making a good choice of shots around the green and as always, having a good putting game.
Happy Golfing
Ken
Surge, I always feel good after reading about your work with young golfers. It reminds me of my childhood playing and learning golf with (and from) my Dad. Likewise I have tried to pass my love for the game onto my son (he’s now 19).
Also, I wanted to remind any of your new students who have now got Don’s online program (membership) that one of my favorite viewings that I keep going back to is the over 3 hours of video shot in the Jr. Golf Blueprint (found under the heading “MY PRODUCTS”. If you don’t find it there be sure to ask customer support how to get it. We did a free survey that enabled us to get it several months ago (you would have to be a member to access this I’m sure).
Anyhow it is amazing how many additional lessonsare given there-in to some 7 different ‘young’
golfers. The way Don evaluates and then RX’s-perscribes the corrections to each student is huge for all of us. I feel most blogers on this site would loose all scepticism about this super methode after seeing The Jr. Golf blueprint just once. Surge, you could have sold this separately. I didn’t intend for this to sound like an advertisment! I’ve just been a little surprised at how few of our members have commented on it.
Thanks again and “Down the Middle”,
Robert
I hear ya Surge. I have played with guys who clobber it like missiles on the range but can’t get the ball in the hole on the course.
Thanks so much for all this brilliant FREE advice. I can’t believe that we are all getting this great stuff everyday! I love it.
ps. Has there ever been a better piece of advice than the “no wrist cock” theory? It is brilliant. Fixed my fade-slice immediately. Thank you so much Surge. Seriously. Can’t wait for tomorrows gem.
I play a course Daily that is a par 66. The best I have ever done on this course is a 90.After spending a week trying to get your setup and swing down I went back out to this course and scored a 113.The next day I scored a 132.. Now that is bad golf..The biggest problem seems to be missed shots. I actually am missing the ball. My friends are telling me that everything looks O.K. but I actually miss the ball usually to the left. When I compensate for this I hit the ball on the heel and it squirts to the right at almost 90 degrees Drives are good and solid for the most part . This is happening on my irons. HELP
Surge i just got into your inner forum, and those videos/drills make such a big difference in understanding your swing. thanks.I tried working on my swing all summer and some days were awesome and some were the usual, i can now see why some were better than others.
I cant use the catchers mitt tree visual. I have to use mine which is I visualize some body sticking there head right next to my back shoulder, on the toe line, looking toward the the target and i take my forward arm back and up picturing a good upper cut swing which would need a good solid wrist and catch them right under the jaw, trying to punch though their jaw. I also try to picture the head catching me off guard so i make my back swing a little faster which seems to help my forward up swing. No so far i have not attached any faces to said head……that could change in the future:)
I havent been able to practice any of this but im a realllly bad slicer so is my son if i go 3/4 swing wheres the power coming from do I need to swing harder ?
To Robert Meade.
Hi Robert. Re your observation that not many members commented on Don’s junior golf blueprint coaching videos. Maybe, the reason is that very few members were able to gain access to the junior blueprint videos. I completed the survey of which you speak. When I hit the access button at the end of the short survey, a screen popped up, with a much longer and broader list of questions. I completed those extra questions and again tried in vain to access the junior blueprint videos. Maybe, others had that same problem. I still can’t access the videos.
Cheers.
g’day surge
i have been using your swing for about 7 months.
have gone from 26-20 h’cap.
so thankyou. my question about having any lessons, is that if the teacher doesn’t use your swing is it worth having a lesson from them.again thanks for all the tips
glenn
Surge or J Griffin,
Could you please explain to me (some diagrams in key positions would be ideal eg.1/2 back,top,impact ,in the mitt upswing & the finish) the perpendendicular to the ground position of to ‘no cocked hands’ in your swing teachings as i really think this is a vital image to show ALL students what is actually happenning with the hands in your teaching & will clear up alot of uncertainty about where & what the hands are actually doing in the swing.
I for one am hitting the ball so much better in these last few weeks after really applying your stance & alignment into my every swing that it now feels completely normal,comfortable & natural (not to forget EASY now, after persisting just for a few weeks). I just kept at it & at it & it now feels a natural thing.
I had been having trouble with weight transition through the ball to the finish ie.hitting too much through impact with my weight stayling on my back foot & side but after sticking with a little advice from J.Griffin, Ken & Robert Meade i soon realised that i was aggresively attacking my downswing with a back hand/arm & shoulder movement that was what i finally understood an “over & around’ move…resulting in peeved off weak fading drives- 5 irons.
Well i took a little advice into 2 practise sessions & a game today (shooting 73- 5 under my Hcap).More importantly was the pleasure of actually being able to strike the ball knowing what i was doing without much more than thinking about my stance,alignment & club selection then swinging the Back arm/shoulder UNDER & down the target line instead of what i now realise was ‘OVER & around’ the target line…it really worked magic…straight & repeating distances with each club ..does do wonders for your confidence.
This was a really CRITICAL peice of advice for me that has immediately transformed my ball striking.& to actually make the change it was simple,easy & pure bliss & thank you guys enormously.I hope others having problems like mine ( & i called it ‘weight transfer ball striking blues’) may understand the real simplicity in this as not only did i have to stop trying to think & MAKE myself do the BUMP for the transition.to occur what i found was that the good olbump just completely happens anyway when i move my back arm & shoulder under & through in the downswing…so what i’m saying is just another thing i now dont have to think about to make my swing happen..i am now getting a sense of being able to release swing thoughts as long as the important main motions are being done.
Finally a very small peice of advice that i found very helpfull is that when you start your downsing with a little pressure by the inside of your backfoot bigtoe down the swing or target line is a great way to get the bump & through swing all happenning down & up that target line NOT over & around.Thanks for that one as i find it so simple & it works !
I now just presume what Surge calls ‘perpendicular hands all through the entire swing’ are what MY hands are doing as i dont know other than ive never hit the ball so reoeatably better with real pure contact without any what i call ‘over hitting with my top 1/2 body or shoulders’ (which never works for me & i can prove it)….maybe you can tell me what my hands are doing when im swinging like this as i just think of them being active in my swing eventually arriving to the finish over my shoulder then they seem to pop down facing the target line in a little balanced rebound action when i’m facing the target all done..
Many thanks guys & hope the hands diagrams throughout the key swing positions eventuates for all to look at.
.
hi don tried to follow your ppgs system to the letter because i trust it and had such great results so quickly the weathers been awlfull here in the uk over the last 2 months but my results were realy good now things are better im sliding a little my aproach shots are good but my driving has be come irratic a gentle fade to a hard draw im tending to leave the driver and use a rescue which is great on 380 yarders but not 460 par 4s i feel that the easier the swing comes maybe im coming inside my toe line and with the driver the lenth of shaft becomes difficult to trust that your not leaving the the club on an outside path i know this is a lenthy question but i wonderd wether anybody else has this problem cure the drive and ive lost 5 shots i know im a healthy 54 year old playing of 13hcap and want to break 80 my driver was fitted but my swing was more rounded i would like the same swing for all clubs encluding the driver please help yesterday i put the driver away as i was starting to practice a flatter driver swing i dont want that by the way ive lost no length with my clubs infact it has increased an 8 for a 7 and so on thanks for the help so far it been brilliant
Eqlbarry,
I feel your pain as it has taken me a while to get comfortable with a driver with the PPGS. In short, don’t give up and be patient with yourself. REad or re-read the wealth of articles and suggestions found on this blog for the driver found above in “CATEGORIES”. Also consider some the suggestions in those articles on club length and getting fitted. I changed from a 46″ stiff 9 degree to a 44 regular 101/2 degree and along with practice am usually down the middle about 240 yards. Never was more than about 265 even 30 years ago, but crooked!
Keep studying and keep practicing and better things will come,
Robert
I too want to support those who mentioned the value of the Junior blueprint videos. The videos not only elucidate concepts of the PPGS but also show what an excellent job Don does in teaching his students. This may not be possible, but I would suggest that these videos be made available to all of those who have purchased the PPGS videos. I know some of us had to fill out a survey to obtain them, but I would bet none of us who filled out the survey would be that upset if they were simply made available to everyone.
How can i practice golf during the winter months? i live in a cold weather state but i have access to a basement. what can i do to prepare for the golf season?
Don,
You know a lot about golf. You know very little about the Atkins diet.
You got most of what you said about it all wrong.
Better stick to golf.
you do a good job there.
Dave
To Michael and Robert Meade
Hi, I completed the short survey from Don and they gave me access immediately through the headline of ¨MY PRODUCT¨listed like ¨the junior blueprint videos¨. I agree with you Robert, it’s awsome like I learned a lot more by seeing those videos and much understanding the PPGS approach. It was a nice gift that Don did to all of them who respond to that survey.
A long life to Don and his wonderful approach nicely call ¨PPGS¨.
To Dave Larson
You wrote that Don spoke about the Ätkings Diet¨. Don never spoke about that diet. Larry Jacobs spoke about his diet system called ¨Thin for Life¨. I don’t know where you took that information.
To Dave Larson
Sorry, it’s ¨Atkins Diet¨ and not ¨Atkings¨.
I am giving up on this forum. I am so sick of having to wade through all the idiots with repeat questions that have long ago been answered. And even worse the numbskulls that can’t locate the DVD’s and probably check the mailbox every day looking for them. I was loving all the relevant information and feedback from you and others that was benficial. Especially from J Griffin.
Mr. Trahan,
I appreciate your lessons and your blogs. Until I started using the PPGS I never knew what I was doing when playing golf. I was watching the golf channel today and saw an informercial for the Medicus hinged driver. I an wondering if this training device would work when using the PPGS swing with its vertical backswing. Can you comment on this topic?
I have also wondered, like some other writers, whether conventional golf lessons would be useful for someone using the PPGS system.
Thanks again for all that you do. Phil River, Illinois