Winter is quickly plowing down on us as colder temperatures, morning frost on the car and snow are positive reminders that for many of us golfers, the playing season is over. The big question, as Chuck asks below, is what can we do to be ready for next season?
Chuck C. says:
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 intrigued 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.
The Surge says:
For Chuck and all of us, even here in the South where we can still play a little, the first and most important issue is to stay or get fit. Start with a checkup and recommendations from your doctor as to what he or she suggests you are able to and should do. I am sure this will start with a weight management or weight loss program centered on a good diet and nutrition, and an exercise program.
The next issue will be to start on a good flexibility and conditioning program, as well as some strength training. These programs are available at most Y’s, gyms and health clubs. Joining a program at these facilities is good because you will have expert guidance and training from well trained staff. You can get this expert help and training individually or in group sessions. Either way, whichever is best for you, expert advice and guidance will help you have better workouts, see more improvement and, most importantly, keep you safer from over exertion and injury. Many of these trainers can develop a golf specific training regime. All you have to do is ask. This is important for the trainer to know especially in strength conditioning. Golfers want speed not muscle, so our strength training should uses less weight and more reps.
Golf training should start with some drills to work on fine tuning the PPGS setup. You can practice setup by looking into the mirror or just looking down at your knees, seeing and feeling the resisting and limited turn backswing. You are looking and feeling the resisting forward kneecap, which turns slightly inward and moves no more than an inch or two. You also then turn your focus and attention again to both seeing and feeling the LOAD over and onto a flexed back knee. The back kneecap like the front, can turn outward a little, but the key is the weight must remain centered over the foot.
One of the best swing drills would be the “Butt on a Wall” drill to work on swinging the limited turn ¾ vertical over the toe line backswing. Skipping rocks on a lake is a great drill for the backswing, especially for feeling transition, release and the forward swing to the T – Finish. Lastly, you can practice you’re your setup routine again, using the mirror to look for reinforcement. Remember, the more senses we use, the more powerful the feedback and the quicker the learning experience.
Chuck, for actual practice at the driving range, you can also work there on your setup, but now you need to work alignment into the routine. Since you are hitting a lot of pulls, alignment is critical, as aiming right (for a right hander) is a major cause of pulls as well as a ball position that is too forward in your stance.
The major swing issue for pulls is usually swinging too long and turning too much in the backswing and getting into the SBG (Sacred Burial Ground). This causes the outside to in forward swing, which is crossing the aiming line, swinging left of the target. A square club face at impact swinging left is a pull shot. Over-releasing, the toe turning past toe up, will turn the shot into a pull hook.
The wide knee drills, resisting the forward knee and loading the back knee and the butt on the wall drill, and skipping rocks, will help you feel the takeaway straight back into the mitt and up the tree for the limited turn backswing. The skipping rocks will really help you in the forward swing, up to a dynamically balanced finish. It is important to make good and perfect practice swings as prefect practice makes perfect. If there is a short game practice area and putting green put in a lot of time and practice there.
Finally, I will emphasize that you work on secret number 5 of the PPGS, “Who Cares!” This means that if you hit a bad shot and you ask yourself what happened or what did you do wrong, your answer is, “Who Cares!” There are too many single possibilities, as well as multiple problems, that it could be. To try this and then that and then something else is nothing more than groping around in the dark. That is not only is a total waste of time, energy and golf balls, but it is also messing up your mind and your swing.
The real response to “Who Cares!” is followed by the statement, “I will do the next setup and swing right.” That way you are only focusing and working on positives of the PPGS setup and swing: The things you know are right and what you want to do.
Get into a good health and fitness routine and practice regime this winter and your game will be primed and ready when golf season opens next spring. Then, maintain those good habits and practice and your body, swing and golf game will be fine tuned year round.
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 
Hi,
I did not get secret # 6. Hope you can send it to me to complete the set of 10. Thanks in advance.
George
George,
If you click on the FAQs link up at the top of the page, there’s a link there to recover any missing videos from the free series. All you have to do it add your email address and it will give you a complete list of all the videos you should have already received.
Dean
Don,
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on tempo and grounding or not grounding the club.
Thanks, Bob M.
Your emails would be better if they recognised that many of your followers live in the southern hemisphere or tropics where where we are enjoying the summer and lying on beaches between golf rounds. Maybe your emails could reflect that so they would be more accpetable to the wider audience and that onlly some are suffering thorugh the north american winter.
I would like to know the best exercizes to do to compliment this new swing. The gym Where I go is unable to give me the program I am inquiring about. They are not golfers. They just don’t know. Help !
I would suggest anyone interested in flexibility and strengthening exercises to improve their golf game the Titlest Performance Institute website. http://www.mytpi.com
I have been doing exercises from this site for almost two years and have found it very helpful.
I HAD A STRAIGHT BACK (UP A TREE) BACK SWING YEARS AGO AND I DEVELOPED A SORE BACK WITH REVERSE PIVOTING. THIS TAKEAWAY SEEMS SIMULAR IN THIS COURSE. HOW DOES THIS DIFFER?
Don
Thank you for your emails of the compact swing, as I have tirned 65 years old and play of a 5 handicap and I have been at this level or below for the last 32 years, my main problem comes when I get a little quick and then I hit either a block to the left or a snap hook to the right.
Do you think this comes from alignment or to much back swing which causes me to get outside to inside swing path?
I look forward to your reply?
to Lee:
In your former “up the tree” swing — what was you Affress posture ? I had a similar problem — a conventional address with a near vertical rotational (but limited 3/4 backswing). I worked great for many years but as I grew older – back pains became a problem.
Since converting to the PPGS set-up with wide knees, limited use of lower body, — No more back pain and jsut as straight as ever
This is my experience with PPGS
Amos
Gentlemen:
One of the best workouts you can get is outlined in the golf specific book by Robert G. Price CPFT, “THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WEIGHT TRAINING FOR GOLF PAST 40″ sexond edition. I purchased my copy from Amozin .com
It gives you in season and out of season exercises specific for golf. If you are serious about inproving and health this makes a lot of sense.
Merry Christmas to all.
Hi Surge,
While trying to work out a comfortable and consistent swing I discovered your ten free videos and have been following your daily “words of wisdom”. You’ve set me on the right path. In this process I’ve discovered a couple of techniques that are working for me and I think they might help some of your followers based on some of the questions you’re receiving. My goals for playing golf are to have an enjoyable time first and scoring only comes in second. If I can make clean and consistent contact with the ball the rest will take care of itself.
First, the technique for developing a “feel “ for your take away/backswing. Simply stand in the batters box and prepare yourself to hit a pitched ball. Usually we’ll hold the bat/club in our front hand and point it in the direction of the pitcher. Then we’ll bring it back in front of our body and attach our back hand to the bat/club. With a slight backward twist of our hips/body we’re ready to hit. This is a very natural hitting action for anyone who’s ever played baseball. Now look at our body’s position in relation to the PPGS. Our front arm has taken the club back (not our shoulders) and with the back hand applied the bat/club is near the 12:00 o’clock position. Our shoulders only turned at the final set of our body which pretty much aligns our right/back side. Everything happened very naturally and most important our balance is perfect. I think we’re pretty close to the PPGS swing. The only thing left is to lower the swing plane.
Second, the technique for developing a “feel” for your downswing. Use a grass cutter/scythe/golf club in the front hand (only) and swing it to cut grass. The thicker the grass the harder you have to swing. Since you can’t swing very hard with just one hand the hips/body will automatically start to help and you get a natural “feel” for the downswing.
If you lose your rhythm on the course you can quickly regain it by hitting the ball or cutting grass. These techniques seem to work for me.
Don, I’m sure you’re familiar with these ideas but if you haven’t tried them for while try them now. They really give the “feel” for your teaching approach. I know this is long winded but if it’s of any help use it anyway you want and rephrase the information. You have a great touch for explanation.
A believer, Claude
Thanks for responding ‘Surge’ to my question about enduring winter. Your points are not only healthy advice but prudent. Good health and flexibility are the foundations to everything, not only golf and I am glad you brought them up first.
Three months off should give me plenty of time to set up a good routine for practice. The only problem will be skimming rocks accross the lake…it is frozen.
Chuck
I looked at your swing and DJ’s You are consistent about stopping your backswing between 12 and 1 o’clock. DJ is with the irons, but he goes parallel with his woods and driver. It seems to me that is impossible without breadking your left wrist an is contrary to what you teach. Comment please
Do you sell DVD’s
I have tried to obtain the ten free videos in every way you have suggested to no avail
driver video is much too expensive!
I bought the driver video but am disappointed you say you will show us how to find out if your driver is the right length but all you say is go see a pro fitter not nice since this was the reason I bought it. You could have said that for free. I am not asking for my money back yet. I will try to use some of the rest of the video but now I can not hit my driver at all with you up the tree swing. I can only hit the 7 and not very well. But since I took the skin off the heal of my hand I can not go to the range. I need to find something that makes playing golf fun right now I am not having to much of that on the coarse.
I can’t find an explanation of the “Butt on a Wall” drill ?
Please help.
Jack
to Jack Torney:
It is in the manual – and Don has mentioned it in previous posts.
Basically – the “Butt on the Wall” drill is as follows:
Back up to a wall — assume a PPGS address stance(with your butt touching the wall) — make a PPGS “rotate into the catcher’s miit” and ‘up the tree” backswing. The club is NOT supposed to touch the wall!!
The purpose of the drill is keep you OUT of the SBG (Sacred Burial Ground)
Hope this helps
Amos
Hi From Sydney Australia. We are entering Summer current temperature 28degrees C (82 F) at 5pm. Best advice is come down under and keep playing
Hi from Denmark. Love your letter about winter golf training. So true.Love it. I`ll give it – and my self – a chance this winter. The weather is very cold and wet her in northern Europe.I´m dreaming and looking forward to the next golf season.Ok Don I will go for the challenge.
Merry Christmas from Denmark to you and DJ. Thanks for a lot of inspiration – keep on the good work, Don.
Dear Don
I find so much that is interesting on your site and I think I understand what you are saying but I wonder if you have another metaphor for “rotate into the catcher’s mitt” for those of us in the UK who have never played baseball.
Hi Don- from Spain,
There seems to be a lot of questions regarding the set -up with regards to hooks,pulls,slices etc.
What has always worked for me is to make sure that my eyes are aligned with the target line-if you want to draw-set up with your left eyeforward of the target line and your right to the nearside of the line.If you want to fadethe ball it is the opposite.I do reccomend choosing one or the other as I find that the straight shot is the hardest.
An excellent website and swing instruction Don.
It seems to me that the bottom line is commitment. I live in an age restricted community (55 and over) and you can count on one hand the number of golfers each day that actually ‘warm up’ with some stretching, hit a few balls on the range, maybe roll a few putts, etc. You get the picture. They’re the same ones that show up on the first tee 8 milliseconds before their tee time and are lucky if they roll the ball 50 yards into the fairway.
Surge,
Here is one for the fan club about “Who Cares” when a bad shot is hit. How many times have you been with a playing partner and when you get to a specific tee-box the first words out of their mouth is “I HATE THIS HOLE”, or I’ve never scored well here, or I’ve never enjoyed playing this course. To me those thoughts at the out set is a big negative, in the brain. If you think negative thoughts then a bad swing is sure to happen and the person continues to complain. If anyone can visualize a particular shot or ball flight, one might find that something good has been accomplished and the demons do go away. Just wanted members to consider this when approaching all 18 holes out there. Have a good one stay positive.
Clark
If you click on the FAQs link up at the top of the page, there’s a link there to recover any missing videos from the free series. All you have to do it add your email address and it will give you a complete list of all the videos you should have already received.
Dean
Well Surge ,you have revolutionised my golf and its so simple I avoid too much instruction at this stage. But in the deep southern ocean here we have blue water 27 deg and no snow { as long as Copenhagen dont stuff it up }.One day I want to play Augusta so I will stick with your system MATE and who knows.The more I relax the better the shot. Merry Xmas from Pure Green New zealand
I tried to purchase your video but seems you dont like AMEX in the US
Bob Malachowski says:
December 10, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Don,
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on tempo and grounding or not grounding the club.
Thanks, Bob M.
Not grounding the club worked well for Jack Nicklaus. First it would make sure he would never get a penalty for his ball moving as it would if one grounded their club and the ball moved.
I am good with not grounding the club. But if one does, I only like it to be done with very little to actually no pressure or pushing down of the club. Just let it touch the ground, which would be a form of hovering but would still get you a penalty if your ball moves.
I like the club to be grounded or at the impact height of the ball so we can get a perfect spine angle tilt and arm hang for the shot. I touch the ground with no pressure with my irons and since I tee the ball high, I hover at the ball with my woods and with the irons on par 3’s as I always tee them up.
Second, Many who hover the club above ground say they do because it tends to give them a slower and smoother takeaway. Many also do not ground their putter for the same reasons.
So Bob, I am good with not grounding/hovering especially if it helps one have a smoother and slower takeaway and they can still have solid impact.
The Surge!
Brian asks:
Brian Williams says:
December 11, 2009 at 9:29 am
Dear Don
I find so much that is interesting on your site and I think I understand what you are saying but I wonder if you have another metaphor for “rotate into the catcher’s mitt” for those of us in the UK who have never played baseball.
Brian, You don’t have baseball but you do have cricket and the batter or hitter swing in cricket is the same both in the backswing and the forward impact swing. I even have a picture in my files of a cricket hitter in the follow through position after hitting the ball that I use to show release (the rotation of the forearms and hands through impact) as the same as golf.
The Surge!
To Howard Bennett,
DJ is long with his driver and many times gets to parallel. Keeping him 3/4 with his driver is always a work in progress for me. But whether he is 3/4 or parallel and everything in between he does not break his wrist.
One can swing to parallel with a lot of arm lift and still maintain firm wrist as DJ does. That is why despite many driver swings longer than 3/4 he is 47th in accuracy, 79th in distance and 22nd in total driving in 09. He also finished 7th in Greens in Regulation.
The Surge!
To Claude Powell,
I love your analogy of the swinging a grass cutter, scythe or sickle. The thicker the grass the harder/faster you have to swing. Your comment reminded me that a student a long time ago once used the same grass cutting concept to feel the swing.
It is a good one and I must remember to use it more often.
Thanks,
The Surge!
To Golfer Gene,
Thanks much for the reference (I posted below) of “The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training Past 40″ by Robert G Price. I am sure many of our readers will get this as I likely will.
The Surge!
GOLFERGENEO says:
December 10, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Gentlemen:
One of the best workouts you can get is outlined in the golf specific book by Robert G. Price CPFT, “THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WEIGHT TRAINING FOR GOLF PAST 40″ sexond edition. I purchased my copy from Amozin .com
It gives you in season and out of season exercises specific for golf. If you are serious about inproving and health this makes a lot of sense.
Merry Christmas to all.
To Amos Terrell,
Which manual is that then?
to Terry:
the PPGS manual — available on this site — for download and printing. You should have a link to it in your “my Products” tab.
Amos
G’Day Surge,
You have forgotten another alternative. Try coming down to Australia & New Zealand during your winter months. we paly all year round, the fees are quite low & with the $A getting close to the $U won’t cost a fortune.
Have a look at http://www.ausgolf.com.au to see what I mean. I’m sure there will be a NZ version on the net some where
to Terry”
Didn’t you recieve an email offering the PPGS manual? I did — when ordered, you get a link simialr to the DVD series.
I think this may be your problem.
Good Luck
Amos
to Surge:
So perphaps I should thank my Father for my golf swing? He was never a golfer, but he made me swing a “grass blade” ( I recall he called it a “grass whip”) for several hours a week to control weeds in a vacan back lot.
Keep them in the Short Grass
Amos