Daily Video Blog

Authored by: Brady
Posted on: 21 March 2026

Don Trahan's analysis of his own swing with different clubs reveals golf's most misunderstood concept: it's your arms that swing on plane, not the club.

Most golfers focus on getting the club on plane, but Don's demonstration shows this is wrong. At address, your arms start below the plane—especially the trail arm (right arm for righties, left arm for lefties). This is correct and necessary.

During takeaway, Don rotates the clubhead first, moving the toe toward "the catcher's mitt" and "up the tree." This rotation naturally lifts his lead arm onto the plane, where it stays throughout the backswing. At the top, his lead hand and forearm align perfectly on the plane while the clubhead passes through it.

The downswing shows his lead arm maintaining plane contact until just before impact. After impact, physics takes over—the trail arm moves onto the plane while the lead arm comes off it, demonstrating equal and opposite reaction.

Don's vertical swing style... Read More

Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 26 July 2011
Comments: 59
Last week, we received a great question from Irv Hoffbauer, who is 84 years young and still working on his game, proving once again that golf can and should be a game for a lifetime. Irv is... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 23 July 2011
Comments: 72
In this video Greg MacDonell, my chief Director of Golf Instruction, and I review some of the things we observed in last week's golf school at Orange County National in Orlando. This year we have... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 22 July 2011
Comments: 23
As you may know, I have just returned home to South Carolina after three weeks of travel to England, Holland and then back to Orlando. We held successful golf schools in each location and I must... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 21 July 2011
Recently, Steve Smith, one of our most active bloggers on this site and a great student of the Surge Swing, did some self-analysis. He videotaped himself swinging every club in his bag to find out... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 20 July 2011
If you had a chance to watch the final round of The Open Championship this weekend, you saw a marvelous performance by Darren Clarke in the face of some pretty ferocious conditions. As you know,... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 18 July 2011
Comments: 41
One of the major reasons so many golfers have come to this site is because it's home to the most pain-free swing. Because this swing is based on physics and physiology, and because of my years of... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 17 July 2011
Comments: 61
A great deal has been written and taught about weight distribution when addressing the ball. It'€™s easy to get confused. You'€™re told to distribute your weight evenly on your right and left leg.... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 16 July 2011
I walk the course as often as I can. I highly recommend it. While it'€™s not the continuous walking that physical therapists would like you to do to increase your metabolism, it'€™s still darn good... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 15 July 2011
Lynn '€œDoc'€ Griffin came up with another amazing observation a few weeks ago after hearing one too many of the golfers who visit him complain about distance. This time the golfer added that he was... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 14 July 2011
Comments: 44
We talked about '€œmilking'€ the club or re-gripping at address and in the backswing. You really responded and had some great thoughts about that and ideas, in general, about changing bad habits.... Read More