Using phone group

[doubledose1]

When I push the phone icon. I go to a screen that has a numer pad. If I go into the settings I can change that by selecting smart dial keypad and then it brings up smaller keypad with a last call window on top of key pad. I have went in and put a whole lot of my close contacts into a group, But I find no easy way to get to that group without sliding the screen sideways and then selecting the group under the groups section to open up all of my imeadiate contacts I want.
Is this normall? Is there a way that when I push the phone icon it goes straight to the group I want it to go to with my group of people in it?
Thanks
Wayne