Understanding the Golf Swing

Rating:
Summary: Best I've read....
Review: I must own easily 20-30 golf instruction books. Everything from The Little Red Book by Harvey Penick to Butch Harmon's Playing Lessons. This was by far the easiest to put into practice. His simple concept of swinging the club back with the hands and forward with the arms is a master stroke (pardon the pun). When using his method your mind becomes uncluterred and your body is free to just swing the club. I received this book about 3 days ago read it cover to cover and the re-read the "swing" section. Without having hit one ball on the range I went out and shot an 85 with a triple bogey on the last hole. (I'm a 16 handicap) Never have I felt so relaxed and confident on the course. Anyone who buys this book will improve his/her game. Good luck.

Rating:
Summary: Keep It Simple
Review: I read the reviews and bought the book. It was refreshing to hear that you can play well by keeping it simple. The first time I played after reading the book (and following the concept), I knocked 9 strokes off my usual nine-hole score! (Well my new Odyssey two-ball putter helped too. Save your expensive lesson fees and get one of these as well.) It was amazing and easy. I hit my driver straight and long and my irons straight, with distance control. I actually had birdie putts even if they weren't realistically makeable. That nine-hole score even followed an eight on a par four. (Never follow a bad shot with a bad decision). I only need to learn to keep my concentration throughout the round. If you love golf, as I do, please do yourself a favor and buy this book. I'm into my second full reading, along with numerous spot checks. Now if there were only a video...

Rating:
Summary: It's a great book, try it out
Review: I read the reviews and like many others I have several other instruction books. I read this book and then went out and played without going to the range. I'm an 11 handicap and I shot a 99. I went back to the book and reread several parts. After going to the range and working on what he is talking about I shot a 75, my lowest score ever. The 75 is directly related to this book and it's simplicity, it's worth it to try it, be patient and really try to accept the concepts discussed.

Rating:
Summary: I love this Book!!
Review: I really [was bad] at golf and it seemed that the more I played the worse I got. Everything I ever heard about the swing I was trying and I was concentrating way to much. This book helped me improve my swing without concentrating on anything at all! It is great. It has a list of common problems like slicing, hooking, topping, shanking, hitting behind the ball, etc... and has reasons why people do it and corrections. It tells how to grip and has pictures. It has special sections on putting, chipping, getting out of the sand, hitting off a hill, purposely slicing or hooking. Best of all I actually enjoyed reading this book and couldn't wait to go on the golf course and try out the stuff I learned. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to improve their game.

Rating:
Summary: This book is Golf's greatest secret !!!
Review: I took classes with your average Golf Professional for $300.00 and 6 back-breaking, worthless, frustrating sessions - ( put your arm here.... your butt here, oh.. yes.. all while twisting your tongue this way, and your eyes that way. You get the picture.)

My exasperation with the game became such, I gave it up all together. My wife picked this book, mostly because she liked the cover, and I have not stopped kissing her toes since. I took the game again, only now I am driving 225 with my 3 Iron after only 2 weeks of reading this gem, and using its no nonsense advice.

I am falling in love with the game all over again. Mr. De La Torre, Your gift to us is your ability to teach us how to separate the things we can control, from the one our bodies will handle properly without our interferance.

I have bought 6 so far, and given it only to my best friends. They all love it.

Rating:
Summary: Little help for this beginner
Review: I took up golf at age 50 last year and bought this book after a group lesson in hopes of building a fundamental golf swing. Manuel de la Torre is no doubt a dedicated teacher, but in this book he glosses over too many things for the beginner. There's a lot more to learning the swing than "lift with your hands, swing with your arms" and then presto everything else with the body is supposed to follow naturally. In my case I had major flaws with wrist pronation and improper hip turn and this book provided no help or even brought it to my attention. By contrast, I picked up Hogan's "Five Lessons" book late in my first year and it has been immensely more helpful with its many detailed descriptions and step-by-step illustrations. That's another thing with de la Torre's book--it's poorly illustrated with only a sparse photo here and there. I will give de la Torre credit for his extensive treatment of ball flight causes and effects--for this I suppose the book could come in handy as a troubleshooting reference as I learn to play better. But as a beginner, I should have bought Hogan's inexpensive "Five Lessons" book right at the start and saved myself a lot of time and grief in learning the golf swing.

Rating:
Summary: A classic from the "swing the clubhead" school
Review: I was expecting a fundamental approach to golf, not here. I did not find any practical knowledge to apply to my own game. If you looking for a story buy this book, if your looking for help with your game......buy hogan......

Rating:
Summary: Not what I thought
Review: I was expecting a fundamental approach to golf, not here. I did not find any practical knowledge to apply to my own game. If you looking for a story buy this book, if your looking for help with your game......buy hogan......

Rating:
Summary: The Right Kind of Golf Instruction
Review: I was introduced to the Ernest Jones/Manuel de la Torre swing concept years ago after suffering through the "paralysis by analysis" induced by conventional golf instruction. The brilliance of this concept lies in its very simplicity. Jones took the emphasis off the use of body parts and positions and placed it on what really matters - creating a swinging motion with the golf club. Manuel, having grown up under the tutelage of his father Angel and Mr. Jones, absorbed these concepts as a youth and modified the Swing the Clubhead philosophy slightly. Instead of swinging the clubhead with the hands in the backward and forward direction as Jones asserted, Manuel asked his students to use the hands in the backswing, but to "swing the whole club (head and handle) with the arms in the direction of the target" in the forward swing. This concept teaches the golfer to do essentially one thing: swing the club and allow the body to respond to the swinging motion. After all, how many things can one think about in the 2.5 seconds it takes to swing a golf club?

In Understanding the Golf Swing, Manuel expands on this basic philosophy, and guides the reader in creating a simple swing concept that will create a consistent, repeatible swing motion with all clubs. For anyone who has been taught to turn the shoulders, keep the head still, transfer weight, use the legs, use the hips, keep the left arm straight etc., this book will be liberating, and well worth the investment. By all accounts, Manuel de la Torre is a brilliant, kind, and gracious man; I hope this book helps golfers everywhere and gets Manuel the recognition he truly deserves.

Rating:
Summary: Former Apprentice
Review: I worked for Manuel at MCC in 1996, which was my second season as a PGA Apprentice. Prior to that, I had heard mixed reviews about his concept. I asked him to help me with my swing, a sorry 6 HCP at the time, so that I could pass the Player Ability Test, PAT, and move forward in the program. He graciously allowed me to take lessons from him on his "sacred" practice tee. And he allowed me to observe him working with students from beginners to Tour professionals. I have never witnessed anything more awesome in golf instruction than his ability to diagnose and prescribe and then communicate. He possesses a style and skill like no other person I have met. We asked Manuel to write a book like so many before me had asked. He told us how difficult it was to organize and present the concept in a way that would be effective and entertaining enough for people to want to buy. He was working on it at age 75 in his mind. He finally finished it and we should all thank him like we all have thanked Harvey Penick, Ernest Jones, Percy Boomer, and Tommy Armour. This is a book for ALL players. It will take you into a new and powerful "zone" mentally. And free you from the mechanical thoughts so many of us are trapped in. After working with his concept for one summer, usually at night after a 14 hour day, I was able to experience a repeating swing and shotmaking ability that allowed me to come within one shot of obtaining my PAT during that one year. I only want to say that all of us should read and study this concept. "Thank You" to Manuel for his tremendous work. I think it is a masterpiece as do many who have learned from him including Tommy Aaron, Carol Mann, Bobby Brue, Martha Nause, Patricia Kimball, Sherri Steinhauer, and my fellow assistants Bob Pudlock, Mike and Kris. I pray that Manuel will be selected to the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame in the next few years for all of our sakes.