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Summary: A Different Approach
Review: If you are tired of technical and fragmented approaches to the golf swing, try Mr. De La Torre's approach. You will find no fads or gimmicks, but a simple, time tested approach arising from a lifetime of thought and experience of one of the nation's most respected teaching professionals. Paradoxically, because the method is so simple, you will have to study it closely and read and re-read this well written book. If you seek tips and quick fixes, look elsewhere. If you want to learn how the golf swing works, you will be rewarded by study of this book. An additional reward will be an appreciation of Mr. De La Torre's life, and that of his father, Angel De La Torre, Spain's first golf teaching professional. The chapter on their migration to the United States, which reproduces verbatim a remarkable essay written by Manuel De La Torre while he was in high school, is alone worth the price of the book.
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Summary: KISS...
Review: KISS... Keep It Simple Stupid. If you filled the heads of tour pros with as much information as many of the top instructors fill ours and then had them contort every part of their body into uncomfortable positions, they would struggle to hit the ball well, too. Then, those same top instructors wonder why players try to play with dozens of swing thoughts. Umm, maybe because you filled their heads with them. I have read hundreds of golf books and the information always sounds like it will help. Then, I have experimented with many of them but time and time again they ask me to do things that I am simply unable to do or I end up over-cooking the good thing and end up with another problem. I was fortunate enough to work with Manuel de la Torre and he is a man who understands just how much the average human can handle and understands their physical limitations. Most of us don't have the strength, flexibility, hand-eye coordination, and time to do as the pros do. In addition, many of the moves the pros make are not necessary, helpful actions, but rather quirks that only work for them because they are world-class athletes. Manuel understands this and provides a simple, but profound, method to help all players enjoy this otherwise brutal game we love so much.
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Summary: Lacking just a little...
Review: Like many other reviewers here, I have read a number of golf instruction books. I bought this one because of the reviews on Amazon. The reason I give it three stars is because to me it lacks visual examples that make sense and are easy to comprehend. The best photos are the ones relative to his grip style which is vastly different from most instructors - both v's pointing to the midline. Also, the explanation of using the hands for the back swing and the arms for the forward swing leaves something to be desired. It all sounds good but when you go out and try it based on what you've read, it can confuse those who have been playing for a while and want to improve. I'm not saying that I don't think Manuel's style doesn't work. What I am saying is that it is still not as easy as Keeping It Simple Stupid. I'm not Stupid and Golf is not Simple!!! If it were, we would all be playin like Tiger.
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Summary: The Swing's The Thing
Review: Manuel De La Torre has done a great job of explaining the concept of the true golf "swing" first espoused by the late great Ernest Jones and recently built upon in my book, "Golf's Timeless Fundamental" (Globe Pequot Press 1997). De La Torre's explanation of the backswing and the forward swing is particularly illuminating and is alone worth the price of the book. Highly recommended for those seeking to move beyond the latest "quick fix" offered by so many articles and books and to developing an understanding of the true golf "swing".
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Summary: Swing back with the hands and down with the upper arms.
Review: Manuel de la Torre has written a wonderful golf book. His simple method really is simple and it makes so much sense. A number of the reviews here have described this swing as swinging the clubhead over your shoulder with your hands and the club down with you arms. However, de la Torre defines arms as the upper arms and says that the forearms should not take over. I found this very helpful as when I focus on swinging the club down with the upper arms I don't cast or come over the top. When I focus on my arms rather than my upper arms I have problems much more often.Being able to focus on a simple method to swing correctly rather than on what "mistake" I made is great. If I have a poor shot I simply focus on swinging as de la
Torre recommends rather than trying to figure out what I did wrong. This book is worth reading more than once as there are some subtleties to his simple swing that are worth understanding.
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Summary: former student krieg youngs
Review: Manuel has done an excellent job of analyzing the golf swing in the most clear and concise terms. I took lessons from Manuel many years ago and everything that he taught me and many more items are in this remarkable book. From the opening remarks by Carol Mann to the final chapters on Manuel and his father leaving Spain make this the best book I have ever seen on golf. I too remember the tree lined path and the putting green that Carol Mann described. It brought back a lot of very fond memories. Good job Manuel.
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Summary: "Hit it by feel"
Review: Mr. de la Torre brings to us his many years as a golfer and as an instructor and presents his ideas in a very simple and readable way. I believe that this golf master's book will be read many times over by many golfers (golfers to be, amateurs and pros). He reminds us that the hands work actively in the backwards swing and remain passive in the forward portion of the golf swing. Don Manuel's practice exercises are simply simple! This book has to be the master book in playing golf by feel. Great job, Don Manuel!! P. Mendez Jr. Chesapeake, VA
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Summary: There is only one Ernest Jones Method
Review: Mr. De La Torre claims to be a proponent of the Ernest Jones method. Any resemblance between what Mr. De La Torre has written and the "true" Ernest Jones method are accidental at best. In fact he contradicts Mr. Jones teachings on several occassions. If you are expecting to find the wisdom of Ernest Jones here you will be rather dissapointed.
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Summary: Not What Ernest Jones Taught!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Mr. De La Torre is a real gentleman and has been praised by many as a fine golf instructor. However, like so many other "Ernest Jones" instructors, including Jim Flick, Mr. De La Torre doesn't fully understand Jones' teachings and the importance of feeling the clubhead with your hands. As Jones stated in his book, Swing The Clubhead, "Your hands are everything in this business of playing good golf easily." Mr. De La Torre cannot be teaching students to swing the clubhead with "the arms on the downswing," and, at the same time, claiming to be a disciple of Jones, who I am sure is turning over in his grave! This thought only adds complexity to learning the correct swing. Any golfer, who really wants to learn the simplified method of Ernest Jones, should track down PGA teaching professional, Arnie Frankel, in Hobe Sound, Fl. He is a "true" disciple of Ernest Jones!!!
Rating:
Summary: a good investment
Review: This book has certainly improved my game. The tips and visuals pertain to any level of expertise. My wife has also made huge progress. It's worth the purchase price.
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