Instructional Aids

[AaA]

Can anyone recommend any worthy books/cd's that you feel are proven instructional aids? I've heard mention of Tour Tempo (is Novosel the author?) and maybe Hogan something or another. I've read some reviews on the Tour Tempo (Novosel being the author for this one) on Amazon and people are raving about it, but one person gave it a horrible review citing the only thing it tells you is that you need to swing faster (3:1 backswing to downswing ratio), not necessarily how to accomplish this and other things.

Does anyone have any reviews of their own??

Thanks!

 

[Bravo]

AaA: Welcome and I am glad to respond (even though everybody has heard about my views so many times before ad infinitim, ad nauseam).

1) The Hogan book is fantastic. It is the bible of how to grip the club and how to set up. It is extremely detailed and if you do not mind getting into extreme detail, I recommend it highly. It is only $12 on amazon.

2) I like the Tour Tempo book and CD, but it clearly is not some sort of magic wand. Either that or I am a slow learner - which come to think of it - is true!

I have an index of 8.3 and have played for almost 40 years. The tourtempo is very good and makes perfect sense. When I hit a shot right on the tones - it is absolutely pure and flush. The problem I have had, is internalizing the tones to the point that I can replay them at will While at the same time, synchronizing my swing to the three tones. This (at least to me) is not as easy as it sounds. to this end, I got an inexpensive Mp3 player late last week and am going to use this on the range over a long period of time. I think this will do the trick.

I play with golfers of all skill levels from low single digits all the way up to the 25 handicap level. I strongly feel that high handicappers have bad grips, poor set up and bad tempo. The Hogan book is great for the first two and the tourtempo is great for the third. I see so many high handicappers that taaaake it baaaack really sloooow and then ripit on the downswing. The tourtempo CD solves this.

I have a good friend here who is a great lawyer. Makes a lot of $ and is a member of an exclusive club that has a Top 75 US course. It is excruciating to see him take the club back in about two seconds, then hitch at the top, and throw his back out on the downswing. I don't know if this is your issue - but the Tourtempo indeed is a Secret Revealed that diagnoses and solves these kinds of problems beyond the shadow of a doubt....

 

[AaA]

Bravo,

Thanks for the detailed response. I'm quite comfortable with my tempo, I've been told by my former instructor that it is very good. Of course, every now and again I get quick, but I'm pretty confident in knowing what I need to do with it.

I just bought the Hogan book on amazon. I figure it's inexpensive enough to allow for an entertaining read, but I'm certain it will be much more than that. Things like grip, setup, posture, etc...are things that I'm likely to forget so I think the Hogan book will assist me with that.

I really feel I'm just inches away from hitting in the 80's consistently (i'm in the mid 90's now). My putting has really improved as has my short game, but that still needs more improvement. The one thing that has really ticked me off is my irons. I go through phases where I hit them really well, then suddenly I'm not. I think this is where I need to focus on the proper fundamentals and mechanics. Anyway, I could go on and on, so I'll stop.

Anyway, thanks again, Bravo. I can't wait for the book to arrive!

-AAA

 

[Silver]

AaA, you sound like you're in a very similar place to me - everything from the problems with hitting it fat to the "inches from the 80s". I went through a great phase of excellent driving and great short game but I couldn't hit my irons for crap and hit several 90s or 91s. Things are getting better though and it'll come - for me, it's coming from lessons, new irons (gave me so much more confidence), and a better mental game.

Now if only I could get my driving back to where I was getting it in the fairway all the time. Playing from the trees on your second makes it much harder.

 

[AaA]

Playing from the trees? Yeah, I've been there, too! It's frustrating, ain't it? I played Sat after picking up brand new Hogan Apex Pro's that morning and my driver was way off and my fat shots were some of the worse I've seen in a while. Although I did hit some crisp iron shots that were effortless. We'll get there, Silver. There's more frustration to come along the way, but I have a lot of confidence in my ability to play this game and get better.

 

[Silver]

Good stuff, I get to play in a couple of hours, and I have a good feeling about today.

 

[AaA]

Best of luck!

 

[Augster]

AaA,

Get Tour Tempo. Novosel is the author, along with SI writer John Garrity.

Novosel starts you out with a simple "move" that you work on in time with the CD. He works on the assumption that you already know about the grip, and alignment, and your stance etc. The basic stuff he doesn't cover. Realistically, when you are working with the Tempo, it is too "fast" to think.

I tried it spring of last year. It messed my game all up. I was actually swinging FASTER than the f'in CD and had to slow down. But the timing was off, it wasn't the 3:1 he preaches. So, I scrapped it by about June as when my daughter was born, I didn't have the time to practice.

So, this winter, I re-read it. It's a quick read. I found something I wasn't doing correctly.

Turns out, I was ANTICIPATING the first and second beeps. If you are going to work the the "L" drill, don't ANTICIPATE. Novosel already has a 5 ms delay built into the beeps in order to pace it correctly due to normal reaction time. If you anticipate, you destroy the rhythm.

Once I started "waiting" until I heard the beep to actually change direction, it instantly feels smoother, and there is a pickup in clubhead speed.

If you are going to check it out, just don't anticipate. LISTEN, then REACT.

The other book I'd recommend is Swing-Machine Golf.

There isn't a better book that I've found that covers EVERYTHING swing-related. If you are using Tour Tempo, you don't need to know any of this, but if you want to learn the swing more "traditionally", Swing-Machine Golf is GREAT. BIG pictures of everything he shows you. Checks and balances for every part of the swing. It's great. Expensive though. $60 I think. I got mine for $40 "blemished".

Finally, these two are good for your "swing", but what about chipping and putting?

I've read a lot of things, but the last two DVD's in AJ Reveals the Truth About Golf, have saved me TONS of strokes around the greens and made me a better putter. AJ tells you the way to chip around the green with a 6 iron. I lot like chipping with your 3-wood or utility club, but more accurate due to the imparting of spin. And simple, simple, simple.

On the putting DVD he explains the "7-inch Cup". He also shows you that if you lip a putt out, low or high, it simply means the ball was going to fast. I used to lip out a TON and thought I was just unlucky. AJ Revealed the Truth to me, and it's made me a much better putter.

Hope that helps.

 

[AaA]

Augster,

Sounds great. Thanks for your input!

 

[Loop]

It depends on how one putts.

AJ likes to do dying putts. In a dying putt, you need to account for more break, since the ball will break more as the speed decreases.

I prefer making accelerating putts, so the ball bangs the other side of the cup, because the line will hold. But I putt so the ball will stop at no more than 12-15 inches after the hole.

For the chipping, AJ demonstrated to use different club, but the ball has to land on the same area. Works quite well, but if you're a feel person, you can chip and pitch anything with your lob wedge. Demands a lot of practice though.

 

[Silver]

Best of luck!

Uh, nevermind. Started out decent with a 45. Back half started bad and got worse. 54.

Oh well, a good time regardless.

 

[AaA]

Uh, nevermind. Started out decent with a 45. Back half started bad and got worse. 54.

Oh well, a good time regardless.

Better luck next time!

 

[jcj]

Hogans book is great,the issue is that the grip he shows is far too weak for most slicers.Hogan was a hooker and developed his style to combat a hook.Take it for what it's worth.