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Understanding the Golf Swing (精装)
by Manuel De La Torre
| Category:
Golf, Sports |
| Market price: ¥ 308.00
MSL price:
¥ 268.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
Designed to make golf swing simple, Torre' book is an excellent companion to the famous Ernest Jones' Swing the Clubhead. |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<>
I think this book is a classic and I recommend also getting the companion DVD; however it does belong to the small muscle swing theory school - an approach that some disagree with. The small muscle school emphasizes the swing through the smaller muscles of the hand and arms rather than the large muscles of the legs, back, hips and trunk.
De La Torre's swing thought is that you swing back the club with your hands over your right shoulder (you DON'T lift the club as another reviewer erroneously remarked) and then swing forward with the upper arms (the portion of the arm between the shoulder and elbow). The rest of the body should move in response to that action. For example, you don't concern yourself with the weight shift. If you swing properly (as De La Torre defines it) and your body is responsive then you will shift your weight naturally and in proper rhythm.
I found this to be a great help because it removes the complication of trying to time the weight shift to the actions of the swing - and it works, for me.
But I have noticed that just about every golf instruction book works for someone for some length of time. In the end the secret of the golf swing is to learn the proper feel of the true swinging action and to be able to replicate that feel with consistency. Everyone's path to learning that feel will differ because we are all individuals.
Still, De La Torre's work follows in the footsteps of one of the pioneers of swing theory - Ernest Jones. This book and the companion DVD is a great follow-up to his original theory and anyone who is interested in learning the swing should definitely study this book.
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Carol Mann (From the book's Foreword) (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-09 00:00>
Be prepared to read this book more than once. Be prepared to think about Manuel's profoundly simple ideas. |
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Gary D'Amato (Golf Columnist, Milwaukee Journal- Sentinel) (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-09 00:00>
I knew the book was going to be good... destined to become a classic in golf instruction. |
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John Brasher (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-09 00:00>
As an avid golfer and over the past 30 years, I have enjoyed reading every golf instruction book possibly ever written, and tested each theory in the process. This book encompasses all instruction ever written, in that it shows why each theory is correct, but only for the author. In other words, de la Torre shows and proves that moving a golf club in a positive manner using a swinging motion, will create different idiosyncracies for each person moving the club. Hogan moved it differently than Nicklaus, who moved it differently than Tiger, etc etc. However, the common denominator in all is that each of their bodies responded to the swinging motion of the clubhead, in order to produce the intended result: that of moving the clubhead in a centrifugal motion toward the target.
De la Torre's golf theory comes from his father Angel and from the seminal voice of Ernest Jones, father of the Swing the Clubhead theory. De la Torre differs from Jones in his explanation for swinging the clubhead in a simple yet I believe correct way. Instead of the hands swinging the clubhead all the way through the swing, de la Torre believes that on the downswing, the golfer swings the entire club (not just the clubhead) using the arms (that part of the arm from the shoulder to the elbow), and that the body responds to the movement of the clubhead while using the arms. After all, centrifugal force starts at the center of the circle, the radius point, and that in a golf swing is the left shoulder - this is precisely why he says swing with the arms on the downswing. His teaching revealed to him that the language of using the hands on the downswing made golfers too handsy, as the golfer's hands should instead be sensing and reacting to the outward pull of the clubhead.
De la Torre's approach is simple yet powerful. What did I do wrong, a phrase that every teacher hears and responds to, is replaced with "you did not do what you should." In other words, corrective or negative focus is replaced with a positive focus. As de la Torre says, when we drive home, do we think of all the places we do not want to travel? His simplicity has as its cornerstone of moving the clubhead in a centrifugal and positive manner. The swing is an arc, and in any given arc, centrifugal motion creates the greatest amount of speed and accuracy possible. His backswing consists of only using the hands to move the clubhead in a centrifugal motion over the right shoulder, while the relaxed body responds to the movement. And the downswing is nothing more than moving the entire club using the upper arms only, again, as the body responds to the movement of the club. Watch Tiger really hit one hard - he doesn't think of whipping his hips more quickly, he only thinks of moving his arms quicker, and his body will move naturally to support that motion.
The golf swing is nothing more than moving the club in a centrifugal manner towards the target - the body does nothing but respond to that movement. That is the essence of de la Torre's teaching - absolutely perfect and will be unequaled as long as golf is played. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-09 00:00>
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. |
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David Scott (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-09 00:00>
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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Brock Oleary (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-09 00:00>
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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Midtgard (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-09 00:00>
I have played golf for half a year only. I took a few hours of instruction to begin with, but have relied on self-study afterwards. This book was a revelation and has helped me develop a good-looking, natural and efficient swing. (Well, not always, but I am a beginner.) Manuel explains a concept, which is to swing the club back over your shoulders with the hands, and then swing the thing back using your arms, letting your hands function as a hinge. Then he tells you to focus on using this concept, and not to focus on what you think you do wrong. He explains several simple exercises that illustrate his points brilliantly. Manuel also believes that you should use one swing for all shots, in this way you develop a consistent technique, he argues. Personally I believe that his technique works best for the full swing. For example, he also believes that the putter should be swung on a curved path, not straight through. He says the latter can only be done with a vertical putter, which he has never seen (and which is not allowed according to the rules I assume). But this is not correct as Dave Pelz shows in his putting bible. And I don't really believe that you will destroy you full swing by using a different technique for putting. The book is beautifully written, well organized, concise. And if you are willing to spend time with it, and really think through his concept, and try it in practice, then this book really helps. I think it is a masterpiece. |
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Nathaniel (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-09 00:00>
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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Steve Miller (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-09 00:00>
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. |
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1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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