Chamblee's "Anatomy" - Fact or Fiction?

[GolfSpyC]

Just finished reading this book and there are parts I really like and parts I think are a bit reckless - As a caveat, I think there's a certain disservice any writer does in authoring a book about the golf swing and trying to talk about a dynamic and intricate motion by using static images. Seems like he could have included some video or links to video to help illustrate this points better. 

 

Chamblee does, in his defense, acknowledge how important fluidity and tempo, etc. are in the golf swing and he uses this necessity as a template for his instruction. 

 

I really liked the premise of the text and I think there's a lot we can learn from what Chamblee talks about - Particularly hip rotation and starting with a strong(er) grip...

 

That said, I think there are some things he suggests which are potential disasters for amateur golfers who read the book, make a couple notes and then head out to the range to try and put everything into play. Chiefly, 

 

* Open stance - Most amateurs will read this and all it will do is make their slice worse. That "OTT" move they have only becomes worse and they'll cut across the ball even more and miss the fairway even further to the right.

 

* Low/Slow - BC makes a lot of references to creating and maintaining width in the swing, which is important, but "low and slow" tends to result in players getting the club inside and stuck right off the bat. 

 

* Shut club at 1/4 point - This isn't necessarily problematic on it's own, but when you combine this with an open stance and someone who tends to swing over/down/across, this is trouble city.

 

* Straightening of the right leg - Again, I think BC misses something here because he links any bend in the right knee with the concept of resisting hip turn (creating X factor) and in fact, there are a variety of pictures where he shows examples of a straightened right leg and there's clearly some degree of bend.

 

So basically, the guy who reads and tries every tip in Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, etc. is going to open their stance, strengthen their grip, take the club back low and slow....then straighten their back leg and continue to slice the ball off the planet or if they have a shut club face at impact, they'll just hook the hell out of it.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The whole idea of taking something complex and make it simple

[BIG STU]

When it comes down to nuts and bolts at the end of the day it is only one person's opinion. Mr Tiger Woods said it himself "There is no one set in stone way to swing or play this game"  I never read or watch instruction period I am of the school of swing your swing.

 

Now I have not always agreed with Brendell but I will give him his props IMHO he is one of the best swing analysis guys out there today. Really from what I have seen he does not subscribe to one set in stone method instead he points out changes a player may have made in his swing or he may see when a player deviates from their usual swing

 

I think Mr Furyk may have proved it again today by shooting that 58 and he was also the last guy on the PGA Tour to shoot 59. That is his swing and his alone.

 

Going back to Brendall a minute I think he would be a good individual swing instructor if one was right there and he could recognize a person's limitations with flex etc

[revkev]

I haven't read the book. I learned to play by reading golf my way. Interestingly though I gravitated to a draw. It fits my minds eye and body type better.

 

Over the past 15 years I've had an instructor, 3 in fact. All were or are old school guys who recognize that I have physical limitations and they've helped me to create a repeatable swing and ball fight within those limitations.

 

I firmly believe that's the best way to improve.

 

Sent from my VS986 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[GolfSpyC]

I haven't read the book. I learned to play by reading golf my way. Interestingly though I gravitated to a draw. It fits my minds eye and body type better.

 

Over the past 15 years I've had an instructor, 3 in fact. All were or are old school guys who recognize that I have physical limitations and they've helped me to create a repeatable swing and ball fight within those limitations.

 

I firmly believe that's the best way to improve.

 

Sent from my VS986 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

 

Yeah, the guys who can actually teach by listening to impact, watching ball flight and judging spin, etc. are few and far between. I would love to have a 1:1 conversation with Brandel as I think he likes to use a lot of big words, which ironically make pieces of the book harder to read. 

[BIG STU]

I haven't read the book. I learned to play by reading golf my way. Interestingly though I gravitated to a draw. It fits my minds eye and body type better.

 

Over the past 15 years I've had an instructor, 3 in fact. All were or are old school guys who recognize that I have physical limitations and they've helped me to create a repeatable swing and ball fight within those limitations.

 

I firmly believe that's the best way to improve.

 

Sent from my VS986 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

That right there IMHO is the marks of a good instructor one that can recognize a person's physical limitations and build a swing based on that. One of the reasons I was NOT an instructor when I was a Class A was because the PGA of America at the time subscribed to the belief of a cookie cutter type swing or one method fits all. My dear Old Dad (Lord Rest his soul) subscribed to that hook line and sinker. I never agreed with it. I have always believed you gotta do it like you gotta do it. I remember back in the day when all these proper gurus said Paul Azinger's grip was awful and so "incorrect" and those that said Furyk looked like an Octupus falling out of a tree. Both of those guys turned out to be pretty good players (LOL tongue in cheek).

 

I will give you a good story about a butt ugly swing--- Remember Tommy Two Gloves Gainey?--- Before he was ever on Big Break a buddy of mine from Charlote called down and asked me had there been a guy down here hustling? He was short wore two golf gloves and had a butt ugly golf swing--- My friend told me "Do not tangle with him unless you have him for a partner he has been killing those guys around Gastonia (NC) and he has some game" When he was on BB my buddy called me and told me this is the guy I was talking about. He is in a slump right now but again IMHO he has not done too bad either

[BIG STU]

Yeah, the guys who can actually teach by listening to impact, watching ball flight and judging spin, etc. are few and far between. I would love to have a 1:1 conversation with Brandel as I think he likes to use a lot of big words, which ironically make pieces of the book harder to read. 

LOL that is the college education and journalist coming out in him. I myself like to keep it simple and plain down to earth everyday language.

[fozcycle]

I learned from watching my Grandfather........years later I read Julias Boros's book "Swing easy, Hit hard" In the 80's I used the Jack Nicklaus "Golf My Way" Videos.

 

To this day I still temind myself to "Swing Easy, Hit Hard".