Book #3 The Impact Zone: Mastering Golf's Moment of Truth

If and when I write my own book one of these days, I think would end up echoing a lot of things in this book: "The Impact Zone" by Bobby Clampett & Andy Brumer. Based on his outstanding playing career, broadcasting experience, research/help from with the wonderful Swing Vision technology (high speed cameras) and time spent teaching Mr. Clampett writes about the indisputable dynamics that every good golf swing has in common ( and how to learn them). He says in the opening pages (similar to Dr. Rick Jensen in his book "Easier Said than Done") good golf shots happen because of good dynamics- not style. He doesn't care about back swing or positions or how the swing looks per se.... if you can master the dynamics, you will have the best chance to hit consistent, solid shots.

Here they are:
1- Flat left wrist at Impact
2- Swing bottom that is forward of the ball
3- Loading the club with the wrists
4-Lagging the load (and using pivot to deliver it at the swing bottom)
5- Swinging along a straight plane line through impact.

None of these are rocket science, but the way he presents it like a teaching method (even though its not stylized) is logical and good. In order from small swings to big swings ( the same way I teach) he builds on each dynamic and suggests practice ideas. If you can't master Dynamic #1 (which would be fundamentally important starting with putting) you shouldn't expect to have success in your ball striking with full swing. Dynamic 2 has to work starting with chipping. The absence of a dynamic doesn't mean you won't be able to hit a golf ball, but it can explain almost every inconsistency, swing flaw and and compensation ex.- hitting thin, fat, scooping, casting, poor balance, late weight shift, etc.

One NEW takeaway for myself was about Drivers... I admit, I thought and have always taught that the ball is hit on the "upswing" with a driver...I guess I was wrong. I didn't know that most good players are reaching their swing bottoms after the ball even with this club. Wow. Thank you Swing Vision for blowing my mind. Thank you Mr. Clampett for bringing this to my attention. Maybe my students and I will all pick up an extra 10 yds now!

The first 100 pages are the meat of it and worth studying for sure- the rest in my opinion, even though I liked the book as a whole, are skim-able. He gets into how club fitting and mental dynamics relate to good mechanics and mastery of them... let's get the dynamics down first.

One warning- the language in this book is not geared for the new golfer... (that is the book I'm going to write:) ! ) but if you understand golf lingo and don't mind some technical talk its pretty easy to follow all things considered.

I found this book on Amazon, but its probably available in stores too. Enjoy!