A Book With A Promise - Drive Like The Pros

As any golfer which he'd rather do, sink a 40-foot putt or pound a 300-yard drive, and there won't be a moment's hesitation. We may putt for dough, but we absolutely love to drive for show, for bragging rights, for the sheer joy of crushing the ball off the tee. If only we could.

Drive Like the Pros promises to make it possible. Unlike many instruction manuals, this one is dedicated solely to driving the ball--everybody's favorite shot.

Mike Neff, an expert in 3-D golf instruction, joined forces on the book with freelance golf writer Dave Allen and examined reams of data gathered by TaylorMade's MAT-T System (Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade) to show why our drives don't go as far as those of pros like Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Sean O'Hair, and Justin Rose. There's probably more data in the book than any of us actually need, but there's no quibbling with the frame-by-frame analysis of good and bad swings or with the suggested drills to correct common flaws.

The detailed descriptions of key points in the swing may be overdone for some readers, but I found it helpful in understanding the concepts Neff was trying to get across. One of the strengths of the book is the use of avatars as well as photos to illustrate key points. The avatars, screen shots from the MAT-T System, are enhanced by color-coded lines that demonstrate the measurements discussed in the text. Take your time, study them together, and you might learn a thing or two about the golf swing.

The first chapter describes the MAT-T System in excruciating detail and could be a turnoff for all but the most dedicated golf gear head, but that's because Drive Like the Pros also serves as TaylorMade's official instruction manual for PGA professionals certified in the MAT-T System. For the rest of us, stick with the book and take your time studying it--the remainder can be quite useful. Neff dissects each stage of the swing from set-up to follow-through. He compares the average over-the-top slash most of us make with the smooth, powerful swing of the pros. The measurements can be a little dense for casual reading, but the book really isn't meant for a quick thumb-through looking for swing tips. It's a serious book for those intent on improving their game.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf