Books: How To Perfect Your Golf Swing With "Fix It Yourself" By David Leadbetter

 

Fix It Yourself: The Ultimate Guide to Correcting Your Golf Swing (How to Recognize the Faults in Your Game - and Correct Them)

By David Leadbetter; with Ron Kaspriske

St. Martin's Press; hardcover; 224 pages, with 150 color images throughout; $30.00; eBook, $14.99; available today, Tuesday, May 7th

David Leadbetter has the reputation of being the world's best golf instructor, as his players have won a combined 18 major championships, with six of those golfers ranked #1 in the world. Leadbetter operates dozens of golf academies around the world, has authored several bestselling instructional books and videos, and writes monthly articles for Golf Digest.

In the new, richly-detailed new book, Fix It Yourself, Leadbetter gets right reason all golfers have the same common faults, and offers easy remedies to correct them. While he works with professional golfers, who push the boundaries of performance and the game of golf every year, this book is tailored to the recreational weekend golfer who is in a never-ending search to find remedies to overcome their faults perfect their game.

Leadbetter made his mark with golfers in 1993 when he wrote the book, Faults and Fixes, which remains one of the most important guides to players all over the world to this day. The thing is, that over three decades, so much about the game has changed, especially the equipment. With Fix It Yourself, he has modernized this revolutionary format, based on the extraordinary innovations in performance and technology in recent years.

"While the foundation of my teaching philosophy is entrenched in some absolutes about how to play this game - knowledge I've accumulated from decades of collaborating with the world's best players, coaches, biomechanics, and thousands of students along the place - I also know that this sport is extremely personal," Leadbetter writes. "Two golfers can practice the same way, the same amount, and even get the same instructions - and they can still develop noticeably different swing tendencies. That goes for problems, too. The issues that creep into your game might be similar to another player's, but they are distinctive. And they can change over time!"

In a format meant to maximize what you learn out to the course, Leadbetter focuses on the 72 most common problem areas in golf, and offers 72 solutions and fixes. As he notes, 72 is "a great golf number!" These really come full circle with over 150 color images that will make you feel like you're looking in the mirror when going through the step-by-step ways to fix grip and swing issues that need to be corrected. There is also a unique instruction package that will enable you to identify the weaknesses in your game, and then eliminate them.

This engrossing tutorial on the game of golf will help you fix problems, including: Best posture, alignment, and relaxing of tension; Synchronizing the start of your backswing; Misunderstanding your swing plane; Controlling your iron play to avoid overswinging; Embracing the fundamentals of putting; Visualizing hitting the ball and then re-creating the full motion; When chipping, avoid swinging from a rigid stance; How to avoid "chunking" the shot when pitching onto the green; How to improve stability and swing to avoid poor contact in fairway bunkers; You have to have a plan for success.

Leadbetter writes of how he wants golfers to approach this book, "If you're struggling with some facet of the game, maybe you spotted something on video or a friend casually mentioned that something in your swing looks off, or perhaps you're not striking the ball solidly or it's curving off the fairway, go to the table of contents and find the listed problem that most closely describes your issues.

"When you read that section, you'll learn what the fault is. Then you'll learn how to detect it in your game. Then I'll explain how it impacts the result of your swing or stroke. Finally, and most importantly, I'll give you my time-tested advice for how to fix it and leave you with a 'swing thought' or drill. This instruction is accompanied by illustrations to help guide you in your quest to play better. I should also add that, while I realize a fair number of golfers play this game left-handed, including some of my own family members, all of my instructions are given as if the golfer is a righty. I apologize in advance to you lefties for having to flip the instruction...In this modern world, where everything seems to be delivered in an instant, I think this is the closest thing you can get to an immediate correction to your game."