Every spring the golf eyes turn to the southeast of the United States.
I refer, of course, to last weekend's Yeamans Hall member-guest and in particular the pre-event Skills Challenge.
90 yard pitch, closest to hole wins, three shots per player. Drum roll .... 1'11" by moi in two shots. I didn't hit a third, retiring as Bob Jones did - at his peak.
And I dedicate this momentous victory to Brandel Chamblee's new book on the swing,
Anatomy of Greatness, which I had digested pre-trip. Plus, for the first time in ~ 2 years, my 8 handicap drives stayed within ~15 yards of my 1 handicap younger brother's, a truly major accomplishment!
No wonder this little book has garnered much praise from many sources for the hope that it offers. You have read the same raves I have: GOLF Magazine called it 'the Holy Grail of the swing' and the Forbes article was entitled "The Most Important Golf Book of Our Generation?" Former USGA Executive Director David Fay, who is normally tight-lipped with praise, loves it, as does Mickey Wright, whom Hogan said had the best swing he ever saw. It breaks the submission of curmudgeon Joe Andriole's take on golf (and life): you get older, you play worse and then you die.
In 144 pages, Brandel concisely identifies the commonality of the greatest swings of all time. Given that it is well organized with an impressive collection of photographs that complement the text, how is showing how the best got it done not a sure-fire stratagem?!
Learning from the best has appeal!
Mind you, some current instructors and their swing tip du jour don't fare well by comparison. Brandel's straight-shooting has always earned him some rebukes. Certain grumps have huffed 'how does a guy with no majors come off criticizing the swing of a guy with fourteen?' Well! We architecture junkies have faced the same question when people who have won majors never had their design work criticized. 'We' didn't fare too well, did we?!
The back half of the Feature Interview moves (of course!) into architecture. I have always found that Brandel's crisp broadcast commentaries offer prescient points heading into a day's events. Listen to him talk about places that he loves - Chicago GC, Friar's Head, Riviera, and Pinehurst No. 2. Regarding Old Macdonald, his sentiment
'If we had more courses where the average golfer can play eighteen holes in three hours and never lose a ball - I think we would have more golfers playing today' is obviously one that is embraced by the viewership of this web site.
Thank goodness we have someone like him in the booth. And now in your library! Prowl around
www.classicsofgolf.com for the Brandel book, and a host of other great reading material from Darwin to Wind.
Best,