By Herb Rubenstein
General Counsel and Golf Professional
Golf Pro Delivered
Introduction
Brandel Chamblee has written an excellent golf book. He makes hundreds of great points about the elements of great golf swings and I have summarized some of those points. This book review is no substitute for buying the book. Brandel Chamblee loves to argue. He always wants to describe what he thinks is right and what he thinks is wrong about how golf is being taught today, especially compared to how it was taught in the past.
This is a good strategy for this book. This book is short. The pictures are perfect, the best among golf instruction books, in my opinion. The subjects studied are the best who have ever taught and played the game including: Bobby Jones, Alex Morrison, Henry Picard, Mickey Wright, Annika Sorenstam, Patty Berg, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Jack Grout, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Gary Player, Adam Scott, Peter Thomson, Ray Floyd, Calvin Pete, Jim Furyk, Johnny Miller, Larry Nelson, Gay Brewer, Cary Middlekopf, Dave Thomas, Charles Swartzel, and Billy Casper.
However, one must read this book several times to get all that Chamblee has to offer in the book. He is as clear as he is prescriptive as to the key things one should do in a golf swing to be an excellent, or even great golfer. And he is equally clear as to the key things one should not do in a golf swing that he believes hurt, or at least hinders, excellent golf performance.
Brandel himself was an All-American at the University of Texas. He is a Golf Sportscaster. He competed in 2019 in “Q School” for one of the five spots in the Champions Tour. He came in 70th with scores of 69-75-73-75 – 292. Not bad. He can write. He can argue. He can play.
This golf instruction book of 2016, published by Classics Of Golf Library and Simon and Schuster deserves a place among the golf instruction books that should be on your library shelf.
Each of his Chapters, The Grip, Set Up, Posture, Triggering The Swing, The Initial Move Away From The Ball, The Completion of the Backswing, Transition, and Impact and Finish, all have valuable information in them. The pictures are worth the price of the book.
Given how Brandel likes “contrasting arguments” to make his point, the structure of this book review is rather uncommon. The structure is a two-column table with the left side column being the “Should Do” column Chamblee recommends, and the right side column the “Should Not Do” column representing Chamblee’s views on what not to do, and most importantly, what not to teach others to do.
No book review ever does any good book justice. After reading this book review, buy this book, read it, learn its teachings and pass it on to the next golfer who wants to improve and wants to hear Chamblee argue against what he believes are some of the swing thoughts that have prevented many great golfers from reaching their true potential.
SHOULD DO SHOULD NOT DO
| CHAPTER ONE | THE GRIP |
| “V” Between Index Finger And Thumb Point On Both Hands To Right Shoulder (Stronger Grip) | Grip – Do Not Have “V” Point To Right Eye Or Chin – As Hogan Suggested (Weaker Grip) |
| Hands End Up at Impact Five Inches “Ahead” Of Where They Started at Address (Five inches closer to the target) | Have Hands Even With or Only Slightly Ahead Of The Ball At Impact Compared to Where They Were at Address |
| The Left Hand – Left Thumb to the Right of the Center of the Club/Grip – Promotes Thumb Under Shaft at Top of Backswing to Support Club | Left Thumb on Top of The Center of The Club/Grip as This Causes Thumb to Be On the Right Side of Shaft at Top and Not Support The Weight of the Club |
| Flat Left Wrist at Top of Backswing | Do Not Cup Left Wrist at Top of Backswing |
| The Right Hand – Grip is Entirely in Fingers of the Right Hand | Do Not Grip the Club in the Palm of Your Right Hand |
| Grip Pressure – Smooth Grip to Promote Relaxation Which Promotes Speed | Not Tight Grip Which Produces Tension Which Reduces Speed |
| CHAPTER TWO | SET UP |
| Width of Stance – With Wedges the Feet Are A Few Inches Inside the Shoulders | Too Wide a Stance Prevents You From Moving Both Your Upper and Lower Body Far Enough to Establish a Brace to Properly Begin a Backswing and Move Weight Toward Target on Downswing |
| The Right Knee – Angled In Toward Target at Address | Do Not Have Right Knee Pointing Far Behind The Golf Ball at Address |
| Ball Position – Should be Relatively Constant With A Little Movement Away From Left Heel from Driver to Wedges – Keep it Forward of Center for All Shots | Do Not Move The Ball Back Towards the Center of the Stance More Than Three Inches Even for Shortest Full Shots, Except for Divots, Downhill Lies, Specialty Shots |
| More “Open” Position With Feet For Every Club with More Open For Shorter Shots | Do Not Set Up in a “Closed” Position as This Limits Body Movement |
| CHAPTER THREE | POSTURE |
| Knees Flexed at Address and During Swing – Knees Above Balls of Feet/Shoelaces | Do Not Stand Straight Up and Down With Knees Locked or Straight During Swing |
| Stick Butt Out at Address to Line Up With the Back of Your the Heels | Have Butt Under Your Torso at Address and Over Your Ankles |
| Allow Upper Back/Shoulders To Be Rounded at Their Top And Have Lower Back Slightly Concave to Reduce Tension in Back and Promote Fluidity in Your Golf Swing Including Lower Back Movement | Do Not Try to Keep Upper Back/Shoulders Straight If that Makes Your Lower Back Too Concaved (or Curved Like Lower Part of “S”) – As This Limits Mobility Greatly |
| Back “Extends or Expands” in Transition from Backswing to Downswing (Book reviewers note: “Expands” means the distance or breadth between the shoulders as the right shoulder continues to move to the right after the left shoulder stops at the chin, and then the left shoulder starts moving to the left and moves left farther and faster than the right shoulder moves toward the chin). | Shoulders that are too Straight are Not Relaxed, Lower Back is Too Concaved, and They Are in The Position at Address They Should be in When They Begin the Downswing. By Being In That Position Too Early, They Prevent the Chest/Back From Expanding at the Right Time. See a Pitcher, Shoulders Rounded at Start, and as Right Arm and Shoulder Goes Back To Throw, Chest and Back Expand Accumulating Power |
| Relaxed Muscles Are Essential to Good Golf | Tension – Causes Muscles to Work Against The Direction You Are Trying to Move Them |
| Distance From Ball – At Address, Hands Just Outside of Line Created from Shoulders to Ground With Slight Bend With the Elbows | Standing Too Far From the Ball Causes Club To Go Too Far Inside, Causes Club to Feel Too Heavy, Causes Hands To Become Tense and Makes For Too Shallow of a Angle For Club To Go |
| Alignment – More “Open” Position With Feet For Every Club with More Open For Shorter Shots Because The Club Generally Goes From the Inside to the Outside of the Target Path During a Swing and This Offsets That | Do Not Set Up in a “Closed” Position as This Limits Body Movement Since the Key is to Help the Left Side Move Out of the Way and For the Right Side to “Come Under” During The Downswing |
| Shoulders Similarly Aligned to the Left of The Target to Promote Rotation | Slow Down the Body Rotation on the Downswing as Keeping It Fast Keeps One’s Arms “Tied” to the Body and Prevents Losing the Lag (Angle of Left Arm and Club) |
| Spine Angle – Naturally Angled Away From the Target at Address | Try to Keep Spine Straight “Over the Ball” |
| Angled Spine Promotes Low Takeaway and Width in the Backswing Promoting Shoulder Turn and Return of Club on Wide, Shallow Path | Do Not Keep Shoulders Level at Address |
| Head Position – Point Chin at a Spot Behind the Ball and Keep It There Until Ball Is Struck/Can Move Chin Away From Ball at Inception of Swing (Makes Room for Shoulders To Turn) | Do Not Point Chin Straight Down, But Rather The Head is Angled Away From the Target |
| Left Shoulder Turns Toward Target While Right Shoulder Is “Held Back” and Right Shoulder Drops | Move Shoulders in Unison. |
| CHAPTER FOUR | TRIGGERING THE SWING |
| Waggle, Forward Press, Right Knee Kicks In, Head/Chin Turned Back Away From Target | Start Swing From a Dead Stop |
| Right Knee Moves or Kicks “In” or is “Kicked In” At Address and “Triggers” the Start of the Backswing as This Helps The Firing of the Right Leg on the Downswing | Not “Kicking In” the Right Knee Hurts Your Ability To Have Right Sequence of Movements for Lower Body During Golf Swing |
| Kicking Right Knee In Two Inches Compensates for Lateral Shift, Moving Two Inches “Off The Ball” During The Backswing | Do Not Have Right Knee in A Straight Position At The Beginning of the Backswing |
| CHAPTER FIVE | THE INITIAL MOVE AWAY FROM THE BALL |
| Take Club Away Without Manipulation (Rotation of Forearms or Turning of Wrists) in Order to Take Club Back Low and Wide with Connection to body (and the feeling of the Clubhead “lagging” body | Do Not Roll Forearms Clockwise to Create Toe Pointing Up of Golf Club When It Gets Parallel – Clubface Should be Closed at This Point |
| Some Weight (50%)on the Inside of Right Foot at Initial Move and Beginning of the Golf Swing and Loads Into Right Heel | Do Not Have Weight Evenly Balanced Across the Width of Right Foot at Beginning of Golf Swing |
| During Backswing The Golfer Moves Their Torso/Head A Little “Off” the Ball; Away From the Target | Keeping Head and Body Locked And Not Allowing it to Move Back Hampers Getting Weight to Move Toward Target Properly |
| Right Leg Serves as a Brace on Backswing | Do Not Let Weight “Buckle” or Go to the Outside of the Right Foot on the Backswing |
| Entire Body Moves Laterally The Distance The Right Knee is Kicked In As Weight Shifts Toward Back Foot Immediately | Let Weight Stay Even Between Feet, Which it is at Address, After Club Starts Moving Back |
| Keep Hands “Quiet” On Initial Move | No Early Wrist Set |
| Club Goes Low and Straight Away From Ball | No Sway of the Body |
| Use Core Muscles Immediately On Start of Swing | Start Backswing With Shoulders |
| Hip Movement (Turn) On Backswing Keeps Weight From Going to Outside of Right Foot and Prevents a Sway | Do Not Limit Hip Turn on Backswing |
| Weight Shift Goes To Right Heel and “In” Right Hip and Creates Pressure | Move Weight Back Quickly to Right Side |
| Move Your Head Laterally During The Backswing, and Maybe A Little Up | Try to Keep The Head Stationary or Down During the Backswing |
| Move Club As Far Away From Target As Possible on Backswing | Lift Up Club with Hands On the Backswing |
| Extend Legs on Backswing Stretching Muscles | Not Have Active Legs on Backswing |
| CHAPTER SIX | THE COMPLETION OF THE BACKSWING |
| Promote Width and Turn of Body, Hips, Shoulders (Reviewer’s Note: Right Shoulder Continues to Turn/Move After the Left Shoulder is Stopped by the Chin and Spine Turning Limitations | No Early or Intentional Setting of Wrists |
| Weight is on Inside of Right Foot/More on Heel Than Ball of Foot | Right Foot Does Not Wobble But Stays Firmly in The Place it Started |
| Turn Right Hand Counter Clockwise (Pronate) and Extend it As You Get to Parallel | Have Club in Open Position or Toe Straight Up When Club Reaches Parallel on Backswing |
| Arms Stay Quiet During The Early Part of the Backswing Moving With the Shoulder and Hip Turn, But Not Rolling in Any Direction | Do Not Roll Arms Clockwise During The Backswing |
| Right Palm Stays Pointed Down (Pronated) Early in Backswing | Do Not Roll Hand or Palm Clockwise Early in Backswing (Think of how quarterback throws ball with right hand going back and moving counter-clockwise if anywhere) |
| Right Hip Turns As Far As Possible and Moves Up on Backswing | Do Not Resist With Lower Body |
| Let Right Leg Straighten, But Not Get Rigid, on Backswing as You Load Weight There | Do Not Keep a Lot of Flex in Right Leg |
| Load Weight on Right Heel | Do Not Truncate Hip and Lower Movement |
| At Top of Backswing, Lower Back Is Closer to Target Than it Was at Address | Do Not Rush Transition, Must Be Smooth |
| CHAPTER SEVEN | THE TRANSITION |
| Left Knee “Broken In” and Left Heel Off the Ground at Top of Backswing | Do Not Keep Left Heel on Ground During Backswing, Too Restrictive |
| Begin Downswing With Lower Body and Left Side Moving Toward Target | Do Not Let Right Shoulder Move as Soon or as Quickly as Left Shoulder in Transition |
| On Downswing Lower of the Body as a Natural Response to The Lengthening/Stretching of Legs and Lower Body on the Backswing | Do Not Turn Hips Only Horizontally on the Downswing |
| Two Way Stretch – Lower Body Turning Towards Target While Upper Body (Mainly Right Shoulder) Is Still Turning Away From Target – This Loads/Stores Power | Do Not Have Unity of Movement of Upper and Lower Body at Transition/Beginning of the Downswing as this Dissipates Power |
| Left Hip Lower Than Right At Transition and Well Into The Downswing | Do Not Keep Hips Level at Transition |
| Right Knee Moves Toward Target Well After Left Knee Has Started Moving Toward Target Causing Squat and Creating Pressure for Right Foot Push Off/Power | Do Not Let Right Side/Knee Release Too Early on Downswing; |
| Getting Weight Off The Right Leg In Mid-Downswing (Before Club Gets Parallel) Allows Knee to Rotate In and Allows Golfer to Use Pressure On That Leg to Create Velocity and Allows for Straightening The Right Leg as a Brace at Impact | Leave Weight on Right Side Too Long as it Prevents Right Leg From Rotating In (book reviewer’s note -The Right Knee Cannot Rotate Inward, Which is Essential to Rotate the Body to the Left, if the Right Leg is Weight Bearing) |
| Get Weight to Left Foot With a Lot of Pressure and To Support the Stretch of the Left Side in the Impact Area and Beyond | Do Not Move Weight Merely Laterally,
But Towards The Ground as Well in Transition |
| Right Shoulder Rotates Clockwise and Drops as The Left Arm Stretches, Chest Stretches/Widens to Widen The Downswing Arc, Shallowing The Swing | Do Not Keep Right Shoulder High at the Beginning of the Downswing |
| Right Knee, Pointed at 2 O’Clock At Top Moves or Kicks Out In That Direction Well After Left Knee Started Moving and Right Heel Lifts Off Ground | Do Not Try to Turn Right Knee Inward While the Right Leg is Still Weightbearing |
| Upper Body Stretches During Early Part of Downswing Caused By a Pull on the Left Shoulder and Arm | Not Merely A Turn of the Upper Body Towards The Target and Not Merely The Arms Following the Body, They Are Active and a Force Themselves |
| Wrists, Not Having Been Actively Set on the Backswing, Now Set to the Max, Have Maximum Load Just After the Beginning of the Downswing | Do Not Actively Set Wrists on the Backswing |
| Right Wrist at Beginning of Downswing Folds Backward (Extension) and Turns Counterclockwise (Pronates) as Right Elbow Moves Toward Hip and Right Arm “Moves As If One Is Losing Arm Wrestling” (More Parallel to the Ground) | Do Not Let Right Wrist Release Too Early or Be Floppy as it Needs to Be Fully Loaded and Tight to Facilitate Strong Release Near Bottom of Swing |
| Right Arm Has Two Way Stretch – Wrist Area Moves Away From Chest, Elbow Moves Towards Hip, Right Palm Turns Down | No Looseness In Right Arm, But Also Keep Free of Tension |
| Legs Fire Late In the Downswing and Left Hips Stays Lower Than Right Hip Until Arms Parallel to Ground on Downswing | Do Not Fire Legs Too Early as This Raises The Right Hip and You Lose Power at Impact |
| CHAPTER 8 | IMPACT AND FINISH |
| Weight Moves to Inside of Left Foot As Hip Rotates Left and Up As the Left Side Gets Elongated | Do Not Let Hip Stay Horizontal at Impact Since It Keeps Left Side from Extending, Stretching, and Moving Quickly to the Left |
| Weight Is Moved Substantially and Left Hip Gets Higher than Right Just As Arms Get Hip High on the Downswing | Do Not Let Weight Hang Back On Right Side |
| Right Knee, Hip and Ankle Forcefully Extend Creating Push With Right Side As Body Rotates Like Revolving Door | Do Not Slide Weight Left So Far That Weight Gets to Outside of Foot |
| Allow Head to Move Back and Stay Behind the Ball for Maximum Speed and Control | Do Not Let Head Move Forward on Downswing |
| Right Wrist is Still Extended Somewhat (top of hand close to forearm) Just Before Impact | Do Not Release The Right Wrist Too Early as that Causes the Flip |
| Right Arm is Not Fully Extended At Impact, Only After Impact | Do Not Let Right Arm Extend Fully on Downswing |
| Swing Out and Up – Throwing the Clubhead Down The Line With the Right Hand | Do Not To Swing Over and Around to Get to Impact and Follow Through (club will go left naturally since the swing and body turn is round) |
| SUMMARY | |
| Lessons from the Greatest | Do Not Do Something in A Golf Swing Just Because It Looks Good |
| High Speed Cameras Useful | |
| Three Dimensional Analysis Useful | |
| People Now Learning Golf from You Tube | |
About the Reviewer
Herb Rubenstein is the Director of Instruction at the Brooklyn Golf Alliance, www.brooklyngolfalliance.org, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding the game of golf. He is also an attorney, General Counsel, and a professional golfer with Golf Pro Delivered, www.golfgpd.com. He is a golf instructor to numerous high school golf teams in Brooklyn, and is Captain of a PGA Summer Jr. League. He has taught business strategy at several universities and is the author of several books on leadership and a book on how to grow businesses and nonprofits published by Financial Times. His email address is herb@golfgpd.com and he can be reached at 303 910.7961. He is a Level 3, PGA Associate Member, having passed the Players’ Ability Test at age 65.