Book Review: The A Swing

I've been promising you a e book assessment and right here it's miles.

The A Swing is David Leadbetter's new book, a book that he says he hopes will shake up the golf teaching community. The "A" stands for "alternative," and the swing is certainly that. In some ways it's not all that radical, as it continues to emphasize principles that Leadbetter has taught for many years... but there are some, shall we say, "unique" principles at work as well.

A couple of weeks ago I did a post about this swing -- right around the time I got my copy of the book -- and I linked you to a page at Golf Digest's website with videos demonstrating the basics of it. The primary concept that makes the swing "alternative" is what Leadbetter has nicknamed the V Plane , which is best explained by the following photo from the website.

At the midway factor of the backswing, the shaft of the club leans ahead closer to the goal line. Then the club is rerouted at some stage in the exchange of direction at the pinnacle so it is on a more typical downswing plane. And this motion may be very compact, requiring a shorter backswing to create greater clubhead pace.

Leadbetter says that you do not even ought to get the V pretty as stated as the photo demonstrates. Rather, any swing that creates this V -- despite the shaft nearly vertical on the backswing -- tends to assist players get higher results from their own swings. And after my authentic put up approximately the swing I were given some remarks that backed up Leadbetter's declare. In reality, this review has taken me longer than anticipated clearly because I've been experimenting with this swing to get an idea how it works.

And I'll be honest with you -- I can't get the darn thing to work. I understand the concepts and, while I think the forearm rotation it requires between the top of the swing and halfway down is excessive, I don't think it's a bad approach to the golf swing. Leadbetter has eliminated a lot of the exaggeration that I believe makes Hogan's swing so hard for weekend golfers, and I think that's a good thing. But I still can't get it to work. Although I can get to the top just fine, I end up with a horrible in-to-out swing no matter what I try.

However, I suppose I recognise the motive why. On page 114 of the e-book Leadbetter writes:

It's not a perfectly symmetrical V, but it is a great image to understand how the shaft should move. This change of plane is important for the many golfers who lack energy and flow in their swing and swing steeply from out-to-in. (emphasis mine)

I haven't had a problem with an out-to-in swing in 25 years! Since then when I've had plane problems it's always been an exaggerated in-to-out swing. Those of you who read my blog regularly know that I consider the Hogan swing a fix for a duck hook, which is why it causes so many weekend players to slice badly -- most weekend players don't start with a duck hook. And the A Swing is a fix for an over-the-top swing, so it creates an exaggerated in-to-out swing in case you aren't beginning with an over-the-top swing. Makes perfect sense to me, and I appreciate that Leadbetter's book is detailed enough that I could figure that out.

The ebook starts with a foreward through Michelle Wie and an explanation of the biomechanics of the swing written by J.J. Rivet, a biomechanist who works with Leadbetter. Then the majority of the e-book is a well-illustrated rationalization of the way the swing works, accompanied by way of a chapter on the way to use the A Swing in the brief game and such. Finally there's a chapter with the 7-Minute Practice Plan that everybody's been so curious approximately and some appendices with extra information.

Look, the A Swing isn't for all people and, no matter what anyone says, I'm no longer convinced that is something you could just dabble with. The primary positions within the swing -- and that rerouting move at the pinnacle of the swing -- are going to take a dedication if you really need to get exact at them. But I think the overall idea is sound and it's sincerely a better preference for maximum parents than the conventional Hogan swing. (I suggest, which one higher describes the swing flaw you are trying to restoration -- a duck hook or an over-the-top swing?) Leadbetter have to get his desire; this e-book goes to get humans speaking, that is for sure.

But if you don't have a problem with an over-the-top move, I'd advise you to look elsewhere. The exaggerated push shot it created for me, a player whose swing is already on a decent plane, would be unplayable on the course.