Description:
Ask any foursome of professional golfers who possesses the most sound swing on tour, and the response will be a gimme: Australian Steve Elkington. In Fundamentals, the PGA champ tees up his secrets, breaking down the essentials into pretty much the same pentathlon--grip, set-up, backswing, downswing, and tempo--as the great Ben Hogan did in his '50s classic, Five Lessons. Elkington's style is anecdotal, personal, conversational, and friendly; he talks you through his methods and thinking, with an emphasis on getting things right from the start rather than fixing faults acquired along the way. Throughout, he offers particular tips for advanced players, and he ends with useful advice on equipment, a section geared specifically to shoring up the short game, and an excellent series of exercises geared to keep golfing muscles loose and limber. Where Five Fundamentals really scores is in its ability to show as well as tell. It is peppered with helpful still photographs. Better yet, the top and bottom corners of the pages use the old flicker technique; flip them quickly and you'll be able to see Elk's sweet swing in action whacking a driver, a six-iron, and a wedge from the sand. In his hands, it looks so easy; the challenge is making yours look the same. --Jeff Silverman
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