Getting Up and Down by Tom Watson
Tom Watson, of course, has been tossed back into the spotlight based on his superb play at the recent Open Championship. But he did not just appear out of nowhere.
His simple, solid and repeatable swing has been with him since he began.
Really, not much has changed (besides a certain degree of flexibility) His only nemesis being the putter.
And as John has mentioned in his terrific article Golf Swings: Tiger Vs. Tom there is a lot we can learn from the solid mechanics of Mr. Watson.
Tom (to my knowledge) has four books out. They are:
Tom Watson’s Getting Back to Basics
Tom Watson’s Strategic Golf
Getting Up and Down by Tom Watson
The Rules of Golf – Through 1999 by Tom Watson
Of all the golf books I own, Getting Up and Down, by Tom Watson, has the most wear and tear, the most coffee stains and (dare I say) the most used. Why this is so is something I have, honestly, never given much thought but I believe it has to do with it’s simplicity and directness.
It’s not easy to get golf’s mechanics across in simple images but Watson does in superbly with Getting Up and Down and also Getting Back to Basics. Funny, I never really felt Nicklaus’ book, Golf My Way by Jack Nicklaus
The short game, as we all know, can be one of the squirreliest parts of the game due to the myriad of lies and obstacles (sand, water, deep rough, short rough) one has to consider and negotiate. What I think makes, Getting Up and Down so unique is it’s simple focus on these challenges.
Like to get out of thick rough around the green Watson recommends picking the club straight up and straight down (obviously lessening the grass/clubface contact) – but when I first read this tip many moons ago it didn’t really shock me or surprise me (I mean it is JUST a tip) but when out on the course trying the technique it felt completely odd, counter-intuitive and scary. The first time I attempted it (in competition no less) the ball came out high and fluffy and dropped like a feather inches from the pin (nice!)
The short game demands all sorts of precise club positions, angles, swings that it is truly a science. In my humble opinion it is a must have golf book for your collection and will hopefully bring you years of short game satisfaction. And if budget is a concern, head over to Amazon where used copies start at 95 cents!
Related posts:
- Golf Swings: Tiger vs. Tom
- What We Learned From Watson At Turnberry
- Tom Wishon and the Truth About Golf Equipment
- Values and Golf
- Quick 9 with Hogan Author, Tom Bertrand
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
[...] this year’s (2009) British Open Champ. But I have written about this book before here called, Getting Up and Down by Tom Watson, and it has some of the best short game instruction you will EVER find. Many, many tips and [...]