(Available in the bookstores)
Co-authored by long-time popular golf writer Andy Brumer, Bobby’s passion for the game and helping others is revealed in what many consider will be the most talked about golf instruction book in 20 years. Bobby’s background as a foremost proponent of the popular golf teaching system, The Golfing Machine, combined with his unique talent as a long-time PGA Tour player and television analyst and commentator provides the experience needed for the answers that have been missing in golf teaching today. Style has been the predominant theme among golf teachers. All the well-known teachers, many of whom Bobby has worked with personally, favor a style teaching method. Then what explains the myriad of successful swing styles we see on TV each week? What explains how Tiger Woods has won major golf championships with three different swing styles? Bobby’s personal struggle as a PGA Tour player in constant pursuit of changing his style advocated by some of the best teachers in the game, exposed for him a simple truth. What matters most is what goes on through impact! Bobby identifies 5 swing dynamics that progress with one another as the catalyst to improve one’s game. These dynamics are simple, easy to understand and form the hub of the golf swing from which all players can benefit. Understanding the dynamics comes first. Improving them in purposeful drills comes second, Applying them into the ball is the final test. If you’re the least bit confused as to how to improve your game, if you’ve witnessed the abundance of contradictory swing recommendations proposed by golf teachers on TV, on the practice tee and in the print media, if you have been duped into thinking new clubs will make a significant difference in your game, then the Impact Zone is your answer.
“Bobby Clampett is a true and loyal friend, as well as one of the most knowledgeable golfing minds in the game. He has always known that the strike is what matters most. What the swing looks like is really of no concern; the quality of the impact between club and ball is the heart of the matter.”
— Tom Lehman, 1996 British Open Champion and 2006 Ryder Cup team captain
Bobby,
I wanted to take a moment to Thank You for the work you have done to illustrate clearly what the impact zone should look and feel like. I have been playing golf for 20 years and have yet to have someone, instructor or playing partner, explain the impact zone like you have. I have searched for my “style” and have had a few instructors change me throughout my journey. All the while, I seem to get better results from trusting my impact, divots and ball flight to be “my own personal instructor.” I found your book through the recent Golf Digest article you collaborated on. I employed some of the few insights in the article and found my strikes to be appreciably better instantly. After reading 90% of your book, I have such a clear definition in mind and hands of how I should be striking the ball. Good and bad shots alike. I have felt the solid contact in my years of playing, but struggled to retain the consistency through changes in my swing. Now I know that dynamic impact is the ticket. Well done and Thank You!
Best of luck with the book and when you feel compelled to write another, I will be back at the bookstore.
— J.H.
Bobby,
I wanted to thank you for writing the book "The Impact Zone" which I have just completed! I consider myself to be an above average golfer (index 7.5) and practice alot but have never quite felt that I understood exactly what I should be doing during the golf swing. I can readily recite all of my swing faults but remained unclear as to how to correct those and where I should be at impact even after a moderate number of lessons. I knew that I needed to hit down and take a larger divot but just couldn't quite visualize this. Having read your article in Golf Digest, I purchased your book and have found it to be extremely helpful and right on target. I could immediately start to apply the principles that you described and have seen changes right away. I realize that it will take many months for the concepts to really get ingrained in my swing and that changes occur in small increments, but I am already seeing the effect of a more "forward" divot. My first round out was a 77 but more importantly, the shots were crisper and straighter (I hook the ball). Honestly, at this point, I will be happy if I can just hit consistent, straight shots (the scoring comes later).
— J.W.
San Diego
Bobby,
I’m a golf addict who has had the privilege of playing the great game of golf for over 40 years. My friend, RC Sproul recently pulled me aside and told me that Bobby Clampett's new book the The Impact Zone was the best golf book he had ever read! “Read it” he said, “and you will call to thank me within two weeks.” As usual, RC was right. The Impact Zone has absolutely revolutionized my ball striking! Thanks to Bobby, I now understand the difference between “swing dynamics” and “swing style.” I consider The Impact Zone to be the single best book on golf-period. “Mastering golf's moment of truth” is transforming me from a 4 to a zero.
— Hank Hanegraaff,
President of the Christian Research Institute (CRI) and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast
Bobby,
I have just finished reading your new book (The Impact Zone) and I wanted to let you know that I believe that it is one of the very best golf instruction books that I have ever read. I loved your descriptions of golf dynamics and especially how you differentiate them from style. I'm excited that the 5 dynamics you describe (a manageable number to work on for mortals such as myself) and your drills provide a logical framework for improvement. I can't wait for warm weather (I live in Louisville, KY) so that I can hit the practice range and start working. Once again let me say how much I liked you book and I will definitely recommend it to my golfing friends. Good luck with sales.
— T.F.
Louisville, KY
Mr. Clampett,
I braved the cold at the driving range to try your prescriptions for swinging the club. Without much effort, I am driving the ball further away with the irons, fairway woods and driver, straight to the target. With little adjustments in the set up, it is not a difficult task to draw or fade the ball. Your book should have been available when I started this frustrating game 5 years ago. At home, I have been practicing my putting strokes as you suggested. Your lesson works as well. Your book is lucidly written and entertaining. I have bought another copy as a Xmas present to my golfing buddy.
By the way, you hinted at writing another book devoted exclusively to the swing of Tiger Woods. Looking forward to it. Please let us know its availability in your website. More power to you.
— D.B.
Bobby,
I've enjoyed reading the book very much and I am on my 2nd time thru. I'm trying to apply the dynamics to my game, it is much easier to understand than The Golfing Machine which I've been trying read for years without much success. I just wondered if you are planning on doing a video to go along with the book.
— G.A.
Bobby,
I loved your book. Will there be a forthcoming DVD? If so, when can we expect it? I can’t wait to see more of your instruction!
— D.L.
Bobby,
I received the book and have read it. I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you — I just got busy having to finish some assignments. But I thought the book made great sense in how it breaks things down to the essence of impact. I liked the distinction between dynamics and style, and the idea that good dynamics should never be sacrificed for supposedly correct style. And I liked the way you used your own career as an example. Its the frankest evaluation I’ve ever seen from you of what happened to your game, and its one of the great cautionary tales. The whole concept of lag is also enlightening — I’ve always sort of intuitively felt that the more lag a player has — Hogan being the greatest example — the more talent and ability he would have as well. But in the last 10 years or so lag has almost come to be presented by a lot of teachers as a bad thing — too hard to control, too easy to get stuck, etc. — as in Sergio has too much lag. I like your take on this very much.
— J.D.
Pinehurst, NC
Hello Bobby,
I have searched for 45 years for the secret to hitting the golf ball. I knew there was a secret that the pros were hiding from us. thanks for lifting the veil. It is so exciting and a little scary applying this new technique but very rewarding. Will keep you posted on my progress, as I only bought your book this afternoon but tried shifting my eyes away from the ball. Works like a dream. Thanks once again.
— H.S.
This (Bobby Clampett’s) book provides the several missing links to let us understand more on the useful part of the yellow book, The Golf Machine. It is an important concept to discriminate the style issues for which golfer can develop or follow that their personal preferences with the dynamic issues of the golf swing that every solid ball impact should be observing. This book is good standing on its own. But also enlighten readers if the readers may already had a wider reading background. This book lights up the missing links so that various teachings of the swing will then start to come together and clicking. A very important modern golf instruction book.
— L.V.C
Hong Kong
There are several very good books on golf methodology. This one is excellent. It is straight forward, understandable, drills to get you there incrementally, and not in the least technical. Even I can understand the concepts of the 5 dynamics. Now I am off to try to internalize them.
— G.G.
Lake Elmo, MN
Bobby,
I wanted to take a moment to Thank You for the work you have done to illustrate clearly what the impact zone should look and feel like. I have been playing golf for 20 years and have yet to have someone, instructor or playing partner, explain the impact zone like you have. I have searched for my “style” and have had a few instructors change me throughout my journey. All the while I seem to get better results from trusting my impact, divots and ball flight to be “my own personal instructor.”
I found your book through the recent Golf Digest article you collaborated on. I employed some of the few insights in the article and found my strikes to be appreciably better instantly. After reading 90% of your book, I have such a clear definition in mind and hands of how I should be striking the ball. Good and bad shots alike. I have felt the solid contact in my years of playing, but struggled to retain the consistency through changes in my swing. Now I know that dynamic impact is the ticket. Well done and Thank You!
Best of luck with the book and when you feel compelled to write another, I will be back at the bookstore.
— J.H.
Dear Bobby,
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your book and how much it helped my game. I've been an inconsistent 92-97 golfer for many years who had some good swing elements, but had no consistency due to poor swing dynamics. I read your book after hearing great things about it. The first two dynamics did wonders for my short game. But I didn't understand why newfound quality chipping didn't carry over to my full swing.
In reading the book again, the two parts that resonated were the part where you talked about ‘moving the swing bottom forward’ was such an important dynamic for all shots and the part along with the part about the flat left wrist at impact being very similar to where you setup on a chip shot - ahead of the shaft - almost covering the left foot. And more importantly that I needed to know where my hands were and not try to direct the clubhead.
From there I focused on swinging down/out/forward and through with a good pivot and letting those hands go to the correct impact position. VOILA! It was like the clouds parted and the fog lifted on my golf swing. Now I am taking absolutely fantastic divots and getting great compression with everything from a pitch shot through a long iron. The consistency is unbelievable!
I shot my personal best 82 on a difficult course and for the first time can realistically see myself being a single digit handicap golfer. I've read a LOT of books, more articles than I can count and taken many lessons - but your book really put the final pieces of the puzzle together by making me focus on the critical impact section. It was a totally different path that I may have never found.
I was one of those golfers you'd mentioned, with a lot of great style elements and poor dynamics. Now that my dynamics are much better (and improving every time out), my handicap is plummeting. Thanks for much for the great information!
— E.R.
Dear Mr. Clampett,
42 year old going into third year of golf — Just want to let you know I am absorbing your book — The Impact Zone — and am in awe at your ability to so vividly and descriptively pass your knowledge into my understanding.
All my concerns and confusion are being replaced with a true understanding about what I must do to pursue my abilities as a student of this great game.
— G.F.
Canada
Dear Mr. Clampett,
I enjoyed listening to your commentary of the Nedbank Challenge recently and I got your book a few days ago. I have been tinkering with my swing for a couple of years now, reading all the instruction books out there but I have to say that I find yours far superior to anything that I have read (particularly for the better player). Many books seem to focus on style rather than dynamics as you put it.
Coincidently, last night I watched a one hour highlight programme of the 1982 British Open. In the BBC coverage of 1982 Peter Alliss referred to you as a ‘real student of the technical swing’ or something to that effect. Also, just as you said in your book, the coverage showed you playing the 6th hole in the 3rd round and showed every shot except the drive which you say was the real bad shot on that hole.
Anyway, your new information is going to take me to new heights.
— G.M.
Ireland
Hello Mr. Clampett,
I just wanted to write you and let you know how GREAT your book is.
I thought I was doing something wrong when I first started this game. I could never consistently strike the ball AFTER taking lessons. And, too make matters worse. I was told I would ALWAYS be a picker. I now take consistent divots IN FRONT of the ball by doing what you explained in your book. THANK YOU!
— G.L.
How to order?
For case orders (24 books minimum), wholesale or non-bookstores, contact:
Erin Hendricks l, St. Martin Publishing
Telephone: 646-307-5370
E-mail- erin.hendricks@hbpub.com