The Feeling of Greatness: The Moe Norman Story [Paperback]

Tim O'Connor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1995

The Moe Norman Story

Includes 3 New Chapters

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I didn't see them all, but I don't know how anyone could hit the ball better than Moe Norman." -- Golf Digest May 1, 1995 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Tim O'Connor lives near Toronto, Ontario, Canada with wife Sandy and two sons.

He has written a for column for newspaprs and golf magazines. Presently represents Clublink as communications and publicity director. Clublink operates a chain of upscale public golf courses, including Glen Abbey, the home, for many years, of the Canadian Open. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: Masters Pr; Latest Edition edition (November 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157028086X
• ISBN-13: 978-1570280863
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #327,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars At Home on the Range, June 25, 2003

By 

Stephen Sykes (Rockville, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Feeling of Greatness (Paperback)

As recently as 10 years ago, Moe's Norman's very existence was considered apocryphal. A few American golf pros, Paul Azinger and Lee Trevino come to mind, told stories about an eccentric Canadian with a strange swing so accurate he could stand on a driving range and hit the 250 yard sign repeatedly with his driver. Or they told of the time he hit three balls off the tee that were later found huddled together like mushrooms in the middle of the fairway. Then there's the time that, upon hearing someone in the gallery say he was a poor putter, he proceeded to hit a hole-in-one, boasting "I guess I won't be putting today." They said he was so good that if a hole called for a 3-wood and an 8- iron, he'd play it 8-iron/3-wood just to keep it interesting. The stories always held the not-so- subtle claim that if Norman had played the US tour, no one would have ever heard of Jack Nicklaus.

But nobody had seen him recently. He was a ghost. Finally, in 1995, Golf Digest ran a cover story that brought Moe and his strange swing back to life. By that time he had become the poster boy for a new golf movement called Natural Golf, and the leaders of that company were splashing Moe's image around as much as they could. This biography soon followed.

Fortunately, readers of "The Feeling of Greatness" will discover not an advertising piece, but a balanced look at a complicated man. Because of a childhood head injury, or perhaps just because genetics occasionally breeds the strange and unusual, Moe Norman represents obsessive-compulsion applied to golf. He is described as golf's "Rain Man", a savant-like creature of habit who found solace in striking golf balls -- hundreds a day for thousands of days -- but who was so shy, he wouldn't appear at awards ceremonies. He muttered a continuous stream-of-consciousness monologue and played so quickly that he often struck his shot before his partner had pulled his tee out of the ground. He never paused over putts, but rather hit them in full stride. He was not your typical golf pro.

However, while he was very successful on the Canadian tours of the 50s and 60s, he was a flop on the US PGA tour and, in fact, was reprimanded by fellow pros for boorish behavior. The book is honest enough to make it clear that any notion of his tearing up the US tour if only given a fair chance is just false. While he is generally regarded as one of the finest ball strikers of all time, he never came to terms with the real scoring clubs in his bag - his wedge and putter. In the end, Moe Norman was most at home on the driving range, where he gives impressive demonstrations to this day.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You should see Moe in action, January 27, 2000

By 

John Dunigan - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Feeling of Greatness: The Moe Norman Story (Paperback)

Having lived in the North Florida town where Moe and Craig Shankland give golf clinics every Wednesday of the winter, I have watched Moe in action many times, continually to my amazement. One day, during my 1000 balls a day stint, Moe gave me a lesson I will never forget. He's wonderful. I only wish the jerks on the tour could have accepted his idiosyncracies and made him feel comfortable out there. But who wants to make someone who can beat the pants off you feel comfortable?

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best ball striker ever didn't made it to the top., October 3, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Feeling of Greatness: The Moe Norman Story (Paperback)

This is a great story of a relatively unknown personality who could not be a part of the "system". His whole life is unconventional; however, his golf is exceptional. An upolished man, Moe Norman never achieved PGA greatness in the US, but is a legend in the amateur ranks in Canada, owning 33 course records and several rounds shot in the 50's. I was fascinated by the many examples of his ball striking capabilities, like hitting over 1500 drives in one afternoon. Each one traveled over 220 yards and each was in a 30 yard wide fairway. The average golfer loves this story. A guy like you and me CAN hit the ball well! That is what we all want.