Golf Doctor [Paperback]

John Jacobs (Author), Dick Aultman (Author), Jack Nicklaus (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1999

From tee to green, learn how to quickly cure your swing of the most common faults. John Jacobs, author of the classic Practical Golf, has been called "a great golf teacher" by Jack Nicklaus. In Golf Doctor, he uses his renowned knowledge of the swing to help you identify and correct the twenty-five most common problems that bedevil golfers. Using the flight of the ball as the essential indicator - you have a problem with topping the ball to your right, for instance - you can turn to a clear, concise, and simple lesson that explains the fault and how to banish it forever from your swing. With this master teacher's guidance, you will know what is going wrong and what must be done to correct these and other typical mistakes: shots start on line but then curve to the right, especially with woods and longer irons; shots are frequently topped to the left, while others start left, then slice right on a low trajectory; pitch shots fly on a straight line but to the left of the target, those that do not fly straight are often unusually high and finish well short of the hole; bunker shots are inconsistent, with the ball staying in the sand or flying over the green; putting is generally poor, with longer attempts rarely having the correct distance. Jacobs provides invaluable tips and advice on avoiding wasted strokes, adding length to shots from the rough, playing in crosswinds, and shaping shots around a tree or brush; he also offers insights into getting the most out of your practice and playing with the best attitude for success. Practical and easy to follow, Golf Doctor teaches you to help yourself so that you soon will be striking the ball solidly and consistently. It is almost as good as having your own private instructor. (8 1/2 X 11, 128 pages, diagrams)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The simplicity of The Golf Doctor's format remains an antidote to the convoluted mechanics filling most instructionals. Jacobs doesn't want you to twist your body in a knot; he just wants to help you hit the ball where you want it to go. To that end, he provides 25 "Lessons" to address specific problems and presents sound advice for eight specific "Situations." Say your shots generally start out straight but soon veer off drastically to the right--the golfer's malady called the slice. Find the appropriate diagnosis to fit the disease. (In this case it's right up front in Lesson One.) Jacobs first gives a concise description of the problem, follows with a clear, illustrated explanation of what's going wrong (the clubface is open at impact), and finally guides you through an illustrated correction. It couldn't be easier, and the 25 faults he applies cover all aspects of the game. The Situations are set up just as simply. Say you're driving onto a hole that has hazards on the right. He prescribes several possible preventive measures for staying out of trouble. Other Situations deal with crosswinds, tight lies, and sloping terrain. As with the Lessons, all come with illustrated suggestions, dispensed in doses that are manageable in size yet potent enough to have immediate impact on the particular disorder. --Jeff Silverman

From the Back Cover

From tee to green, learn how to quickly cure your swing of the most common faults.John Jacobs, author of the classic Practical Golf, has been called "a great golf teacher" by Jack Nicklaus. In Golf Doctor, he uses his renowned knowledge of the swing to help you identify and correct the twenty-five most common problems that bedevil golfers. Using the flight of the ball as the essential indicator - you have a problem with topping the ball to your right, for instance - you can turn to a clear, concise, and simple lesson that explains the fault and how to banish it forever from your swing.With this master teacher's guidance, you will know what is going wrong and what must be done to correct these and other typical mistakes: shots start on line but then curve to the right, especially with woods and longer irons; shots are frequently topped to the left, while others start left, then slice right on a low trajectory; pitch shots fly on a straight line but to the left of the target, those that do not fly straight are often unusually high and finish well short of the hole; bunker shots are inconsistent, with the ball staying in the sand or flying over the green; putting is generally poor, with longer attempts rarely having the correct distance.Jacobs provides invaluable tips and advice on avoiding wasted strokes, adding length to shots from the rough, playing in crosswinds, and shaping shots around a tree or brush; he also offers insights into getting the most out of your practice and playing with the best attitude for success.Practical and easy to follow, Golf Doctor teaches you to help yourself so that you soon will be striking the ball solidly and consistently. It is almost as good as having your own private instructor. (8 1/2 X 11, 128 pages, diagrams)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558217959
• ISBN-13: 978-1558217959
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #377,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #64 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Coaching > Golf

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This will help fix what ails your game, January 30, 2001

By 

rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Golf Doctor (Paperback)

Long recognized as the master teacher to all the teachers who are now so famous on tv, Jacobs here has a mighty instruction book.

Based on his revolutionary idea of ball flight feedback, one can easily find what pattern one's shots are taking, then apply the remedies listed for that ailment.

His two turns and a swing is so simple, but profound. If there is one swing thought I fall back on, this is it. Jacobs concepts are so easy to follow and apply. Soon it will seem as though one can diagnose on the spot and correct.

Monumental classic which more golfers could benefit from using.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tips for Jacobs' fans, October 31, 2005

By 

Barrett Bonden (Zaragoza, Spain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Golf Doctor (Paperback)

After knowing about Jacobs, I searched the web for some material. I ordered Golf Doctor,Practical Golf and all the video series. Jacobs' main concept is that, whatever you think or do, the main reality of golf is the effect and trajectory you give the ball when you hit it with the face of your club. Thus, analising the flight of the ball, you should be able to know what you did wrong. Beatiful concept! No wonder Jacobs' approach to golf has granted him a legion of followers. Not too silly, nor too technical, it's effective!

Here is my advise:

-BUY BOTH.- To get the core concepts from Jacobs, you can avoid buyin the new "50 lessons" book if you prefer so, but I suggest you to buy Practical Golf together with Golf Doctor, so that you have a general reference book (Practical golf), and a guide for any ball flight (Golf Doctor).
-TRY TO GET THE VIDEOS.- They will save you throusands of dollars in lessons! They are simple and wise and you can feel the teaching approach of the master himself! I do not find the "short game" video as good as the Wfull swing" one, wich is a masterpiece. Get as well the faults and correction ones.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars perfect fix, May 6, 2005

By 

O. James - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Golf Doctor (Paperback)

Excellent book! As an avid golfer, I've always had to tinker with my swing mechanics on an almost weekly basis to maintain my game. One quick lesson from this book, which simply suggested changing ball position (and offering an explanation of why) was the perfect fix. Now I am long and straight and loving it! I've been loaning the book to friends and telling them to quit paying for worthless lessons.