From Publishers Weekly
Few golf fans know the name Homer Kelley, writes Gummer, an acclaimed golf writer himself who admits even he didn't know Kelley's story until relatively recently. But Gummer aims to bring awareness to a man and the book he wrote that revolutionized the game of golf. Never a golfer himself, Kelley devoted his life to finding what made the perfect golf swing. Spending 30 years of his life in writing
The Golfing Machine, Kelley analyzed the different components to a swing via geometry and physics, and insisted that there was no perfect solution—it was a system, not a method, and it was up to the golfer to find the proper components geared toward his own game. Even after his first book was finally published in 1969, Kelley continued to fine-tune his work, publishing several updated editions. And perhaps fittingly, he died while giving a seminar on the book. Alas,
The Golfing Machine itself might have appealed to only the most physics-minded players: as one critic of Kelley's lamented, it all seems convoluted. Yet when one reads over the laundry list of professional golfers who benefited from Kelley's ideas, one wonders why Kelley's legacy lived in anonymity for so long. Gummer takes complicated ideas from Kelley's book and makes them easy to follow, and while the subject matter isn't universally fascinating, golf fans will find it to be a quick, enjoyable read.
(May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
THE NEW YORK TIMES We all know golf is a mystery. Solving the mystery is the allure of the game and the unending quest for all golfers. Homer Kelley, however, was not your typical golfer. An earnest Midwesterner shaped by the Depression, he shot a 116 the first time he played the game. Kelley decided to try to play again, and without any instruction or advice between rounds, carded a 77 the next time out.
Others might have seen this as good fortune, but Kelley, methodical and analytical by trade, took it as a lifelong challenge to figure out why he had played so much better the second time. After decades of research, study and experimentation, Kelley published his book, "The Golfing Machine," in 1969. It was widely dismissed as too thick with physics and scientific jargon, even if its science was never repudiated.
On the 40th anniversary of Kelley's original work, the author Scott Gummer gives us "Homer Kelley's Golfing Machine: The Curious Quest That Solved Golf" (Gotham Books). And while this is a book about an instruction manual meant to explain--and demystify--every possible combination of every possible golf swing, it is most worthy as an engaging and warm story of a simple but complex man obsessed with the simplicities and complexities of golf. Kelley's disciples, among them Bobby Clampett, Steve Elkington and Morgan Pressel, are meant to be living proof that Kelley, who died in 1983, solved the enigma of golf.
That's a mighty large statement. Read the book and see for yourself. It is a tale that at least adds a charming piece to the puzzle. --Bill Pennington, The New York Times
We all know golf is a mystery. Solving the mystery is the allure of the game and the unending quest for all golfers. Homer Kelley, however, was not your typical golfer. An earnest Midwesterner shaped by the Depression, he shot a 116 the first time he played the game. Kelley decided to try to play again, and without any instruction or advice between rounds, carded a 77 the next time out.
Others might have seen this as good fortune, but Kelley, methodical and analytical by trade, took it as a lifelong challenge to figure out why he had played so much better the second time. After decades of research, study and experimentation, Kelley published his book, "The Golfing Machine," in 1969. It was widely dismissed as too thick with physics and scientific jargon, even if its science was never repudiated.
On the 40th anniversary of Kelley's original work, the author Scott Gummer gives us "Homer Kelley's Golfing Machine: The Curious Quest That Solved Golf" (Gotham Books). And while this is a book about an instruction manual meant to explain -- and demystify -- every possible combination of every possible golf swing, it is most worthy as an engaging and warm story of a simple but complex man obsessed with the simplicities and complexities of golf. Kelley's disciples, among them Bobby Clampett, Steve Elkington and Morgan Pressel, are meant to be living proof that Kelley, who died in 1983, solved the enigma of golf. That's a mighty large statement. Read the book and see for yourself. It is a tale that at least adds a charming piece to the puzzle. --The New York Times
By Bill Pennington
May 24, 2009
GOLF DIGEST
Homer Kelley for years loomed as one of the games last great mysteries, an obscure but important man who reshaped our perceptions of the modern swing. In this substantive and stylish book, Gummer unravels Kelley's elusive personal history and sheds light on his considerable influence. It's a story that will enlighten teachers, enthrall serious players and entertain golfers at all levels.
