Customer Reviews

Tom Watson "Lessons of a Lifetime" 2 - disc DVD Set

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

TW, the original, is one of the all-time great golfing legends. And the legend continues to grow, as we all witnessed at Turnberry. That a champion golfer would be asked to produce an instruction video is no surprise and traces its history all the way back to Bobby Jones' Hollywood golf instruction videos produced in the 1930's. "Lessons of a Lifetime" was obviously made by a very intelligent man who has spent a lot of time thinking about the golf swing. And it takes a certain amount of introspection and humility to admit that despite having won 8 majors, he didn't completely understand it until 1994 when he says he discovered "the secret". Let me just say this as an avid golfer used to paying an hourly rate of $100-120 for golf tune-ups: this is the best instruction I have received, probably ever. I didn't say best video, I said instruction, period, live or on tape. Take a look at the simplicity of his swing. Compare it to the many videos you can find on the web of Ben Hogan. While they differ in plane--Tom is more upright--both are exemplars of simplicity and efficiency. I have Hogan's book, Five Lessons. I used to refer to it often. It was trail blazing in its analysis-- a new benchmark for golf instruction. I would put TW's CD's in the same camp, except his instruction is far far easier to understand. ( There's something cryptic about Hogan's supination and pronation thesis-- gives me a headache frankly. ) I could go on about how Mr. Watson's approach is so much simpler and useful compared to today's back breaking contortions advocated by the guru's. Most former golf champions his age spend their mornings in traction to relieve back pain before going off to do a few small appearances here and there, so I will stop here: Tom Watson is 61 and his golf swing still works effectively at the highest levels of golf.

What is the secret to Tom Watson's success over the years? I was hoping he would tell me in one short hour so I could go out and score in the low 70's or maybe in the 60's. Well that's not going to happen real soon. But Tom did an excellent job in reviewing the fundamentals that will benefit golfers at any level. His comprehensive explanations cover many aspects of the game from womb to tomb in a clear concise manner. I now know his secret and with a little practice maybe I can beat the other three in my foursome.
The two DVD set with booklet are about the same price as a round of golf with a portion going toward the Bruce Edwards Fund. I recommend this excellent piece of work by Tom Watson.

Tom Watson's dvd is instructional, informational, and logical. This is the best it gets on the fundementals. His instruction is composed of straight forward, no nonsense lessons allowing the duffer to become the hustler.
He covers the basics and then some. The lessons are divided into two dvds. The first going over the golf swing and shot types and the second going over the short game. The first dvd is less than an hour and the second is an hour and a half. This is a perfect example of how the short game has more value than the golf swing.

The best instruction on the market for mechanics and how to play the game.

These DVDs are great to keep you focused on the fundamentals. It can help all skill-set Golfers to hit the right shot the right way. It has detailed swing fundamentals in the first DVD that has helped me immensely. I had not taken any formal lessons or training in years and my swing strayed far from fundamentals. With this DVD and a few practice trips to the range, I have corrected lot of my faults and improved consistency. Second DVD is great for keeping the short game on track. It goes into detail on how to get up and down from various lies.However the second DVD is a little bit rushed. In the first one Tom takes time to explain the physics for doing certain things but skips that aspect completely in the short game sections. It would be nice to understand the physics why a certain thing needs to be done the way it is done. But, that is just me I like to understand the intricate details of shots not just blindly follow a way we should. There is also rushed section of curing slice and hook. Would have been nice to include some drills, but then again if you follow the first DVD's swing advice you would have already cured your problems.

This DVD and the companion booklet are invaluable. Most impresive are the segments on playing poor lies (uphill & downhill), sand traps and selecting different clubs on approach shots based upon the landing area and green speed. This DVD can literally take strokes off your handicap! And the advice on correcting a slice or hook couldn't be simplier.

Tom Watson is one of the contemporary greats of the game. He got where he is by observing the best in golf and by listening to advice from the masters. In Lessons of a Lifetime, we get to listen to Mr. Watson share some of that knowledge with us. The DVDs take the viewer through the most important aspects of the game from swing basics to hitting particular shot types. His teaching is interesting, clear and easy to follow. As good as Tom Watson is, he continually makes references to others from which he learned important lessons and does not take the credit for himself alone.

I believe these DVDs are well worth the cost and will likely serve well to help many golfers improve their game.

I've seen a lot of golf videos over the years; probably more than 20+. This was by far the best. It will be so easy & clear for a brand new beginner to understand, and it was great for a single digit handicap as well. Extremely well made & informative, this is a reference guide that should be on your shelf.

I found his DVD straight forward and very understandable. He takes you through all the basics, step by step that leads to a good repeatable swing. Good for some what new golfers struggling with consistency.

Tom Watson and his producers have put together quite a masterpiece of golf instruction with this DVD set. I have been playing for 16 years and have viewed lots of golf DVDs and read countless books. The result was a double digit handicap and lots of frustration even though everyone I played with said I had a great "looking" swing. But there was just something missing. The elusive 'secret' to my golf swing that neither I nor any golf professionals could pinpoint.

Well, in a little over an hour (the first DVD), Tom Watson helped me correct my fundamentals and gave me a second life in golf. Tom explains the big picture concepts of the swing and then tells you about the small details that will make a huge impact on your ball striking ability. And he goes over these fundamentals in a logical, progressive manner, so you learn about them as they should happen in the golf swing.

Now, I don't write reviews right after I buy something. I have been using Tom's instruction for 2 months now. But to be honest, the first day I took it to the range, I almost jumped for joy. Not only could I hit my target, but I could also 'work' the ball in any direction that I wanted. And when a shot did go astray, I knew exactly why it had happened and what I could do to fix it. So 2 months later, I am still striking the ball 90% better than I ever have in my life on a CONSISTENT basis.

Bottom line....you will not regret buying this DVD set!!! I wish I would've had it when I started up the game. This DVD set makes almost all other instruction obselete. In fact, I'll be selling all of my other books and DVDs soon.

I am very impressed by this instructional video. Tom Watson talks about swing mechanics and how to hit different types of shots in a manner that all levels of golfers can understand. It is nice to be able to go back and review certain lessons when needed. I highly recommend it.