Product Details

• Actors: Manuel de la Torre
• Format: NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 2
• Studio: Warde Publishers, Inc.
• DVD Release Date: December 23, 2003
• Run Time: 150 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00018SHQU
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,638 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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Editorial Reviews

Carol Mann, LPGA Hall of Fame member / Back cover of DVD
"Manuel not only taught me a simpler swing but also a new way of being on the golf course."

Product Description
For thousands of players, their first session with Manuel de la Torre marked the day their game got simpler and they began playing better. Immediately, you'll be relieved to know that the long list of things-to-do for golf shots gets more manageable because it gets shorter. As the list gets shorter, it is easier to understand, apply, and perfect the essentials that will improve your game.

Your session with Manuel de la Torre begins in Volume 1 with a conversation that takes you to a new perspective in which golf makes the kind of sense you always knew it should. Then one-at-a-time, he walks you through the fundamentals of an effective swing. The clarity and simplicity, with which only he can do this will make it obvious why players from all over the country come to work with him.

In Volume 2, your session takes you out on the course where he shows you how these fundamentals are common to every swing. He conducts your training in putting, chipping, pitching, sand play, uneven lies, and your full swing.

Elapsed Time:
Volume 1- 76:12
Volume 2- 74:03

The DVD Understanding the Golf Swing is a stand alone complete introduction to golf. Please also see the book Understanding the Golf Swing, also by Manuel de la Torre.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone at first..., April 22, 2006

By	Ronald Allen Martin "ram4ut" (chicago) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I know Manuel and have worked with him on 2 occasions. Being a PGA teaching professional I can tell you that there is a reason why he is voted as a top 20 teacher every year. And that reason is that he requires you to change your way of thinking. I read about him 15 years ago. I bought Earnest Jones's book. I sought out everything I could on Manuel. But until you work with him in person, it's hard to put his method into practice. Because it's a complete change in thinking. Not a physical action that he has stashed in his bag of tricks. That's why you might see poor reviews for his video. He's not trying to show you something new. Most of us already know how to swing the club. He teaches us to think differently.

After my first session with Manuel I walked away knowing I had a lot of work to do between the ears.Even after a couple of competitive rounds I knew it would take some time. I just could not let go of my old way of thinking.

90% of all golfers are convinced that thier target is THE BALL!

The next day I went to the range, and it only took me about 5 swings before I realized that I was as "ballbound" as the students I had been teaching for 10 years. I played some good golf that way. But I always knew there was something that was keeping me from reaching MY next level as a golfer. I never had aspirations of playing on the tour. God blessed me a long time ago with the knowledge and awareness that I was never going to reach that level. I'm not saying you shouldn't have lofty goals. But in my opinion, having overly high expectations is one of the biggest road blocks to reaching your potential as a golfer. As a coach I must help a student realize what it takes to achieve their goals. I must also make sure that they know there are less than 1,000 golfers in the world at any given time that can play this game for a living. That's just a fact. And these 1,000 golfers were most likely born with two things: 1. Complete confidence that the club in their hands is going to send the ball to their intended target. And 2. An uncanny ability to harness their emotions and channel them into peek performance while under pressure. If you asked these guys/girls what they are thinking about when they swing, most of them would say target. But don't be fooled. For the most part, these individuals have done this since they were kids, and swinging to their target never really crossed their minds as the most crucial thing they do to be sucsessful in their profession. It just happnes for them. Believe it not, many of these players do think about "hitting the ball" instead of swinging the club. However, we wouldn't dare trying to change their way of thinking at this point. But if you want an example of a world class player that lost sight of what they are supposed to be doing with the golf club, look no further than David Duval, Ian-Baker-Finch,or Tom Weiskoph. I'm not saying that these guys meltdowns are directly related to swinging vs. hitting. But they didn't just wake up and forget how to swing! Something in their thought process went awry. But I feel confident that fear and lost confidence were at the top of the list.

A good example of Manuel's method would be the action that a small child uses when he/she picks up a club. They see ball, they swing club, however, the ball just gets in the way. The child has no expectation as to what the ball should do. It just goes. Sometimes on the ground. More often times it gets airborne with a little draw! Amazing! A natural swing produces a draw. How many of you ruined your games trying to produce a draw? A draw is actually a straight shot. Most tour players came out of the womb hitting a draw. Now with technology the way it is, they all want to hit a power fade. It flys higher, stops quicker, and will fly almost as far as their draw will hit and roll. Young children don't care where the ball goes. They are just swinging the club with no thought about HOW to do it. Forget HOW for now. At your next practice session, set up an alignment aid to make sure you are lined up at whatever target you choose. Your feet, knees, hips, and shoulders, should be square to the intended line. Then take a practice swing from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock. Then step up to the ball and endeavor to copy that exact swing and tempo. I don't care if the ball rolls on the ground. But give up complete control and try copy the tempo and timing of the practice swing. But remember! AT THE TOP OF THE SWING, 3 O'CLOCK IN THIS CASE, THINK ABOUT SWINGING THE CLUB TO 9 O'CLOCK. NOT THE BALL!!!!!!. If there is a magic move in the golf swing, this is it.

We as adults have brainwashed ourselves into thinking that our job is to help the ball become airborne. YOUR JOB IS TO SWING THE CLUB!!!! Everything else is a consequence of that action. Until you understand that and take it to the course in a competitive enviroment, you will never understand what Mr de la Torre is trying to get across. It is truely 90% mental 10% physical.

I see a lot of complaints about the video in regards to: "he never tells us how to swing the club". If you have been told about Manuel, or have stumbled upon him because someone told you how good he was, then I would guess that you already know how to "swing the club". THERE IS NO MAGIC MOVE,ACTION, OR BULLET!!!" It is a mental concept. You must hit thousands of balls with a wedge or 9-iron to a 20 or 30 yard target until you are swinging "through" the ball to the target "FROM THE TOP OF THE SWING". On my scorecard before every round I write : STTTFTT " Swing to the target from the top" There is no guiding or manipulation of the club. It basically swings you. This is a very easy concept in theory, but very difficult to practice if you have been programmed most of your golfing career to hit at the ball. Most of us don't realize that we are not swinging to the target. A lot of teaching professionals can't tell if their students are swinging at the ball or at the target. Sure, a teacher will tell you how important it is to HAVE a specific target in mind. Even during pratice. But can they communicate the concept of swinging TOWARDS that target? Just the other day I met with Manuel and we hit wedges to 20 yards for 30 minutes. Just to be sure he knew that I understood what we were trying to do. And he would tell me if I was swinging or hitting before the ball ever hit the ground. And most importantly, Manuel teaches you to "be you own coach" You must recognize that almost all swing faults are a result of "hitting" at the ball. How many of you have read: hit the ball like you were driving a nail with a hammer into the back of the ball? For the rest of your golfing life, if you ever read an article or watch Golf Academy Live and the instructors use the word "Hit". CHANGE THE CHANNEL! or stop reading. YOU do not hit anything! The club does. Your job is to swing the club with your natural ability.

Do yourselves a favor. Spend the 40 bucks and go see him at Milwaukee CC. He is truly an American treasure. You would think that at 84 years old he would be just going through the motions for the money.Nothing could be further from the truth. This gentleman is truly concerned about your progress. And he will work like hell to make sure you understand before the session is over. That's a promise.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Read the book first!, December 17, 2004

By	Jack from Cape Cod (Cape Cod, MA) - See all my reviews

The DVD is a little vague on the actual swing mechanics. As simple as de la Torres principles are, in this DVD he does not tell you what and how the actual swing should be made....at least not clearly enough. "Swing back with the hands and down with the upper arms" is the basic swing, but this physical act is well hidden in the dialogue on the video. I believe reading the book first will help you absorb what the DVD is detailing. Having said that, I'm not sure you actually need the video, but it does cover his concepts in great detail and perhaps someone who gets more from being shown will benefit from the video. The production is adequate, but the voice pickup was not always good and sometimes the voices dropped and were hard to understand.... at least to these old ears

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simplified and Wonderful, May 18, 2004

By	"fgbrault" (West Hartford, CT USA) - See all my reviews

Manuel de la Torre has a simple way to approach the golf swing based on Earnest Jones and de la Torre's father. The DVDs are very complete in covering Setup and each of the clubs used from putter to driver. The approach is to visualize the target and swing the club in its direction. The details are also simple. You SWING the clubhead back over your shoulder with your HANDS and swing the ENTIRE club forward with your UPPER ARMS towards the target in an uninterrupted SWING to the end and let the body respond. De la Torre defines the arms as from the shoulder to the elbow and does this only once. So it might be confusing if you miss this critical notion. In the forward swing the hands and forearms simply hold on to the club. Its that simple and It works too. The key is actually allowing your body to respond to this simple swing. The swing controls the body not vice versa. These DVDs would be a bargain at twice the price.