AJ Reveals the Truth about Golf
Posted September 11th, 2004 by Erik J. Barzeski
The AJ Golf series promises to reveal the truth about golf for only $89.95. Does it?
If you watch The Golf Channel for any amount of time, you've seen either the 30-second, 60-second, or 30-minute commercials for AJ Reveals the Truth about Golf. You've no doubt seen Da Bat and wondered just what point it might offer. You've seen AJ's "reduce your handicap by 30% and increase your drives by 30 yards in 90 days" guarantee.
I'm a 6-9 handicapper who has a slightly open stance, a strong grip, and a slight high draw. I average about 275 off the tee when I'm playing well and have a relatively solid short game. I was skeptical that AJ Bonar could do much to help my game.
This is the part of the review in which - if it were an infomercial - I'd say "boy, was I wrong!" Unfortunately, I was not. AJ did very little, if anything, to help my game. This doesn't mean the videos are worthless: just that they didn't help me a whole lot.
AJ's entire premise is that the face of the club is like a baseball bat, and that it too must be swung through the impact zone as a baseball bat (see "Da Bat") would through a fastball. In other words: rotating the face of the club from open to closed through impact.
The 55-minute video can be broken down into two parts. The first 40 minutes includes a basic physics lesson you'll be dying to fast forward. The second part contains some information: that rotating the clubface through impact produces distance and accuracy, and that everyone can understand and apply that simple concept. Why, the new player shaved 35 strokes from his game! Oh, wait, you mean it's quite typical for new players to quickly shave strokes as they learn some fundamentals? Oh, well never mind then…
AJ's physics ignore the fact that you still need to approach the ball from a somewhat good path. An extreme outside-in or inside-out swing will have trouble hitting straight shots unless those straight shots are pulls or blocks. That's also basic physics AJ's whole swing theory is basically this: release the club. You've heard it a few other ways: get the toe up on the follow-through, rotate your right forearm over your left, etc.
Despite the relative simplicity, AJ's core message is one which bears repeating. The most basic fundamental is not stance, swing path, or any of the other number of things we've dreamed up. It's club-ball contact. If you're making poor contact with the ball, you're going to play poorly. There's no perfect swing: Arnold Palmer, Moe Norman, Lee Trevino, Raymond Floyd, Tom Lehman, Jim Furyk, Tiger Woods. Seven players, seven very different swings. David Duval doesn't even look at the ball when he strikes it! The sacrilege! Every one of those players (and now David again) make solid contact, though.
We've all got at least some motor skills necessary to hit the ball. Reminding yourself of that through this video series is time well spent.
If you order on the phone or via AJ's site, you get some candy bars, a PGA Tour Partners subscription, and some other videos: The Truth about the Short Game and The Truth about the Driver (Parts 1 & 2). The short game video has some interesting concepts, but they're concepts I already apply (using different clubs for different length chips) or won't be applying (flip and rotate your hands through impact on pitch shots).
Is AJ Reveals the Truth About Golf worth it? With the extra videos, the PGA Tour Partners membership, and the candy bars - sure. For $90, AJ provides some basic common sense knowledge: that everyone, despite their abilities, has at least some natural skill necessary to apply the club to the back of the ball properly. Solid contact, we should not forget, is the most basic fundamental.
I've got about 60 days left in my 90-day trial. I'll see how things go from here. $90 is two boxes of Pro V1x's, and these videos have quite a long time to save me two dozen balls and pay for themselves.
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Posted 24 Dec 2005 at 6:30am #
Personally I think AJ's golf is worth about $5 if that. AJ is clearly a self promoter who will reitre thanks to our gullability. The series is a brilliant hoax like many others before it. You could gain any of the information contained within and more from watching the golf channel for an hour. AJ should be ashamed of himself. I hope he chokes on his filet mignon, that I paid for.
Posted 05 Jan 2006 at 3:11pm #
Acutally I have met AJ Bonar and I find him to be a very nice guy. He has had great success (600,000 copies sold!) because his "keep it simple" approach is appealing and actually works for many people. I found it helped me immensely. I think of swing downward through the ball and swing the bat and I get great contact.
Posted 05 Jan 2006 at 3:53pm #
I'm sure he's a nice guy. The point is that his "tip" (he really only has one idea) is in no way worth $90. That's a lesson or two from your local pro.
Posted 20 Mar 2006 at 7:11pm #
this was just another one of the many gimmicks that didn't work. Wish I had all the money back that I've spent on thes things!
Posted 10 May 2006 at 6:11am #
Ordered my DVD's a couple of month's ago as a 6 handicap player and i have to say i have found it to be invaluable.Ball striking is much better and i am enjoying the game more for ditching the"stuff" we all accumulate over the years.
If there is a "Perfect Swing" why are all the pro's so different in so many ways?
Sorry guy's i'm a believer.
Posted 24 May 2006 at 5:12pm #
I'm a believer too. It simplified everything for me. Maybe your skill level is way above what these videos teach...I don't know. When I started 4 years ago, I used to shoot in the 120's and sometimes 130's (bad i know), but I play bogey golf now in the low 90's. Maybe I'll never be a 6-9 handicapper, but I moved three clubs down for a given distance. For example, I used to use a 7-iron for a 150 yard shot, now I use a PW. Makes shot making a whole lot easier. Can't say I agree with this being a waste of money, it worked great for me.
If the videos didn't help you, send them back. No money lost.
Posted 27 May 2006 at 12:17pm #
It worked for me! If you are looking for an instructional video just like all of the other ones then don't buy this. In order to get the value out of these videos you have to forget everything else you've learned and believe in the tapes. I typically shoot in the 70's but have not been a great driver of the golf ball. After watching the tapes and practicing it for about a month I am hitting fairway after fairway. I don't think I hit it any further than I did before but I am a lot more accurate and consistent. I agree with most people that the videos could be sold for half the price and put into one DVD, but I'm still very glad I bought them. When I played before I would have about 6-10 things I would think about before hitting the ball, and I felt like I needed to do all of them correctly or I would hit a bad shot. Now I only have to think about one or two things and I'm getting to the point where I don't have to think at all. If you are thinking about buying them I would say go for it.
Posted 18 Jul 2006 at 4:13pm #
Since initially seeing AJ's commercial I began buying the DVDs he produces as well as many of his golf aids. My daughter and I returned two days ago from attending his two day golf school. His simple, common sense approach did wonders for both of our games and we are hitting the ball better than ever. I have no doubt we will both be in the 70's at some point in the near future. I can't say enough about his ability to break the swing down and effectively coach you through needed changes. I have taken a lot of lessons from some prominant pros over the years and no one comes close to AJ in person or through his DVD collection. He is a true marvel! My daughter and I can't wait until we can return to his school! If you like his DVDs, go see him in person it is even better!
Posted 26 Jul 2006 at 7:41am #
Good concepts. I'm a 17 with putting issues, but with solid ball striking ability.
I agree with rotating the wrists thru the shot, but dread the though of "opening" the club face in the takeaway.
A slight turn thru the impact zone works great... straighter shots witha tad more distance on the drives.
Posted 14 Sep 2006 at 1:30am #
I have a bit of a story to tell about the video, which I bought after resuming the game of golf in 2001 after a nearly 24-year layoff. At the time I bought the video, I was lucky to break 120. I thought the video was worthless. A.J.'s big point is that you should make a conscious effort to pronate (i.e. turn over) your wrists just before impact with the ball (and hit down, which was not apparent to me from the video). This increases your clubhead speed and therefore your distance. It should also produce a slight draw.
At the time, my swing fundamentals were so bad that this concept was essentially worthless, and I felt ripped off by the $90 U.S. price I had paid. I've bad-mouthed A.J. ever since.
Well, now it's five years later and with a lot of practice, study and effort (but only two professional lessons), I can play bogey golf at the age of 56, and every once in a while, I score in the low 80's. However, although my swing path is inside-to-out, I have an annoying tendency to block shots, resulting in rightward pushes, that drives me up a wall. Just can't rotate like younger men. So, this month's Golf Magazine featured A.J. and his big secret. His suggestion, again - set up normally, but rotate the club and your hands open about 10 degrees. Take your normal backswing, but make a conscious effort to keep the right palm facing the target line. On your downswing, 3-4 feet from the impact area, make a conscious effort to pronate your wrists.
I thought, what the heck, I'll try it on the range. So, I did, today. The bottom line is that it works. Right away. I was hitting nice little draws that wound up right on target, except for my long hybrids (2 and 3 - Taylormade Rescue Dual) and fairway woods (Callaway 3 and 3+ Tour) which I still push, but even those were improved in terms of "accuracy." Guess I can always aim left.
My feeling is that for some players, not all, who have a fairly good swing plane but tend to block, A.J. is on to something. I've tried all of the "body" or "large muscle" swing deals, and they just haven't done anything for me. I'm just too old and too inflexible.and as a result I've always felt that my downswing was activated by hands and arms. I don't think that's really true, but that's the way I thing about it. A.J.'s suggestion worked for me, in part because it fits the way I "feel" about swinging a club, but my sense is that you still have to have some moderately decent swing fundamentals - right knee flexed, relaxed, etc. However, the results if this situation is yours are amazing. I really don't care much about distance with my irons, but I gained 15 yars with a 7 iron, for instance. My drives, which have been very straight this year but only about 225 - 240 yards, were going about 260-280. I'm sold. Not everyone will be.
Posted 22 Jan 2007 at 8:09pm #
Martin Davies said on May 10, 2006:
you are wrong.........it sucks. the way you get better is by playing every day, using tips, reading magazines, video taping your swing, and watching the pros.
Posted 27 Jan 2007 at 10:47pm #
I read the Oct. 2006 issue of Golf Mag just recently and I was getting excited to try the "secret move" by AJ.
I got the chance to try it not at the driving range but on the golf course... My first few attempts were hooks but as I went along with my round, I discovered the secret - it's really very simple and it worked for me too - just as the other golfers claimed.
I told my caddie that if I can hit 3 balls in a row with my drive that will go straight and farther, then I think I got the smart move figured out. Well I did and I can't wait to play golf again with my buddies and show them my tee shots with a driver.
I still have to work on with my irons though... But that will be another "story"...
Thanks AJ!
Johnz
PS: I've been playing golf for the past 6 years, mainly self-taught by reading magazines and books on golf. My drives are never consistent, though I can do an average of 220, With my application of AJ's smart move, golf seemed very exciting and fun to play again. I can hit it much farther and straighter (240 yards!)
Posted 10 Feb 2007 at 11:40pm #
I have bought a couple of AJ's DVDs, along with some other training DVDs, I must say that I like his DVDs, I just started playing golf two years ago, and have a problem of slicing the ball( especially with my woods, and Driver)...the first time I watched the videos It did not click, in December I started watching them again, and it made a lot more sense, I think watching other instructional videos has also helped, different people explain the various swing concepts differently, so I pick up bits and pieces from different areas, including taking private lessons. I think that of all the videos and lessons I have taken AJ explains the hand/forearm motion the best. The original reviewer did not care for the Physics lessons, I think that is one of the most important parts, at least for me. Because if I can understand why the ball is behaving a certain way, then my mind can rationalize the steps necessary to correct my ball flight.
is it worth 90 bucks, that's maybe two half hour lessons....with the video's you can at least review them at your leisure...for me it was worth it..will it eliminate my need for lessons...probably not, because I am sure that even after I master the hand release there will be other swing faults...but I have been going to the range and working on the hands forearm rotation, and it has help me....I just have to keep doing it until it becomes a subconscious movement.
I would definitely pay the $90 if I had to do it again
Posted 02 Apr 2007 at 1:27pm #
D said on January 22, 2007:
who are YOU to say what works for someone else and then be gutless enough to not show who you are. loser....
shut up and go read your mags.
Posted 20 Apr 2007 at 12:51am #
I don't know why there are so many people who hate AJ's way of doing things when so many others are benefitting from his instructions. Personally, I think his way of explaning the basics, which all teachers should be doing anyway, is a lot easier to understand. I don't quite agree with his physics but they do work. Think of it this way, if the lever (head of the club) is turning faster than the shaft, because of the rotation of the wrists, physically the ball being struck must travel faster off the face of the club. Hence better distance etc etc. As for the cupping of the wrist, even Ben Hogan did that on purpose and admitted that the more he cupped his wrist the further he drove the ball. What is annoying from the professional teachers stand-point against AJ is; if AJ's instruction is wrong/incorrect, how is it that he himself is able to drive the ball the distances he does. Not only that, how is it possible that so many other people have been able to duplicate his feats. why don't those doubters go to one of his classes and see for themselves what they dont agree with ??? its easy to criticise without giving a valid argument against. I've tried the irons with the turning of the wrists and must admit that it works. My problem is that I battle with the driver and then get a bit frustrated and revert back to my old ways instead of perservering until I succeed. Also, I'm not one that practices often. One thing, using AJ's ways allows one to play to an old age without developing back problems. the other thing is practice is the only way one can get better whatever method is being used. Obviously those players who are scratch/low handicappers are doing what AJ is instructing already, i.e. opening the face, closing the face etc etc, thats just the sequence of the golf swing. They just dont want to admit it, and they hate to see someone make money because it was not them that offered it first. I actually once told a lady, battling on the course, to just swing normally at the ball and just as she was hitting it, to turn her wrists. needless to say, the shot was one of her best.
Posted 03 May 2007 at 2:21pm #
I read that magazine article, went to the range and was absoluelty crushing it. If you practice it you will hit the ball farther. But golf instructors HATE it and would rather teach the Plane Truth one plane swing bs.
His short game video is pretty interesting. There's more than one way to get out of a bunker.
I did hit a 6 iron last year out of a fairway bunker using AJ's method and couldn't believe how far I crushed it. Did it again this year with a hybrid out of a fairway bunker--but you've GOT to remember to drive the nail through the ball or it won't work.
Posted 17 Jun 2007 at 12:52am #
I'm believer too. Although I didn't buy it for the full price, got it used off of amazon for 20 bucks. I was a high ninetees low hundreds kinda guy. My scores since I watched the DVD, 99, 98, 90, 84. Admittedly the 84 was because I had the best putting day ever, if I putted normally it would've been more like a low 90. But I digress. My playing partners are convinced that I have secretly started taking lessons. The thing I've taken away from AJ is that the game doesn't have to be as complicated as people make it. When my shots don't go where I want them to go I'm not trying to dissect 30 different places where I went wrong - is it my take away? the plane? did I come over the top? did I come too much inside? All I think about now is the clubface on the dorsum of my left hand and pounding the nail forward. If it goes Right, I'm not releasing the bat. If it goes left, I need to hold off releasing the bat. I can correct my ball flight during the round. Before, if I was hitting a hook, I'd be doing it the entire round, if I was slicing it, I'd be doing that all round too, and not know how to fix it because I thought it was a defect in my swing instead of my timing. But now I can go from a slice off the first tee to striping balls down the fairway in the middle of the round. I do think that you do have to have some basic knowledge of the golf swing, but AJ is right, none of us take lessons to play ping pong, and I consider myself to be pretty good. Why can't it be that way for golf? I mean, the ball isn't moving. Its right there in front of you.
Posted 22 Jun 2007 at 4:06pm #
I believe for most recreational golfers that he has hit on a technique that is extremely valuable. Every bat and ball sport requires a release of the bat -club on almost all shots. Just the idea or thought programs you to release the club. AJ asks the golfer to turn the toe over the heel or around the hosel which is the release. Tommy Armour and Wild Bill Mehlhorn in the 20s--30s--and 40---50s advocated this. I took lesson from Wild Bill ans he believed as Aj does that the face goes from open to closed and is done withe forearms -radial and ulna muscles of the forearm producing the power. Like Aj he believed the movement of the club face was from in to in and that the face on a good shot turns in almost immediately after the ball is struck(if a divot is not taken). High speed films demonstrate this . The power comes from the arm closest to the head of the club. This is the same I would say as Aj believes and is a simpler way to hit the ball without all kinds of body movement. Aj swing will help most golfers. If they give it a serious try and do not give up.
Posted 20 Aug 2007 at 5:54pm #
I have taken from a guy in Charlotte named Alan Avakian and it has helped my game tremendously. The only issue I have is falling back into my old "swing" habits. The new philosophy is simple, intuitive and makes sense when you look at the great golfers. I was skeptical of the AJ philosophy but once I looked at the slow motion swings of Tiger, Furyk, Mickelson and others, I realized they are all very different. Secondly, I didn't want to take years to become a 12-15 handicapper. How can anyone say there is one perfect swing plane, one perfect grip, one perfect backswing when every great player does it differently. The only commonality is that they turn over their wrists through the impact zone and hit it squarely at impact. This stuff is tremendously beneficial! I hit the ball straighter with more consitency than I ever have before. It takes practice and there is no "magic" here...just good instruction on the correct way to use a golf club.
Posted 04 Dec 2007 at 5:04pm #
I am a 7 handicapp and have been using AJ's tips for months now my ball striking has really improved and I look forward to playing every chance I get. I only wonder if the guy in Charlotte Alan Avakian can improve on things now that I have the move pretty much down. If you want to hit it straight learn the move.
Posted 31 Dec 2007 at 12:03pm #
mark L said on December 24, 2005:
I bought the tapes and I really believe in them. It is just like all of the hype that many commentaries speak about football, baseball, tennis, hockey and golf. He swings his shoulders and his hips and his feet and his knees and his head and his hands. Gee you can make a never ending story about all of these sports if you believe that everything is the reason that someone makes it look easy and it works. It takes practice and the key ingredient is eye hand coordination like "A J" mentions that is it ina nut shell. Your hands are different than
other golfers and so is the size and shape of your head and arms and legs and body whether slim and trim or fat and stought. Striking the ball the same is about what gets the job done not about all the rest of the bs.
AJ keeps it simple and if you master the simple then you can move on to tramsforming you game with fades and draws and spinbacks and hooks and all of the other things that you would now have the confindence to try.
Like AJ tells you that you have a tool and you have to use it.
I like the tapes and I love the idea of keeping it simple. You have a hard enough time just making good eye and hand contact to work on, that you donot have time to clutter you head with turn, squat, slow back, wrist cocked et.
It is as simple as that and to make money at it others have developed all type of techniques that should work but does not work.
Just like many realestate investing coursed out there, they all have something about the same but yet different to make the sell and I find that golf is not different.
Practice and if it is made easy will give you a good game with good results.
Easy is what bonner has made it
Thanks AJ
Posted 05 Feb 2008 at 9:16am #
Bought the tapes about ayear ago, sent them back for a refund no Q asked. At the time did not find them helpfull,recently i have gone back to some of his instruction and found that i hit the ball more consistant, i am 69 yr young play to a six hdc. This week im moving back to the blue tees and ordering the tapes once again. Bythe way this style was the secret to Ben Hogans swing. ask Ken Venturi.
Posted 06 May 2008 at 9:01am #
Well having read all the comments on A J video's I just wondered how much people have spent on golf lessons. I have been playing golf for years I used to be a good golfer i then had a ten year break from golf and when i started again it was hard. Point 1. There is no perfect golf swing just look at the pro's who's swing would you call perfect. Point 2. We are all built different, so we move differently. Point 3. It is about eye and hand co-ordination I know that sounds basic but it's true. Point 3. Most golfers don't know how to use a golf club correctly or understand the design it sounds sad but is so true ( even i am guilty of that ). The video's of A J are covering many points on which most golfer's are ignorant on. I played golf years ago to 9 Handicap and now I have a handicap of 17 but and heres the big big big but after using these so called bad video's I now play between 0 and 5 handicap. Most of us golfer's miss the basics of golf and that is why we play bad and will not addmitt it we always blame something else. Come guys and girls wake up get the basics right and everything else will fall into place. My opinion of A J is that he is one or if not the best golf teacher there is. You complain how much these video's cost just take a look at other golf aid such as The leddbetter swing setter?????
I would love to take this opportunity to thank A J for have the balls to teach the truth about golf, instead of doing what a lot of other pro's do and that is to make money out of all of us.
once again thanks A J
would love to meet you one day.
Posted 14 May 2008 at 9:07pm #
I believe in AJ's theory which I visually apply to my swing. My swing thought is to rotate my hands through the ball, other players see it as rotating your right arm over left arm on the follow through or right arm under your chin on the follow through. All the good players do this as well as trap their irons or cover the ball at impact, AJ describes this as driving the nail through the ball. Watch TIGA....
Big Dave
Posted 15 May 2008 at 8:01am #
Hi there I agree with what you are saying, there are many different ways in golf. We MUST not forget that the pro's play golf every day not like us. My theory on golf is simple, all I want to do when I hit the ball is 1. Be accurate 2. Hit distance 3. Be consistent. I know from my experience that if you do it with a KISS which = Keep It Short and Simple, this way you will achieve my three points above and play excellent golf. I have always beleived that we think to much when playing golf instead of keeping it simple.
Andrew Alexander
Posted 22 May 2008 at 1:40pm #
Erik J. Barzeski said on January 5, 2006:
I don't know if you've checked lately, but a couple of lessons from your local pro probably run more than $90.
Posted 23 May 2008 at 3:30am #
That's correct I agree, but I know from my experience that lessons from pro's are good but if you look at my points in my other posting I think this is what we all want to do. I have in the past had lessons and come away playing worse not better this is why i believe it's best to try to keep it simple. If you hit the ball out of the middle of the club or sweet spot the ball flies straight which means it goes further and that's what we all want. but you must stand square to the ball and hit it square in the direction you want it to go. So if you look at your setup most people will find that is where the problem lies also it is one thing A J did not talk about. All we are basically trying to do is hit the ball with as little as possible side spin.
Andrew Alexander
Posted 23 Jul 2008 at 9:32am #
I have never seen so much hating on a guy that does the same thing Leadbetter and all these other so call gurus do. I respect AJ because he simplified something some of you guys never thought of, but claim you already knew. All of these so called 70's shooter on this blog that is complaining... come on. If you shoot in the 70's and cannot make it lower you have one main problem ...GIR. If you are hitting greens in regulation and at least are two putting you are a PAR golfer. Aj teaches how to ball strike period. That is the problem you are having period if you are in the 70's and not par. If you claim your short game is good.. Then you should be below par because you could recover and be within 5 feet which should be a gimmie. Golfers are the most full of shit people for a game of honesty. AJ is as good as they come he has just made the game to simlistic for people who want it to be so complex. It is not period. I shoot in the 70's and it didnt help me.. Join the tour moron.