"The Impact Zone" by Bobby Clampett

[iacas]

Discuss "The Impact Zone" by Bobby Clampett here.

[longfornothing]

Very Very Very good book. If you "hit" at the ball, this book will open your eye's to how it is really done.

It has also changed the way I practice. No more pounding 100 balls on the range. All I do is pitch and chip working on my "forward swing bottom" 4 inches ahead of the ball. The difference in my ball striking is dramatic.

[longfornothing]

Just some fyi:

I Hit 12 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens today and shot 76. All due to reading this book. That and putting much better w/ my new Spider putter. Moving my "forward swing bottom" has to be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Thank you Bobby Clampett!

The best part of this is that I don't spend any money on the range anymore. Just 3 balls, putter, and wedge. I hit about 30 pitches working on impact and it just translates to the full swing. I think the range ruins the golf swing b/c most amateurs don't have a clue as to what we are doing while practicing.

[longfornothing]

This isn't from the book, but it shows what I'm talking about with the "Forward swing bottom".

http://www.playperfectgolf.co.uk/Mas...wing%20arc.htm

[JackB1]

This isn't from the book, but it shows what I'm talking about with the "Forward swing bottom".

could you explain how you now practice in more detail?

[longfornothing]

All I do is pitch, chip, and putt. The impact position of a pitch shot is the same as a full shot. So I focus on having the bottom of my swing occur as far to left of the ball as I can. Basically, instead of looking at the ball during the swing, as soon as I start my take away, I shift my eye's focus to a spot 3 to 4 inches ahead of the ball. Passive hands through impact. Twice a week I spend about an hour and a half. I usually take 3 balls to the practice green, wedge and putter. I pitch them up and putt them in from all sorts of places and distances. Keeping score. Getting up and down is Par, Pitching it close to within a club length is a birdie. I usually do this for 18 imaginary holes.

In the backyard, I just pitch about 40 balls to a bucket, working on the impact position of the flat back of the wrist and taking my divot ahead of the ball. I do the same thing when I play, with all full swings, chips, and pitches.

This has really worked for me in so many ways. I strike it better and more consistently during events or practice rounds, plus my short game has improved a bunch. No big secrets. Full swings on the practice range just don't lead to any improvement for me. Actually, I feel like it makes it worse. I just try to focus on what is important, impact, and let my subconscious handle the backswing and downswing.

I'll warm up on the range, but no more than 15-20 swings before I head to the practice green.

Also, it didn't take long for me to start seeing improvement. After the first session I noticed a difference. Go get the book, so you can understand what I'm referring too. Then try it out. You have nothing to lose.

[mdrengl]

After reading "The Impact Zone," I began understanding the game much more than ever before. While I don't go as crazy with the pitch/chip practice as longfornothing, I spend 50-75% of my practices hitting half shots, only focusing on moving my forward swing bottom 4 inches in front of the ball and lagging my load. It creates a stress free practice environment and allows me to have more fun while playing.

The most important take away from the book is that the look of your swing is meaningless; once the fundamentals are mastered nobody will care what your swing looks like because you'll be hitting fairways and greens. And they'll be diving too deep into their wallets to pay out all the greenies, skins, wolfs, and cowboys you win ;)

[longfornothing]

Bobby is playing in the Nationwide Tour Utah Classic. He was in the top 10 at one point today. Didn't finish watching it so don't know where he stands. Pretty good player.

[mgresh]

Just finished this book and I have to say, not a lot of new stuff here. In my opinion, the principles are good, especially the flat left wrist, but in reading reviews prior to purchase I was expecting more. I didn't find the description of the "aiming point" very adequate so that section completely missed for me. I'd recommend this book for beginner to intermediate level players primarily because of it's focus on a few basic fundamentals. Not that there isn't any value to more skilled players but as a long-time student of golf swing theory I found this relatively elementary. Pretty well written and some fun anecdotes from Clampett so not a waste of money by any means.

[longfornothing]

Yeah, I don't think a 4 hcp would get anything "new" from this book either. But for all the hackers out there, it has good info.

[JackieTreehorn]

This book is excellent for intermediate and advanced golfers looking to get to about scratch or better. He talks about general "dynamics" you need to exhibit in your golf shot...not about positions and pivot styles. I have not had a chance to try out the forward aiming technique yet, but I do agree with his theory about the forward swing bottom. My only minor complaint is that the images are sometimes too small and the layout gives it a weird Microsoft Word feel. Overall one of the best books I have read because of his universal "dynamic" point of view.

[starchuk]

This is one of the best books to discuss the impact zone without "lag and drag pressure necessary for a 2 line delivery path"

I love the insight into golf's True Fundamentals: Divot, Lag, Pivot, Target Line. How you choose to address these is your unique pattern.

Its a little like a snowflake: They are all different falling down, but when they land and melt, they are all the same.

Swings are all different, but everyone takes a divot, creates lag through a pivot, and has a straight line to their target.

[flanagan]

Unfortunately, I won't be able to put any of my reading of this book into practice for another 8 weeks or more, when the snow is gone. I generally liked the book, BUT, he makes the point early, which I get and think is very interesting, then the book wanders a bit from that, in my opinion. I thought there should have been a lot more photographs. He talks up all of the technology that allowed viewing of the swing at various positions, etc, but try and find some good photos at impact and just after in the book, there really aren't any, and it would have been so easy to include many more photos from different parts of the swings shown (and in color, why not?). I am anxious to put the information to use and try the drills discussed, I just think more thought put into showing what he means would have been helpful, because the narrative isn't always focused.

[longfornothing]

Like this:
http://www.playperfectgolf.co.uk/Mas...wing%20arc.htm

[flanagan]

Exactly. That's a good synopsis of what Bobby Clampett is preaching and a better photograph than any in his book. Really would have liked some good, sequenced shots ala Golf Digest, showing the lag, position at impact, etc. I think it would have added to the book.

[ks8829]

All I do is pitch, chip, and putt. The impact position of a pitch shot is the same as a full shot. So I focus on having the bottom of my swing occur as far to left of the ball as I can. Basically, instead of looking at the ball during the swing, as soon as I start my take away, I shift my eye's focus to a spot 3 to 4 inches ahead of the ball. Passive hands through impact. Twice a week I spend about an hour and a half. I usually take 3 balls to the practice green, wedge and putter. I pitch them up and putt them in from all sorts of places and distances. Keeping score. Getting up and down is Par, Pitching it close to within a club length is a birdie. I usually do this for 18 imaginary holes.

I practiced chipping around the green for several hours each day last week and my irons, driver got better, plus I cut 3 strokes off my short game. I also developed a 3/4 iron shot that use with one more club for a lower controlled approach shot into the greens with an easy swing, a Eureka moment for me, just by practicing the short game and concentrating on making solid contact with chipping.

[longfornothing]

That is good to hear. I too stepped up my practice to doing it everyday in the backyard. 50 yard pitch shot with a PW or GW. My yard is all torn up. Oh well.

Keep doing it. I'm way more consistent with my irons than I was before. Practice is the only way.

[ks8829]

That is good to hear. I too stepped up my practice to doing it everyday in the backyard. 50 yard pitch shot with a PW or GW. My yard is all torn up. Oh well.

Thanks for your reply. I started a thread under Grill called practice diary, that I invite you to document your practice sessions.