Golf Digest’s Ultimate Drill Book by Jim McLean is a must-have for any student of the game.  With over 120 drills packed into the book, you can find helpful drills to cover any trouble spot in your game.

Jim McLean is consistently ranked as one of the top teachers in the United States.  You’ve probably seen him on the Golf Channel giving instruction.  This book is a nice summary of drills he has developed or learned from other great teachers over a lifetime of study of golf.

McLean is also well known for his X-Factor swing concept.

Chapter List

1. Timeless Winners
2. Home-Schooling
3. Body Drills
4. Power Ploys
5. Working the Ball
6. Sure Ways to Perfect Your Pitching Game
7. Chip Like a Pro
8. Sand Secrets
9. Curing Putting Woes
10. Trouble-Shooter Drills
11. Mind Games

The Good

• Jim McLean is one of the most knowlegeable, well-respected teachers in the game.  This book is a great reflection of that.
• The selection of drills is quite large and covers virtually every aspect of the game, including things that help to get your mind in shape to play your best golf.
• A majority of the drills include helpful photos to aid in understanding and execution.
• Each drill identifies a swing problem, the result of that problem (i.e. causes a slice, leads to topped shots, etc.), the goal of the drill, and the procedure for performing the drill.

The Bad

• While there are many helpful photos, there were a few drills I read where I was left wishing there were more photos demonstrating certain positions or techniques a little better.  In general the photographs and the written procedures are good, but a few times I was a little confused.  It’s quite possible that it’s just my comprehension falling a little short on the first read-through.
• In the center of the book, there is a section of color photographs.  They’re quite nice, but many drills scattered throughout the book refer to that center section.  That means you have to flip back and forth between the text and the photos to get a full understanding.  It would be much easier if the photos were located with the drills, as is the case with the other drills.

Conclusion

If you like to work on your golf game like I do, then you’re going to like this book.  It’s packed with drills to help you with every aspect of your game.  Not only is each drill described in detail, but the drills are organized by which part of the game they address, but even better, each drill contains information about what kinds of problems the drill addresses.  This helps to identify drills that you will benefit from, letting you target problem areas more easily.

I have identified several drills from the book that address my own weaknesses that I will be trying out when my knee heals up.  I’m sure you’ll be able to find plenty in the book to help you improve.  This book isn’t about overhauling your swing.  It’s about fixing the deficiencies and reinforcing the positives.  The bottom line is: you will find useful drills in this book.  I highly recommend it.

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Further Reading:

Golf Digest’s Ultimate Drill Book (Amazon.com)

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