“Drive Like the Pros,” a recently-released book by Michael Neff and Dave Allen, promises to increase your club head speed and distance by using a revolutionary 3-D technology: the Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade (MAT-T).
The MAT-T system combines multiple high-speed cameras, a launch monitor, and specifically designed software to produce a three-dimensional, computer-animated image of the golfer’s swing – viewable from multiple angles. The MAT-T system allows readers to compare their golf swing to the likes of the 2013 Hyundai Tournament of Champions winner Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Sean O-Hair, Justin Rose, and others. This system is able to measure every move the golfer’s body and club head make during the swing and performs a multitude of calculations that makes it an exceptional instruction tool. One of the strengths of the book is the use of avatars as well as photos to illustrate key points. The avatars, which are screen shots from the MAT-T system, are enhanced by color-coded lines that demonstrate the measurements discussed in the text.
Neff, a master club fitting professional and Class A PGA teaching professional, explains that just as an MRI is the gold standard of diagnostic tests for your health, the MAT-T system does the same for your golf swing. “Every student I’ve taught on the MAT-T system has picked up additional yardage off the tee,” says Neff.
In the opening pages of “Drive Like the Pros,” Neff shares that in the U.S. alone, more than 20,000 golf swings were captured and stored on the MAT-T system in 2011. These included swings of Tour players, single-digit handicaps, 15-handicaps, and slicers. “For the purposes of this book, we’ve averaged together all of the swings of the Tour pros and thousands of over-the-top slicers so that you can clearly see the differences between a 300-yard driver swing and a 200-yard driver swing,” says Neff.
Starting with the address and finishing with the follow through, Neff breaks down every nuance of the swing using avatars to demonstrate correct positioning. The following chapters benefit from the picture-perfect photos of PGA players, which visually enhance Neff’s explanations. “Drive Like the Pros” will teach golfers how to:
1. Increase club head speed and ball speed, resulting in hitting longer drives
2. Contact the sweet spot on the club face more consistently
3. Improve accuracy and have better control over misses
4. Make a healthier, more efficient and repeatable golf swing
This book is extremely detailed in its approach to breaking down the golf swing. Though it may be a little dense for some, the overall result will be a better golf swing for those who read the entire book. Also, the majority of its messages – 80-90 percent – can also apply to all the clubs in your bag, not just the driver. For more information about the MAT-T system, visit www.taylormadegolf.com.
Rick Stedman is an avid golfer, RVer, and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. Rick writes a golf column, “The RV Golfer,” which is published every month in rvlife.com. He can be reached at rstedman@gmail.com.
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