A few months ago, we received the “Play Better Golf” CD-ROM through the mail from the folks at Parcom Media. Like many new review items, it went into a stack of backlogged items waiting to be thoroughly analyzed by the team here at Golf Gear Review. As the weeks went by, and my game mysteriously started deteriorating, I was contemplating all of the possible avenues for improving some fundamentals that I’d obviously lost in the off season, and seemed to be losing even faster now that all the local courses were open for play. I considered some equipment upgrades, after all, what’s the first thing you usually blame your poor performance on? I also considered spending some hard earned money on instruction, something I’ve unfortunately never had the pleasure of experiencing. Due mainly to time and money, though, these two options were out for the moment. It was then that I spotted the “Play Better Golf” CD-ROM in the stack and decided it needed to be shuffled up to the top of the pile and prioritized. I can tell you that this was one of the best decisions I could have made.
“Play Better Golf” starts off with an attractive menu with five main categories of instruction. They are: the set-up, the swing, the short game, the long game and fault analysis. Clearly, these categories indicate that the appropriate audiences for this instruction are golfers from a beginner to intermediate skill level. Absent are topics such as course management and the mental or psychological aspects of the game, which obviously would be more appropriate for those looking to fine-tune their game – or those who compete on a regular basis.
In the set-up series of lessons, the topics covered are: the grip, correct posture, stance & ball position, parallel alignment and pre-shot routines. Most beginners and challenged intermediate golfers such as myself will find this the perfect place to start to begin delving through the fundamentals that must be in place before ever swinging a club. This section is also a perfect brush-up for those whose game has been slipping and are looking to reinforce some of the skills that have eroded over time. As an added bonus, each section contains pro tips where techniques of European Ryder Cup stars are shared with the viewer. These “Pro Tips” feature action sequences of some of Europe’s most popular players, including: Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke and Per-Ulrik Johansson.
In the section entitled “The Swing”, there are 3 main lessons including an introduction, discussion of the backswing, and review of the downswing. Interestingly, there appears to be less focus on the actual swing in this section than you might imagine. You’ve all seen how swings can be dissected in all the golf magazines out there. This simple approach on the swing seems to indicate that if the fundamentals presented in the previous section are learned, the swing becomes much less complicated than one imagines. Then you review the pro tips in this section. Here, there is an abundance of additional videos and step action shots to really help the viewer grasp the fundamentals of the swing and the integral motions that help deliver power, distance and accuracy.
The short game section covers such topics as chipping and pitching, bunker play and putting. As everyone knows, most shots in your round come from these types of lies, so this section is incredibly important to improving your game. Each set of instructions in this section have sub-sections for the finer aspects of each type of shot and lie. For instance, chipping and pitching has sections that cover basic technique, choosing the right club, lob shots, uphill and downhill lies, and pitching. The videos are extremely helpful and thorough enough to give you a host of information without losing you in the details.
The long game section is one that will be enjoyed, and useful to every golfer. No less than the other sections, mind you, but everyone loves to hit the long ball and this section will provide you with the tips, tools and instruction to do just that. The two main sections within this chapter are clubs & shots and sloping lies. Clubs & shots covers the driver and fairway woods, iron play and techniques for mastering the draw and fade.
Finally, we come to the fault analysis section. I’m going to call this the pay-off section. This is section is what makes this CD valuable for folks at any stage in their game. In addition to the sections that cover the fundamentals in detail, the fault analysis section wraps this reference all together into a full package. The fault analysis section covers such issues as slicing, hooking, pushing, pulling, fat shots, shanks, topping the ball and the sky shot. Each problem has a detailed description of why it occurs during the swing, as well as a strong reference of potential “cures” for the given issue. The solutions provided need only be practiced to remedy the specific problem you may be having with your game.
After perusing all of the instructional sections and then thoroughly reviewing the fault analysis, I am actually excited to get back on the links. I had been avoiding play with our weekly corporate golf outing group because of poor performance, but I’m certainly motivated to get out there on the links this weekend and start practicing some of the cures, tips and instruction that I’ve gained in the review of this product.
Bottom Line:
This CD became the UK's best selling sports reference CD in 1997, and after having reviewed the material in-depth I can understand why. For a mere $20, you get instruction on every fundamental aspect of the game in an enjoyable, easy to use format. The instruction is detailed, yet easy to understand and the sheer breadth of information alone is worth the price of admission. We here at Golf Gear Review would highly recommend this package to anyone looking to learn or brush-up their skills in the game of golf.
Notes:
My only recommendations for potential upgrades to this product are the inclusion of topics such as course management and the mental aspects of the game (first tee jitters). Otherwise it has just about everything you could think of related to bettering your performance in the game.
Also, the Play Better Golf CD is available in VHS video format and a DVD version will be available in mid-September, so keep your eyes out for that!
Finally, the current CD and video are available for purchase at www.playbettersport.com for only $19.95.
Cheers!
Minimum System Requirements
Windows:
200-Mhz (300-Mhz recommended), 24Mb RAM, Win95, 12x CD Drive, 16-bit
Color, 800x600 Display,
Speakers or Headphones, Mouse.
Macintosh:
Power PC, 200-Mhz (300-Mhz recommended), 24Mb RAM, OS 8.1, 12x CD Drive,
Thousands of Colors,
800x600 Display, Speakers or Headphones, Mouse.
