Golf Doctor

The simplicity of The Golf Doctor's format remains an antidote to the convoluted mechanics filling most instructionals. Jacobs doesn't want you to twist your body in a knot; he just wants to help you hit the ball where you want it to go. To that end, he provides 25 "Lessons" to address specific problems and presents sound advice for eight specific "Situations." Say your shots generally start out straight but soon veer off drastically to the right--the golfer's malady called the slice. Find the appropriate diagnosis to fit the disease. (In this case it's right up front in Lesson One.) Jacobs first gives a concise description of the problem, follows with a clear, illustrated explanation of what's going wrong (the clubface is open at impact), and finally guides you through an illustrated correction. It couldn't be easier, and the 25 faults he applies cover all aspects of the game. The Situations are set up just as simply. Say you're driving onto a hole that has hazards on the right. He prescribes several possible preventive measures for staying out of trouble. Other Situations deal with crosswinds, tight lies, and sloping terrain. As with the Lessons, all come with illustrated suggestions, dispensed in doses that are manageable in size yet potent enough to have immediate impact on the particular disorder. --Jeff Silverman