Review: 'The Timeless Swing' by Tom Watson with Nick Seitz

Bottom Line: Top-notch golf instruction book, from the text to the graphics. Includes tips, drills and practice routines to help golfers of all levels improve their games. Simple, straightforward lessons, routines and insight into what it takes to be a better golfer.

Pros

• Valuable tips and lessons from iconic golfer Tom Watson
• Clear, concise language and illustrative photos
• Microsoft Tag enabled video links bring further texture to the book

Cons

• Hard to fit into your golf bag

Ben Hogan's book Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, has long been a standard by which other golf instruction books are measured. Many golfers - including my friend Ray, whom I asked to also read Tom Watson's The Timeless Swing - have studied and memorized the Hogan book. It was the sine qua non of golf instruction back in its day.

It's taken more than 50 years to produce a book as impactful in its teaching and remarkable in its breadth. But Watson's The Timeless Swing is destined to sit alongside Hogan's book and others as an indispensible gem in the study of the swing. Photos, layout and Watson's insightful and straightforward method of instruction, along with the use of anecdotes from Watson's playing days, makes The Timeless Swing a can't-miss book for any golfer.

Golf instructional books tend to fall into categories of strict ABC's or "here's the way I play." But The Timeless Swing - which Watson wrote with author Nick Seitz - effortlessly bridges both realms and draws on the best of each. The book includes both a solid statement of the fundamentals as well as more advanced insight for more seasoned golfers.

Rich in scope and detail, The Timeless Swing offers golfers of all levels a tremendous foundation in the basics, a brush-up on what they know or razor's-edge tweaks for those who compete at the highest level.

Especially noteworthy is the ability of Watson to effortlessly tie the instruction to reflections on his competitive years. This angle provides The Timeless Swing with better readability that starts with Watson's great storytelling. Watson can not only give you his tip on a topic, but then seamlessly segue into how Jack Nicklaus might have a different philosophy, and why. This is the charm and magic of the book.

Far from being the charitable observer, Watson reflects on the many faults he observes in amateurs. These observations add value as Watson's encyclopedic knowledge is distilled into useful information.

Watson is also a master of golf history. He draws lessons from the greats and extrapolates how Nicklaus (who is referenced often in the book and also penned the foreward), Hogan, Sam Snead, Lee Trevino, Byron Nelson and Mickey Wright have given insight and innovation to generations of golfers.

The book complements Watson's 2-DVD set Lessons of a Lifetime. While iPad, Android and other formats are great, you need look no farther than the 2-dimensional page to find great golf instruction with this book. But as a bonus, Microsoft Tags enable smartphone users to replay video from the Watson DVD as it relates to the book, a nifty add-on.

The content is outstanding, the graphics and layout are exceptional. The Timeless Swing belongs in every golfer's collection.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.