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The story behind the publication of Classic Instruction is almost as good as the book itself, which is saying a lot, because the book is an instant classic, and a must for any serious golfer's bookshelf, regardless of skill level.
The great Bobby Jones left several boxes behind in his old law offices where they gathered dust through the decades until Martin Davis gained access to them while researching his massive pictorial biography Bobby Jones: The Greatest of Them All. In one of those boxes, he discovered the golfing equivalent of King Tut's tomb: more than 100 photographs of Jones demonstrating the game's fundamentals--grip, woods, irons, sand, chipping, putting, and the lost art of the stymie--with explanatory notes attached in Jones' hand. Jones used the photos in a limited series of film strips that he sold in the '30s, but never got around to writing the book. (Interestingly, the enduring instructional he did manage to write--Bobby Jones on Golf--is, solid as it may be, sadly lacking in illustration.)
Davis got the picture--and the pictures--and set out to rectify Jones' oversight. He immediately called Ben Crenshaw. Like Jones, two-time Masters' champion Crenshaw is a dedicated student of the game, and, in his extensive writings, an artful communicator. For Classic Instruction, he virtually collaborates with Jones. He carefully analyzes Jones' original text and the photos (many taken in detailed close-up); then, through added commentary attached to photographs of himself in similar swing positions and close-ups, Crenshaw updates the master to accommodate changes to the game and equipment that have evolved in the ensuing 60 years. In the end, the real revelation of Classic Instruction is how fundamentally sound and thoroughly modern Jones' game was. With a few minor adjustments here and there and a snappy new set of titanium heads with graphite shafts to replace his old hickories, there's no telling what kind of damage the young Bobby Jones could wreak on the PGA Tour today. --Jeff Silverman
Book Description
Drawn from a recently discovered archive, this landmark book is a treasure that, until now, golfers could only wish for. A dusty, overlooked box revealed more than 100 photographs of Bobby Jones demonstrating, step-by-step, all the fundamentals of golf; keyed to the photographs was a stack of yellow legal-pad pages filled with meticulous instructions handwritten by Jones himself. It's the next best thing to having a lesson with the great Bobby Jones. Ben Crenshaw's commentary with photos of him--updating Jones's basic instruction and illustrating differences in modern-day golf--makes this remarkable work even more valuable.Classic Instruction offers precise close-ups of the swings, stances, and grips that took Jones to unprecedented victories during the 1920s, before the modern sand wedge had even been invented. Every detail is just as appropriate today, and with photographs of Crenshaw and his own commentary interspersed throughout, the book offers a unique look at the way the masters play golf. In some cases Jones and Crenshaw employ different approaches--especially in their putting, although both men are considered to be two of the finest putters who ever lived. These distinctions provide a fascinating contrast.Jones played competitively more than 65 years ago, but the secrets to his game are as timely as ever. Preserving this wisdom for another generation of golfers, the release of Classic Instruction is an unparalleled golf-publishing event. Printed in Italy, in five colors throughout, this rare find is every golfer's dream come true.
From the Inside Flap
Drawn from a recently discovered archive, this landmark book is a treasure that, until now, golfers could only wish for. A dusty, overlooked box revealed more than 100 photographs of Bobby Jones demonstrating, step-by-step, all the fundamentals of golf; keyed to the photographs was a stack of yellow legal-pad pages filled with meticulous instructions handwritten by Jones himself. It's the next best thing to having a lesson with the great Bobby Jones. Ben Crenshaw's commentary with photos of him--updating Jones's basic instruction and illustrating differences in modern-day golf--makes this remarkable work even more valuable.
Classic Instruction offers precise close-ups of the swings, stances, and grips that took Jones to unprecedented victories during the 1920s, before the modern sand wedge had even been invented. Every detail is just as appropriate today, and with photographs of Crenshaw and his own commentary interspersed throughout, the book offers a unique look at the way the masters play golf. In some cases Jones and Crenshaw employ different approaches--especially in their putting, although both men are considered to be two of the finest putters who ever lived. These distinctions provide a fascinating contrast.
Jones played competitively more than 65 years ago, but the secrets to his game are as timely as ever. Preserving this wisdom for another generation of golfers, the release of Classic Instruction is an unparalleled golf-publishing event. Printed in Italy, in five colors throughout, this rare find is every golfer's dream come true.
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