New Jimmy Ballard Book?

[Boise59]

Who would have interest if such a book came out with updated Ballard material?

[golfarb1]

I knew Jimmys main assistant , Del Starks , 

when he taught at Doral. Del was a prince of a man , Jimmy not so much .

I have not kept up with Jimmys teaching since then. What is so different about his current teachings to warrant another book

[Boise59]

An update using current players and some clarification.

[stryper]

5 hours ago, Boise59 said:

Who would have interest if such a book came out with updated Ballard material?

Is this wishful thinking, or something that’s really in the works?

[Boise59]

Could be......

[Ajgaguy83]

1 hour ago, Boise59 said:

Could be......

So what is there to be gained? Has Jimmy adapted his positions or is this a potential money grab?

[Boise59]

14 hours ago, Ajgaguy83 said:

So what is there to be gained? Has Jimmy adapted his positions or is this a potential money grab?

Love the cynicism…..unknown to most Jimmy has taught a lot of famous people and top players that most people don’t know about. Some of the book would be about Sam Byrd and his experiences in golf and baseball.

His theories have not changed but it might be interesting to see his insights on current players.

As far being a “money grab”, books are a poor way to make money given how media is consumed these days, and outside of “5 Lessons” and “The Little

Red Book” not many golf books have made money.

[iacas]

6 hours ago, Boise59 said:

outside of “5 Lessons” and “The Little

Red Book” not many golf books have made money.

 

Well that's not really true. Maybe the majority don't make $100k+ or something, but there are quite a number of successful golf books, or they'd stop being written.

 

And there are still plenty that make $100k+, too.

Edited July 9, 2023 by iacas

[mocokid]

Didn't Ballard say no need to do another. Everything was in the original. I'd like to see the many videos of golf swings he recorded,  so many greats passed thru,  Miller seve etc.

[jnelson1]

I wish someone would repost the old video featuring Jim Colbert and Jimmy Ballard promoting the opening of a golf school. Should have downloaded it when it was publicly available a few years ago. 

[Hawkeye77]

No interest ever but if Jimmy wants to write a book he should write it, nobody's stopping him.

 

And a tiny sample of folks on a golf forum really isn't anything resembling real market research which now it is implied this is.  

[Hawkeye77]

On 7/9/2023 at 10:09 AM, Boise59 said:

Love the cynicism…..unknown to most Jimmy has taught a lot of famous people and top players that most people don’t know about. Some of the book would be about Sam Byrd and his experiences in golf and baseball.

His theories have not changed but it might be interesting to see his insights on current players.

As far being a “money grab”, books are a poor way to make money given how media is consumed these days, and outside of “5 Lessons” and “The Little

Red Book” not many golf books have made money.

 

Hadn't read this one.

 

LOL, someone maybe should just write a book about Sam Byrd, doesn't sound like much of a hook just because Ballard gave him a few lessons.

 

The bit about those two books and few others making money is a huge exaggeration.  

Edited July 11, 2023 by Hawkeye77

[Ajgaguy83]

2 hours ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

Hadn't read this one.

 

LOL, someone maybe should just write a book about Sam Byrd, doesn't sound like much of a hook just because Ballard gave him a few lessons.

 

The bit about those two books and few others making money is total BS.

 

And to add, it wasn’t cynicism. As stated by another user, wasn’t everything already in the first book? These were not my words.

 

I agree with Hawkeye…… if Jimmy wants to write a book he certainly should. Those who know Jimmy knows he won’t care about a small sample from golfwrx’s opinion. 

 

 

[powerfade66]

I stumbled upon a letter to the editor where another golfwrx favourite Lynn Blake writes in disagreeing on Ballard’s take of Ben Hogan’s swing changes being what Jimmy advocates in his book. It was around the time it came out in the early 1980s roughly. 

[Ayersjj]

On 7/11/2023 at 12:15 AM, jnelson1 said:

I wish someone would repost the old video featuring Jim Colbert and Jimmy Ballard promoting the opening of a golf school. Should have downloaded it when it was publicly available a few years ago. 

Ive got it cemented in my memory. Watched it 20 times. Emailed Jane many times for a copy to no avail. Heres her contact info maybe you would have better luck. 
 

https://www.facebook.com/jane.rosenberg.9?mibextid=LQQJ4d

[powerfade66]

[JBug]

I contacted Jane Rosenberg to ask about the Colbert/Ballard video.  This was her response :  That one was done originally for Jimmy's website so it was exclusive to that. That's why it came down frin  public view. His website was subscription based. Where do you live? jimmy still teaches you should go see him . I'm in CA and teaxh 100% Ballard if you're ever out West.

 

 

[bobfoster]

On 7/15/2023 at 5:16 PM, powerfade66 said:

I stumbled upon a letter to the editor where another golfwrx favourite Lynn Blake writes in disagreeing on Ballard’s take of Ben Hogan’s swing changes being what Jimmy advocates in his book. It was around the time it came out in the early 1980s roughly. 

 

Okay, you have got to admit that (from a distance) this is just a very funny statement. Very HS, like, "Tiffany totally dissed Emma's opinion about the dress Lisa borrowed from Karen". 

 

But to answer the OP question (even though it appears as though a new book has, in fact, now come out):

 

1. Will it help my swing be more consistent?

2. Will it help me get girls?

 

Barring that, no, not really. When I first started playing I read a lot of books. Pennick. Hogan. Obsessed for a time with Jack's Golf My Way. Last one I really read was Tiger's How I Play Golf. But that was some years ago.

 

I mean, we now live in the YouTube era. Do static, instructional, printed books really have a whole lot of use anymore, other than to beginners? Is any "new" book going to say anything about the fundamentals of the golf swing that hasn't been said (and now filmed) a thousand times already? And even for beginners, isn't hearing someone describe - and watching them actually do in slow motion, from multiple angles - the P10 positions far more digestible than reading about it in a book? 

 

Not being (overly) cynical here, just wondering whether - in our current times - the relative value of written instructional books isn't rapidly diminishing. I suspect it is increasingly becoming a small, niche market. 

 

 

[Soloman1]

A successful book today should be about Taylor Swift’s swing, or maybe Harry and Meghan’s swing.

 

And in 85, 15-second TitTok or YouTube shorts segments.

[powerfade66]

On 11/29/2023 at 10:56 AM, bobfoster said:

 

Okay, you have got to admit that (from a distance) this is just a very funny statement. Very HS, like, "Tiffany totally dissed Emma's opinion about the dress Lisa borrowed from Karen". 

 

But to answer the OP question (even though it appears as though a new book has, in fact, now come out):

 

1. Will it help my swing be more consistent?

2. Will it help me get girls?

 

Barring that, no, not really. When I first started playing I read a lot of books. Pennick. Hogan. Obsessed for a time with Jack's Golf My Way. Last one I really read was Tiger's How I Play Golf. But that was some years ago.

 

I mean, we now live in the YouTube era. Do static, instructional, printed books really have a whole lot of use anymore, other than to beginners? Is any "new" book going to say anything about the fundamentals of the golf swing that hasn't been said (and now filmed) a thousand times already? And even for beginners, isn't hearing someone describe - and watching them actually do in slow motion, from multiple angles - the P10 positions far more digestible than reading about it in a book? 

 

Not being (overly) cynical here, just wondering whether - in our current times - the relative value of written instructional books isn't rapidly diminishing. I suspect it is increasingly becoming a small, niche market. 

 

 

What is HS is you taking issue with it. I thought it was funny. 

[golftech]

On 7/8/2023 at 9:45 AM, Boise59 said:

Who would have interest if such a book came out with updated Ballard material?

yes, having worked with both Jimmy and Sam Byrd when I was a teen, I’d certainly be interested.  Hard to find anyone these days that teaches this way!  Shame because it was the simplest, most repeatable way to swing with great results.   

[LowAndLeft32]

On 7/9/2023 at 11:09 AM, Boise59 said:

Love the cynicism…..unknown to most Jimmy has taught a lot of famous people and top players that most people don’t know about. Some of the book would be about Sam Byrd and his experiences in golf and baseball.

His theories have not changed but it might be interesting to see his insights on current players.

As far being a “money grab”, books are a poor way to make money given how media is consumed these days, and outside of “5 Lessons” and “The Little

Red Book” not many golf books have made money.

Has he worked with any tour pros in recent years? Last I heard was several pros where working with him

In early 2000s. 

[Divot License]

6 hours ago, golftech said:

yes, having worked with both Jimmy and Sam Byrd when I was a teen, I’d certainly be interested.  Hard to find anyone these days that teaches this way!  Shame because it was the simplest, most repeatable way to swing with great results.   

Pretty sure I heard Jimmy say once that there was no need for a new book as all the material in the original is still relevant and he hasn't changed his ideas. 

[stryper]

3 hours ago, Divot License said:

Pretty sure I heard Jimmy say once that there was no need for a new book as all the material in the original is still relevant and he hasn't changed his ideas. 

Probably time then for a reissue (with updated graphics/photographs/artwork and an ebook version), since dusty old library copies are getting harder and harder to find and therefore less and less accessible to the masses. 

[Boise59]

I had been talking with Jimmy about writing a combo book covering instruction and his life in golf. It's amazing how many celebrities, athletes and interesting people he has run across. 
 

Unfortunately I don't think it's going to happen 

[golftech]

11 hours ago, Divot License said:

Pretty sure I heard Jimmy say once that there was no need for a new book as all the material in the original is still relevant and he hasn't changed his ideas. 

I’d agree with Ballard on that assessment.  I think a modern HD instruction video would be great.  But also like the idea of an updated book going into more detail mixing his stories into the 7 Common Denominators.  
 

I was so fortunate to spend a year with Ballard when Sam Byrd was around.  Amazing to see Ballard teaching a beginner next to a tour winner and both improving that day.  Or playing a round of golf with Byrd and Ballard and hearing your stories about Hogan, Mehlhorn and others.  

[golftech]

2 hours ago, Boise59 said:

I had been talking with Jimmy about writing a combo book covering instruction and his life in golf. It's amazing how many celebrities, athletes and interesting people he has run across. 
 

Unfortunately I don't think it's going to happen 

That’s a shame.  If you speak with Jimmy, tell him he needs an online lesson presence for those of us who can’t get to FL for a lesson.  I know from experience that give Jimmy an hour and he’d have me striking it pure and straight again.