Golfers can spend their entire lives trying to perfect their swing, or their stance and for many this pursuit always falls just short of their goals. Enter Joseph Laurentino, the author of The Negotiable Swing and his assertion that it is possible to play a great round of golf, even if your form is not perfect. There is certainly enough evidence to back him up – one weekend of watching pro golf on television can prove his point quite well.

But, how does the average golfer put that to work for themselves – in their own game. Laurentino offers some hard hitting advice that may change the way you think about golf and certainly about the way that you stand. While the stance and the swing are essential, perfection may not be in many cases.

The first three chapters cover basic form and common problems that golfers have. Chapter three is probably the most interesting out of the three since it discusses at length which aspects of your stance and swing are “negotiable” or what may not matter as much as you think it does. This is a fascinating discussion that raised a lot of new points.

The next group of chapters cover the different elements of the swing and how to make the most of what you have. We found these sections to be incredibly informative and helpful. For the everyday golfer, this is real advice that you most likely wouldn’t get from a course pro.

Last but not least, chapter twelve covers at length whether or not you as a player would benefit from instruction. This is a terrific look that encourages you to be honest with yourself, but still realize that there are some things about your stance that you may never be able to change. By realizing this, you may be able to save quite a lot of money on instruction fees and still be able to get the results you’re looking for out on the course.

We highly recommend this golf book to anyone that is struggling with their form and feels as though they will never get it right. You may not have to! While there is no replacement for proper form and learning the fundamentals of golf, Laurentino does offer hope to those of us that are still struggling to get it “right.” If you have ever wished you could play like a pro, or you are just trying to shave a few points off your game, this book may have the perfect answer for you.

We’ve read a lot of different golf books, and Laurentino’s newest book definitely made it into our top ten. He does a great job of writing in a style that is easy to read while still being very informative. While those that don’t have a problem with their stance or swing (and they are most likely in the minority) may not need this book, the rest of us can certainly benefit from it.

This is a book that has been the subject of countless discussions and although it's lack of availability has hurt its success (it's available only from the publisher, Storytrend and not in bookstores) it is still an interesting read that is well worth the time it takes to get a copy. Although it is incredibly expensive at $60, this may be a book you want to save up for. Countless books are written every year about the myth of the perfect swing and a lot of them are nothing but meaningless drivel. This book however takes a different angle and gets into the technical aspects of what makes a swing great.

For those that are constantly trying to figure out how to improve their game, this is a definite must read. Instead of focusing on players like Tiger Woods or those who are thought to have the "perfect swing," the author looked at actual machines to discern the elements that make up this technique. By taking the human element out of it, the author hoped to break down the mechanics of a swing so that every player can duplicate it.

The book is filled with helpful diagrams and illustrations that break apart how a machine swings and what we can learn from it. Unfortunately, we are not machines and although we may have a great swing on the first tee, it's hard to keep consistent. This book strives to help golfers discover how to get into their own groove and become a bit like a machine when it comes to hitting the ball.

That's very hard to do for many people, since there is a lot of mental activity going on when you play golf. It's difficult to focus on those individual components that make up a great swing when you're focusing on avoiding the bunker, paying your bills and what you'll be having for dinner that night. However, with time, by employing these methods most players should begin to see a change in their swing. Soon, becoming a machine will seem like second nature and that swing that many thought was unattainable will become ingrained into your being.

This is a book that we highly recommend, simply because it has a completely different approach. This isn't a hype book that offers no real useful information. It's definitely on the scholarly side but the author managed to keep it readable by everyone and it's actually quite fun to go through. If you're looking for real advice that you can put into action, no matter how new you are to the game or how good you think you may be, this is a book that is well worth the investment.

Overall, while the price and availability hurt the title, golfers should at least consider adding this title to their libraries. There is no silver bullet that will magically transform your swing, but this advice comes pretty close.