The Fluid Motion Factor: Understanding the Source of Exceptional Golf Paperback – February 18, 2015

Yellin has done a very interesting job in describing both how to access muscle memory and maximizing your chances of playing exceptional golf. The material presented here is important and ground-breaking in understanding how the mind works(or doesn't work) during the golf swing. Why only three stars? Well, there are some serious fallacies in his overwhelming emphasis on the importance of his paradigm. He repeatedly states that "most golfers" have hit enough balls to have sufficient "muscle memory" and all that is really needed to have "career" rounds is to efficiently access this memory. Really? When was the last time he visited a public driving range and witnessed the repeated hugely flawed moves that are being engrained as muscle memory in the brain? All of the examples he presents are world class golfers, not the average 16-20 handicap golfer. The illustrations of Nicklaus, Price and McElroy are well done, especially the contrast between Rory's Master's meltdown and his triumphant redemption at the US Open. But even when writing about the top golfers he strays from an accurate assessment of the importance of traditional golf instruction. He states that if your swing is good "most of the time" leave it alone. He uses the example of Rick Fehr, a talented young player who never fulfilled his potential because he changed his swing. Fact is, there have been many players who have messed themselves up by trying a drastic swing change BUT there have been many who have benefitted from deciding there was a better way. To give three examples, Ben Hogan, Nick Faldo and Matt Kuchar all drastically changed their swings and significantly advanced their careers.To sum up, I do believe that what Yellin has to say is important, but it is in addition to, not a replacement for traditional golf instruction and it is most beneficial for those lucky few who have engrained proper muscle memory. So, 5 stars for advanced golfers, one for the rest = 3 stars avg.

Best book I've read in helping to thoroughly understand what the zone is and what it can help an athlete do. I would give it 5 stars if it actually helped a person understand how to do "it" or find "it" or even get close to "it". If you're a golf instructor, there is a "train-the-trainer" program. There are a few related websites like Fluidmotiongolf and quietmindgolf where you can buy the book but no links I could find for any consumer level program for drills or anything like that to help you incorporate what you've learned. It's a 5 star idea with a 2 star execution....

How does one think about not thinking? Bound up in swing thoughts?This book will open your eyes to what causes or blocks “being in the zone”.

This was a good book on how to tackle accessing memory and feel for a golf shot. It speaks about how the mind works to learn something and then how it retrieves that information. This might also be the cause for some of the mishaps that occur on the course where a shot seems easy but you mess it up anyway.If you are looking for a book that tackles physical performance in relation to the mind and memory, this is a good one to pick up.

Really good book. Quite different from anything I've ever read about golf. The author does make the assumption that the golfer already has a good grasp of the swing and can access it if they do the proper actions/thoughts in this book. If you were to compare it to a bank account, you would already need to have a lot of money in the bank to get the best benefits of the ideas in the book. Even though my "bank account" might not be quite there yet, I really enjoyed what I read and tried to apply.

The book is all about the writer with very little 'real' material. I got the distinct impression the purpose of the book is to entice you to buy more of their books and videos. Very disappointing!

OK, but a challenge to read (the Kindle version) and seems to have missed the editing stage completely.

The book discusses the unremarkable notion that one should be in the zone when hitting a shot but is very light on how to access that zone or how to get back to it when things go awry. This felt like a sales pitch to buy more product rather than a useful guide.

This book dances around what the fluid motion factor is but gets nowhere near explaining how to get there and use it, apart from going on the three day course. I got no benefit from reading it I am afraid.

Excellent book...must have for a serious golfer or pro!

Excellent book. To be recommended

Book is okay though spends a lot of time on talking around the FMF program, but no actual program in this book. The theory is interesting but lacks any application.