More Moe: New expanded Moe Norman biography just released

Come and celebrate Canadian legend Moe Norman at the book launch of my new second edition of The Feeling of Greatness: The Moe Norman Story.

Get a free drink, a signed book and share Moe stories on Monday, July 17 at 7 p.m. at Blue Springs Golf Club in Acton, Ontario.

More than 20 years after the compelling original biography, author Tim O’Connor has written the second edition of The Feeling of Greatness: The Moe Norman Story, providing greater perspective and more detail about the mysterious golfer whose bittersweet life is one of the most legendary stories in sports.

(This is the official news release. Thus, the impersonal third person.)

The updated hardcover version of the acclaimed biography published by Brown Books of Dallas, Texas, has been significantly expanded to 336 pages, and includes new vintage photographs, 43 first-person anecdotes—most never published before—and commentary from Tiger Woods, Lee Trevino, Nick Price, Vijay Singh and Paul Azinger.

Originally published in 1995, the best-selling Feeling of Greatness was applauded for compassionately telling the story of the complex Canadian who was both admired for becoming the best ball-striker in the world and scorned by the country club blue bloods for his appearance, strange ways and working-class roots.

“After his death in 2004, I felt compelled to update Moe’s story to put his life in perspective, explore his legacy, and to properly document the last 10 years of his life when many wonderful and sad things happened to him,” said O’Connor, an author of four books, including The Single Plane Golf Swing: Play Golf the Moe Norman Way, co-written with golf professional Todd Graves.

“There were many parts of Moe’s life that were not fully explored in the first edition, notably his spiritual side, as well as his long-overdue recognition as one of the game’s greats, his relationship with Titleist, his struggle with heart disease, and indeed my own relationship with him.

“I felt that we could learn a lot more about Moe, and from him—especially how he persevered in a frightening world that treated him harshly. He was an under-appreciated genius who left an incredible legacy,” said O’Connor, a mental performance coach and coach of the University of Guelph (Ontario) golf team.

The second edition of The Feeling of Greatness includes more than 100 pages of updated and newly researched material, especially from 1995 to Norman’s death in 2004, while original chapters have been rewritten and updated.

One of the fascinating aspects of Moe Norman is all of the stories told about him. To celebrate his life and provide new insights into his character, O’Connor has collected 43 first-person anecdotes that are interspersed between chapters. The stories are hilarious, sad and powerful, and some tell jaw-dropping tales about his otherworldly ability to hit the ball more accurately than any human before him.

You can learn more about Norman’s ingenious single plane action in the updated chapter on his swing, which includes commentary from Todd Graves, whose Graves Golf Academy teaches Norman’s method, as well as from David Leadbetter, Chuck Cook and Dr. Jim Suttie.

You can also share in Moe’s unique perspective and wisdom—his instructional sayings and favourite quotes—known as Moe-isms, which close out the book.

With the Second Edition of The Feeling of Greatness: The Moe Norman Story, Tim O’Connor provides a moving perspective from 20 years later on the legendary golfer and the life lessons that he left for us.

To order the book in the U.S., visit amazon.com or www.learn.singleplaneacademy.com. In Canada, visit amazon.ca. It is US $24.95 and Cdn $29.95. 

For interviews with Tim O’Connor or Todd Graves, please email tim@oconnorgolf.ca or phone 519.835.5939.