What are some of your favorite golf books that you have purchased?

[Thin2win 3,575]

I'm going to go a different route. Books by Pelz, Stockton, Nicklaus, Hogan etc are are fun. But I don't have their swings, I like the read for the read, but from an instruction standpoint... Hogan's book alone probably made more people worse at golf than if they didn't read it. 

The "Golf" books I love, the stylized books by Mark Frost are way too fun to read. I like reading anything that makes me want to play more and a good golf story does that. 

The other book that is really good, is Dream Golf. It's the story of Bandon Dunes and how it came to be. I think it has been revised with each added course, the revisions are okay, but the main arc and path of Bandon is a great read. 

[MGoBlue100 2,603]

This one is pretty old, but I enjoyed it when I read it.  Probably should do so again, as the main message is:  "Take Your Medicine!"

[MGoBlue100 2,603]

...and of course this gem of literature!

[GregB135 1,214]

The Little Book of Breaking 80 by Shane Jones

It has a lot of really good mental game insight and touches on controlling expectations and focusing practice.

[Kansas King 585]

I personally like "Understanding the Golf Swing" by Manuel de la Torre. It is another book on the swing but it focuses on the club based approach which doesn't seem to be taught much. The club based approach to instruction is essentially focusing on where you want the club to go instead of worrying about the position your body is in or where your hips are. The theory is that if you focus on swinging the club down the target line, your body will do what's necessary to accomplish that. There is a simplicity to this method that no other swing thoughts or methods in the game of golf possess. I've had tremendous success with this method and even if it's not the method or swing thought you like, it offers invaluable insight on the swing and can really help your mental game.

The other books I like are Maltby's and Wishon's club building/fitting books. Golf equipment is the most studied and perfected sports equipment in the world. It can be interesting to learn the specifics of it if you're into that. 

Lot's of other good books out there on golf. I have a stack that I have yet to read including Zen Golf, Golf Flow, and a few others. I don't know how good those are but I will read them eventually. 

[Riverboat 767]

About a year ago I tried to "modernize" my swing a bit and wound up putting myself in a slump. I broke out a copy of hogan's five lessons and soon realized that my entire swing was still built on this book... the first golf book I ever read. I went back to all those fundamentals and poof... no more slump. Still the best instruction book ever, imo.

[cksurfdude 10,244]

Taking a dive into some old school knowledge & philosophy ...

Starting with the one on the right. It's got a cool little embedded feature - at the bottom of each right-hand page is a small pic.. each of which is one frame from a video of Sam Snead's swing .. so flipping through the pages of the book shows you a little old fashioned "video"!

[Madeleine Baker 0]

 

Idk, I haven't read it yet. Maybe I'll find some recommendations here

[chisag 17,555]

On 10/20/2020 at 7:47 PM, verojoe said:

Legend of Bagger Vance by Stephen Pressfield.

 

... I think this should be must reading for any golfer. 

[lilahhayes 0]

On 10/16/2021 at 4:08 PM, Madeleine Baker said:

 

Idk, I haven't read it yet. Maybe I'll find some recommendations here

+++! I'm also looking for recommendations. My teacher advised me to read more books to improve my writing skills. I love golf, so I want to choose something from this theme. And I need writing skills because I can't write essays. Now https://www.bestessay.com/buy-college-essays/ saves me. They write everything on time and very well.

Edited October 22, 2021 by lilahhayes

[marty lensing 0]

One Move To Better Golf

by Carl Lohren

 

My go to for 20+ years…

[Jay Vecchiarelli 3]

Today’s golf is not really different from when I learned to play in the early 1950’s.  Today’s power hitters invariably hit a fade. They set up pretty much the way Ben Hogan did. 
 I heartily recommend his 5 lessons as the Bible .

Everything in that book was right. Grip, posture, etc. my second book would be Tom Watsons , getting up and down.

 Sam Snead had a pamphlet about his swing that was enlightening also

everything else is a spin off.

I was a single digit for many years and now time has caught up with me.

 But the point is  those books covered me for my golf career.

 If you get caught up in stuff, Rotellas book would be helpful

[korsmot 23]

Love golf books.  Couple of my favorites: All of the Bob Rotella series.  All of the Pelz books, though the putting ones are a little too in the weeds and can cause you to over think. 

One that is not specifically golf:  The Talent Code - about how to be good at things, mostly sports.  It is very interesting.

And two good fictional ones: Seven days in Utopia and Johnny's US Open by Dr. David Cook.  

Cheers

Tigger

[B_R_A_D_Y 124]

Bob Toski ….. While I read Hogan’s 5 lessons first, the real eye opener for me was Toski’s 1978, How to Become a Complete Golfer. I believe it was the first book containing tips and drills to help you improve, not just the swing theory of a famous tour professional. Only one I remember now is chipping over a golf bag. Toski was so popular, especially his breakthrough club head redirection, the PGA used his books and theories in their PGA School.
 

Unfortunately, I loaned my book to a golf pal, and never saw it again. 

 

Edited October 20, 2021 by B_R_A_D_Y

[Getoffmylawn 5,184]

21 minutes ago, B_R_A_D_Y said:

Bob Toski ….. While I read Hogan’s 5 lessons first, the real eye opener for me was Toski’s 1978, How to Become a Complete Golfer. I believe it was the first book containing tips and drills to help you improve, not just the swing theory of a famous tour professional. Only one I remember now is chipping over a golf bag. Toski was so popular, especially his breakthrough club head redirection, the PGA used his books and theories in their PGA School.
 

Unfortunately, I loaned my book to a golf pal, and never saw it again. 

Might sound sacrilegious to some, but while Hogan’s book certainly has its place on any golfers book shelf, that book might as well be called “how to not go left”.  Point being, really not the best prescription for most.  
Sounds like Toski’s was a good one…

[chisag 17,555]

1 minute ago, Getoffmylawn said:

Might sound sacrilegious to some, but while Hogan’s book certainly has its place on any golfers book shelf, that book might as well be called “how to not go left”.  Point being, really not the best prescription for most.  
Sounds like Toski’s was a good one…

 

... Or as we called it "Hogans never hit another hook" manual. I have quite a few golf books but these are my favorites and I go back to them again and again: 

Toski/Love was my first golf book and still holds up.

If You are a DLIII fan you will love Every Step I Take and if you are not a fan, you will become one.

While not a big Leadbetter guy, his book breaks down many of the great swings very well. (pre Tiger) 

Freddie's book may not help you with your swing but as always there are some great thoughts in it that you might be able to incorporate into your swing. 

And as a Zen kinda guy I gained more from Bagger Vance than any golf book I have ever read. Golf in the Kingdom is also a very inspirational read. 







 

[B_R_A_D_Y 124]

Hogan even admitted his swing was meant to fight his tendency to hook the ball.

Penick’s Little Read Book was enjoyable because I grew up with the people he talks about, like Crenshaw and Kite. But the biggest impact was his teaching techniques, specifically not overloading the student with more than one change to their swing. As they master one change, you build on another.

Edited October 20, 2021 by B_R_A_D_Y

[chisag 17,555]

3 hours ago, B_R_A_D_Y said:

But the biggest impact was his teaching techniques, specifically not overloading the student with more than one change to their swing. As they master one change, you build on another.

 

... When I first started teaching an old "country boy" North Carolina instructor in his early 90's told me "When your givin' out infer-mayshun, do it by tha teespoon not tha shovul" It was great advice and became the cornerstone of my teaching. 

[funkyjudge 215]

“A Course Called Ireland” …. end of story. IMHO, best golf book ever written.

[Giovanni Cooper 0]

On 9/27/2021 at 11:44 PM, cksurfdude said:

Taking a dive into some old school knowledge & philosophy ...

Starting with the one on the right. It's got a cool little embedded feature - at the bottom of each right-hand page is a small pic.. each of which is one frame from a video of Sam Snead's swing .. so flipping through the pages of the book shows you a little old fashioned "video"!

Great books. I have added these books to my must-read list and will start reading them soon. Besides, in January I always traditionally read a lot of fiction. For example, I'm currently reading A Rose for Emily, which I've read many articles about at https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/a-rose-for-emily/ William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily uses first-person narration to focus on Emily Grierson, a reclusive woman who has caught the attention of the townspeople and dictates the conversations, gossip, and actions of the town.

Edited January 27 by Giovanni Cooper