A book to read

I like the illustrations in "The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing" by Nick Bradley, they fit the Ben Hogan view of the swing as presented in his "Modern Fundamentals". Part of them have been in the Golf Digest last year, I think.

OB

"How to Become a Complete Golfer" by Flick/Toski

Paper Tiger by Tom Coyne

It's a good read and the story of his journey is very insightful. There were sections in there were he talked about the tips his mental coach was trying to get him to use in each round of golf. The book was good enough that I did not realize I was using some of the tips:

Saying yes, using a rubberband to snap yourself back into the moment.

Good stuff, good cold weather read.

Joe

Fearless Golf by Dr. Gio Valiante. I can't recommend this book enough and have actually given it as a gift to other golfers.

Out of all of the books that I have read (there's been a few) the most helpful one that I have read is the book by Tiger. How I play Golf. I get lost very easily when things get technical. I think too much and my swing goes to pot. The most informative...Search for the Perfect swing.

Alex

I second the Paper Tiger suggestion.

The 7 Laws get another plug here! great visuals, nuttin' lik eyouve never seen before and they stick with you!

My own list, in random order:

Little red book, by Harvey Penick (the reason why I teach and coach)

Every single book of Dr. Bob Rotella (the sports psychologist of many PGA, LPGA, SPGA and others)

Short Game Bible and Putting Bible, by Dave Pelz (THE Bibles)

Golf in the Kingdom, by Michael Murphy (A great fiction novel)

I could have made that list very long but those are my best reads...

The Short Game Bible and The Putting Bible by Pelz are incredible.

If you are a player with a somewhat solid swing, try a very obscure book called Tour Tempo. Comes with a CD, and has some BREAKTHROUGH information that nobody, and I mean nobody, else is talking about. If you struggle with basic mechanics, this book is probably not for you. This deals with full swing only, not short game, and is helping my swing more than I thought possible in that I don't think technical thoughts during the swing. Try it if you can find it.

Swing the clubhead by Ernest Jones: If you want to get back to basics and unclutter your mind this is the ultimate book

The Short Game Bible and The Putting Bible by Pelz are incredible.

 

If you are a player with a somewhat solid swing, try a very obscure book called Tour Tempo. Comes with a CD, and has some BREAKTHROUGH information that nobody, and I mean nobody, else is talking about. If you struggle with basic mechanics, this book is probably not for you. This deals with full swing only, not short game, and is helping my swing more than I thought possible in that I don't think technical thoughts during the swing. Try it if you can find it.

FYI.....I just bought this one (Tour Tempo) from Amazon. Planning on reading it shortly. Seems like I've heard good things about this one. I think the copy I bought was used. I hope the CD/DVD comes with it.

I have most of the others mentioned above. Looks like I need to dive back into the Pelz Short Game bible.

Jack Nicklaus: "Golf, my way"

Tiger: "How I play golf"

Peltz: "Peltz short game bible"

Hogan: "5 lessons"

Bob Rotella: "Golf is not a game of perfect"

"The swing factory" (can't remember who wrote this - 3 guys)

ANy others? I hate when a good subject gets buried to the second page then gets forgotten about. Would love to see some more suggestions including just good golf stories. I love some of the biographies / autobiographies from players like Hogan, Sneed, Hagen, Jones, etc.

I like the Plane Truth by Hardy. It talks about the 2 types of swings the 1 plane and the 2 plane. He just this week came out with a follow on to it called The Plane Truth for Golfers Master Class Book which is suppose to have even more info.

There is also a DVD set by Hardy going through both swings.

Mike

I'm a golf instruction junkie, so I've got about 25 books. The instruction books I like best in order:

1. Five Lessons (read it a 100 times and always seem to pick up something new each time)

2. Search for the perfect swing

3. 10 minutes a day to better putting (Pelz - on Pelzgolf.com) much better than putting bible as it is very brief and visual with none of the research stuff that puts you to sleep

4. The Secret of Hogan's swing by Tom Bertrand (a Glfwrks member "Schleeman") helped clarify some things for me.

5. Power Golf (hardcopy - mostly like it for the swing sequence pic's. You can get one on ebay for about $10)

6. The Natural Golf Swing by Knudson (not a great book but emphasis on finish position balance always gets me back hitting it well when I get off track)

7. The Plane truth

8. The Short game bible

9. Swing the Clubhead by Earnest Jones

10. Golf, a new approach by Lloyd Mangrum (old hardcover I got on Ebay. Fantastic photo sequences. Mangrum modeled his swing after Sam Snead)

Wish I could understand "The Golfing Machine" looks like it's full of great information but it's the most confusing book I've ever tried to read (and I'm an Engineer)!

Others, not golf swing instuctional:

The inner game of golf

Afternoons with Mr. Hogan

Golf is not a game of perfect

The Hogan Mystique

And I'm hoping Mac O'grady will get an instruction book out some time soon.

Ralph Mann's Swing Like a Pro.

This book has extremely good drawings of swing positions and clears up confusion on stance, club position and other areas.

Joe

One book I picked up used two months ago: Faldo's "A Swing for Life"

This covers everything and is VERY well written and provides a good combination of technical and feel-based instruction.

I've never seen anyone suggest this book, but I'm in love with it.

-TJW

the best winter time golf "read" ( fiction , not instructional) IMHO is absolutely " to the Linksland" (1992) by Michael Bamberger.

I know that Bamberger disgraced himself over a decade later by making that ridiculously late rules infraction call on Wie, but , the book is good. Then read "golf in the kingdom" by Michael Murphy.

Dave Pelz - "Short game bible" is a must IMO.

Rotella - "Golf is not a game of perect" and "Putting out of your mind"

You won't go far wrong if you get those 3.

INteresting concepts in "Every shot must have a purpose"

The seven laws of the golf swing. Great read with strong images to work with.

"Understanding the Golf Swing" by Manuel de la Torre.

For everyone tired of swinging from position to position, swingmechanics and heads full of swingthoughts.

This book teaches the "you already have it in you, your body will take care of everything if you let it"- approach to the golf swing.

Tom Wishon's "Search for the perfect golf club." Dispels many myths concerning clubheads, shafts, head lofts and shaft flexes. Also stresses how importantance of the properly fitted clubs. He also has a new book coming out, "Search for the perfect driver."

As the short game is so, so, so important then Tom Watsons "Getting up and down" should be a must for any golfer, unfortunately he is no longer flavour of the month let alone the year so this book is ignored, but please read it and only if you absorb the club must be accelerated then you have learnt something.

For instruction on the swing, Hogan's Five lessons, hands down...

Im surprised no one has mentioned The Elements of Scoring by Raymond Floyd. This book is not very instructional in terms of the swing, but pertains more to the mental and metaphysical aspect of golf, and teaches you how to really " Play" the game.

Zen Golf is pretty good too...

If you want to start hitting the ball absolutely straight with great distance,

and to learn how to do it quickly, then read and follow the swing method

as describe by George Knudson in his book, The Natural Golf Swing.

Would have to completely disagree with hoganfan92

George Knudson's swing is totally different than any other swing

theory that has ever been taught.

Knudson's swing theory is based on centrifigal force alone propelling

the club throughout the swing. There is no concious use of the hands

and arms in any way, other than to hold on to the club.

While Knudson admired Hogan and based his swing on lower body

movement as he observed in Hogan, Knudson went in a completely

different direction in his method of moving the club.

tour tempo

swing set through...swing set through

Johnnynight,

Not sure what you're disagreeing with me about as I put Knudson's "natural golf" on my list of favorites and above "The plane truth!" I think it's a good book, just not a great one because IMHO, Knudson doesn't thoroughly explain the swing. He talks alot about "feel" and connecting the starting and finish positions and balance, etc., but he doesn't really tell you how to do it and why you should do it that way. However, I like the book because it does stress balance, posture and finish position so much and when I get too mechanical these concepts are very helpful. I think it's probably the perfect book for the type of golfer that has more of an artistic mindset and doesn't like to think about making specific motions or who doesn't care about the "why."

I think Knudson was a terrific ballstriker and player. Hogan said he had the best swing of his generation. Other players said "he looks more like Hogan than Hogan." However, I have both Knudson's book and VHS Video and I must disagree that Knudson was completely original and unique. He says many times that he tried to copy Hogan's swing. Also, the idea of centrifugal force driving the swing was published much earlier (40-50 years) by both Alex Morrison in "A new way to better golf" and by Earnest Jones in "swing the clubhead" when Jones used a hankerchief and penknife to demonstrate this. Hogan also advocated this feeling when he made statements like "The action of the arms is motivated by the movements of the body, and the hands consciously do nothing but maintain a firm grip on the club" and ""The main thing for the average golfer is to keep any conscious hand action out of his swing. The correct swing is founded on a chain action. If you use the hands when you should not, you prevent the chain action."

Alex Morrison said "''The swing starts from the center of the body, under the influence of centrifugal force."

and "I have been convinced. A careful study of the technique of every expert who has played in the United States, proves conclusively that every successful shot played by any one of them is the direct result of the employment of centrifugal force. Despite everything I had heard, I could not make myself believe that the main force of a golf swing should originate in the hands and arms. Trial and experiment demonstrated to me that the necessary whirling motion of the club was produced only when the force activating the club had its origin near the center of the body." Quotes are from Mike Hebron's "The Inside swings the outside" webpage.

Funny that the only pro that Hogan ever credited with helping him with his swing was Henry Picard, who happened to get much of his knowledge from Alex Morrison!

I hope you understand that I'm not trying to be argumentative, just that there are very few original ideas about the golf swing that haven't been around (and published) for at least 50 years. I love Knudson's swing, and like his book! (cool)

Respectfully,

Hoganfan924

posted this on another thread about the mental game.

Golf at the Top with Steve Williams: Tips and Techniques from the Caddy to Raymond Floyd, Greg Norman, and Tiger Woods

an odd read at times, but fantastic. who would know better than Stevie?

and another vote for the Penick books, they are great stories and instruction at the same time.

I also agree with the 7 laws of the golf swing with Nick Bradley. This book is one of the best I have read to help you understand the swing.

But, For the mental side of the game; you must read: With winning in Mind.