Golf Books

[guids]

Im really going to start focusing on bettering my game. Im pretty much a newb, I golf maybe 5-10 times a season, and probably have never broken 100. I want to start off training myself w/ practice and books, then eventually lessons. Any reccomendations?

My brother gave me harvey penicks little red book, and golf etiquette. I have a Keep it simple series book too.

[ScottieK]

www.pga.com has a bunch of video lessons that I've learned quite a bit from....I'm also interested in getting better.

ScottieK

[diddle]

Grip and setup, Grip and setup, Grip and setup

Master these fundamentals before you try to do anything. No matter how awkward the correct grip/setup feels at first, just stick with it and fight through it until it feels comfortable.

[amplify]

Start with a lesson. There is no way you can do better than that. The pro will show you setup, grip, takeaway, swing plane, and give you a few simple things to work on. At my local driving range the pro charges $30 per lesson. Books are great but you have to have a guy look at your swing.

I never broke 100 before taking lessons.

[MaxPower]

I would stay away from books. I've read tons of golf books, and I think in general they do more harm than good. There are a few exceptions I think.

If you really want to read a book I would suggest "Swing the Clubhead" by Ernest Jones. That is probably the best book because it is non-mechanical.

A similar book is "Understanding the Golf Swing" by Manual De La Torre, but I would wouldn't bother with it if you can find the Ernest Jones book.

Another book I would recommend highly is "On Golf" by Jim Flick. But the Ernest Jones book is probably the only book you would ever need to read.

[alebron]

The following are the opinions of a 3 handicap with a VERY analytical approach to the game.


Full swing:

Steve Elkington's Five Fundamentals. More than half the book is grip and setup, and as any competent player knows, more than half of having a good swing is grip and setup.

Short Game:

Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible. If you're analytical like me, no other book will seem anywhere near as complete.

Putting:

Dave Pelz's Putting Bible. Caveat: putting is the most feel/mental part of the game. If a tip feels wrong or awkward, or makes you unconfident, it won't work for you no matter how fundamentally correct it is.

[lou22]

Agreed on Dave Pelz' Short Game Bible.

When you start off you'll want to get your swing figured out, but most people spend hours and hours working on each of their longer clubs without ever really focusing on the short game. Once you get a decent swing figured out it will be pretty consistent for all of your longer clubs and at that point improving your short game is really where you'll be able to lower your score significantly.

[SoCal11053]

[ QUOTE ]
Start with a lesson. There is no way you can do better than that. The pro will show you setup, grip, takeaway, swing plane, and give you a few simple things to work on. At my local driving range the pro charges $30 per lesson. Books are great but you have to have a guy look at your swing.

I never broke 100 before taking lessons.

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree. And take them from someone that gives you video feedback. I'd make what I thought were some nice swings and then we'd take a look at some stills and some playback and it was dramatic how things I thought (and felt) I was doing right actually weren't. Seeing the ugly truth makes it much easier to make the proper adjustments.

That old saying "practice makes perfect" isn't exactly right. Perfect practice makes perfect. Diving into some books without good feedback could just keep you endlessly guessing and tinkering with technique.

[alebron]

SoCal is mostly right. If you're the kind of person who learns by imitating, then video is essential. Most people learn this way, so for them video is the best way of closing the feedback loop and getting better quickly.

That said, the OP asked about golf books specifically, not "how to improve at golf". It makes me suspect he's the kind of person that tends to learn by reading. If so, video might, though helpful, not be the very best way for him to learn.

FWIW, the way I implement swing changes is a hybrid of the two. I identify mistakes visually (by looking at myself on video), but after that the "making a change" part comes from how to relate fundamentals to what I feel I'm doing. That happens through reading and trial-and-error. Video then just confirms that the changes are correct after the fact.

To OP: Everyone learns differently, figure out how _you_ learn and work with that.

[Ron Burgundy]

[ QUOTE ]
Start with a lesson. There is no way you can do better than that.

[/ QUOTE ]