5 comments about Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf.

1. A really good book for beginners, or someone that wants to review the basics of the grip and swing. I highly recommend reading this, every page, every line.



2. Great book for learning or re-learning the fundamentals of the full golf swing. Helpful for the novice and the experienced golfer. This 20-year old classic has become the foundation for modern-day golf instruction. I've bought a few copies as gifts for my golfing buddies.



3. I have recently returned to golf after a several year absence. I decided to read several golf books as I re-entered the sport, and have found that Ben Hogan's books have been both informative and enlightening. By applying the suggestions he has outlined, my chipping game was immediately improved. Close work on my grip has allowed my drives to be straight and with improved length. While my intermediate game is still quite poor, I'm sure the tips outlined in Fundementals will be helpful as well. Hogan's "Power Golf" is also an excellent guide, though it needs a few more reads to be fully digested. Those wishing to improve their golf would be highly encouraged to read Hogan's books, especially if they would like to try golf before committing to lessons.



4. this is an amazing book. there are 5 sections with great pictures to show what you need to do to have a superb swing. the reading also has a mental approach which helps to have a mind set. after reading the first chapter on grip, i began hitting the ball straight. i can't wait to finish reading the rest of the book to see how much better i will golf. i highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to golf better.



5. If you are new to golf or have golfed for years - this is the bible. It may not be the modern golf swing used by Tiger - but if you want to create a grooved repeatable swing this is the book for you.

5 comments about Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game.

1. Bottom Line . It took five strokes off my handicap.
   Michael A. Epstein
   Member KCC



2. Finally, a book that puts the mental game into sections that make sense. Told in a down-to-earth way, the examples and insights provided by "Zen Golf" really do pertain to the game we love. Understanding that the results of a swing are not necessarily the be-all and end-all is very powerful knowledge. Learning to breathe will apply to a myriad of endeavor, both athletic and personal. Ostensibly, it is a book about golf, but one that fills many gaps in all kinds of life situations. Dr. Parent is a born teacher.



3. I loved this book! I learned more about the art of the mental game of golf in this thin volume than in a half dozen longer times (.e.: The Mental Games of Golf). I would put this up there with "See It Sink It" or "Every Shot Must Have a Purpose".
   
   A must have for any serious golfer. I dare you to read the story about the golden statue and tell me that it didn't affect you!



4. I am a beginner golfer and this book is helpful for the mental part of golf! I would suggest it to anyone that plays golf. I gave to a friend that throws clubs in frustration and she played a round for the first time with no broken clubs and was relaxed, she says the book is helping her too



5. After being frustrated with myself on the golf course during the past few months I was beginning to wonder if I might stop playing.I have a handicap of 19 and was really struggling to play to it.Once I had a bad hole I would get down on myself and the whole thing would snowball.
   After reading Zen Golf and putting into practice some of the techniques I have played two lots of 9 hole stableford competitions and had 23+25 points.
   I have played 2 rounds of 18 holes in competition.The first round of our club championship at 85-19-66 (par is 69).In our annual men's tournament 83-19-64.During these rounds I have only had one 7 and nothing higher.
   Most importantly I have actually been enjoying myself.
   I am certain this booked has really helped me and I will continue to use the techniques that I have learnt.I will probably read this book over and over when I need to as there are several more things I want to try.

5 comments about Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible: Master the Finesse Swing and Lower Your Score (Dave Pelz Scoring Game Series).

1. Don't ask questions. Just get it, believe it, learn it, and use it. You will benefit.



2. I am the author of Striking It Rich: Golf in the Kingdom with Generals, Patients and Pros
   
   If this book was the 5-star standard, there wouldn't be too many other 5-star books. In other words, its in a class by itself. Production quality, instruction, information, etc is as good as it gets. A tremendous value for your golfing expenditures. Pelz has contributed significantly to our game with the publication of this book.
   With that said, allow me to point out a few things that couldn't be right...
   1. Pros having a pei of 18% on their wedges and 8% on their full shots. That implies that they get a 200 yard shot closer than a 100 yard one.
   2. Also getting your short game handicap by the method near the end of the book is inconsistant (ie self contradictory). (and contradictory to a pei of 18% for these wedge shots as well)
   
   I also don't agree with the method of guaging distances in the book but that is not necessarily an error- just my opinion.
   
   But all things considered, the best book of its kind by far.



3. Bought this book in 2000 just after it came out and immediately read the first 100 pages (it's 400 pages long). Just understanding the concepts of the physics behind his instruction was eye-opening for me (I loved the statistics and explanations). He applies the numbers to real-life results (ie: the pros with the best short game earn the most money consistently year after year). Once I understood the basic concept that distance control was the key and then read about the basic techniques, my index tumbled from a 12.4 to 8.1 in just two months and as low as 4.6 by the end of summer! This in spite of hitting an average of only 5-6 greens in regulation per round.
   One nice thing about this book is you don't have to read or understand all the statistics or physics in order for it to make a profound impact on your game. You can use it as a reference for a lot of specialty shots once you get the basic finesse swing down. (I use the technique with most of my irons all the way up to my 5-iron thus extending my distance control game out to about 150 yards).
   Definitely a must read if you are serious about improving your golf game.



4. If you're the type that can learn from a book and want to know all the technical aspects of the short game - this is the book for you. Very detailed and very technical but you will learn a lot from it. This is a "must have" book, along with 'Dave Pelz's Putting Bible' and Leadbetter's 'The Swing'.



5. "Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible" is most likely the best book I've read on golf. In the beginning of the book, Pelz demonstrates, through the use of his extensive data on both tour players and amateurs, just how important it is to be proficient from 100 yards and in. Many golfers think they can just read a book, then go on the course and be successful. This is never true.
   If you want to become a better short game player, you are going to need to hit thousands of practice shots, and you are going to have to learn how to hone your distance control with your wedges and the various length of your swing.. (7:30 swing, 9:00 swing, and 10:30 swing)
   
   All in all, I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Arnie & Jack: Palmer, Nicklaus, and Golf's Greatest Rivalry.

1. For anyone that has followed professional golf for the past 50 years, reading about these two greats was very rewarding. I remember almost everyone of their thrilling victories, especially in the Masters and US Opens. I personally saw them in the Ryder Cup in St. Louis at Old Warson CC. They shot a best ball of 29 on the back nine to pull out a one up victory for the USA.



2. When your husband has EVERYTHING golf...a new and interesting golf book a must ! Thank you for quick delivery,book in excellent condition.



3. If you want the long and short of this book, it's easy to summarize: Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus loved nothing better than to one-up each other; Arnold wanted to win more on the golf course, and Jack wanted to be more popular with the fans; their wives kept the rivalry from getting out of hand; and they are more at peace with one another now than before.
   
   If you want to read about the various times they played each other, the off-course competition, slights to one another, and what bugged each one about the other, then you'll want to read every page of this detailed dual biography. If you would rather read just about one or the other . . . and their whole career in perspective, another book will undoubtedly be more pleasing.
   
   I had never read anything about the backgrounds of either golfer so I learned a lot. As soon as the book got into the years where I was well aware of both men, the book didn't add very much to what I knew already. In fact, Mr. O'Connor left out material that I would have included.
   
   Because the two men are ten years apart in age, they aren't the kind of playing rivals that some of the earlier champions were who competed against each other in their prime years. In the process, the astonishing rise of golf as a spectator sport isn't given as much attention as it should.
   
   But if you want to get an overview of both men, magnified by their feelings about one another, this book will serve you all right. But don't expect the book to be compelling reading. It's more like those long-winded stories you hear at the country club in the bar that are shared by the oldest member after quite a few libations.



4. Good book, great book on two of golf's greatest names, greatest players and greatest guys...This book is "a keeper," giving a dynamic inside look at the personalities and competitive instincts of both men. The reader comes to a new and deeper appreciation and understanding of the two golfing giants of our time.
   
   Ian O'Connor takes the easy way out in some of the writing at times, but the story (and stories) he tells far overcome the few and slight wordsmsithing that could be made by the most critical of readers.
   
   This book is an eagle, a sure eagle, for those who remember Arnie and Jack and for those who want to learn about them.
   
   Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods, the best of all time. It's a shame he doesn't have a competitive adversary such as Jack and Arnie had in each other. Then we could see just how good Tiger could be.
   
   Edwin Pope may have best described this book: "A classic work...the most riveting personal moments..the best I've read in a long while..."



5. In order to tell his story, the author goes out of his way to draw a contrast between Palmer and Nicklaus; Jack was calculating, Arnie was daring; Jack wasn't aware of galleries, Arnie played to them; Jack was tubby and not photogenic, Arnie was built like a middleweight prize fighter and charismatic; Arnie played a low draw, Jack a high fade; Arnie was blue collar, Jack was pampered, and on and on. It's ok to hear this a few times in the early part to set the stage, but the author seems to repeat and rephrase this every few pages. He also makes too much of the Nicklaus/Palmer rivalry, to the near exclusion of any other players entering into the picture.
   
   But the stylistic flaw and over stated case don't overwhelm what is otherwise an extremely well researched book with many heretofore unknown revelations. For example, did you know that:
   
   - Palmer 1st played with Nicklaus in an exhibition when Nicklaus was an amateur. Even at that early age Nicklaus easily won their impromptu long drive competition;
   - Nicklaus was relentlessly harassed by Palmer's galleries, no more so than the US Open at Oakmont where he beat Palmer in a playoff;
   - Nicklaus hated being paired with Palmer at the Masters in the late 90's, because he never wanted to play a ceremonial role in competition and he was distracted by Arnie's playing to the galleries;
   - Their rivalry extended off the course in the arena of product endorsements, golf course design contracts and their own tournaments at Muirfield and Bay Hill.
   
   Perhaps some of the most interesting parts come towards the end when the book focuses on the race and gender aspects of golf. Neither Jack nor Arnie were proactive in helping to eliminate the PGA Tour's former caucasian-only policy and they were silent during Augusta's men-only stand-off with Martha Burke. Whereas Gary Player differentiated himself from both with a very vocal opposition to Augusta's policy and support for black golfers Lee Elder and Charlie Sifford.
   
   All in all a very worthwhile golf read, despite its flaws. As Gary Koch might say "better than most, better than most!"

5 comments about The Art of the Short Game: Tour-Tested Secrets for Getting Up and Down.

1. I have been playing for years, and I know that my short game is an area that I need to improve. I have read several different books on the short game and this one is easily the best.
   
   Stan explains his principles in a clear format. The photos are instructive and illustrate his ideas. He changed my style and, although it took some time to get used to it, I can see the improvement.



2. I have struggled with my short game for years. This book is easy to follow and provides a reliable,simple method for chips, pitches and bunker shots. At first it seems different, but once you give it a try it feels right, and it also flows from the long game. Buy this book.



3. After reading Stan Utley's "The Art of Putting," I spent four months retooling my putting approach to great effect. I was really anxious to read his ideas about short game shot-making in this book.
   
   After four weeks of absorbing and practicing his ideas in this great little book, I'm a bigger Utley fan than ever. He explains his short game ideas very clearly and concisely here. As in his first book, he gives some entertaining professional examples of tour players he works with.
   
   Stan Utley emphasizes a natural, mini-swing approach to the short game, and he clearly shows how to make a simple, pivot-based swing for chipping and pitching. His sand shot technique is very interesting as well and will help to make more consistent and feel-based shots in bunkers.



4. This is a different approach to the short game which seems to really work. I've tried it for just two weeks and the improvement is already evident.



5. After reading this book, I am confident that my short game will improve. However, time will tell with practice and repetition, I should see a significant improvement.

5 comments about The Mysterious Montague: A True Tale of Hollywood, Golf, and Armed Robbery.

1. The title of Leigh Montville's new book tells you a lot about the story without ever having to read a page. John Montague played golf and schmoozed with some of the most famous of the 1930's Hollywood celebrities. However, something in his personal life would eventually turn his world totally around. This book will probably not win any literary awards, but it is entertaining, amusing, and at times quite unbelievable. Golfers will love it, non-golfers will enjoy it.



2. The book brings to life of an man, whom I was unfamiliar with, and brought to live America before World War II. The story is a fascinating journey that causes the reader to wonder what is true and what is legend. The stories will amaze you and the people who surrounds the man are legendary.
   
   Before there was Tin Cup.. there was Montague. (after reading, I realize that Tin Cup was a rip off of this great story!)



3. This is a good read, with an entertaining view of a time gone by that we have only read and heard about. John Montague is larger than life but stuck with the human flaws that the rest of us have. You don't have to know golf to enjoy this as Montville makes it a story for every one.



4. This is the fascinating, intriguing tale of a man who changed identities to start a new life in Hollywood and leave a criminal past behind - or so he hoped. It's one of those "only in America" stories - featuring golf and Hollywood celebrities such as Bing Crosby - with a surprise ending that actually seems fitting although justice isn't done, strictly speaaking.



5. LaVerne Moore was one of the more colorful figures in the world of golf in the 1930's and Leigh Montville tells his tale in all its boisterous glory in The Mysterious Montague, A True Tale of Hollywood, Golf, and Armed Robbery.
   
   John Montague, as Moore was better known, was a trick shot artist who could chip a ball into a highball glass or under the sash of a partially-opened window across the room. He reputedly knocked a bird off a power line from 170 yards and consistently drove the ball over 300 yards with a specially-made oversized driver the weighed twice as much as the standard club of its time. Most famously, he once beat Bing Crosby while playing only with a rake, a shovel, and a baseball bat.
   
   Montague had a secret, though. It was why he never allowed himself to be photographed and reputedly why he never entered any professional events. When that secret was revealed, it led to a sensational trial in upstate New York that turned into a celebrity-laden media fest. The secret is told in the first chapter of the book: Montague was wanted under his real name, LaVerne Moore, for the armed robbery of a roadside restaurant in the Adirondacks in 1930. The trial and its aftermath is an interesting window into the media world of the time.
   
   Montville entertains the reader with tales of Montague's prowess, although it's obvious many of them grew to legendary status mainly through the re-telling such feats engender. He also gives us a good look at the celebrities who flocked to Montague's cause. Babe Ruth, Bing Crosby, Oliver Hardy, W.C. Fields, Howard Hughes, Babe Didrickson Zaharias, and many more were tied to Montague one way or another. Sportswriter Grantland Rice was his biggest fan.
   
   The end of the book, which chronicles Montague's late-in-life attempt to break into the ranks of professional tournament golf, may be of the greatest interest to players of the game. Weakened by too many years of Hollywood parties and lack of practice, Montague was a miserable failure in his attempts to compete with PGA stars, who had disdained him from the start.
   
   Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo

5 comments about How I Play Golf.

1. much bigger and better than i realised. he is gonna LOVE this one (It's being kept for christmas)



2. great book that help us to improve our golf...
   and also give us a little taste of what is like been tiger



3. If you enjoy golf and spend enough time to beat balls at the driving range, this book will give you a lot of tips how to improve your skills.



4. An exceptional book with good illustrations & bought at a very good price. Postage time was VERY DISAPPOINTING - expected to receive within 3-4 weeks (standard Air Freight) but took 6 weeks!!! This was our 1st purchase on Amazon & we were concerned and had almost given up on it! Expect DELAYS on overseas purchases.



5. Excellent book. Not a how to of golf but rather a how Tiger plays. Helped my game immensely. Espcially my putting. I would recommend this book golfers of all levels.

5 comments about Golf:: The Best Instruction Book Ever!.

1. I don't know if it is "The Best Instruction Book Ever" as I have only read a few but it is most certainly informative and well set out. The many pictures are very helpful and clarify the instructions. The way the book is set out makes it very quick and easy to look up . I think it would be helpful to most levels of golfers.I think value for money, it is excellent.



2. This book has definitely helped me focus on my grip, swing, and other areas that I need to improve my game. Would have like to have seen a better dvd associated with it. The dvd lessons are quite short, otherwise the instructions in the book are great and the pictures they use are quite clear. Good book for those looking to improve their game!



3. I have been playing golf for 2 months (took lessons,pored over videos on internet,read many books including Hogan's,Hank Haney's,Leadbetter's, read golf magazines such as Golf Digest and Golf Tips) and I would say this book is one I take to the practice range. At the end of each practice session,I write down a list of what went right and what went wrong. I then flip through the section that covers my problem (the book is well organized for that),learn the drill,fixes and comments on that. Next session,I implement it. It almost always helps.
   2 points:Since still pictures and wording can leave a few things unclear, you might have to look up additional sources such as another book/video/professional once in a while. Secondly, as another reviewer noted, in one or two places in the book (of nearly 150 pages),there is what seems to be contradictory advice (one instructor says start high, another says low). In a few other places where you think the same thing's happening,upon careful reading,the shots are slightly different.
   Overall, an excellent bargain. You can buy the book alone without DVD for less than 12 bucks. Even better deal as the DVD is limited.



4. It contains anything you need to improve your game if you are beginner to intermidate.



5. Great book,the instructions are easy to follow and don't try to revamp your whole swing. I feel like I have cut at least a couple of strokes per round. I have a 9 handicap,but I am always looking for improvements.

5 comments about The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever.

1. A quick read, good golf book, didn't really capture me, but held me enough to finish it.



2. Those of us who love golf- its traditions and history, will ove this true story of a match that was arranged as a wager, and turned out to be one of the best of all time



3. Another great book by Mark Frost. The Match ranks right up there with Mr Frosts other book "The Greatest Game Ever Played".This book gives wonderful historical perspective on golf in the Monteray Bay area.



4. Frost's trilogy is must reading for every golf nut. The Match is much shorter than his finest work, The Greatest Game Ever Played, and his essential biography of Bobby Jones, The Grand Slam, but it is nonetheless a gripping, page turning tale of 18 holes played by four of golf's outstanding personalities on one of the nation's most beguiling courses, Cypress Point CC. Historical facts concering the men and the state of the game of golf in that era are accurately and entertainingly woven into the story of a single match. Each stroke in the match is described, while concise biographies of each character are woven throughout. Frost is a master at transporting you to 1954 and the Monterrey Peninsula, you can see the ocean, feel the breeze, and smell the fresh cut grass. I especially appreciated the thoroughly researched afterward which included a short history of the Monterrey Peninsula and Cypress Point CC in particular, as well as the bios of the players following the Match. Read this book if you love the game.



5. Though I am wary of contributing to the incessant, effusive praise for just about everything in contemporary life, I must admit that The Match is the finest sports book I have read in many years. Mark Frost's prose is enjoyable and balanced - not too simple; not overreaching. The structure of the book leaves the reader in a state of wonderful anticipation throughout. Finally, the true sports fan gains newfound appreciation and respect for the evolution of the game of golf and the men who contributed so greatly to bringing it into the mainstream. These were not great golfers; they were great Americans. Frost has written a masterpiece. Do not hesitate to pick it up.

5 comments about The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport.

1. This book is one of the best golf related books I have ever read. I could not put it down! The author was so normal and honest and real that if you are a golfer who started playing golf again at an older age (40's) then you will really relate to his story. It is funny and just a great summer read!



2. Millions of golfers could play like Tiger Woods only if they had his golfing skills. And millions of golfers who play and score like Carl Hiassen could write a book like this if they had his wit and writing skills.
   Chuckling about Hiassen's antics on the links reduced my tension and I think was a contributing factor to one of my best games ever (right after I finished reading the book). But I will wait to see if this relaxing-Hiaaasen effect lasts before I recommend this amusing work also as a golf psychology/ self-help book.



3. I should have known. As a fan of Hiaasen, I should have realized that by leaving the reservation to write a book about his taking up golf again that he was walking out onto thin ice. As it turns out, he was trying to walk on water.
   
   Several descriptions of this "book" come to mind. The one that occurs the most is "unreadable." It is not funny. It is poorly structured. It has no sense of story.
   
   After several attempts to at least complete it, I have given up and last night it ended up in my trash compactor. I would give this effort NO STARS if Amazon allowed such a rating.



4. It is delightful to encounter a book that, in addition to being an excellent read, strikes an especially responsive chord in the reader's mind. Such was the experience with Carl Hiaasen's THE DOWNHILL LIE, an entertaining and enjoyable saga about the midlife return to the frustrating and fascinating game of golf that many readers may have gone through in their lives. As one who gave up the sport in my late 20s, when spending hours on the golf course became difficult and I found time to return to the game in my mid-40s, the Hiaasen narrative brought back many memories and nods of recognition. Perhaps more important, it offers many laugh-out-loud observations that a wise and humorous writer shares with his audience.
   
   Many will recognize the Hiaasen name as a newspaper columnist for the Miami Herald and the author of bawdy and entertaining novels set in the State of Florida that poke fun at contemporary issues of American life. A Hiaasen novel skewers politicians, businessmen, retirees, rednecks and countless other denizens of the "Sunshine State." He has applied this formula to more than a dozen bestselling fictional works.
   
   Now the celebrated author has turned his wry humor inward. After a 32-year absence from the game that he first played with his father, Hiaasen, now a grandfather with bad hips and other equally bad appendages, decides it's time to return to the game he abandoned in his youth. Why? Because, as he ruefully acknowledges, "I am one sick bastard."
   
   While he may be "sick," he is wonderfully funny. Any golfer will appreciate his observation about a fine-looking new set of irons, too beautiful to throw in anger after a bad shot. As he attempts to explain the golf handicap system, most golfers will nod in approval. But, just like Hiaasen, they really have no idea how that tell-tale number that appears after their name bears any relation to golfing reality. Reading THE DOWNHILL LIE is a reminder to every golfer of the various circles of the inferno that constitutes golf, from lessons to gadgets to ecstasy and occasional humiliation. He experiences it all and shares it with readers in a fashion that every golfer will understand.
   
   Hiaasen, of course, is not just an average guy returning to the game of his youth. Indeed, his book allows him extravagances that the average golfer can only dream about. One day, in a moment of deep depression, he emails his friend, professional golfer and television commentator David Feherty. His tale of woe and torment results in Feherty sending him the latest model Cobra Driver and ultimately a second model after the first is not quite the correct club for Hiaasen's swing. For his effort, Feherty gets the back page of THE DOWNHILL LIE in the form of a complimentary blurb.
   
   Every gadget purchased, every club and indeed some of the most expensive lessons in golf from the prestigious David Leadbetter Academy are chalked up to research for Hiaasen's book. I must admit to pangs of jealousy that he has really come up with the perfect scam to have someone else pay the price for satisfying his every golfing whim. That envy is assuaged by two facts: unlike Hiaasen I can't write, and nothing he does seems to help his golf game. Frustration fills the pages of THE DOWNHILL LIE, and because it is a golfer other than me suffering ignoble fate, I have to admit it is pretty funny.
   
   I know Hiaasen will never read this review, but perhaps a friend will call it to his attention. Patience, Carl. Several years ago, just like you, I returned to the game I had abandoned. I struggled for a few years, but now at age 60 I am playing the best golf of my life. True, it is mostly attributable to equipment and the humility of moving up a set of tees, but it is improvement nonetheless and I am enjoying every minute of it!
   
   THE DOWNHILL LIE is a perfect Father's Day gift for your golfing dad, or the book to take along on your next golfing trip. Those who have never suffered through golf hell will not understand Hiaasen's anguish, but the rest of us have a wonderful reminder that there are many out there equally frustrated and tortured by the game invented by drunken Scotsmen.
   
   --- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman



5. As a golfer, I could relate to the trials and tribulations of the writer as he suffered though his game but Hiassen's whining about his golf started to get boring and the book never really satisfied; it was like a sketch on Saturday Night Live that it went on too long.