We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Golf Books- Which order?

ShotScope
SHIFTY

SHIFTY

Orgasm Donor
Albatross 2024 Club
Joined
Mar 28, 2013
Messages
3,625
Reaction score
1,056
Location
Birch Hills, Saskatchewan
Handicap
6.3
So I live in snowy Canada, and have been golf training all winter. I bought a whole bunch of golf books off amazon for winter reading, as they were $.99 each with $5.99 shipping each, so pretty cheap. I'm wondering at looking at this list of books if I should starts somewhere, or if there is one I should read last, or if I shouldn't read one or some as some may contradict another. To practice I have a divot simulator mat, and net. For putting I have a 4' wide x 14' long mat. So here's the list;

Modern Fundamentals- Hogan (read this one already)
The Plane Truth- Hardy
Solid Contact- Hardy
Putting games- Dave Pelz
Putting bible- Pelz
Short Game Bible- Pelz
Putt like the pro's- Pelz
Dead Solid Perfect- Dan Jenkins
Golf is a game of Confidence- Bob Rotella
Fairways of life- Mathew Adams

Thanks,
LT
 
Golf Books- Which order?

Pelz short game bible was good for my 4x3 stuff. I liked that.
 
I have heard nothing but good about Matt Adam's book. Still I would start with Doctor Rotella's book. Nickalus said about Tiger just yesterday that most of his issues were probably in his head. Rotella is a great at telling us to get the clutter out of our heads. Also his books are fun. You read Hogan so the rest would creaet a nice fire on a cold night.
You write yourself that you are working on your game which is awesome. You are building a swing. Don't let too much technical stuff creep into the work you are doing unless you simply are hitting it awful. Which I doubt you are. I stink at golf but I would say keep hitting balls, putt and work on your fitness to get ready for the spring.
 
Rusty Casino said:
Pelz short game bible was good for my 4x3 stuff. I liked that.
Click to expand...
I read some of the posts on this books thread, and I'm looking forward to reading this as I really don't have a plan 100 yards and in. I know how far a few of my shots take me, but for shot selection, really I'm clueless.
Thanks
 
Last edited:
annsguy said:
I have heard nothing but good about Matt Adam's book. Still I would start with Doctor Rotella's book. Nickalus said about Tiger just yesterday that most of his issues were probably in his head. Rotella is a great at telling us to get the clutter out of our heads. Also his books are fun. You read Hogan so the rest would creaet a nice fire on a cold night.
You write yourself that you are working on your game which is awesome. You are building a swing. Don't let too much technical stuff creep into the work you are doing unless you simply are hitting it awful. Which I doubt you are. I stink at golf but I would say keep hitting balls, putt and work on your fitness to get ready for the spring.
Click to expand...

Good call on Rotella's book, that sounds logical. I actually finished reading zen golf (separate purchase) about a month ago. Mental prep, and getting clutter out of my head is a great weakness of mine, and I play all other sports with lots of emotion. Works great for Hockey, but not so much in golf.
Thanks for the advice, and I also have heard good things about Adam's book.
 
Golf Books- Which order?

SHIFTY said:
I read some of the post on this books thread, and I'm looking forward to reading this as I really don't have a plan 100 yards and in. I know how far a few of my shots take me, but for shot selection, really I'm clueless.
Thanks
Click to expand...

It's really helped me 100 and in. Last summer I pretty much only practiced this at the range and my scores dropped. I have 3 finesse swings for my 4 wedges. I'm going to start practicing this at the range next week. I've modified it a bit. I don't do the high finish. If I'm doing a 9 o'clock swing, I'll finish at 3. Works though, as I know my distances but I'm changing wedges so I'll have to get out and get them down.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Read the Rotella book next. I have not read it however the I did buy and read his Golf is not a game of perfect when it first came out. Best golf book I have ever read. Dead solid perfect is a good fun read also.
 
Thanks guys, I've started the Rotella book. Interesting how he uses examples using his clients to get his points across. Good teaching method.
 
Rotella is pretty good, but if you read one, you can skip the rest.
 
Hawk said:
Rotella is pretty good, but if you read one, you can skip the rest.
Click to expand...
Good to know. Thanks. I think this is his highest rated book, so glad I only bought this one.
 
I have read a lot of books, but the one I still refer back to is "How to Become a Complete Golfer", Jim Flick and Bob Toski. Simple, solid advice. Flick was one of the best.
 
Im not a huge golf book readers, but that was a good one Carl.
 
Personal opinion only, I think Unconscious Putting and/or Unconscious Scoring by Dave Stockton are books I'd say to read right after Modern Fundamentals. I think Unconscious Scoring might be the only book that made golf more fun for having read it, in addition to being a great resource for the short game. I've since read most of Pelz's books, but when I find myself inside 100 yards with a dodgy lie or feeling like I just need to get it on the green, Stockton's technique is what I keep coming back to.
 
I've always wanted to read the Hogan book. I need to get on that.
 
Miller Time said:
I've always wanted to read the Hogan book. I need to get on that.
Click to expand...
Pm me your address, and I'll mail it to you if you want. Small book so can't be too heavy.
 
CarlE54 said:
I have read a lot of books, but the one I still refer back to is "How to Become a Complete Golfer", Jim Flick and Bob Toski. Simple, solid advice. Flick was one of the best.
Click to expand...
Thanks I'll check it out.
 
I read "Golf Is Not A Game of Perfection" by Bob Rotella in two days and finished it last night. By far the best $16 buck I've ever spent on golf. I had a match today. Started out with 2 double bogeys and a triple on a par 3 all short-game mishaps. Even though I played terrible the first three holes, I still was mentally sound. From there I went birdie,par,par. Then I had another triple. This part of the round is usually when golfers lose focus especially after a bad hole. But not me. Kept the tips in the book and made a par on the next hole. Bogeyed the last but it was a trees fault. I shot 46 with 2 doubles and two triples. Before I read this book that would have been a nightmare round. I would've lost my cool and focus. This makes me really excited because I know if i can make a couple tweaks to my short game I'll be on point. This book has helped incredibly with my putting because I convince myself I can make every putt. I can't give you all the tips that helped me because it'd be way too long, but if you need a golf book that will literally instantly shave scores off your this is it.
 
Well finished "Golf is a game of Confidence" by Bob Rotella, great book, and if I need to review it all the main points are in the appendix.

I've started "Putt like the pro's" by Pelz, as I'm taking aimpoint at the end of the month, so need to get the putting stroke down a bit before then.
 
Paladin said:
Personal opinion only, I think Unconscious Putting and/or Unconscious Scoring by Dave Stockton are books I'd say to read right after Modern Fundamentals. I think Unconscious Scoring might be the only book that made golf more fun for having read it, in addition to being a great resource for the short game. I've since read most of Pelz's books, but when I find myself inside 100 yards with a dodgy lie or feeling like I just need to get it on the green, Stockton's technique is what I keep coming back to.
Click to expand...

I would agree. Far quicker and easier reads than the Pelz stuff and it gives you some solid basics to start with and practice.
 
now reading "Solid Contact"-by Hardy
Wow, what a different concept on how to make "solid contact", very interesting, and logical. I'm intrigued, and will be finished this by the end of the weekend. Hopefully I'll have all my +'s, and -'s balanced soon.
 
I would read Pelz's Putt Like the Pros before you get into the Short Game Bible. Although I read and liked Putt Like the Pros I would have to say that I much prefer Stockton's Unconscious Putting. They are diametrically opposed as far as technicality is concerned so it may depend on what you are looking for there ...
 
CarlE54 said:
I have read a lot of books, but the one I still refer back to is "How to Become a Complete Golfer", Jim Flick and Bob Toski. Simple, solid advice. Flick was one of the best.
Click to expand...

This is a great book. Toski's approach really resonates with me.
 
I am a huge fan of the Pelz Short Game Bible. I read it over the course of a week and worked on the 4/3 methods and it changed my game from 130 yards and in. It is simple and efficient and makes those shots favorites. Easily saved me 5-7 shots per round. It got me to be a low single digit player (where I have been stuck for 2 years...)
 
Before I started taking lessons I made sure to get my hands on the best golf instructional books I could find. I thought of it as taking lessons from the best players in the world. I would much rather prefer that before any local professional.

There is SOOO much golf content out there especially about the swing. The biggest frustration was when I found ideas to contradict eachother. I usually came across this type of information in magazines. Just because of the nature of how often the content has to be rehashed on constant sometimes quality suffers.

In books you will find information that has passed the test of time and obviously has more credibility coming from some of the greatest players in the world.

Here is a list of my top 10 best books for golf instructional.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top