Every now and then my students ask me how I got to know what I know. What were my influences? Did I have a teacher who guided me through my career? What books did I read and follow? The answer to the first question is quite simple. My Father showed me how to swing a club and how to play, and helped me along until I could beat him at age 13, beyond which I pretty much did things on my own until after college, when I took the only golf lesson of my life, from David Ledbetter in 1982. As we looked at the video tape of my swing it occurred to me that I could see everything he was seeing and that since it was my swing I should be much better at making it work than David. I had a video system of my own, and I figured out that I should be my own teacher. By filming and watching the swings of the great players I have been able to see and study many different but effective ways to swing the club and stroke the putter.
I also figured out quickly that just mimicking the best players and guessing at what they were up to was not going to be enough to explain in depth what was going on in the game, either physically or mentally. So, like just about everyone else addicted to golf, I read to learn more. The following list comprises the books that have influenced my life in golf, beginning with the technical side of the game, then moving to the cerebral. All of them hold a special place in my heart, and I could easily write pages on each, but space limitations dictate that I hold my discussions to a paragraph or so on each.
GOLF INSTRUCTION
- The Golfing Machine by Homer Kelley. This is without a doubt the most important manual of golf technique ever written. Kelley was a physicist with a passion for the game whose explanations of the geometry and physics of the golf stroke are by far the most complete on the subject. Kelley was not interested in a self-serving “method” of hitting a ball; rather, he describes in detail the science of the stroke and all the possible variations toward the one most important goal, compressing the ball and thus controlling its distance and trajectory. The headache with the book, and the reason that it has not become more popular, is the style with which it is written, one that could only be described as approaching indecipherable. Still, it begs to be studied, and I can honestly say that without the information in the book my teaching would never have reached the level I have presently achieved. A further suggestion would be to venture out to the Monterey Peninsula to spend time with the true master of The Golfing Machine, Ben Doyle, who teaches at the Carmel Valley Country Club.
- Power Golf by Ben Hogan. This is Hogan’s first book of instruction, penned in 1948 just as he was about to win his second and third major championships. The explanations are relatively simple, but the real value of the book lies in the incredible sequence photographs of Hogan with his “before” swing, that is, before his accident and before he changed his grip. I have blow ups of every picture in the book on the net room wall at Woodholme where I teach in the winter, so I am never far away from them. This is the swing that won over 30 tournaments in two and a half years, and one which Hogan used when, as he said in a later interview with Ken Venturi, “He never hit the ball better.” The book has been out of print for some time, so the only way to get a copy is to find it in an antique book store or through a golf memorabilia sales outlet. Take the trouble to find one.
- Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf by Ben Hogan. After a poor senior year at LSU I became so discouraged with golf that I quit the game cold turkey, only to find that the only job I could get was selling golf equipment at the first Washington Golf Center in Alexandria. On days when I wasn’t busy I would pick up a copy of Five Lessons and head over to the Golf-O-Mat and begin to fiddle with my swing. A few months later I was back to playing, eventually qualifying for the U.S. Open at Merion. I have read this book twenty times or more, and I still go back to make sure of the exact explanations. I recommend it to all of my students, although there are certain items with which to be careful. The drawings of artist Anthony Ravielli are astounding in their detail and in their ability to bring Hogan to life.
- On Learning Golf by Percy Boomer. This is a wonderful book that has not only influenced my teaching, but my writing as well. Boomer wrote the way he talked and thought, and many of the book’s chapters are written as dialogue between Boomer and one of his students. I have borrowed this form in more than a few of my articles, as I find it the best way to impart the back and forth that a lesson entails. Boomer has some interesting and original ideas about the swing as well, and all in all his book is one of the most interesting reads in all of golf literature.
- Secrets of the Master by Bobby Jones. This is a compilation of newspaper articles written twice weekly by Jones in the 1920’s. Each short column deals with an integral part of the game, be it a certain stroke, a pressure situation, or a general philosophy of how to approach the game, and does so with a lucid wit quite rare in golf writing. Jones is without a doubt the most intelligent individual who has ever laid claim to golfing greatness, and his writing is as wonderful as was his play. I often find myself unknowingly quoting directly from Jones when answering the questions of my students. Every golfer would do themselves a favor to pick up any of Jones’ works.
- The Masters of Golf by Dick Aultman and Ken Bowden. First published in 1975, this collection of short studies of the swings of history’s greatest golfers is still the best of its genre. I have spent countless hours studying the swings of those who have played the game at the highest level, and here we have swings we are not likely to encounter that often, namely Vardon, Hagen, Sarazen, Locke and Thomson, not to mention the usual greats, namely Hogan, Snead, Nelson, Palmer, Player, and Nicklaus. This book stands out not only for its pithy and educated commentary, but by the fact that the swing sequences are also well done, better than a lot of what comes out in today’s market. It is a must for every golf library.
LIFE INSTRUCTION
These are books that have had a profound influence on the way I have made my way through a life of dealing with the vagaries of the golfing experience. Anyone who deals with golf on a daily basis is going to need some help and guidance. These books have at one time or another helped me to find my way through the minefield of pressure and disappointment of competitive golf. Along the way each work has also contributed to forming my own particular world view, or what some might term my personality. Through the written word we can all glean ideas and concepts that fuel our imaginations and ultimately help us to live our lives.
- Journey To Ixtlan by Carlos Castaneda. I first came upon this book in 1977 as a junior in college. At the time I was injured and depressed. The ideas presented by the book’s protagonist, the Yaqui Indian Medicine Man Don Juan, have been my guide to mental toughness ever since. In my mind this is the greatest of all the thousands of self-help books presently littering the shelves of libraries and bookstores. It is a great read as well. This should be required reading for anyone with a penchant for whining.
- Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. This tale of one man’s search for enlightenment was a great comfort to me in my early 20’s. My first encounter with Zen Buddhism, Hesse’s description of the peace and solitude of the meditative state and the notion that “what is of wisdom and value to one man seems nonsense to another” were radical notions that changed my way of thinking and set me on a different path.
- Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by D.T. Suzuki. “Zen mind is one of those enigmatic phrases used by Zen teachers to make you notice yourself, to go beyond the words and wonder what your own mind and being are This is the purpose of all Zen teaching–to make you wonder and to answer that wondering with the deepest expression of your own nature.” I have always felt that golf was spiritual in nature, and books such as this one reaffirmed my idea. Listening to a Zen master such as Suzuki teach has had great influence on my own teaching.
- Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams. Hyams was a Hollywood news columnist who took up the study of martial arts in the early 50’s. His efforts to master his particular discipline led him to legendary martial arts senseis Ed Parker and Bruce Lee. In his book he chronicles some of the lessons he learned in short, fascinating vignettes. The martial arts have always been a fascination with me, and it is one my great regrets that my physical condition will not allow me to practice the physical side of any one of them. There is, however, a close parallel between golf and the martial arts, and many of Hyams stories can be applied directly to situations a golfer might face. If you are interested at all in the mental side of the game this book has my highest recommendation.
- Mastery by George Leonard. This is probably the best description of the learning process I have ever read. Leonard was initially an award winning education writer, when at the age of 47 he decided to take up the martial art of Aikido. Within 6 years he had become a black belt and had opened his own martial arts dojo, and his chronicle of his journey to “mastery” is must reading for anyone tackling a difficult endeavor. I gave this book to one of my most dedicated long-term students, who liked it so much that he ordered a box full of them and gave them out to each employee in his company. Reading it will shed a whole new light on the question “how long will it take before I get it?”
- The Mystery of Golf by Arnold Haultain. Written in 1908 by an obscure Canadian author, the cover describes the book as “A brief account of its [golf’s] origin, antiquity, and romance; its uniqueness; its curiousness; its difficulty; its anatomical, philosophical, and moral properties; together with diverse concepts on other matters to it appertaining.” In short, Haultain’s keen observations on the game are timeless and have few equals in the annals of golf literature. Read it for the sheer enjoyment and learn something in the process.
- Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphy. If you haven’t heard of this one, you probably are not a real golfer. If you have, but haven’t yet bothered to read it, do so immediately. The story of the author’s trip to Scotland and his adventures with the mystical Shivas Irons are part of the lore of the game that all golfers should be familiar with. Through the words of Irons Murphy strikes a perfect chord regarding the nature of the game we all know and love.
- The Hogan Mystique by Jules Alexander. When Ben Hogan came to Winged Foot to play in the U.S. Open in 1959, photographer Jules Alexander decided that he would follow Hogan exclusively throughout the tournament and take as many pictures as he could of the great man. The resulting photographs are laid out here in this coffee-table sized book, with accompanying essays by Dave Anderson, Ben Crenshaw Dan Jenkins and Ken Venturi. The images are awe-inspiring, while the commentary serves its purpose and does not get in the way of the visual effects. Hogan’s story, his perseverance and his incredible will have been my main influence in golf for 20 years. I could literally stare at this book for hours.
- Hogan by Curt Sampson. I don’t need to say much about why this book is on my list. The knowledge that Hogan ultimately succeeded after going broke twice, then coming back to be a champion after a horrific car accident left him with permanent injuries and in constant pain has spurred me on through my darkest moments of failure and injury. Sampson’s book is especially rewarding as it delves deeper into the man than Hogan himself would have ever authorized.
- Follow the Wind by Bo Links. For pure reading pleasure, this fictional flight of imagination is one of my favorites. A young golfer on a public course in SanFrancisco walks into a fog bank and emerges in a locker room right next to a just-showered Ben Hogan. Hogan tells him to take his cleats off, then wanders off. The boy ends up at the club bar, where he is served 70-year-old Scotch by none other than Walter Hagen. Bobby Jones and Tom Morris are members, and everyone at the club has an abiding interest in Hogan’s maniacal practice regimen. It seems that here in the golfer’s afterlife everyone gets one more chance; Hogan want another shot at his 5th Open title at Olympic. The story draws you in and introduces you to many of golf’s greatest personalities.
So there you have it. Certainly, there are many books I have left out, but these should be a good start should you have a mind to read a bit. Should you have any volumes you think are of special interest, please feel free to contact me.
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