How I Play Golf

Rating:
Summary: The Book Of Golf
Review: This is a beautifully illustrated book that has a lot of good things to think about and pointers from one of the greatest of all golfers. The book is laid out logically starting with putting and the short game and works its way back to the tee. I think that is a very sound approach. This book really isn't a golf method, but you can certainly use it to look up the part of your game you are interested in working on and looking through how Tiger does it. I find that kind of thing helpful. And there are a lot of photographs. I find it helpful to put those images in my head as I am trying to get myself thinking right in trying to make a shot.

While this book is certainly up to date and more modern than Nicklaus' "Golf My Way" or Penick's books, I don't think it is better than theirs. Maybe that is prejudice on my part, but I think they are better teachers of the game and go more in depth on what you are trying to do and why. Tiger explains what he does and is pretty light on the theory. But who cares? The book says it is just about how Tiger plays golf and that is what it delivers?

Did Tiger write this book? Probably not. I am sure he thought about it and talked it through with the folks who put it together. I have no idea. It is all written in the first person, but has a sort of distanced style of writing that is often a tip off that someone else wrote it for him. But it is certainly Tiger in the pictures and I believe that Tiger agrees with what is in here. So, at that level it is a pretty useful book for someone who wants to think about how a virtuoso of the highest caliber plays this difficult sport.

Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC STEP BY STEP APPROACH
Review: "How I Play Golf" is a fantastic step by step guide. It lays out every stroke and club. It provides a great reference guide after you've been out on the greens. I find myself referring back to it to work on the fine points of my game.

The photos are very well done showing each swing and common mistakes. It's a great book for the beginning / intermediate golfer and it avoids the "fine tuning" detail of some books which just seem to complicate the game with too many rules. It's the basic, classic strokes that will help you perfect your game on your way to becoming the next Tiger Woods!

Rating:
Summary: THE BEST...AS FAR AS GOLF INSTRUCTION BOOKS GO
Review: One of the problems with golf instruction books like this is that they are way too general. They have to be. Otherwise they would cost each buyer an arm and a leg for a customized analysis by Tiger.

Golf professionals these days will tell you that golf swings are as unique as fingerprints and that to try to speak generally in terms of golf instruction is a thing of the past. The sad fact remains that what works for Tiger might not work for you (even with equal ability).

But Tiger's book is about as good as it gets. The fundamentals are all there and if you're going to get a golf instruction this would be the one to buy. Just remember that once you've got the fundamentals down it's time to go to your local course and spend some time with a PGA pro finding and refining your own swing.

THE HORSEMAN