Rating: 
Summary: Interesting and useful but not the final solution
Review: "The Inner Game of Golf" has been on bookstore shelves for 20 years because it appeals to a segment of the golfing public that eschews traditional instruction. It is not a book about how to play golf; it is a book about how to learn golf. The author's approach is a straightforward application of Eastern psychology and targets the subconscious mind of the golfer as the primary player of the game. Most of the methods described in the book are directed toward quieting the conscious (verbal) mind so that the subconscious (non-verbal) mind can learn from experience. Here's an example. In the traditional approach to playing the game, the golfer watches the flight of the ball after contact and deduces from it how he must have swung. From that information he makes mechanical corrections that are applied to the next swing. In the Inner Game approach, the golfer does not watch, but feels the flight of the ball after contact. From this feedback the subconscious mind automatically makes corrections that are applied to subsequent shots. For me, the former approach has always led to frustration. Driving range corrections always fall apart after 3 holes on the course, and mechanical analyses lead to doubt. But with the Inner Game approach, my swing gets stronger thru the round, and I hit with greater and greater confidence as the round progresses. It is often a confident feeling that I carry with me for many hours after leaving the course. In that respect, a round of golf early in the morning is, like meditation, a conditioner for the daily activities that follow. This updated version of "The Inner Game of Golf" is a substantial revision of the original, and owners of the 1981 edition may well want to consider buying the update. While several sections remain untouched, there is fresh material inserted throughout as well as a couple of completely new chapters. But the most significant revision is one of tone. Gone is the enthusiastic arrogance of the original which aggressively promoted the Inner Game approach as superior to traditional teaching methods. Indeed, the 1981 version flatly stated that Inner Game techniques should not be used in conjunction with traditional methods. While this tone may have helped elevate the book to its cult status, it ultimately turned off the serious golfing community to the point where the author's name is rarely mentioned by traditional golf instructors. In the revision, the author changes direction completely and now says that the inner game approach should be merged with traditional instruction to create a new, synthesized approach to learning. He even offers a few techniques for achieving such a synthesis. But, what hasn't changed is the author's central thesis that it is the golfer's understanding of why he plays the game that leads to both success with the sport and contentment as a result of it. The reader who understands and accepts this fundamental concept will find himself transformed in a way he would never have predicted from a mere golf book.
Rating: 
Summary: More than just a golf book
Review: "The Inner Game of Golf" has been on bookstore shelves for 20 years because it appeals to a segment of the golfing public that eschews traditional instruction. It is not a book about how to play golf; it is a book about how to learn golf. The author's approach is a straightforward application of Eastern psychology and targets the subconscious mind of the golfer as the primary player of the game. Most of the methods described in the book are directed toward quieting the conscious (verbal) mind so that the subconscious (non-verbal) mind can learn from experience. Here's an example. In the traditional approach to playing the game, the golfer watches the flight of the ball after contact and deduces from it how he must have swung. From that information he makes mechanical corrections that are applied to the next swing. In the Inner Game approach, the golfer does not watch, but feels the flight of the ball after contact. From this feedback the subconscious mind automatically makes corrections that are applied to subsequent shots. For me, the former approach has always led to frustration. Driving range corrections always fall apart after 3 holes on the course, and mechanical analyses lead to doubt. But with the Inner Game approach, my swing gets stronger thru the round, and I hit with greater and greater confidence as the round progresses. It is often a confident feeling that I carry with me for many hours after leaving the course. In that respect, a round of golf early in the morning is, like meditation, a conditioner for the daily activities that follow. This updated version of "The Inner Game of Golf" is a substantial revision of the original, and owners of the 1981 edition may well want to consider buying the update. While several sections remain untouched, there is fresh material inserted throughout as well as a couple of completely new chapters. But the most significant revision is one of tone. Gone is the enthusiastic arrogance of the original which aggressively promoted the Inner Game approach as superior to traditional teaching methods. Indeed, the 1981 version flatly stated that Inner Game techniques should not be used in conjunction with traditional methods. While this tone may have helped elevate the book to its cult status, it ultimately turned off the serious golfing community to the point where the author's name is rarely mentioned by traditional golf instructors. In the revision, the author changes direction completely and now says that the inner game approach should be merged with traditional instruction to create a new, synthesized approach to learning. He even offers a few techniques for achieving such a synthesis. But, what hasn't changed is the author's central thesis that it is the golfer's understanding of why he plays the game that leads to both success with the sport and contentment as a result of it. The reader who understands and accepts this fundamental concept will find himself transformed in a way he would never have predicted from a mere golf book.
Rating: 
Summary: The former reviewers of this book must be his relatives
Review: A terrible read. All these gimmicks with the golf swing. No non-technical book such as this is going to improve the way one looks at the game as you play it. Mr Galwey obviously plays golf like the boy President in the current White House--use the ole footwedge.
Rating:
Summary: Spiritual healing as the way to improve performance in golf.
Review: Ever since Adam and Eve, through knowledge, abandoned innocence, man has been more concerned with its own self than with the act of seeing and appreciating things as they are. The human body is a miracle and capable of doing incredible things, and the golf swing does not represent a big performance problem, if only we could let it feel, learn and perform the way is was meant to do it. The golfer's ego, however, is constantly trying to interfere in order to justify itself; to find a way to achieve fame and glory, proving not to others, but to itself, that it deserves admiration, respect or at least recognition. This ego -the ego not originally created with the human body, and therefore not capable to perform with the requirements of golf- will never let the golfer do the things the human body is capable of doing, unless we learn to quiet this ego. The technics shown in this book are the best way I can think of to start learning to focus, feel, learn and perform to excel in golf. This will in turn will teach the golfer to pursue performance in any other field of human activity.
Rating:
Summary: Unleash the Golfer within You
Review: For many years, people I play with have complained about my handicap. Yet I seldom play more than a stroke or two above or below my handicap. Yet during a round I will hit many fine shots seldom seen by someone with my handicap (a high one). Clearly, I must know what to do, but cannot do it consistently. People shake their heads at that explanation, and predict that my handicap will soon fall -- which it doesn't. Having just read Mr. Gallwey's excellent book, The Inner Game of Work, I could immediately sense that he was on to something with regard to his concept of paying attention to critical features of your activities as a way to learn how to improve rapidly. That's a point that we stress in The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The 2,000 Percent Solution. As an example of this point, I had stopped taking lessons over the last year-and-a-half, and my tee shots and fairway woods greatly improved. The main thing I noticed is that I began to rely on myself to figure out what I was doing wrong, rather than waiting to have my pro show me. As a result, I figured out a lot of long-term faults never unearthed in the lessons and corrected them. I was very excited to find a number of other drills I could use in this fine book to locate other faults and correct them. Just thinking about the drills allowed me to locate four faults that I had not been aware of before. I can hardly wait to see how I hit the ball tomorrow! One of the places where my game started to get better was when I noticed that if I played with no focus on winning or score I played much better. Mr. Gallwey provides several tools for extending that psychology that I intend to use as well. Some people had taught me other ways to keep score: How many putts, how many fairways and greens in regulation, quota points, and square shots. Mr. Gallwey's book adds learning and enjoyment scores as well. I think those will add a lot to my game, as well. It helps to be given permission to think about something other than the gross score. Mr. Gallwey unerringly describes every harmful mental process I use to hit poor shots, deny myself fun and learning, and to make myself miserable. Even if my golf doesn't get any better (and I would be surprised if that happened), this book will add a lot to my enjoyment of golf and life. If you don't already understand the key elements of the swing, it may be that this book will not help you as much. If you are a long-term golfer who has taken a lot of lessons, watches good players, and wants to get more out of your game, this book is a great use of your time and money. I also recommend Dave Pelz's new book, Dave Pelz's Putting Bible. Mr. Pelz does a great job of combining physical, technique and mental processes to help your putting. I realized from The Inner Game of Golf that some of what I learned from Pelz's short game school that works for me relies on tools that Mr. Gallwey speaks about in this book. That gave me more confidence to try out Mr. Gallwey's suggestions. Hit 'em all like you'd like to! Donald Mitchell Coauthor of The Irresistible Growth Enterprise (available in August 2000) and The 2,000 Percent Solution (donmitch@fastforward400.com)
Rating:
Summary: Unleash the Golfer within You
Review: For many years, people I play with have complained about my handicap. Yet I seldom play more than a stroke or two above or below my handicap. Yet during a round I will hit many fine shots seldom seen by someone with my handicap (a high one). Clearly, I must know what to do, but cannot do it consistently. People shake their heads at that explanation, and predict that my handicap will soon fall -- which it doesn't. Having just read Mr. Gallwey's excellent book, The Inner Game of Work, I could immediately sense that he was on to something with regard to his concept of paying attention to critical features of your activities as a way to learn how to improve rapidly. That's a point that we stress in The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The 2,000 Percent Solution. As an example of this point, I had stopped taking lessons over the last year-and-a-half, and my tee shots and fairway woods greatly improved. The main thing I noticed is that I began to rely on myself to figure out what I was doing wrong, rather than waiting to have my pro show me. As a result, I figured out a lot of long-term faults never unearthed in the lessons and corrected them. I was very excited to find a number of other drills I could use in this fine book to locate other faults and correct them. Just thinking about the drills allowed me to locate four faults that I had not been aware of before. I can hardly wait to see how I hit the ball tomorrow! One of the places where my game started to get better was when I noticed that if I played with no focus on winning or score I played much better. Mr. Gallwey provides several tools for extending that psychology that I intend to use as well. Some people had taught me other ways to keep score: How many putts, how many fairways and greens in regulation, quota points, and square shots. Mr. Gallwey's book adds learning and enjoyment scores as well. I think those will add a lot to my game, as well. It helps to be given permission to think about something other than the gross score. Mr. Gallwey unerringly describes every harmful mental process I use to hit poor shots, deny myself fun and learning, and to make myself miserable. Even if my golf doesn't get any better (and I would be surprised if that happened), this book will add a lot to my enjoyment of golf and life. If you don't already understand the key elements of the swing, it may be that this book will not help you as much. If you are a long-term golfer who has taken a lot of lessons, watches good players, and wants to get more out of your game, this book is a great use of your time and money. I also recommend Dave Pelz's new book, Dave Pelz's Putting Bible. Mr. Pelz does a great job of combining physical, technique and mental processes to help your putting. I realized from The Inner Game of Golf that some of what I learned from Pelz's short game school that works for me relies on tools that Mr. Gallwey speaks about in this book. That gave me more confidence to try out Mr. Gallwey's suggestions. Hit 'em all like you'd like to! Donald Mitchell Coauthor of The Irresistible Growth Enterprise (available in August 2000) and The 2,000 Percent Solution (donmitch@fastforward400.com)
Rating: 
Summary: Realize your potential (It's better than you think!)
Review: For the past several years, I've worked tirelessly at golf. However, my improvement was minimal. I'd previously read Mr. Gallwey's book but never took it that seriously and basically abandoned his suggestions from this book whenever I hit a bad shot (Self 1 saying "well, that doesn't work!"). I entered my club championship and I felt that I would play well. The first day I struggled to an 85, playing the same way I had for the past few years (decent golf swing but no results). The next day, I came in with zero expectations and told myself that I would trust "Self 2" to play the game. The result was a 70, my first competitive round under 80, let alone under par!
In summary, combine a firm grasp of the fundamentals (I find that Mr. Gallwey's learning method works well here) with the mental attitude that he stresses in this book, and you will be very happy playing this game.
Rating:
Summary: Immediate Results!!
Review: From his first chapter you see immediate results, it really hit home since I have taken numerous lessons and always had the problem of taking my Driving Range game to the Course but this book shows you how and a whole lot more!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting read, but...
Review: Hm. I must be a bit more skeptical than the others who have reviewed this book. What I'd like to know is if any of them found LASTING improvement to their golf games by following Gallwey's tips. For example, using the "Back-Hit" mantra may serve to clear your mind during the golf swing initially; but will it really transform your game in a permanent way?
Again, the book is interesting and worth reading if you're looking for a non-traditional way to lower your golf score. I just wonder about the long-term benefits, that's all.
Rating:
Summary: Geoff will love this
Review: I did. My handicap down as a direct result of this book, but, more importantly, I love being out on the course, regardless of my score. He can let Karen read this book in the expectation that she'll pick up a driver someday.
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