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Book Review: Golf List Mania!

July 10, 2011 By 2 Comments
Golf List Mania!

Golf List Mania! by Leonard Shapiro and Ed Sherman is exactly what it sounds like: a huge pile of golf-related lists. Who doesn’t love a good list on the topic of golf? I’ve done a number of them myself over the years. They’re fun to do, they’re a good way to dig into any facet of the game and its history, and they’re a great way to spark debate. Who are the top five players of all time? What are the ten best tournaments ever? Name the five greatest shots you’ve ever hit. Name the five best shots you’ve ever seen. The list (of lists) is virtually infinite. Shapiro and Sherman did some serious brain-storming to come up with most of the 100-plus lists included in the book. It’s filled with some creative, well-researched lists that are fun to read and thought-provoking. But they did one better. They also included lists by notable figures such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Jiyai Shin, Ian Baker-Finch, Ron Sirak, Dave Kindred, Jim Nantz, Peter Kessler, and a number

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Book Review: The Caddie Who Won the Masters

May 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The Caddie Who Won the Masters

Please note that this review contains a few plot spoilers, which are labeled, should you prefer to avoid those sections. The Caddie Who Won the Masters, a novel by John Coyne, shares the story of Tim Alexander, an aging, inexperienced golfer who wins the USGA Mid-Amateur championship and an even bigger prize: the invitation to play in the Masters that is customarily extended to the champion of that and several other amateur events. About the Author As described on his website, John Coyne is the author of more than twenty-five nonfiction and fiction books, including a number of horror novels. A former Peace Corps Volunteer and a life-long lover of golf, Coyne has edited and written a number of books dealing with both subjects. The back cover of the book also adds: “Coyne, known for his novels of the occult, blends his skill with the supernatural and his knowledge of golf and its history to tell a Field of Dreams-like tale that brings the great legends alive again.” As it turns out, that’s a great

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Book Review: The Art of Scoring

January 19, 2011 By 2 Comments
The Art of Scoring, by Stan Utley with Matthew Rudy

The Art of Scoring, by Stan Utley with Matthew Rudy is exactly what the title suggests. It’s a look into scoring as an art form. In it, Utley gives a number of ways to improve your game in the areas of short game and putting, where, as we’ve all heard before, scoring happens. Stan Utley is something of a rarity, having played golf at the highest levels, including being a winner on the PGA Tour, and having gone on to a very successful teaching career. He has been recognized as one of the 50 greatest teachers by Golf Digest (he was named 6th on the list in 2010) and he counts among his students, many players from the PGA Tour, Champions Tour, LPGA Tour, and others. As the title of the book suggests, Utley tries to get away from overly-mechanical teaching to unleash the talent within players. The following excerpt from his website summarizes that philosophy. To teach the “Art of the Short Game” using a fresh and unique approach. It is my desire to

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Book Review: When to Regrip Your Ball Retriever and How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt

December 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment
When to Regrip Your Ball Retriever and How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt

There is a rich history of golf in literature. Titles like Golf in the Kingdom, The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Greatest Game Ever Played, and Golf’s Sacred Journey, showcase the splendor, glory, and mysterious draw of the ancient game. Neither How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt nor its sequel When to Regrip Your Ball Retriever follow that pattern. Instead, these books provide a humorous take on the seedy under-belly of the game. Cheating, lying, and gratuitous (though well-deserved) violence fill the pages of these books, which aim to parody the myriad of self-help golf books on the market today. The material contained within could have only come from the depraved mind of a person who has been playing golf far too long. If you’re reading this, it most likely applies to you too, so wipe that smile off your face. I’m trying to become a pro over here, why am I associating with you people? Aww, who am I kidding? I like good golf humor as much as the next guy. If you can’t

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Book Review: The Stack and Tilt Swing

November 1, 2010 By 3 Comments
The Definitive Guide to the Swing that is Remaking Golf

The Stack and Tilt Swing, by Michael Bennett and Andy Plummer, with Peter Morrice, is a fairly late-comer to the Stack and Tilt party.  Though Plummer and Bennett were becoming notable in Tour circles by 2005 or so, their Stack and Tilt swing set the golf world on fire after a feature article in Golf Digest in mid-2007. Since then, there have been countless magazine articles, blog posts (you can check out my Stack and Tilt category if you don’t believe me), and even an instructional DVD set. There has been much debate about the swing and it has even been discussed during national golf broadcasts. I’m not sure why, but it took a couple of years for Plummer and Bennett to follow up the original Golf Digest feature and subsequent instructional DVD set with this book.  However, if you’re serious about the Stack and Tilt swing, or are even seriously considering giving it a try, then this book was probably worth the wait. It amazed me in 2007 how many weekend players adopted the

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