The subtitle says it all: “Equipment myths that could wreck your golf game.” The Right Sticks, by Tom Wishon with Tom Grundner, covers 37 myths about golf equipment that could be costing you strokes. The book tackles equipment myths about club heads, shafts, full clubs, club fitting, balls, grips and more.  Wishon covers myths, misunderstandings, and outright marketing lies that pervade the golf equipment industry and keep most of us from reaching our golfing potential. Tom Wishon has an extensive background in the equipment industry.  He has been designing clubs for over 33 years and has designed clubheads that have won on the PGA Tour, Champions Tour, and the Ryder Cup.  He has over fifty design firsts to his credit, has written more than 200 magazine articles on golf club technology and has been a member of the Golf Digest technical advisory panel since 1994. Wishon brought his extensive experience into The Right Sticks to help players overcome marketing hype and maximize their own potential. Some of my favorite myths from the book: Modern golf

Golf Digest’s Ultimate Drill Book by Jim McLean is a must-have for any student of the game.  With over 120 drills packed into the book, you can find helpful drills to cover any trouble spot in your game. Jim McLean is consistently ranked as one of the top teachers in the United States.  You’ve probably seen him on the Golf Channel giving instruction.  This book is a nice summary of drills he has developed or learned from other great teachers over a lifetime of study of golf. McLean is also well known for his X-Factor swing concept. Chapter List Timeless Winners Home-Schooling Body Drills Power Ploys Working the Ball Sure Ways to Perfect Your Pitching Game Chip Like a Pro Sand Secrets Curing Putting Woes Trouble-Shooter Drills Mind Games The Good Jim McLean is one of the most knowlegeable, well-respected teachers in the game.  This book is a great reflection of that. The selection of drills is quite large and covers virtually every aspect of the game, including things that help to get your mind

Golf Unplugged, by Jim Apfelbaum, is a look into the musty basement of golf.  In the deep, dark recesses, Apfelbaum shares treasures from the game that have likely been obscured from the light of day for years. The blurb on the back cover says, “With niblick-sharpened wit, Jim Apfelbaum wades into the historical second cut of rough in an engaging series of essays.” Indeed he does. Jim Apfelbaum told me via letter that the “idea was simply to give golfers reasons to look beyond the scorecard and enjoy all that golf offers beyond simply how well, or not, we happen to be playing.” As a certified golf nut, not only am I fixated on the scorecard, but I’m also obsessed with the history of the game.  This book took me on an enjoyable trip into golf’s past and present. Chapter List The Sixth Lesson Mastering the Fundamentals Presidential Pardon Hello Bob Dear Ms. Sorenstam Shot Heard ‘Round the Block Glorious Uncertainty The Good This book is the work of a seasoned professional.  It is well-written

Note:  Stay tuned this week for a podcast of my recent interview with John Little followed by a post about my experience with The Max Golf Workout. The Max Golf Workout by John Little is a revolutionary look at how we as golfers work out. The author of several books, Little developed a strength training system called Max Contraction.  The idea behind Max Contraction is that optimal strength training should involve maximum weight, held in a fully-contracted position for a brief period (30-60 seconds).  In addition, he has found through research that the optimal recovery time for maximum muscle growth is, at the low end, about a week, and can be much longer.  What that means is that those of us who go to the gym several times per week and lift light weight for a high number of reps are training both inefficiently and too frequently. He adapted that concept to golf in The Max Golf Workout. In addition to suggesting that we strength train ineffectively, Little is critical of a lot of information

Without a doubt, Peter Jacobsen holds a place in my dream foursome. He has a reputation as golf’s funnyman, a role which he fills well, but he’s also a fan-friendly, fun, and totally “gets it” when it comes to being a professional in the public eye. When I picked up a copy of Embedded Balls by Jacobsen with Jack Sheehan, I had high expectations that I’d be getting candid Jacobsen at his best. I wasn’t disappointed. Chapter List Memories of Payne Tinseltown and Big John Plugged In A Breakout Year Hartford and My Heart Please…I’m Trying to Concentrate Here A Senior Moment…Interrupted The U.S. Senior Open : How it All Went Down The Pros and the Ams Tiger and Fluff…And Other Stuff Carrying on a “Tradition” Things We Can Do Better This book is absolutely packed full of interesting and funny anecdotes. Here’s a look at a few of my favorites: There’s a hillarious story about his father meeting Clint Eastwood inside the ropes at the Gerald Ford Invitational. There’s a touching and funny chapter