Richard Emery (Tulsa OK United States)

I just read this book and have had little time to put all the ideas into practice. I am exactly the person this book targets, an inconsistent player who has good holes and then blows up a few which prevent me from consistently breaking 100, let alone 90.

That being said I feel this is one of the best instructional I've ever read. This book is the antithesis of the "tip" model that so many books are based on. There's no doubt that sometimes one small change here and there makes big changes in consistency for a player. For me the biggest change in distance and accuracy was the importance of the shoulder turn. This book does address good components of a swing but it does it in a narrative style rather than using lots of drawings. Overall, I'm visual as most of us are, but I felt that the words expressed a lot. Best of all these guys have a good sense of humor and their tongue in cheek I feel checks egos nicely. That's an important part of improvement in golf. I am amazed at the guys I know who swear they break ninety that I know from watching them they couldn't break 90 on a nine hole executive par 3. To improve you have to be realistic about strengths and weaknesses and that's what is nice about this book. I've long had a sneaking suspicion I'd be a better player if I just played more conservatively instead of pulling clubs out that a pro would and trying to pull off a shot a pro did on TV. These guys are quick to point out that historically bogey golf is good golf. We have so professionalized our expectations that people really have lost sight of the relative stature of scores. Most people who play golf don't do it regularly and very few even break 100.

The section on how to read shots into the green was good. I've seen the info before but it really sunk in this time. I've always seen the flag and fired even though I have a 5 iron in my hand, guess what? According to these guys I should be laying up with a iron I am more comfortable with and wedging into the green. I haven't tried that yet but I'll bet I start knocking those snowmen off my scorecard. I can't wait to try.