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How Great Golfers Think: Perfecting Your Mental Game by Bob Skura Bob Skura and Company
book review by Amber Whitman-Currier
"In, reality, setting goals is something we do every day, all day long, with very little thought."
This book is not only for golfers and those who enjoy the game, but for anyone who likes a good story. It is a tale of four friends and their shared love of the game of golf. Not only do they play together, but they decide to find a mentor to teach them the mental skills that some of the greatest golfers in the world use. This comes after Kip realizes that he is stuck and his golf game isn't improving.
The mentor's name is Doc, and he is a great golfer in his own right. He teaches the men in such a way as to make it enjoyable. They meet frequently to discuss techniques and how they are progressing in their game. Anyone can learn from the game even if you don't golf, and the men come to know Doc as more than a mentor but as a friend and confidante.
Doc gives the men advice and lessons, and there is even mention of some of the great players like Tiger Woods. Doc explains that they must absorb the nuances of each internal and external factor. The men learn to pay attention to their posture, mood, discipline, fatigue, patience, anxiety, creativity, and ambition. Doc reminds them that Tiger's father taught him at an early age to analyze hazards, wind, lies, and even the soil conditions.
Eventually, Kip decides to take what he has learned and compete in the U.S. Amateur, leading to a match against a seasoned opponent. This is the most uplifting part of the story. The match is a tough both physically and mentally, but in the end Kip realizes his dream and qualifies for the Masters. Once a regular guy who just played golf with his buddies and the passion of millions of others, Kip becomes the U.S. Amateur Champion. Read this wonderful book and you too may learn and achieve more than you ever thought was possible.