Customer Reviews

Every Shot Must Have a Purpose: How GOLF54 Can Make You a Better Player

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Once the basic foundation movements have been learned, Golf, like any other sport begins to become more mental than physical. We have all felt under great pressure at times. And when the pressure is great, we tend to not do as well. We freeze, we miss things that we wouldn't otherwise. We screw up.

In their #1 ranked golf school, GOLF54, the authors teach that playing golf well requires a combination of the physical, technical, mental, emotional and social parts of a players game. Most of this comes before you even get to the ball. This pre-shot focus routine improves a player's focus, leading to a golf swing that is not onnly successful but can be repeated when your performance is under considerable outside pressure.

Written in a light and easy to understand style, this book consists of a series of 22 short chapters, each devoted to one small aspect of improving your game.

At first I resisted buying this book because I really was more interested in a book that helped me with the mechanics of the swing. I didn't want to read more about being relaxed, be the ball etc. But the more I visited the Amazon reviews the more intrigued I became and bought the book. I am glad I did. It is a lot more than I thought. The author's concept of the "think box" and the "play box" is something I now use and it works. Lots of other concepts that have helped me are also in the book. Recommended to all.

Pia and Lynn's book, Every Shot Must Have a Purpose, is a must read for those interested in improving their mental game in golf. I have studied almost every book on the topic and this is, by far, the best to date. I am providing my students with a copy before starting their training. I use the HeartMath biofeedback technology, as well as Bobby Foster's Mental Golf Profile which are highlighted in the book. Well organized, to the point, and practical strategies for immediate benefits. This is not wasted academic theory, or sports-psychobabble...it is the real deal.

Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott along with their co-writer Ron Sirak have continued to establish the gold standard of golf instruction, whether in person or through this book. I can think of no better place for all golfers - novice through elite levels - to start their journey to better scores and all-round fulfillment than this book. Not only will this book teach you how to become your own best coach by learning what you need to do to create your most successful swings under all conditions, it will impart personal development skills, knowledge and methods that can be used in other important areas of your life.

This book is the best. I've bought several books on golf and most of them emphasize more on swing mechanics and curing slices and hooks. However, Golf54 is different by stressing more on one's mental and emotional stability which definitely affects one's swing and also one's life. It's more to achieving harmony within one's self so that one's mind and body can work together prior to striking the ball. A bad swing is not necessarily caused by a faulty swing; but probably by a 'bad' state of mental awareness and emotion. This can be the reason for inconsistency during a golf game or practice. This book revolutionized my way of seeing my golf swing and understanding the reason behind my good shot and my bad shot. I should have bought this book earlier before investing on other golf book that touches more on the conventional way of learning golf through technical or mechanical view. You can have a good game one day and have a bad game the next day and you thought that it is solely caused by your swing? Buy this book and you'll understand what I mean. The best book I've bought!

I found this an extemely useful explanation of why we tense up before a shot, get agitated when we hit a bad shot and how this impacts our play.
More importantly this book gives drills and strategies to overcome these obstacles, play better golf and enjoy it more.
It should be useful to players at all levels.

I was caught up by the title of this book and after skimming a few pages decided to buy it. After getting more deeply into it, however, I realize that it doesn't live up to its hype, in my opinion.

If you're not familiar with this teaching method, similar to "Extraordinary Golf" which I happen to prefer, then this book is probably a breath of fresh air to you. Most golf books focus on very specific physical aspects of the swing, which to the beginning golfer is pretty much a waste of time. If you're just getting started, you need to find someone you can trust to help you understand the basics of the game on a driving range and a low-key 9 hole course. DON'T DO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
1. Sign up for an expensive set of lessons with an "expert" instructor. S/he will convince you how klutzy you are unless you spend $1,000+ to get the latest equipment and another grand for more lessons.
2. Try to play a standard 18-hole par 72 course right off the bat (especially on a weekend). You can't maintain the required pace of play, will get extremely frustrated, and will probably piss off your playing partners and the groups behind you.
3. Go spend a lot of money on gadgets like swing correction devices, or instructional videos/DVD's. These might increase your initial enthusiasm, but eventually they'll collect dust in your garage.

This book is probably not for beginners, either, as it assumes you've had some of the above experiences, and need a kinder, gentler approach to the game. It especially downplays the importance of swing instruction, and says to learn how to understand your own natural swing rhythm. It says the best way to become the best golfer you can be is to focus on all parts of the game, including mental and social aspects. I pretty much agree with this philosophy. The most important part of playing golf is to enjoy yourself. If you hit one good shot during a round or practice session, you'll probably come back to try to do it again. But hitting more good shots than bad ones takes lots of time and patience, so you might as well relax and enjoy your surroundings while waiting for that next great (or even acceptable) shot to come.

Ok, now for my complaints. I think every golfer needs to figure out his/her setup routine, and I happen to prefer mine over the one recommended by this book. I understand what the book's approach is, but I like to take a practice swing or two right next to my ball, not behind it as the book tells you to do.

Also, the book tells you to practice on the driving range like you're playing a round, and switch clubs after every shot. I believe if you're a beginner this is not necessary, and usually you want to try to stay with the same club until you've hit at least a couple of good shots in a row. To follow this book's logic to its correct conclusion, you should hit a drive, then an iron, then a 20-yard chip, then go over to the putting green and hit a couple putts. Not practical. I've tried simulating playing conditions on the driving range, and the fact is that while you can and should work on specific kinds of shots, you can't really simulate what it feels like to actually hit off the first tee with three other players watching you. Again, I agree with the book that you should do everything you can to make yourself a better golfer on the course, but I don't think simulating a round on the driving range is particularly helpful or necessary for most people.

My last complaint is that the book seems to place too much emphasis on the usage of this technique by Annika Sorenstam and the Swedish women's golf team. Yes, Annika is potentially the best woman golfer ever, and I admire her mental approach to the game. But there are lots of great golfers with lots of different ideas about how to enjoy golf, and perhaps more importantly there are lots of average golfers who also have a positive approach to the game. The book seems to be saying that you have to "Be Like Annika", instead of saying "Be Yourself" and find your own methods of making golf worthwhile.

Try "Extraordinary Golf" or even "Golf in the Kingdom" if you want to read better books on the total experience of the game.

Learn what you can control and what you cannot. Spend time working on what you can control, enjoy yourself the rest of the time. As a counselor, this book is profound and everything in it is transferable to life off the course as well. Highly recommended.

I read this book with great interest. I am, by way of background a class 1 golfer, and nlp trainer and 'sports psychologist'. I work with teams and individuals to help them improve their golf. I am always on the lookout for new material. I found this to be one of the best books I have read on the mental preparation for playing golf. It is full of practical information, it has lots of exercises for you to do and challanges you to improve. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anybody who wants to improve their golf and has been wondering why all the time they spend on the practise range produces no benefits.

Amazing! The best book I have ever read about training and competing in canine agility (my sport) is a "golf" book! I encountered "Every Shot Must Have A Purpose" while browsing a book store before Christmas and a quick read of a few pages convinced me to put it on my Christmas wish list. I, indeed, received it for Christmas and have read every word. I found it intriguing and am now re-reading it with highlighter in hand.

I am not a golf person - I don't play the game and I rarely ever watch it on TV. But this is not just a golf book. The philosophies and approaches to highly focused training and competing described by Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott (co-writer Ron Sirak) in this wonderfully readable short volume ring absolutely true and are applicable to almost any sport. I can't wait to apply them to mine.

No matter what your skill level, the lessons of this book have the potential to change your approaches to training and competing in whatever is your favorite sport (perhaps it actually is golf), to increase your success (however you define it) and to make you a happier and more satisfied participant.