Customer Reviews

Straight Down the Middle: Shivas Irons, Bagger Vance, and How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Golf Swing

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Golf has always been a bit of a puzzle to me. Several times in my life I played regularly enough to begin to hope that my game would become really good. That was not to be. Josh Karp gives me hope. "Straight down the Middle" attempts to teach golf in a unique way - effortless golf.

Josh goes on a journey to discover his perfect swing. To find this elusive marvel, Josh reads works of psychology by such authorities as Abraham Maslow, and pursues Eastern philosophy - Buddhist and Zen masters. Josh postulates that by embracing the theory of nothing, a serenity will emerge that will not only bring peace, but the perfect golf game. I love the theory, but wonder about my applying it.

If I take the pages of the book literally, despite my arthritis and general lack of coordination, I could take my aged self to the golf course and by dropping all thoughts about technique and competitiveness, could play a wonderful game.

I remember lessons given by my good friend, a golf pro from Arizona, and when I play my head is full of his rules. But according to Josh, if I ignore "keep your eye on the ball" and instead "become the ball", I make progress toward perfection. Since the lessons really only helped for about a week before I slipped back into my previous problems, maybe I should give Josh Karp a try.

In a way the book reminds me of an episode of "The Mentalist." The main character, Patrick Jane, although admitting to himself he know nothing about the game, teaches a mob boss to improve his game by thinking his favorite song. The mob boss thought of the music, relaxed and his game actually improved. If it worked for the mob boss. It may work for me.

So, my advice for golfers is get this book and let go play a game.

Most of the mental game golf books I've seen read like an infomercial for whatever seminar, resort, or institution the author owns or works for. I am glad to say that this is not one of those books.

Josh Karp chronicles his efforts to improve his golf, lower his handicap and seek enlightment at the same time; or perhaps to seek enlightment in order to improve his golf. This quest takes him all over the country and even to the Mecca of Golf, to the Kingdom, Scotland. He describes his relationship to all kinds of quirky Golf/Zen gurus, each zanier than the last.

A common denominator of most mental game instruction is to stop worrying about the score, don't keep score and your game will improve. Of course if you don't keep score: How will you know if it improves? One of his gurus states that we duffers do not play golf, we work golf: This is the take home message of the whole saga: Next time you are out on the course, play golf, don't work golf.

The narration is full of humor, most often at the writer's expense, as the time he plays with a Rabbi and feels like screaming at the heavens: "Haven't Jews suffered enough?"

This little book might not improve your game but it is sure to make it more enjoyable. And if it doesn't, it is still time well spent.

I really enjoyed reading about Josh's journey to playing better golf. It's a no-nonsense practical book that shows how a quiet, empty mind leads to an improvement in performance. Worrying about how you're going to play does nothing for your game, yet many golfers waste far too much effort doing just that. Josh's account of how he addressed physical and mental aspects of his game (bringing them together) is both a humorous and informative one. It's not a prescriptive technical book but rather a 'do as I did' path to follow and you'll find the way to love your golf and improve your game as a result.

Golf is a journey in itself and an excellent way to self-improvement. This is a great book, I would recommend it to any golfer who is failing to get the full benefit from this great game.

Having been playing this sport for just a few years, I have fallen prey like many golfers before me to the pitfalls of the approach and listening to false prophets: Changing clubs, changing swings, changing philosophies, changing strategies, and worrying about progress. After all, it's just a game, right?

Unless you are competing on the tour, this game is not about being like Tiger Woods. It is a pastime that we as golfers play to enjoy time with friends and a hobby to enjoy life. The struggles that the author has had with mediocrity and the search for enlightenment parallels my own quest for perfection. The multitude of experiences and methods by which he worked upon to improve his game truly create the mockery of what has become big business in golf. Overcomplicating the game are soothsayers and shamans who propose that their latest method can really improve the game.

This is a tongue in cheek approach to a hallowed game of respect and honor. This is a book about human nature and the joys of one of the most difficult games to get right. Get the book. You won't be disappointed.

This is a delightful book and read even if you are not a golfer. I say that with years of crummy golf in my bag of useless tricks. Years ago friends (?) suggested that "we play a round at the par 3 after the meeting" since I made up the fourth member. Fine but it must be with the understanding that I was awful at even putt putt. We played the 18 holes and the level of humor at my mistakes was of Comedy Club quality. Years passed and my "game" got better for a while. Retirement and some new body parts curtailed those activities but with this book I felt the urge to recall those awful past memories and see if there may be hope. I think the hope of making a par on any hole will never take place but now it is of no importance. "I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Golf" game with a new outlook on the mind over matter aspect of playing. The author writes for the golfer (pardon the misuse of that word) like me and for those who have mastered the game to the point that an 18 handicap is not so bad. The last time I played the pro asked me what my handicap is and I explained that my handicap is not having to obtain a "driver's license" to play. Straight Down... helps make a handicap a non-concern for me at least. I cannot help but think that a full reading will help others feel similarly.

This book does a very good job of providing a run down of all the mental golf training systems that are out there and being sold to the golfing public. While the up and down nature of the author's experience can be bothersome at times, the book is sincere in its exploration. You could sample a bit of each of the teachers and then decide for yourself if you want to read their work further. Very useful in that sense. And some of the writing is downright funny. Most importantly, and others may disagree, this book does not take itself too seriously, as so many in this genre do. Well played Mr Karp.

Clubhead covers off to Josh Karp, who has managed to turn a hackneyed subject into an interesting book. I was a little bit worried in the beginning as the book starts off slowly during the first few chapters. Karp goes to person after person and gets a lot of new-age advice on how to improve his golf game. Your eyes start to glaze over after awhile as you try to digest all the information. But that's just the first few chapters. Although Karp continues to seek advice throughout the whole book, the tale gets more interesting when we learn a bit about Karp off the golf course. He is riddled with anxiety and phobias....he has a fear of illness and death, a fear of flying, etc.... Also, he and his wife are under a lot of stress due to the fact that they are raising 4 young children. Karp jokes that he needs to get rid of his "inner Woody Allen" and become more mellow, like Bing Crosby. (Bing on the golf course, that is, not in his personal life.) The personal revelations add depth to the book and elevate it above being just another book about how to lower your golf handicap. Despite all the meditation and mantras what emerges from the book is that if you want to play better golf you have to learn how to relax. Don't worry about the score; forget a bad hole and just move on; don't worry so much about swing thoughts or the ball...just take a nice, easy swing; enjoy the course, the weather, and the fellowship. Any of us who have played golf for awhile sort of know all this stuff. I'm not so sure we need gurus, but it was fun to read about the author's transcendental adventures and some interesting rounds of golf across the United States and over in Scotland. And, hey, he did lower his handicap from 18 to 11. Is there something in this after all, or would a trip to see Hank Haney have given the same results?? Whatever the answer, this was an introspective, interesting, and entertaining book and worth your time.

"Straight Down The Middle" by Josh Karp was a lighthearted read for me about the game of golf. I have read a couple of others, but this has been the best one yet. Each chapter begins with a quote that is oh so relevant to golf, such as on page 48, "Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course - the distance between your ears" - Bobby Jones. The chapters take you on a journey seeking to improve the game and acquire some spirituality along the way. Every golfer acquires their own philosophy and this book sheds light on some of them as the golfer travels near and far to experience the many golf courses and had fun writing this book. I know several golf addicts and may become one also in the future, but until then this book is going to make a great gift.

I was laughing out loud. I don't even golf. A hilarious human perspective!

Although the author spent way too long giving details of some golfing occasions, on the whole this is a well-written, funny story on the author's journey to improve his enjoyment of golf. My son, an occasional golfer subject to mood swings based on his golf swings, agrees that he can learn something from Mr. Karp.