Synopses & Reviews
The nearly 37 million people in the United States who play golf probably all have one thing in common: At some point they have contemplated giving up the game because they were frustrated with the way they were playing. When those blissful moments of precise drives and perfect putts disappear, when the ball seems to have a mind of its own, and when well-grooved swings become totally unhinged, we find ourselves in that panicked state known as a "slump."
When Jimmy Roberts, the award-winning reporter and writer, entered his own period of frustration with the game, he decided to ask some of the most famous golfers and successful people in the world for advice. Here, for the first time, are the stories and recollections of eighteen veteran players whose wisdom is both practical and philosophical. Some concentrate on technique (when Phil Mickelson is dissatisfied with the way he's driving the ball, he practices bunker shots to reinforce the most important element of the tee shot—rhythm). Others focus on mental adjustments (Davis Love III remembers his late father's essential advice when he's frustrated: Try less hard).
With stories from greats Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Dottie Pepper, Greg Norman, George Herbert Walker Bush, Paul Azinger, and many others, this is an emotional and spiritual first aid kit for anyone who plays the game and even those who don't. As the 41st president says, the way we handle adversities in golf can provide a template for how to handle the challenges in life: Golf lessons can sometimes be life lessons too. There may not be a universal cure-all, but there are many ways to recover from a debilitating slump.
Review
and#8220;The most humble and humane golf book I have ever read. Relying on insight instead of striving to incite, Pennington reduces golf to its most basic charms and makes the game remarkably accessible. Pennington...is the most noble of guides, encouraging and realistic, light and enlightening. Laid out like a challenging but attractive tract, On Par spares us the wiseguy tweaking with wisdom and earnest good humor. [On Par] should be handed to every first-time golfer as part of a welcome packet. Better yet, it should be in the zippered compartment of every new golf bag, like an in-flight magazine. Or a Bible.and#8221;
-Bill Scheft for the New York Times Book Review
"Golf writing may be unique among sportswriting for the way it often manages to convey the deadly seriousness those passionate about it feel toward the game, while simultaneously joking at their expense. Penningtonand#8217;s tone shares this trait and will be familiar to those who have read any of the many golf books out there. None of those books, however, offer nearly as much real-world advice to golfers on how to improve their experience.and#160; A must for beginning golfers or players looking to get more enjoyment out of their time on the course."
-Kirkus Reviews
"A hilarious, informative primer on the essentials of golf, schooling novices or the professional bewitched by mastering the links... A chapter on golf-speak will tickle readers with a sampling of the colorful jargon of golf pros... With a few chuckles and basic instruction, Penningtonand#8217;s book effectively consolidates the wealth of knowledge from his beloved column, while delighting those who are perplexed by the puzzle that is the sport of golf. "
-Publishers Weekly
"No one can completely cover the game of golf like Bill Pennington and no book can comprehensively tell the story of the sport with the same wit, wisdom and knowledge like On Par."
- Jim Nantz, CBS Sports
"As a regular reader of Bill's On Par column in The New York Times, I was wondering what fertile golf terrain could possibly be left for him to farm? I soon found out his surplus was even better. And I know he can dig with the best of them. I played a round of golf with him!"
- Dan Hicks, NBC Sports Golf Host
"Bill Pennington takes his first-hand experience as a golfer, as well as his years of getting to know professionals, and delivers a phenomenal guide to the sport I love so much. He does a great job of breaking down the fundamentals of golf to something everybody can enjoy and understand. As all golfers know, the sport is about more than being able to hit a good shot and this book takes you through the journey, arming you with everything you need to know."
- Annika Sorenstam
"Put a copy of Bill Pennington's On Par on your shelf and another copy in your golf bag. Often funny, always smart, Pennington zeroes in on the essence of a royally crazy old game."
- Kevin Cook, author of Titanic Thompson and Tommy's Honor
"One of the great joys during the golf season is reading Bill Penningtonand#8217;s golf page, 'On Par,' in The New York Times each Monday morning. Imagine that and#8211; a whole page devoted to all things golf! My heart be still. And now we have this wonderful book thatand#8217;s much more than my Monday morning read. Trust me, if youand#8217;re an avid golfer, youand#8217;ll devour each and every word."
- Martin Davis, golf historian and author ofand#160;The American Golfer
"On Par is the ideal guide for golfers who donand#8217;t hit their pitching wedge 160 yards, get paid for wearing white belts, or hang out with Las Vegas cocktail waitresses. And it wouldnand#8217;t do those other guys any harm, either."
- David Owen, author of My Usual Game
Synopsis
Recover from playing that inevitable stretch of absolutely wretched golf by reading the slump stories of some of the greatest players in golf past and present. Photos throughout.
Synopsis
In Breaking the Slump, NBC golf commentator Jimmy Roberts shares the “slump stories” of some of the greatest professional golfers of all time—from Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Watson to Phil Michelson and Dottie Palmer—offering valuable tips and strategies to help any player overcome that inevitable stretch of absolutely wretched golf.
Synopsis
Inspired by his New York Times weekly column "On Par," Bill Pennington has created a delightful compendium of all things golf that no golferand#8212;whether a weekend duffer or a PGA proand#8212;can afford to miss.and#160;Part instruction, part education, part hilarity, On Par is the go-to guide for the 21st-century golfer.
Synopsis
Bill Pennington, author of the beloved and widely read and#8220;On Parand#8221; golf column for the New York Times, knows how to interpret the experts and pros for the rest of us. For years, he has traveled the globe in search of golfand#8217;s essentialsand#8212;those basic principles, those elusive truths (and who are we kidding, any trick or quick fix he can pick up along the way) that will improve anyoneand#8217;s game. He has consulted the worldand#8217;s leading golf instructors as well as countless caddies, groundskeepers, parking lot attendants, and bartenders. He has played rounds with Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, and Justin Timberlake. He has sought the advice of psychiatrists, physicists, economists, zen masters. And on a particularly bad golf outing, he has even discussed the fickleness of golf with a quite helpful raccoon.
On Par captures it all: From equipment and instruction, to the rules and language of golf, to camaraderie and psychology, to the short game/long game debate, Pennington informs and entertains as he gets to the essence of this mercurial game, including golfand#8217;s holy grail, the hole in one.
Part instruction, part education, part therapy, and shot through with Penningtonand#8217;s trademark wit, this is a book for everyone who has ever felt the gameand#8217;s distinct pulland#8212;and slice.
About the Author
BILL PENNINGTON is an award-winning sportswriter for the New York Times. A former syndicated columnist, Pennington was a beat writer who covered much of Billy Martinand#39;s tenure with the New York Yankees. A fifteen-time finalistandnbsp;and six-time winner of the Associated Press Sports Editorsand#39; annual writing award, Pennington lives with his family in Warwick, New York. This is his fourth book.
Table of Contents
Introductionand#8195;xi
1. Essential Golfand#8195;1
2. The Rules of Golfand#8195;20
3. The Language of Golfand#8195;42
4. Being a Good Golf Partner
(and Surviving a Day with a Bad One)and#8195;56
5. Youand#8217;re Not Alone Out Thereand#8195;79
6. If You Had One Wish . . .and#8195;99
7. Our Biggest Fearsand#8195;115
8. Golfing Godsand#8195;139
9. Golf Is a Sport; Are You Game?and#8195;162
10. Golf Safetyand#8195;180
11. The New Culture of Golfand#8195;193
12. Shanks, Choking, and
Other Tales of the Dark Sideand#8195;214
13. Nine Places Every Golfer Should Playand#8195;245
14. Golfand#8217;s Holy Grailand#8195;276
Acknowledgmentsand#8195;287
Indexand#8195;289