Like all golf instruction and that includes golf books, it's all a matter of opinion. You might not agree with all the points made but time spent researching the enormous range of different opinion can produce great insights into the game.

I'm always striving to learn more - constantly got my head in another 'this is IT!" golf book - never satisfied with the knowledge I've got. At the MJGA I constantly strive to impart this knowledge to you in a fun and friendly way - without bogging you down in the technical minutiae...

However the MJGA isn't always around! What I am attempting to do in this section of the website is provide a short cut to ensure that you get the advice that counts. So here I've assembled some of my personal recommendations for you to bury your nose in, when you find yourself alone with some time to spare on those sun kissed beaches or in the potting shed!

A final note to bear in mind is that whenever you start reading any kind of instruction book take a key factor into consideration "Is the point being made relevant to your own personal game" It's like the situation when one of your friends has had a lesson, is well pleased with the results and then proceeds to pass on the tips for you to try. Nice idea and generous of your friend to share the info, but the lesson was directed at him and not you. I've tried to select books that take these factors into account and provide a good general base of knowledge. If you've got any questions or want to comment on my choice pelase feel free to contact me.

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Dr Bob Rotella: Your 15th Club (The Inner Secret to Great Golf)

A lot of books that are reviewed on golf swing is how to swing, how to stand, swing thoughts and swing drills galore. This book is a refreshing change to the way you approach your game from an angle of how your mind works and how it will help your golf game. We all should know how to train our bodies, but do we know how to train our minds so it will benefit our golf long term.

Dr Bob Rotella, if you didn’t already know, is one of the leading golf psychologists on the tour at this moment time, some of you may be familiar with his best selling books such as ‘Golf is not a game of perfect’, ‘Golf is game of confidence’ but this latest book has been given the thumbs up by double open champion Padraig Harrington, as you will see in a couple of chapters in this book

In this book, Dr Bob Rotella describes many factors of how our mind effects the way we play, even if we are swinging well. Our own internal representation of our golfing ability will affect how we play this game, good or bad your subconscious thoughts will give you what you think.

My particular favourite in this book is chapter 11, “talking to yourself” the opening paragraph is particularly, humorous although it does have an element of truth to which we, at some stage, have all been to familiar with. What we say to ourselves will get you thinking about your own internal self talk, which not only affects your golf but everyday life in general.

It would be very easy for me to go through many of the chapters in this book, as they will all give you something to take from the book. As quoted by Padraig Harrington” To get the real benefits from any of Dr Bob Rotella’s books you have to live the information given”. In which he feels, that most of his fellow competitors who he has recommended Dr Bob Rottella’s books to, have not done!!

If you feel your game is good and needs a different dimension to your game, this an excellent and fascinating read. Highly recommended.

Review by Ian Goosey (MJGA)

Practical Golf – By John Jacobs

When I read this book I thought the title of the book was very apt. John Jacobs, in my opinion and Mark (Janes) is the Godfather of teaching. The one thing you will get from this book is simple, sound and logical information from the first page to the last.

If you need to know how good Mr Jacobs was at teaching this great game, if you did not already know, then I quote you from another great teacher in his own right, from Golfers Digest Peter Dobriener who once said “Its no good doing a top 10 of golf teachers because No 1 would be John Jacobs, no2 would be John Jacobs, No 3 Would be John Jacobs etc”.

The illustrations in this book are good; my particular favourites are the first move away from the ball in which you get a view from above of how the club and body should move in this vital point of the swing. Another favourite of mine looks quite a powerful move, this where Mr Jacobs has is feet strapped to the floor with his upper body winding up against his legs in the backswing. Looking at this picture gives the reader a good guide in how to store power from the ground up in the backswing, ready to unleash through the ball.

This books also explains swing paths and related ball flights in a way that is simple to understand and easy to link to your own swing. For anyone who wants to improve their technique in a simple and logical way, I recommend this as a fabulous read and a real must. In my opinion, this is the way to teach golf and I know that this is the way at the MJGA is what we strive for.

Review By Ian Goosey (MJGA)

The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing – By Nick Bradley

Not since the Anthony Ravielli drawings in Hogan’s The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, have images been so superbly used to illustrate a golf book.  Being quite a visual person, I can thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who likes to picture their swing and have a clear image of what they are trying to achive, the illustrations are quite simply superb!  Three of my particular favourites are page 28, an image of “Letting the gas escape” in relation to grip pressure.  Page 62 depicts a fabulous image of spring like coil in the legs, creating a wonderfully solid base to work from and the perfect platform to ensure a dynamic bdoy motion through impact and beyond.  Page 70/71, “Middle ground of the swing”, a great image using barrels to give you the feel of the body angles being maintained throughout the turning motion.  Many, many fantastic images are used within the book, so I’m sure you will find your own favourites.  Combined with this, some insightful and easy to understand text and you have a very good read and a very helpful book for all levels of golfers!!

Nick is known for his innovative, holistic and “outside the box” approach to teaching and in my opinion this book is a great read and representation of his knowledge and findings.

Review By Mark Janes

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STAN UTLEY 'THE ART OF THE SHORT GAME'

The short game, in my opinion, is one of the most important facets of the game and the most fun!!

There are a lot of well known coaches in the game today who coach the short game, most notable in this area is Dave Pelz, A name  that very few people would have heard of is Stan Utley.

Stan Utley, a former player on the PGA tour and has coached Tour players like Paul Mcginley, Darren Clarke to name a few and his a method is very simple one. 

This book covers  chipping, pitching and bunkers, using the same swing princables that apply to the full swing in the way it moves up and around the body, in short, you change very little.

In this book there are some good colour illustrations of how to chip and pitch along with a detailed and simple explanation of how to set up correctly for each shot, you will be suprised how close it will resemble your normal set up for the full shots, the changes will be subtle, Stan also explains in simple terms the specification of the wedges and how to use the bounce of the club to your advantage whilst chipping and  statistics of how important the short game is for the tour professionals.

If your looking for a simpler alternative to 'The Short Game Bible' by Dave Pelz, which is also another classic read, in my opinion I strongly recommend that you give 'The art of the short game' by Stan Utley a read.

 Review By Ian Goosey

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Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible

Dave Pelz teaches you how to score in this wonderfully written and illustrated book.

Pelz once again (as with the Putting version of the book), passes on his wealth of knowledge on what is one of the most underrated but most important parts of your golf game.

You will need a serious amount of time to get the true benefit's out of this book, the research and background to the book is (from an instructors point of view) fascinating, although I would imagine a little heavy going for most weekend golfers.

The actual instruction sections are brilliantly put together, written in easy to understand language and illustrated with quality phonographs. Look no further than the chapter on chipping as an example of the detail you need plus loads that you didn't know you did. The background information on when to play this type of shot, which club to choose and when, the set up needed to create the correct foundation, the swing technique to execute the shot and plenty of tips, images and thoughts to take to the course and put into practise.

I believe in giving students the ability to further their learning process when playing between lessons, the kind of practise drills etc. that Dave gives you in this book, will allow you gain valuable feedback and make the most of your practise sessions.

Please be patient when learning these new techniques, any changes will feel slightly odd to begin with, but before long using Dave's excellent drills and exercises, you will feel comfortable with chipping the ball within a few feet of the hole. You never know you might become so accomplished the Dave Pelz Putting Bible might not be needed!!

Dave Pelz's Putting Bible

If your putting is in need of some serious improvement and you have some time on your hands, then pull up a chair and enjoy this informative read.

As I said in the introduction, in golf instruction - and that applies especially to instruction books - there are so many opinion's. You might not agree with all the points made, but no one can disagree that Dave Pelz has a knowledge of Putting that few others can match.

Most of the topics are brilliantly put over, easy to understand and simple to put into practise. Having researched the game for several decades and studied thousands of golfers, the detail can be in-depth to say the least, so I suggest reading certain sections twice before passing judgement.

So for a better understanding of the wonderful world of putting and the ability to lower your scores, take your time and enjoy this brilliantly researched book.

Faults & Fixes by David Leadbetter

Whenever you start reading any kind of instruction book take a key factor into consideration "Is the point being made relevant to your own personal game" It's like the situation when one of your friends has had a lesson, is well pleased with the results and then proceeds to pass on the tips for you to try. Nice idea and generous of your friend to share the info, but the lesson was directed at him and not you. No two swings are alike and the information 99% of the time will be no help what so ever, nice try!!

This book is brilliantly written and tackles some of the most common faults in golf. If you recognise any of the faults as something you might just see off the 1st tee on Sunday mornings, then see if the fix David prescribes helps you rectify the damage.

The illustrations are superb and together with simple wording and the fantastic drills you will be sure to make improvements. The drills are something I believe in simply because it allows you to keep learning once the lesson is over. So many students have expressed comments from previous lessons at other establishments, that although they benefit initially they loose the feel of the improved technique. Drills allow the improved muscle memory to last and keep the programme of improvement moving forwards. David is the master of intuitive drills and having had the privilege of working with him, I personally have benefited from the muscle memory I gained from these simple and effective drills.

In closing, this book backs up what a lot of peoples thoughts that David Leadbetter is very much one of the games leading authorities. It also once again shatters a common conclusion that many people make, David is a technical teacher, trust me he teaches people as individuals and like all great teachers he does it in a easy to understand and effective manner.