98 Books Like The Single Plane Golf Swing

Moe and Me is a great book for those who love the history of golf and want to look beyond just the game itself. Who also want to delve into the personalities who play it too, on an off the course. Lorne knew Moe Norman very well – unlike few did since Moe was not willing to interact with those outside his tiny circle – and so you get a great insight into the man. The best part is that the stories you get of his life journey are always surprising and often funny, while heartbreaking at the same time. You can’t help but fall in love with Moe the Schmoe after reading this book.

The other factual book out there on Moe that provides insight into the man and his world. In addition to the stories of Moe, you also get clippings and photos that add to its delight. A wonderful look at his life and career and most importantly you hopefully walk away having learned something not only about him specifically, but about the complexities of his world.

A great read about a very famous sports figure Phil Mickelson. I always enjoy books that take you beyond the facts and the known and go deeper to look at the man. This one does it. It is particularly of interest to me since Phil has been a major force in trying to create a competitive league (LIV) to challenge the PGA. Interestingly, it is a tale as old as time…it all comes down to money. And interestingly, one of the reasons Moe Norman was shunned from the PGA was because he didn’t fit into their plans regarding TV broadcasts, which were just starting to happen, where a pile of money to be made was at stake. Moe didn’t look or act the part like Phil did in his prime. As it often is in sports and many endeavors, money – sadly – trumps all.

There was probably no man better at his sport than Tiger Woods was with golf. Sure there were others who dominated their sports too, but few like he did. And for so long. And yet again, we find that those that seem perfect, are actually far from it. This book looks at that dark side. I don’t know about you, but I am always more compelled and intrigued by learning the non-perfect side of people or things. Perfection is boring. Flaws are intriguing. And why not? I am full of flaws and that’s what makes me real. A book like this makes Tiger more realistic than just a tournament and majors-winning machine. Interestingly, Tiger said that Moe Norman was the best ball-striker ever.

This is an award-winning book that will take you somewhere you are unlikely to have been before. I recommend having been a soldier, as someone who directly and indirectly writes on war, and with the knowledge of it being a domain of human folly, enfolding extreme emotions extending from hate to love. It held me in its grip. It made the familiar unfamiliar in a way that invited self-reflection. While a translation, its command of language was evident

A driving force behind so many fiction writers is not just to tell a compelling story but to expose particular aspects of the human condition. Diop’s book does this very powerfully. He puts the tragedy of racism, the consequence of colonialism, and questions of masculinity directly before the reader with no option to look away, but with an implied command to look at your own views and values.

While set in World… show more.

There is an old adage in sports writing: the smaller the ball the better the writing. 

According to that adage, golf, with its small ball, should inspire the very best writing. I am a golfer and I have read a lot of golf books. The adage is certainly true for The Match.

The setup is that a wealthy auto dealer attending the Bing Crosby Pro-Am golf tournament in 1956 declares he has two amateur golfers working for him – Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward - who can beat any other two golfers in a match.

Another well-heeled golf fan takes the bet and shows up the next day with a team of two professionals: Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson.

Pretty good setup. The 18-hole match played on the legendary Cypress Point golf course on the Monterey Peninsula is even better.

The Winning Touch in Golf was the first sport psychology book that addressed golf. It was certainly the first such book that I read and it influenced the rest of my life. Indeed, I became a golf psychologist.

The book was written by a psychologist whom I found credible, not only because he had his Ph.D., but because he was also a member of Augusta National, the home of the fabled Masters Tournament. To me, that meant that he was not only a psychologist, but also a serious golfer.

I found the 53 brief “secrets” about the mental game, each “secret” consisting of only 3 or so pages with some graphics, were indeed brief and very easy to read. I was happy to find no psychological mumbo-jumbo, just interesting topics, astute observations, and practical suggestions for many common psychological situations in golf. Indeed, I modeled my own book on these… show more.

This is a breakthrough book that allows golfers the opportunity to step away from all the mental and technical thinking and into something simpler that can help release a golfer’s inner talents and abilities. The now-famous ‘club-throwing exercise’ is Shoemaker’s answer to Tim Gallwey’s ‘bounce-hit’ exercise in tennis which helps take the emphasis off trying to get technique right and instead allows the body to move in a way that is natural and therefore repeatable, even under pressure. So many of my students have benefited from the drills and exercises and the whole mindset of this book which details the possibilities inherent every time you set up to the ball. 

I have a recurring dream about living in St. Andrews. Sean Zak did so for a summer, and it was glorious.

To get to spend time at the Home of Golf is special, something I’ve done on several occasions. But always as part of work and never for an extended period of time. Zak lived there for months and brings to life all the things about the ancient town that are special beyond the golf.

I especially enjoyed the backstories, the people of the town, the explanation of links golf, all of it. He shows a nice curiosity, an American seeking answers in a foreign country that I felt particularly enlightening.

This book is very close to my heart as it is written by a fellow Tai Chi practitioner who has used his insights gained from personal experience of this ancient art to help golfers develop a natural and flowing swing. The wisdom in this book also draws upon many other so-called alternative practices such as Pilates, the Alexander Technique, the Feldenkrais Method, Eastern philosophy, and Yoga to help demystify and simplify all the technical jargon that hinders a player’s ability to swing the club smoothly. It is the antidote to ‘checklist golf’ which has become the norm for so many players who have seen their game deteriorate as a result.