Book Review: Better Recreational Golf

I had a chance to read "Better Recreational Golf: Improve Your Game in the Time You Have" after the author (Bob Jones!) emailed me and sent me a copy of this terrific book (how's that for full disclosure?!).

While I very much appreciated what Mr. Jones tried to accomplish with his book, I think video would have helped very much explain some of the concepts and drills in the book. That said, I did want to point out that even so, this book is aimed perfectly at that golfer who just doesn't have enough time to practice but wants to continue to improve their game.

I absolutely loved the tempo and impact ball drills and very much appreciated the recreational golfer perspective. For example, giving up some yards with a smaller turn could actually help save your back, and keep you playing longer! Now that's some good advice.

I was intrigued by the suggestion in the chapter on chipping that recreational golfers use a 5-iron from around the green, and consider it a lofted putter. That might be worth trying!

I also very much appreciated that the book repeatedly talks about getting lessons from a local pro - smart advice and an acknowledgment that a book alone isn't going to solve all of our golfing problems.

My favorite part of the book though, has to be the game strategy chapter. Bob talks a lot about thinking shots through and making safe plays. He includes breakdowns of par 3, 4 and 5 holes, and how to think about when to go for a good score, and when to simply avoid a horrible hole.

All in all, I totally recommend this book, but be prepared for a bit of confusion in some of the more complex drill examples. They don't translate that well to book format, though there are plenty of photos to try to offset that! Here's another link to the buy the book!