Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings from a Lifetime in Golf

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Shrake sensed a rare moment in the room. Typically a man of rigorous humility, Harvey rarely spoke about his portfolio of ideas with such conviction. He was confident, of course. But he also was modest, content to define his methods as suggestions, not prescriptions. Yet here he was, on this hot July day in Austin, speaking in absolutes. Many professional writers inquired during my long career as a teacher if they might write a book for me on how to play golf. With a three-shot lead tied up, he would card a closing 68 to win by two from Tom Watson. “I knew I was capable,” he would say. “But you never know. You just never know in golf.” No pretty woman can miss a single shot without a man giving her some poor advice." ( #mansplaining ha ha).

Shrake asked Harvey if he had known Bobby Jones, the great amateur from Atlanta. Harvey kept a picture of Jones in his shop for many years because he wanted golfers to see that Jones finished his swing with his elbows in front of his body. Harvey said that he copied Jones’s putting stroke. Harvey saw him once, he said, at the 1928 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields in Chicago, when he played a practice round with the eventual champion, Johnny Ferrell. But then Harvey stopped. What he was about to say next was to be left out of the book, he said. When you take a stronger club and try to hit it easy, your muscles will involuntarily tell you that you are using the wrong club, and you are likely to flinch and pull up on the shot,” he said. “If you want to hit the stronger club anyway, grip down an inch on the handle — and go ahead and hit it hard.” Jenkins mailed President George H. W. Bush a copy of the Little Red Book in May. He included a typewritten letter from his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Jenkins told the president it was “the best instruction book you will ever read” and “pure uncomplicated pleasure.” He referred to Harvey as “a Texas legend.”

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The telecast plays on. On the 13th hole, Crenshaw redeems a mediocre chip by burying a curling 20-footer for birdie. He is rightfully celebrated as one of the greatest putters in the game’s history, but this prowess is not built on technical precision. “You can’t copy his stroke and you wouldn’t want to,” says Justin Leonard, the hero of Crenshaw’s 1999 Ryder Cup team. “He has different technique on different putts: He’ll draw putts, slice putts, hit the ball on the toe to deaden the speed. For him, it’s all about feel. He has the best speed control I’ve ever seen and that’s all he cared about, not the way it looked. It’s fascinating to spend time with him because his approach is so different from everybody else—they’re all trying to groove the same stroke over and over.”

Shrake knew he needed early publicity to build momentum. He wanted to send complimentary copies of the Little Red Book to notable figures in journalism, sports, and the literary industry. He borrowed a list of names that his friend Dan Jenkins had used in the summer of 1991 for his novel You Gotta Play Hurt. It was a roster of elites. Jenkins would not have had it any other way. Shrake wouldn’t either. I used to think of it as a participating sport,” Harvey told Shrake. “It’s a spectator sport. You see those big crowds?” I like to call it Guide their learning instead of teaching: Especially after the pupil becomes a good player. I played in an awful lot of tournaments,” Harvey said. “But I felt like I was playing as much for what I learned in association with my fellow pros.”Golf tells you a lot about character. Play a round of golf with someone, and you know them more intimately than you might from years of dinner parties." Jones and another fellow passed by on a par-three hole,” Harvey explained. “He stopped to watch us. I hit a spoon shot up within about two feet of the hole. And he says, ‘Fine shot.’” Then came along Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw. They have proven they are fine golfers, but also fine citizens.”

In the end, that Ryder Cup was a triumph of the interpersonal. “He’s very much like Arnold Palmer,” says Maggert. “When Ben walks into a room, he makes everybody feel special. He always has time for people, always a kind word. There is an instant connection and camaraderie. It might be just a short interaction, but you always walk away feeling good.” In each chapter, he teaches a different tested fundamental with clear illustrations to help you understand the exact position for each part of your game. It reads as if Mr. Hogan himself is giving you a personal lesson with the same skill and precision that made him a legend in the game. Now it’s as easy as making a normal swing, but with one key caveat — hit three or four inches behind the ball. The term 'tee box' comes from the box of sand that used to stand at the driving-off places. Players would use the sand to build up little mounds, or tees, to hit the ball off." If you’re like most golfers, you just can’t get enough of this crazy game. If you aren’t teeing it up, you’re probably watching golf, scrolling your phone for golf updates or reading about the game.While there are a lot of great choices in this area, Zen Golf is concise, clear and very enlightening. This book will show you how to prepare for, execute, and respond, despite the results during your round. While it is a different approach to instruction, this book shapes ancient philosophies into new teachings. The decade that followed the Masters triumph was very much like the one that preceded it: eight Tour wins and more heartbreak in the majors, including a quartet of close calls around Augusta National. At the 1985 L.A. Open, Ben chatted up a beautiful blond in the gallery, and he wound up marrying Julie ten months later. That same year he entered into another meaningful long-term relationship, as he and Bill Coore founded their course design firm.

My intention was to pass my Little Red Book on to Tinsley, who is the head professional at Austin Country Club. Tinsley was named to that post in 1973, when I retired with the title of Head Professional Emeritus after holding the job for fifty years. Dr. Parent teaches golfers (including several PGA Tour pros) how to clear their minds, focus and play at the moment. Zen Golf is one of the most famous self-help books to help you master your mind and improve your confidence.Along the way he kept a small red book, in which he wrote notes. After watching so many golfers through the years, he noticed patterns that led to success amongst his students. He was content to let the book pass down to his children, but was ultimately convinced to publish it in the early 90s. It immediately made him a household name amongst golfers because the book was so insightful and informative. His Little Red Book is a classic that you need to read. Jim has worked with professional golfers, Olympic gold medalists, Heisman Trophy winners and more. Inside this awesome book, he will show you how to: Golf books usually fall into two categories:instructional or narrative. The former looks to teach everything from golf fundamentals to the finer points of on-course play. The latter relay the experiences of the sport’s greatest players while facing off on the world’s great courses. Still, when done right, the best golf books can both teach, amuse, and encourage all at the same time. It might even have you running to the store to get that new golf net you’ve been thinking about. Top 12 golf books