Must-Read Mental Golf Books

"What are the best books to read on mental golf?" I get asked this question a lot, and it's a good one. It tells me that a person is receptive to new ideas and a greater understanding, which are good qualities for a Positive Golfer. You can get mental golf ideas a lot of places (blogs and websites are certainly two of them!), but I still encourage the use of books as a primary source, whether printed or digital, so you can read and re-read the ideas, let them sink in, and then easily go back to them. This reflection and re-visiting are helpful when learning about so many aspects of the game, including the mental side. Books are a great way to build the initial foundation of an understanding of the key concepts of mental golf, and also to expand and enrich this understanding as you progress in your development. Improvement of the mental game, along with the physical game, is a continual evolution whatever your level of experience and achievement. Books were enormously valuable in my early study of the mental game, and they continue to help deepen my understanding, heighten my awareness, and learn new insights and approaches to this day. Here are some of my favorite mental books which I consider "must-reads" for anyone seeking to improve their mental and physical games. There is a good mix of classics and newer titles. I still go back to these for periodic refreshers and reminders:

- The Inner Game of Golf, by W. Timothy Gallwey
- Fearless Golf: Conquering the Mental Game, by Dr. Gio Valiante
- Extraordinary Golf: The Art of the Possible, by Fred Shoemaker and Pete Shoemaker
- The Golfer's Mind: Play to Play Great, by Bob Rotella
- The Game Before the Game: The Perfect 30-Minute Practice, by Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson
- Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game, by Joseph Parent

In the near future, I look forward to adding our soon-to-be-released book on the mental game to this list - The Positive Golf Handbook: 101 Tips, Exercises, and Techniques to Improve Your Outlook, Your Game, and Your Life. It is a how-to, hands-on, honest-to-goodness handbook to help you put the mental game concepts you have read about in the books into real-life practice. In the meantime, keep reading the mental golf books and staying receptive to new ideas!

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http:/www.TheHeartofGolf.com