At last, a golf instruction book that tells you how to think about the game, not just swing a club! It's Tales From The Lesson Tee by John Kennedy, Director of Golf at Westchester Country Club. Kennedy writes in the spirit of the famous quotation from Bobby Jones, "Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course, the space between your ears." His book is a compendium of stories, suggestions, and well-thought-out examples that prove how we mentally approach the game of golf is just as important--if not more so--than the physical moves we use to play it.

Kennedy's long, rich experience in golf shows on every page. He talks about the lessons he learned teaching the game to everyone from rank beginners to tour pros during his more than 20 years at Westchester, a PGA Tour stop for decades and one of the largest private clubs in the country. The PGA of America gave Kennedy the 2010 Horton Smith Award, honoring him as the nation's leading educator in his profession. When he makes suggestions about how to think about your game, you should listen.

Reading the book is like having a long, easy conversation with Kennedy. He doesn't just tell you to practice more, for example, he explains how to get the most from your time on the range, then mixes in a few stories of players who've done it both the right way and the wrong way--often to humorous effect. There are sections on how (and why) to set reasonable goals for yourself, how to find and work with an instructor that's right for you, how to maintain your mental equilibrium before, during, and after a round, and much more.

It is absolutely refreshing to read a golf instruction book that never once promises to help you hit it longer, higher, or straighter. The subtitle tells it all: "How To Know Your Game, Know Yourself, And Play Better Without Changing Your Swing." ( )