What a thoroughly enjoyable read this was. It details John's quest to improve from shooting 100+ to playing a level par round of golf within a year, while also balancing his job and family life too. It's nicely written, with warm humour and a lovely flow, which makes it very easy to read. I got it as a Christmas present and had it finished before New Year - I've got chocolate that's taken me longer!
I found John's story compelling and thought there were some interesting comparisons to my improvement journey and golfing challenge. We've even read many of the same books from authors such as Bob Rotella, Timmothy Gallwey and my recently reviewed Ben Hogan (he read that one a LOT). With added input from his coach, the focus (like Hogan) was on fundamentals, fundamentals and more fundamentals. Every time he struggled, the coach brought him back to the basics of grip, stance and swing as he had inevitably slipped back into old habits.
After fundamentals, the next message that came across loud and clear was the requirement to practice, practice and then practice some more if you want to improve. This would be music to Jared Kenwothy's ears. He also stresses the importance of not ignoring the areas you don't enjoy so much. John developed some good practice disciplines but he was guilty of not taking much time over putting until later in the challenge, assuming it would just take care of itself. The requirement for dedicated (and intelligent) practice is something that awaits me if I want to have any chance of achieving my aspiration. John has some good tips about practice routines and this is something I'll be exploring with Mike Lander at my next lesson too. It's time to get organised!
Golf presents most players with some significant mental challenges too and John was not immune. I could relate to many of the comments about good ball striking, but poor scoring. I felt his pain when he talked about self-sabotage and the times when his shoulders slumped and he felt like giving up. This is something I also need to work harder on and I've already been trying some of the things he mentions in the book. For my own situation, retaining perspective and gratitude are important as I do not want to lose my enjoyment of the game. While we've both set ourselves a big challenge, I'm reminded of the gambling advice of "When the fun stops, stop".
John chose an incredible challenge and I'll not spoil the book by telling you the outcome. The result is less important than the journey. He learnt so much about himself, his motivations and his relationships (both professional and personal). The book talks about so many of the things I love about golf and also many of its frustrations. I think any golfer will be able to relate.
The book was first published in 2009 and I'd love to know what John's relationship with golf is like now. Has he kept playing? Has he gone on to further challenges? He's written one follow-up golf tips e-book and three business books, but I can't find anything else. It was amazing/crazy/mad to take on a challenge like this over 12 months and the book highlights the pressure it caused. It makes me relieved that I've given myself over 5 years to reach my goal.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It's well written, humourous and relatable for any aspiring golfer.
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