Lowest Score Wins - a first-of-its kind golf book for anyone who wants to lower their score

[slightlymad]

Hi guys, wanted to order the book. Do you ship to europe? Netherlands specifically.

[iacas]

Hi guys, wanted to order the book. Do you ship to europe? Netherlands specifically.

Yes, typically for about $12, I think. It's $15 or so to ship, but the $29.95 price includes a bit of that for the U.S.

I'll try to add a button to the site later today for international shipping.

[RFKFREAK]

Website saved on favorites! I wonder who will be the first person to get their book?

Good question. I for one plan on posting in this thread once I get my copy. :)

[MattM]

I don't know if this has been asked yet, but I want to register on your site and it's asking me for a password from the book. Are we just waiting for the book to be able to register? Is there anything cool in there yet? If so I want in now!!! JK....

[iacas]

I don't know if this has been asked yet, but I want to register on your site and it's asking me for a password from the book. Are we just waiting for the book to be able to register? Is there anything cool in there yet? If so I want in now!!! JK....

There's literally nothing in there now, and you have to wait for the book, yes.

[Abu3baid]

I really can't wait to give the extra books I got to my couple friends and family that play golf.. I have had a few disagreements about the importance of putting compared to the other parts of the game, and it is so hard to convince them by saying well I read this online, or go to this forum and so on. What I mean is that when I give them this book and later on quote it and say read this part I hope it will become an easier sell for me, and it is for their own game as well.. After every game my friend and I play he says I could have done so much better if it wasn't for my putting an um thinking if you only knew!

[iacas]

BTW, we hope that a lot of you guys who bought the book, will post on Twitter, The Facebook, etc. that you like it (if you like it, but I'm sure you will). You're the "first wave" of people who have interest, and we're relying pretty heavily for now on word of mouth to get the word out and keep it spreading.

Please, of course, don't give details out, but if you like the book, encourage others to buy it. You'll see that what was available to you for $15 is now available at $29.95, but we feel there are ten things in the book worth that cost, so we hope you'll continue to put things out.

[14ledo81]

@iacas , I was thinking about the book some.  After you posted (might have been in the other thread) about how golfers should not overestimate their abilities, this thought came to me.

I really think the only possible negatives (assuming obviously because I have not read it) you could get from the book are golfers who do overestimate their abilities, and do not want to listen to reason.  We have seen it on here before, namely in the "aim for the center of the green thread".  I guess I can see some stubborn golfers think things like "yeah, sounds ok for high handicappers, but I am better than that."

Thoughts?

[iacas]

@iacas , I was thinking about the book some.  After you posted (might have been in the other thread) about how golfers should not overestimate their abilities, this thought came to me.

I really think the only possible negatives (assuming obviously because I have not read it) you could get from the book are golfers who do overestimate their abilities, and do not want to listen to reason.  We have seen it on here before, namely in the "aim for the center of the green thread".  I guess I can see some stubborn golfers think things like "yeah, sounds ok for high handicappers, but I am better than that."

Thoughts?

I think I said something like that earlier.

The one thing that I urge golfers reading the book to do: don't over-estimate yourselves.

For example, in one chapter, we lay out a bunch of stats from the testing we did with golfers from 50 to 130 yards. There were hints in this thread, and the stats for the average golfers are pretty bad… yet a lot of people think they're better than they are, so the stats can't possibly be right. That belief - that misunderstanding - costs them strokes. Even PGA Tour pros are not as good as you realize.

I'll give you everyone two examples.

The first is from Mark Broadie's book. The average PGA Tour pro makes 1.5 putts over 21 feet during four rounds of play. Not 1.5 per round, 1.5 putts in 72 holes. The winner only makes 1.8. We asked golfers and they said five, six, seven…

When you hit the ball to 12 feet from 60 yards, many golfers are disappointed, yet that's pretty darn good! Golfers routinely think "they're better from 110 yards than 50 yards" but they're NOT. I think their expectations are unrealistic. From 50 yards, they expect to have a tap-in. But look at PGA Tour players from 50 yards. They're not getting up and down anywhere nearly as frequently as the average golfer thinks. And golfers miss the green - even on the PGA Tour - from 110 yards far more often than they realize.

Great minds think alike, eh @14ledo81 ? :)

[saevel25]

@iacas , I was thinking about the book some.  After you posted (might have been in the other thread) about how golfers should not overestimate their abilities, this thought came to me.

I really think the only possible negatives (assuming obviously because I have not read it) you could get from the book are golfers who do overestimate their abilities, and do not want to listen to reason.  We have seen it on here before, namely in the "aim for the center of the green thread".  I guess I can see some stubborn golfers think things like "yeah, sounds ok for high handicappers, but I am better than that."

Thoughts?

I don't think so. I think most people will think that the authors know more because they actually written the book. So I think most will tend to believe them more because books seem to bring in a sort of authenticity to their credentials. It's not the same with the internet were people know anybody can post and write what they want. Books to me still hold a bit of power over people, that they trust the author to know more than they do on a subject. Given some very smart people in golf might read the book and disagree, but the average golfer will probably take it at face value. I don't think people realize that their mindset is even wrong because they are probably more ignorant (lack of knowledge) than anything else.

[14ledo81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 14ledo81

@iacas , I was thinking about the book some.  After you posted (might have been in the other thread) about how golfers should not overestimate their abilities, this thought came to me.

I really think the only possible negatives (assuming obviously because I have not read it) you could get from the book are golfers who do overestimate their abilities, and do not want to listen to reason.  We have seen it on here before, namely in the "aim for the center of the green thread".  I guess I can see some stubborn golfers think things like "yeah, sounds ok for high handicappers, but I am better than that."

Thoughts?

I think I said something like that earlier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iacas

The one thing that I urge golfers reading the book to do: don't over-estimate yourselves.

For example, in one chapter, we lay out a bunch of stats from the testing we did with golfers from 50 to 130 yards. There were hints in this thread, and the stats for the average golfers are pretty bad… yet a lot of people think they're better than they are, so the stats can't possibly be right. That belief - that misunderstanding - costs them strokes. Even PGA Tour pros are not as good as you realize.

I'll give you everyone two examples.

The first is from Mark Broadie's book. The average PGA Tour pro makes 1.5 putts over 21 feet during four rounds of play. Not 1.5 per round, 1.5 putts in 72 holes. The winner only makes 1.8. We asked golfers and they said five, six, seven…

When you hit the ball to 12 feet from 60 yards, many golfers are disappointed, yet that's pretty darn good! Golfers routinely think "they're better from 110 yards than 50 yards" but they're NOT. I think their expectations are unrealistic. From 50 yards, they expect to have a tap-in. But look at PGA Tour players from 50 yards. They're not getting up and down anywhere nearly as frequently as the average golfer thinks. And golfers miss the green - even on the PGA Tour - from 110 yards far more often than they realize.

Great minds think alike, eh @14ledo81? :)

Absolutely....Now to just get them to swing alike....

I suppose, greater loss for the stubborn guy that won't listen to reason.

[CarlSpackler]

BTW, we hope that a lot of you guys who bought the book, will post on Twitter, The Facebook, etc. that you like it (if you like it, but I'm sure you will). You're the "first wave" of people who have interest, and we're relying pretty heavily for now on word of mouth to get the word out and keep it spreading.

Please, of course, don't give details out, but if you like the book, encourage others to buy it. You'll see that what was available to you for $15 is now available at $29.95, but we feel there are ten things in the book worth that cost, so we hope you'll continue to put things out.

Sure thing. Even though many of my friends don't read, I'm thinking of giving some as Christmas presents if they haven't picked it up by then.

[Lihu]

@iacas , I was thinking about the book some.  After you posted (might have been in the other thread) about how golfers should not overestimate their abilities, this thought came to me.

I really think the only possible negatives (assuming obviously because I have not read it) you could get from the book are golfers who do overestimate their abilities, and do not want to listen to reason.  We have seen it on here before, namely in the "aim for the center of the green thread".  I guess I can see some stubborn golfers think things like "yeah, sounds ok for high handicappers, but I am better than that."

Thoughts?

Quote:

Originally Posted by 14ledo81

Absolutely....Now to just get them to swing alike....

I suppose, greater loss for the stubborn guy that won't listen to reason.

Agreed that most adults are stubborn. This is one key reason why kids learn things faster.

We are constantly learning new things at work and/or with every other aspect of our lives. Most people have adapted to many new things as things progress. So, why can't they do the same way with golf?

I get that you are saying that whatever is written in the book applies to all of us, and that you are stating that potentially lower handicaps will think that something does not apply to them.  IMO, the better players have the ability to learn new things constantly, and I feel that that is why they are better players. They are the ones that are very likely willing to change things to improve their game, and adapt to new concepts from a better understanding of the new material to be digested. This is because they have probably done it many times in their past. So, the opposite could also be true. The higher handicappers might actually have trouble digesting the information whether through lack of experience, or potentially the same stubbornness that has been keeping them as high handicaps.

[iacas]

I get that you are saying that whatever is written in the book applies to all of us, and that you are stating that potentially lower handicaps will think that something does not apply to them.  IMO, the better players have the ability to learn new things constantly, and I feel that that is why they are better players. They are the ones that are very likely willing to change things to improve their game, and adapt to new concepts from a better understanding of the new material to be digested. This is because they have probably done it many times in their past. So, the opposite could also be true. The higher handicappers might actually have trouble digesting the information whether through lack of experience, or potentially the same stubbornness that has been keeping them as high handicaps.

That's basically the opposite of my experience. Better players are more reluctant, because they've gotten to where they are with what they think they do or know, so changing that view has, in their opinions, more potential to harm than help.

If you're struggling to break 100 or 90 or whatever, you're more likely to listen to anyone.

[14ledo81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

I get that you are saying that whatever is written in the book applies to all of us, and that you are stating that potentially lower handicaps will think that something does not apply to them.  IMO, the better players have the ability to learn new things constantly, and I feel that that is why they are better players. They are the ones that are very likely willing to change things to improve their game, and adapt to new concepts from a better understanding of the new material to be digested. This is because they have probably done it many times in their past. So, the opposite could also be true. The higher handicappers might actually have trouble digesting the information whether through lack of experience, or potentially the same stubbornness that has been keeping them as high handicaps.

That's basically the opposite of my experience. Better players are more reluctant, because they've gotten to where they are with what they think they do or know, so changing that view has, in their opinions, more potential to harm than help.

If you're struggling to break 100 or 90 or whatever, you're more likely to listen to anyone.

Exactly.  This leads to why I asked the question of you the other day in your swing thread.  About, being hard to commit to changes when you already play at a high level.

[Lihu]

That's basically the opposite of my experience. Better players are more reluctant, because they've gotten to where they are with what they think they do or know, so changing that view has, in their opinions, more potential to harm than help. If you're struggling to break 100 or 90 or whatever, you're more likely to listen to anyone.

. If I ever get to the single digits and get complacent about it, just give me a swift kick in the butt. :-D

[mvmac]

I get that you are saying that whatever is written in the book applies to all of us, and that you are stating that potentially lower handicaps will think that something does not apply to them.  IMO, the better players have the ability to learn new things constantly, and I feel that that is why they are better players. They are the ones that are very likely willing to change things to improve their game, and adapt to new concepts from a better understanding of the new material to be digested. This is because they have probably done it many times in their past. So, the opposite could also be true. The higher handicappers might actually have trouble digesting the information whether through lack of experience, or potentially the same stubbornness that has been keeping them as high handicaps.

Yeah like Erik said, it tends to be the opposite, better players are more closed minded. If they had gotten to be a good player by learning new things and adapting, that's a rare golfer IMO. Most good players start early, learn what works for them through trail and error and they get set in their ways. Also, learning or adapting can be labeled as "getting technical" or "thinking too much".

[MattM]

Ah ok.....Sounds good.... That post you put out about practice is definately interesting. I think I may be doing what you guys are advocating for. I'm assuming for "right" practice at the range it would mean spending more time with the full swing, but trying to play full rounds and never hitting the same club twice? I typically only spend at most 10 minutes on the greens to practice my fell of the slopes and get the stimp etc.... I do, however, spend a big part of my practice trying to chip. Would you guys say that's more wasted practice or good practice?