HARVEY PENNICKÕS LITTLE RED BOOK; LESSONS AND TEACHINGS FROM A LIFETIME IN GOLF.

by Harvey Penick

Harvey Penick's life in golf began when he started caddying at the Austin, (Texas), Country Club at age eight. Eighty-one years later he is still there, still dispensing wisdom to pros and beginners alike. His stature in the golf world is reflected in the remarkable array of champions he's worked with, both men and women, including U.S. Open champion and golf's leading money winner Tom Kite, Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, and LPGA Hall of Famers Mickey Wright, Betsy Rawls, and Kathy Whitworth. It is not for nothing that the Teacher of the Year Award given by the Golf Teachers Association is called the Harvey Penick Award. Now, after sixty years of keeping notes on the things he's seen and learned and on the golfing greats he's taught, Penick is finally letting his Little Red Book (named for the red notebook he's always kept) be seen by the golf world. His simple, direct, practical wisdom pares away all the hypertechnical jargon that's grown up around the golf swing, and lets all golfers, whatever their level, play their best. He avoids negative words; when Tom Kite asked him if he should "choke down" on the club for a particular shot, Harvey told him to "grip down" instead, to keep the word "choke" from entering his mind. He advises golfers to have dinner with people who are good putters; their confidence may rub off, and it's certainly better than listening to bad putters complain. And he shows why, if you've got a bad grip, the last thing you want is a good swing.Throughout, Penick's love of golf and, more importantly, his love of teaching shine through. He gets as much pleasure from watching a beginner get the ball in the air for the first time as he does when one of hisstudents wins the U.S. Open."Harvey Penick's Little Red Book" is an instant classic, a book to rank with Ben Hogan's "Modern Fundamentals of Golf" and Tommy Armour's "How to Play Your Best Golf All the Time."

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Reference, Personal Development, Memoir, Self Help, Health

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Kurtbg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anecdotes and advice from a golf pro for days of yore.
The game of golf has changed since then, and he notes it near the end of the book when he covers trick shots. He laments a bit that the game has become more power biased.

Some interesting notes (very basic).
- Practice your swing with a 7 iron.
- most time is spent with irons and putting. Don't over practice
on a driver.
- Relax and find what works for you. there is no perfect swing/stance, etc
that works for everyone. It's your perfect swing you strive for.
- Walk the grounds to learn the course, feel the rhythm of the game and
enjoy. Golf carts take away from that experience.
- Practice the 4 foot putt.

See you in the fairways!

[G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un clásico del golf lleno de anécdotas y consejos que no sirven para nada, por supuesto. Tampoco suma esa irritante comparación permanente entre el golf y la vida que intenta brillar como sabiduría. Opino que los que insisten con esa comparación lo hacen porque les falta vida o porque les sobra golf. Es una analogía, es cierto, pero muy laxa. Están las reglas, la frustración mezclada con gratificación, el aprendizaje que no termina nunca y cierta incomodidad saludable. Pero el emparejamiento es un exceso, un out-of-bounds diría uno de estos filósofos del golf si tuviera un despertar kantiano, un pasaje del dogma a la crítica. Tampoco suma el psicologismo, esa confusión voluntarista que premeditadamente busca la alienación en la autoconfianza. Hay también un excesivo salón de la fama. Son interesantes las anécdotas en primera persona sobre Hogan, Palmer, Snead, Trevino y Nicklaus, pero se pasa cuando nombra a todos los amigos que pensó que debía nombrar. Contra todo esto, creo que se trata de un buen libro. Tiene una prosa cálida, ágil, directa y honesta. De biomecánica hay poco, pero muy bueno. Es una mezcla ecléctica de la vieja escuela escocesa con pragmatismo texano. ¿Habrá algún lector de este libro que no termine la lectura con ganas de haber sido alumno de este gran maestro de maestros que fue Harvey Penick? No lo creo.

[Brad Lyerla · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a comfort this little book is for a golfer! Simple and wise, Penick makes golf sensible for expert and hacker alike. It is a must read for all golfers.

A key take away for me is that Penick instructs us to "take dead aim." Of course. And yet, I bet the vast majority of shots I hit in a round are just approximations. No more. I resolve to take dead aim. That now is my mantra.

[Ben Margraves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was released while I was in high school in the 90's. I was a golfer and it consumed my life most of the time. This book was like my bible. I read this book to improve my game by taking notes from it and writing them on my hats, bags, scorecards and anything else I could imagine. The lessons in this book were not only applied o golf but to life as well.

[Jason Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penick was a lifelong caddy and teacher of the great game of golf and, reportedly, not a bad golfer himself, though he writes in a the little red book that he learned to golf from golfers and to teach from teachers.

There must be 80+ "chapters" in this book, with most being approximately a page and some being much less.

From practical technique tips to psychological preparation to stories of famous (and not so famous) golfers, the little red book has it all.

Penick was a teacher to some of history's best golfers (including Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite) and rubbed elbows with many, many more (Davis Love III, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus..).

This is often rated the #1 golf book of all time and for golfers it is a must read.

[Ryan Blevins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amazing. Harvey Penik is my hero in golf after Arnold Palmer. Harvey is from Austin TX which makes everything all that much better. Who would have though that a little eight year old could get a job caddying for the middle aged rich white men golfing for fun. Austin Country Club has found themselves a gem. Eighty One years of caddying and he is still at the Country Club doing what he does best, caddying. He spent little time on Tour, but all the time in the world coaching those on tour. he coached grates like Tom Kite and many more. This book includes a span of sixty years worth of notes and markings he made while coaching professionals and amateurs. What are some of the juicy notes he has made in those sixty years, well, your gonna have to read this and find out for your self. reading this book lead my to take ten strokes off of my own game. I felt like he coached me just from reading this book. He is the John Wooden of Golf, so read, enjoy, and you too could be playing better Golf in no time.

[Dino Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is considered my dad‘s favorite books on golf. The stories were really fun while the lessons actually managed to teach me something. The last chapter is definitely the best because he talks about how golf is also like life. You need to accept victories and defeats and still keep going. Halfway through the book I realized I’m about to read 160 pages about golf …how come I haven’t read all of the New Testament. I also was reading the book today and one of my students asked what are you reading Mr. Wilson and I responded it’s a book about golf and golf lessons then the student proceeded to say that sounds like the most boring book ever.

[David Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's good to read golf advice from someone who had seen a 3 wood still made from trees. The timeless lessons create the antithesis of the latest golf infomercial gimmick, and he’s funnier too. As I'm still frustratingly bad at this game, I appreciate his simplification of the techniques and emphasis on positive head space.

[Brennan Ofcarcik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book summed up everything you read and see online… What a true testament of time this book is. It shows that golf is not just a new shiny thing. It shows what worked 100 years ago is what should be taught today.

[Wes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice easy read. There are a few good pieces of advice, the rest is mostly folksy hokum. I’ll continue to delude myself into thinking that reading enough golf books will eventually take 10 strokes off my game.

[Jmlanier1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an all time classic from golf teacher Harvey Penick. Great lessons and great stories! This is a must read for all golfers!

[vron! · Rating 5 out of 5]

well written harvey 👏👏👏👏

[Ian McCallum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool little bit of wholesome content and insight from a lifelong teacher and pro - I’d recommend it to anyone interested in learning or improving their game

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as it was recommended to me for it's nuggets of wisdom about teaching and learning beyond the game of gold. It didn't disappoint.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book at the driving range and I like it enough that if the second book is still at BookOff the next time I visit, I'll probably get it (I obviously didn't learn my lesson about having too many books when I moved).

Harvey Penick's Little Red Book is basically a collection of golfing tips and stories (and even one poem). Harvey Penick is supposed to be this really great teacher, although I haven't heard of him before. But he sounds really kind and like a good teacher.

Basically, Harvey's philosophy is that golf is a game you can spend your whole life learning (agree) and that although each person has their own style of playing, there are certain principles that can help you play a better game. So while he talks about people who are exceptions to the rules, he does give you the 'rules' that can help you improve golf.

And a lot of stories. I think there are more stories about golf than tips about golf in the book. I found most of them interesting, but I have a feeling that I'm supposed to be impressed at the people who wrote the introduction/are mentioned in the book. Then again, I like playing golf but not really watching it, so that probably explains my ignorance regarding those people.

This is definitely a book that fans of golf would like. But I don't think this is a good book for people looking to get into the game because it uses quite a lot of golf terminology (do the words "hook your putts" and "squaring the club face" mean anything to you?). In fact, I would probably understand and appreciate this a lot more when I was in MG because I was learning and using those terms regularly back then. Reading it now, I have to think hard to understand some sentences.

Still, I'm glad I got this book. It's always fun to read about golf from someone who loves it, and it serves as a good motivator for me(:

This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile

[Tom Anstett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining. Compact. Instructional (for any level of golfer). Breezy. Golfers of any talent will enjoy Penick's brief, yet insightful, guidance about every aspect of the game.
I especially enjoyed two aspects in this book: 1. If one has a youngster interested in learning golf, Penick preaches got start him or her on and/or around the green, not with a driver or iron. Most youngsters are not strong enough to handle a wood or iron; thus, bad habits are developed from the start. Discouragement is not far behind. 2. Spend 85 % of practice time on and around the green with ONE ball, a chipper of choice, and the putter. To repeat: one ball. To get a distinct feel for the game, practice the chip and follow up with the amount of putt(s) to get the ball into the hole. After all, that is how the game is played.

Wonderful tome that has something for very golfer.

[Aidan Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harvey Penick's Little Red Book is a book on a series of tips and instructions to make the reader a more knowledgeable golfer. The book covers almost any scenario an armature golfer will face and how to fix it. Some teachings and lessons take up less than a page and others are more extensive. I would recommend this book to a new golfer or someone who does not know much about golf.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really great but written for right handed golfers, and I'm a lefty...

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly, the world considers this the GOLF BIBLE. There is a great deal of useful information here, some of it explained in detail, but much of it in short, pithy notes. Nothing about this book is long or particularly stylized. This is not a book about writing, after all, and Penick's writing partner (Bud Shrake) stays in the background, doing his job subtly and well.

A book with some chapters as short as a sentence or two can move so fast you miss things and there's a risk it begins to read more like a shopping list than a book that can draw you in and hold your interest. Fortunately, Shrake avoids that problem by placing longer stories here and there throughout the book, personal tales of Penick and his students, or Penick and golf hustlers, of Penick and his years as a young caddie, Penick and the board members of the Austin Country Club, etc.

In the end, this is a good read--equal parts golf HOW-TO book and golf memoir by one of the true greats. This short book is worth the read--and the re-read.

Some quotes:

"I like to see your hands toward the inside of your left thigh on every shot except the driver. With the driver, I like to see your hands at your zipper. If this moves them slightly behind the ball at address, that is fine. It encourages hitting on the upswing."

"No pretty woman can miss a single shot without a man giving her some poor advice." ( #mansplaining ha ha).

"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."

(Wait. Seriously?)

"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."

"Golfers didn't practice so much in the days when they had to pick up their own balls or else hire a caddie for twenty-five cents an hour to stand down on the range with their shag bags. It was dangerous, ALL THOSE GOLFERS HITTING BALLS AND KIDS DOWN THERE PICKING THEM UP. I must have been hit twenty times [emphasis added]."

"The Great Depression put knickers out of business. People couldn't afford to pay $12 for a good pair of wool hose to wear with them. They needed to buy a pair of long pants."

--HARVEY PENICK'S LITTLE RED BOOK, by Harvey Penick and Bud Shrake.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are reading this to understand Penick's swing philosophy, there is quite a bit of filler to sift through. The following are some key takeaways that I found most relevant if you have already have a decent understanding of the golf swing.

-turn body to right with weight shift to right foot, letting left heel gently come up, then let weight shift back to left foot at same time right elbow starts back toward your side, continue turning left
-hand position at address should be inside your left thigh with all clubs, except driver, which you be lined up with your zipper
-left thumb should not be down the shaft, important for it to be a little to the right
-keeping right elbow tucked to the side is meant for the downswing, not necessarily the backswing (Penick takes issue with towel drills)
-practice swings: always aim at something and brush the ground
-to check aim, hold the club shaft along front thighs, rather than laying club down at your feet
-left heel should come up on the backswing but not consciously
-for players with limited hip mobility, even more important for left heel to come up off the ground on the backswing to allow for more turn
-bunker shots: shaft pointed at zipper, hands slightly ahead, body aimed left, clubface straight
-on longer bunker shots, hit less behind the ball
-Penick disagrees with instructors that teach playing every shot off left heel; you may be able to get away with it with good lies but it requires a very fast hip shift with short clubs
-9 iron ball position should be dead center, move forward from there as clubs get longer
-swing length and turn is heavily influenced by feet placement

[Susan Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harvey Penick's Little Red Book is as much about teaching as it is about golf. One of the greatest golf instructors who ever lived, Penick composed this book by compiling personal anecdotes, golfing tips, and descriptions of legendary golfers. A would-be golfer, like me, can learn much about the joy and beauty of the game while picking up tips as to what aspects of the swing are important and which ones are not worth worrying about. Penick treated each of his students differently, recognizing that there are many ways to swing a club, and he worked very hard to get to know his students--not only their individual swings but also who they were as individuals--before offering advice. I finished this book with great admiration for this man who quietly watched his students swing and offered maybe one or two pieces of advice that were game-changing. Highly recommend if you are taking up the game or if you are an avid golfer and just need some direction to get you out of your slump. Tips that will stay with me: "Take dead aim," "Clip the tee," and "Swing the bucket." This book, along with Ben Hogan's Five Lessons, has found a home on my coffee table where I can refer to it often.

[Roy Murry · Rating 4 out of 5]

'GOLF' HARVEY PENICK'S

LITTLE RED BOOK



HARVEY PENICK &

BUD SHRAKER



Review by Author Roy Murry



I found this little jewel of lessons and teachings from Mr. Penick's lifetime in golf by accident. I have been playing golf since I was fourteen and never heard of Harvey.

If you lived in Texas in the 1970s, '80s, and '90s and heard of Davis Love III, Tom Kite, Byron Nelson, Kathy Whitworth, and many others, you may have known about Harvey, their instructor. I had not because I was living, working, and playing golf in the Caribbean during that time with little access to the USA's TV channels.

At the beginning of this book, the above professional golf champions introduce Harvey to the reader. I was surprised that I had not heard of him, and if you're a golfer of that era, you may also have not.

Bud Shrake, an American journalist, sportswriter, and novelist, helped Harvey write the rest of this golfing advice book. I had some of Harvey's lessons in my brain because I was on my high school's golf team.

Our coach was a part-time professional in the '60s. So I knew how to approach the ball, perform my waggle, and hit the ball straight. If you do not know why a 'waggle' is needed, you need this book.

Harvey's advice is extensive; a beginner, a weekend player, or an active golfer should read the book from cover to cover. Two of my playing partners are using Harvey's nuggets of knowledge, and you should use them also.

[Linda Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book can delight a reader, whether a golfer or not. The organization into specific topics makes this book useful as a resource. If I were a golfer, I would really use the book as an ongoing resource.

As a history buff, I really enjoyed reading the history of the Austin Country Club, which opened in 1898, as well as the many historical anecdotes about the history of golf and golf players. Harvey became the pro there in 1923 and stayed for over 50 years.

Harvey coached at the University of Texas. Since I am from West Texas, I really enjoyed the story about his college players from West Texas: their grip was different due to holding club steady for shots in those fierce winds.

I just loved reading this book.

[Maciej Walinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book, especially for avid golf fans. Some of the tips are fantastic, although you won't get much out of it if you don't already have a pretty good fundamental understanding of the golf swing. If you do, there are some great bits of advice in there.

There are also a number of entertaining anecdotes, and the whole book provides a wonderful insight into golf the way it was pretty much pre-Tiger. Tiger of course turned the whole thing on its head, but for the most part, everything here is still relevant and can help anyone's game - especially Harvey's straight-up approach to the psychology of it all. It should be one more two nights of reading at most, and is definitely a recommendation on my end.

[Tim Nokken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be generous and give it 5 because it's just such a nice and reassuring book.
One gets the sense that Penick is just simply a super nice guy and he truly wants to help people play good golf. It's a folksy story-based approach to conveying his ideas about golf and, by extension, every day life. The cynic in me wants not to like that, but Penick's sincerity and simple means of conveying info and his ability to show he truly wants to teach people is really infectious. If you like golf and want to play better, this is a good book to read. It is not technical. It's not mechanical. But it provides a strong instruction on how to approach the game mentally. Along with Golf is Not a Game of Perfect, a super way to think about playing better golf with the skill set you have.

[Jack Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of my favorite books I have ever read. I extremely enjoyed the layout of this book due to the fact that you could flip to any page and it would be filled with endless golf knowledge. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love and passion for the game of golf. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned golf pro, this book is for you. I also loved the tone Harvey used throughout the book. When he would give advice about the golf grip, it felt as if he was really having a conversation with me. His tone was very serious and straightforward, but sometimes you could pickup some little slips of some humor. Overall this was a great book because of its accessibility and knowledge. I look forward to ready more of Harvey Penick’s books.

[Stephen Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an honor and a privilege to read this book.

More than an instruction book, this is at once a history lesson and a love story. Anyone with the least interest in golf will find themselves on fire with a desire to go try out these gems and pearls, and either in love for the first time with golf or more in love with the game than ever. The greatest statement, in my opinion, is that golf mirrors life, and the reader will catch a good glimpse of this truism as the pages turn. This book ignites passion and instills perspective, both of which are essential to keep the aspiring golfer coming back for more.

[Coleman Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a bit dated by the standards of todays game but I think it’s important to note that the lessons and quotes from Harvey are something to be valued.

You will absolutely find segments and teachings which can be applied to your game if you’re looking for a way to adjust the issues you face on the course.

While the history of golf does not drive me as much I did find the lessons to be valuable.

What’s interesting is many of the lessons and teachings I have heard through the last 10 years of golf as things mentioned by other players whom have given me advice and it was fun to see where those insights originated from.

[Brad Eastman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harvey Pennick is a legendary golf professional who taught some of the 20th Century's greatest golfers. This book is a collection of aphorisms and vignettes about his life in golf. The book represents the pinnacle of country club culture so mercilessly spoofed in Caddy Shack. Every time I picked this book up, I felt I should be eating crustless pimento cheese sandwiches on white bread and drinking an Arnold Palmer. The stories are interesting and Mr. Pennick firmly believed that every individual had a unique swing - there was no one way to hit a golf ball - but every individual could improve. Still, the book feels like a relic of a bygone era.

[PMB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this in an afternoon. Straightforward, often quite funny, and intimate. You really feel like you get to know Harvey Penick by the end.

Attention is given to the power of positive thinking and the rewards of practice and discipline, but this is not a “golf = life” kind of book. He is giving legit tips on grips, how to position your feet, club selection, etc. That might sound boring, but trust me, it’s not. Very readable.

I’m tempted to throw it in my golf bag so I’ll have it with me to reference on the course.