Make Your Next Shot Your Best Shot: The Secret to Playing Great Golf

by Bob Rotella, Roger Schiffman, Padraig Harrington (Foreword)

Take your golf game to the next level—one shot at a time—with advice from the New York Times–bestselling author of How Champions Think.Foreword by Padraig HarringtonAcclaimed sport psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Bob Rotella has advised countless professional golfers, as well as athletes in individual and team sports at the amateur and professional levels, on how to flourish under pressure and win championships. Rotella strives to make average athletes exceptional. With his decades of in-depth research and practical experience, he has encouraged people worldwide to persevere through adversity in a dozen internationally bestselling titles.In Make Your Next Shot Your Best Shot, Rotella’s message is simple but to reach your greatest potential in golf, you need to set your sights high and always think positively. He wants you to aim for something free your mind, concentrate on your process, accept whatever happens, and commit to making your next shot your best shot. Rotella shows you how to focus your mind, create a routine for success, persevere, and overcome failure. Drawing from lessons learned in other sports, this book is about how to train your mind to play in the moment. It’s about spending your lifetime chasing greatness—and having a ball while doing it.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 21, 2021

About the author

Full name: Robert J. Rotella

Reviews

[Anthony Giardina · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a doctoral level psychologist I likely come to this book with a more critical set of ideas and expectations. That said, it was largely disappointing. There are a few helpful takeaways. Being in the moment, getting good with “scoring clubs”, playing with confidence.. etc. However, these ideas seem obvious and perfunctory. I came into this book knowing these mental approaches were important (and difficult) to apply in golf and hoped for a bit more of the “how to.” Additionally, this book is purely anecdotal. Can we have a bit of data to back up these cheerlead(y), redundant, and overconfident pronouncements. The field of psychology, including sports/performance psychology, is a science. I’d like to know the data, or at the very least, the theoretical underpinnings of why I should try this approach. It would go a long way toward increasing my confidence in its application.. which I heard for 250 pages was something I had to have.

[Aliasgar Moosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. the message is carried through the entire book. "Believe In Yourself," and "Be Happy."

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I see myself reading this again. Another great one by Dr. Bob Rotella. I wish I could give it 4.5 because it was a great book, but not ever chapter connected with me like Dr. Rotella’s “Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect”. I realize that is a very tough act to follow, but regardless, both great books.

This one made me a little uncomfortable in a good way when I had to come to grips with my golf game and my potential as a golfer. It forced me to stretch my mind and my opinion / view of myself as a golfer. I’ll have some growing pains this season, but I know I’ll have the doc in my corner (or on my bookshelf, rather) to keep me on track.

[Tyler J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello, my name is Tyler Brody, and this is a book review about. Make your neck shut the best shot By Doctor Bob Rutella. I Enjoyed reading this book and learned a lot of new concepts within the golf game mentally and physically throughout this book. The examples and the people they use to show situations in golf in this book are really good because There is mainly perspectives from PGA or XPGA players. Also is talking from alright golfers and seeing the difference between the physical and mind differences within the players. Doctor Bob Rutella is really good at showing how to make a routine for yourself, Short and quick and confident routine. That will help you repeat the swing and chat that you want to hit every time. The teaching with this stuff is you're going to try your best to hit the best shot possible and do the best routine in everything you can to make that happen, Really hard and there is not a really easy chance for you to hit the right shot every time, so you really need to be able to take whatever happens to the shot with no negative reactions. Bob will teach throughout the book that bar reactions will do you nothing in golf, after a swing, positive thoughts and learning thoughts are the only thing that should be going throughout the brain. When having negative thoughts and bad reactions. Doctor Bob Rutella is really going to teach you how that's going to hurt your next shot and will not help it at all. I did my best to give my review on this book without giving too many spoilers on the content that you'll read within this story. I'd really recommend it to any golfer who is actively trying to get better, good or bad skill level. I really truly think this book can only help and not hurt.

[Blake Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another classic Rotella book (in a good way). This book might have had a little bit more golf-specific things, reading this as someone who is going to carry the lessons learned into another sport. But it is a golf book after all. Rotella does a great job of giving instructional steps on how to be present, eliminate judgement and dream big.

Key Takeaways:
Dream big.
Downplay big events and have fun. Don't take it too seriously.
You can control your emotions to everything. Can control your response.
Enjoy the ups and downs.
Fundamentals
Setbacks: "its a slip, not a fall"
Don't attach emotion to a shot.
Mistakes will come. Dont try to be perfect.
Play with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Stick to routine, target line.

[Todd Aldrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few good nuggets for the serious as well as casual golfers but also applicable to non-golfers. 1) set big enough goals that they are worth putting in the time and hard work for - surround yourself with a support group that can help you arrive at realistic goals (e.g., if you have a golf teacher ask them what is possible for your game); 2) take an honest inventory of your game - work on your weaknesses to make the biggest gains; 3) anger is not helpful, it prevents you from focusing on your next shot, and introduces tension into the body which damages rhythm and grace; 4) play as if outcomes don't matter; and 5) best way to improve is to work on your scoring clubs - 8 iron to putter.

[Stacy Bearse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Champion golfer Bobby Jones is reputed to have said that the most important distance in golf is the space between your ears. Rotella, a former director of sports psychology at the University of Virginia, gives valuable lessons on the best mental approach to a very demanding game. I listened to the audio book on my way to a golf tournament in South Carolina. (My partner and I won first place! Basically, I survived the week by recalling Rotella's counsel, while by partner shot the lights out.) If you find golf to be a frustrating and angry experience, read this book. It will change the way you think.

[Dan Shonka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Bob Rotella is simply outstanding at what he does. I have the complete collection, and I have gotten great advice out of each. I have to say this is not his best, but there are some golden nuggets in these pages. Best of all, those nuggets apply to everything; sports, work, and life in general. I have a granddaughter playing softball, and I will for certain share some of those Life Lists with her. I recommend this and all of Bob Rotella's books. (Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect, and Putting Out of Your Mind are my two faves, no doubt.)

[Nicholas Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has truly made an impact on my life. I’ve read other Rotella works before, but this one seems to have the deepest meaning to me. I just decided to really throw myself into golf and seeing what the future is for me. Throughout the book, there has been great tangible tips for my swing but also more importantly for my mental health. I’m grateful that “Doc” has shared his life’s work and thoughts with us. I can’t recommend this book enough for anyone.

[Andrew Dracup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant.....maybe his best yet!!!

This book can be applied to all aspects of life not just golf! You don't have to be an elite golfer to get something from this book like some have put in their reviews. Do you want to become better? Do you have dreams about what you want to achieve? Then this book will help!

A great read with some really good thoughts, quotes and ideas.

Love it!!

[K Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great tips and points about improving various parts of your golf game but specifically your mental attitude. A book I will go back to as I continue to work on my golf game and mental aspect of the game. The putting chapter was very interesting.
Really enjoyed reading about golfers pros and non that he has worked with over the years and how they worked on improving their game. Good insights.
Did not know Bob was a fellow UCONN grad! Go Huskies!

[pascal hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

His best yet!

As someone who took up golf in my 30s discovering Bob Rotella changed how I approached the game in both practice & play. I switched from a frustrated hacker to a very confident player who also loved to practice and ever since golf has given me so much reward and pleasure. This is his best book yet - can’t recommend it highly enough.

[Maggie Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Great advice, not only for golf, but life in general. Definitely something I needed to read right now. It is heavy on golf, so not sure I'd recommend it to a non-golfer, but it's awesome for those of us who hit the links.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the author might be billed as a golf coach, he also appears a life coach as well. He seamlessly mixes mental golf lessons with life lessons that can be applied to focusing better, prioritizing better, getting out of one’s head with distractions and needless, critical chatter

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book contained a lot of things I already knew, but reinforced a lot of ideas necessary to succeeding both on the course and off. I’m looking forward to reading more of Dr. Bob’s books.

[Richard Lehingrat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good stuff for serious players to ingest.

[SHANE MATZEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to feel better about yourself?

This book allows you to think positively and have no excuses for doing so. Highly recommend to anyone trying to overcome your doubts.

[Jay Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very #motivational and #inspirational. Love Dr. Rotella, favorite sports psychologist in the world

[Mike Malaski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. Very simple and filled with golf lessons as well as competing lessons as well as life lessons.

[Ted Alling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great life advice not only golf advice. Very motivational

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoy the process

[Jim Cilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like Docs other books he dives into the mental side of golf but also gives great lessons for life.

[Jason Korn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Mental Game Book

So far I have not read any books on the mental game that can compare to The Inner Game of Tennis, until I read this book.

[Scott Meyerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Would recommend this book to anybody who wants to excel in life and improve their golf game and mental side of the game.

[Dave Wylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst a big fan of Dr Bob and his work, felt the story telling over shadowed the tangible, takeaway information. But that is purely personal.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to audio version. Excellent, as all Bob Rotella's books are.

[Joe Tripp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Applicable. “Worst ball” is genius.

[Popa Doodle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do yourself a favor and read this. Applies to life and golf. Don't dwell on the past or things you can't change. Just focus on your next step or chip shot. Leave the rest behind.

[Richard Copeland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite some important principles on the mental aspect of the game, the book is too short and repetitive.

[Bill Webber · Rating 4 out of 5]

...better on 2nd listen...may even be a re-re-listen one day...multiple applications for this one...