So you have it all. The equipment, the outfit, and a pretty good golf swing. So why can’t you take your great range sessions to the course? And why can’t you recover after a bad hole?

It all has to do with that space between your ears.

These books are interesting, helpful, and will dust the cobwebs off your cranium if you haven’t picked up a book in a while. So set down those clubs for a second and take a gander at these great golf reads!

1. Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game by Doctor Joseph Parent

Dr. Joseph Parent is a well known and highly knowledgable PGA coach, as well as a Buddhism instructor. In this book he gives great anecdotes and techniques that guide golfers to mastering their own minds. He focuses on strategies from Zen teachings and tradition that have been shown to improve the mental games of amateurs and professionals.

2. Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book

Harvey Penick definitely knows what he’s talking about. He has over 60 years of experience coaching amateur players, proudly showing off that he was a golf coach at the University of Texas. He truly does have a lifetime’s worth of golf advice, and a lot of it is definitely worth reading.

3. Be a Player and Every Shot Must Have a Purpose by Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilson

Out of all the golf books I have read, these two are definitely my favorites. (Be a Player is my #1, but both are must reads). My golf game really changed after I read these two books. Both are written by the same company who embraces the motto of VISION54, which is a game changing philosophy when it comes to golf and life. Both books address the approach to your golf game, tips to execute your shot better and more consistently, and how to store the good shots safely in your memory while learning from the not so good ones. Even if you do not read another book for the rest of your life, you have to read these two! These books completely changed my approach to golf and to life for the better.

When my coach told me to read these books, I put it off as long as possible. I mean, who reads in their free time when instead I can be on the range firing through a bucket of golf balls? (These books will help change your practice habits too!) Once I started these, I couldn’t put any of them down. Do you, and your golf game, a favor, and dedicate a little time out of each day to read and do these exercises.

Progress is not linear, but any way to move forward is a plus. These books are just one step closer to success!