Think Less! Golf! by Dean Harris Book Review

Arnold Palmer once said that the most important six inches in golf is between the ears. And he was 100% correct.

As somebody who has played a LOT of golf, I can confirm that I have let my mind get in the way far too often - and still do. When I start a round well, I find myself wondering when the disaster hole is going to happen. And it almost always does come along to bite me, just when I least expect it. Once it is out of the way I usually mess up the next hole too. And then I get back in my stride.

I remember once standing on the 18th tee at Waldringfield Golf Club, needing a four on the par three to break par. And therein lay the problem - I knew exactly what I needed to do. There was a huge hedge to the left of the green and a pond in front. I could have hit an eight iron, pitched on and taken two putts. Instead, I went for the green, found the water and walked off with a double bogey.

If any of the above sounds familiar, you might want to get yourself a copy of Think Less! Golf! by Dean Harris.

The author makes no claims to be a great golfer and makes it clear from the outset that his book is not an instructional manual. It is designed to help us plot our way around the course with the best possible mindset.

I want to say at the outset that nothing Harris writes is rocket science - and that is a good thing. This is a book filled with common-sense thinking.

As an example, this is what he has to say about approaching any hole that features a hazard between yourself and the target:

"A common thought process when faced with a hazard, especially a water one where you might lose the ball completely, is to use an old ball, one you are not afraid of losing. This mindset alone is a bad one, as it is already considering defeat to the hazard, and means the hazard is in mind and focus. The solution would be to use a ball you would normally hit off the tee. This will provide confidence that it will go where you want it to and, as long as you have done your best to make it over the hazard with routine targeting and set-up, you will put trust in yourself to produce the best outcome."

I couldn’t agree more. 

Time without number I have seen high handicappers toss down old balls on holes that feature water hazards. It stands to reason that you are reducing your chances of hitting a good shot before you even draw the club from your bag. And let’s face it - an old golf ball is not going to fly as far as a new one.

Harris is also a big fan of pre-shot routines, believing that if you do the same thing every time then you will increase your chances of producing the shot you want to play.

And I like the advice he gives when facing a shot to a green that is surrounded by hazards. Most club golfers (and I include myself), will always go for the flag. Harris believes that we should take in everything and assess the area of the green that offers the least risk. Better to hit a putting surface and leave yourself a 40-foot putt than go for the flag and find yourself in a bunker or lake.

He tackles every shot in the book and does it in a no-nonsense fashion.

There is a reason that Scottie Scheffler is a far more successful golfer than, say, Joel Dahmen. You can argue that Scheffler’s technique is better but the real difference is in the way they handle adversity. Both men know that from time to time they are not going to hit the shots they want. Sometimes they are going to hit downright bad shots. But Scheffler has the mental strength to shrug it off and move on. Even Dahmen would admit that this is not an ability he possesses.

As club golfers we all hit shots that we want to erase from the memory banks. We have all played with golfers who lose the plot when they hit bad shots - and are unable to erase it from their minds before moving on to the next shot.

Harris advocates playing each round with a plan in mind, a focus for what lies ahead. And part of that is ignoring the antics of your playing partners.

I have been playing this sport for more years than I care to remember and I am the first to admit that I am not somebody who goes out there with a plan. I stand on each tee and hit the ball. I play every other shot without any great plan in mind.

But after reading Harris’ book I decided to change my approach. I opted to adopt a proper strategy for every tee shot, based on the fact that using the club that would find the fairway would give me the best chance of scoring well. And guess what? With Harris’ advice in my head, I went out and shot 40 Stableford points. So it may not be rocket science, but I am here to tell you that it is possible to teach old dogs new tricks.

Think Less! Golf! By Dean Harris is published by Harris Publishing Ltd and retails for £9.99.

You can buy the Kindle edition on Amazon by clicking here or the paperback edition on Amazon by clicking here.

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