BOOK EXCERPT
HARVEY PENICK'S LITTLE RED BOOK, (LESSONS AND TEACHINGS FROM A LIFETIME IN GOLF). by Harvey Penick with Bud Shrake. 1992, Simon & Schuster. New York.

Do You Need Help?
If you play poorly one day, forget it.
If you play poorly the next time out, review your fundamentals of grip, stance, aim and ball position. Most mistakes are made before the club is swung.
If you play poorly for a third time in a row, go see your professional.

Backspin
An average golfer was pestering Tommy Armour to teach him how to put backspin on his iron shots.
The obvious answer is that if you hit the ball solidly, the loft on the club will put backspin on it. But this was too simple. The average golfer was sure Tommy must know some secret that made a good middle-iron shot land on the green and dance backward.
Finally Tommy said, "Let me ask you something. When you hit an approach shot from 140 yards or so, are you usually past the pin, or are you usually short of it?"
"I'm nearly always short of the pin," the average golfer replied.
"Then what do you need with backspin?" Tommy said.

'Even when times were good, I realised that my earning power as a golf professional depended on too many ifs and putts.' Gene Sarazen 1902-1999. 39 tour victories including 7 Major titles (Masters 1935, US Open 1922, 1932, British Open 1932). Invented the sand wedge in 1930.