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Percy Boomer
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On Learning Golf: A Valuable Guide to Better Golf Hardcover – June 27, 1946

by Percy Boomer (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 198 ratings
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The War & Peace of golf. A quaint old classic from 1946, with an intro by the Duke of Windsor. It's good advice, and seriously, this game has hardly changed a whit in 50 years!
Previous page
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Knopf
  4. Publication date
    June 27, 1946
  5. Dimensions
    5.25 x 1.25 x 7.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0394410084
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0394410081
  8. See all details
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The War & Peace of golf. A quaint old classic from 1946, with an intro by the Duke of Windsor. It's good advice, and seriously, this game has hardly changed a whit in 50 years!

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf (June 27, 1946)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394410084
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394410081
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1.25 x 7.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 198 ratings

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Percy Boomer

Percy Boomer

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
198 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

John Voorhorst
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Positive Experience!
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2024
Verified Purchase
Just as advertised. Very nice copy.
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Christmas Tree
5.0 out of 5 stars Best golf instruction ever written
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2012
Verified Purchase
I wholeheartedly agree with several of the reviews here which claim, in essence, that this is the best golf instruction book ever written. How can a book now about 70 years old merit such praise? Well, in the first place Boomer helps a golfer build his swing by using imagery. The pivot, for instance, he compares to rotating one's hips while standing in a barrel, the use of the wrists to the use of a flail. The imagery helps the golfer begin to learn what a proper swing feels like. Second, Boomer knows how to sequence the learning of these controls, these swing sensations, so that they eventually blend into a whole. (He calls them controls because they will eventually help the golfer to ingrain and almost automatically produce the swing.) Third, Boomer never tells the golfer what not to do. Relentlessly positive, he modestly apologizes for an approach which might seem tedious and repetitive because he knows that he will no doubt have to go through several images, explanations, or stories before he finds one that will make the reader say, "Aha, I get it." Fourth, it's worth noticing what he doesn't do. He doesn't focus on positions which the golfer must try to get himself into. Instead, the image and the feel of the movement gradually lead to the building of a swing which contains these "positions."

As one who coached high school tennis for more than 20 years, I wish I had read his book nearer the beginning of my coaching career than the end of it. And as one who has admired the golf swings of Bobby Jones, Mickey Wright, and Ben Hogan (especially Hogan), I can't help but add that Hogan spent several years, in the 1940s, carrying a battered copy of Boomer's book with him whenever he went out to practice. Since Hogan himself wrote that it wasn't until 1946 that he felt really confident in his swing, it's safe to conclude that Boomer's book helped him quite a bit.

Finally, I can't help but mention the delightfully quirky humor in the book and the beautifully indirect manner Boomer sometimes finds with which to teach the reader. He managed to compose a book unfailingly funny, thoughtful, and incisive. It is not only the seminal book of golf instruction, as one reviewer here claimed, it is the most delightful one. You can reread it many times with a smile and a nod of approbation, and you can build--without tips, without video, without a long list of your mistakes--a swing which will last you a lifetime.
8 people found this helpful
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Matt D
5.0 out of 5 stars This is my favorite book in my vast golf library.
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
I recommend this writing to anyone whose mind is open enough to accept the fact that what we are feeling and what we are actually doing are not the same!
Percy has captured this masterfully in his book.
I have been teaching golf for 40 years.
I started reading On Learning Golf when I took my first employment in 1983. We sold books in the shop, and I picked it up one day. It literally changed my life.
I have given countless copies to my most open-minded students.
Enjoy!
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Wayne
4.0 out of 5 stars Simple is best
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2014
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I have indicated the degree to which I have appreciated this purchase and how it his been of value to me. Hope you have the same experience that I did and that it will be beneficial to you.
One person found this helpful
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Noel J. Hartough
5.0 out of 5 stars MUST READ for student of the game
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2007
Verified Purchase
This is one of a handful of books that any serious student of the game should read carefully. Perhaps the most important contribution that this book makes is that it beautfully describes FEELINGS associated with a good golf swing. He uses the term "controls" to describe the way the body learns to perform complex actions. I found myself laughing at how well he describes thoughts and sensations one feels in the journey of learning golf. His writing style adds to the value of the book (he's pretty sharp and funny). The premise is that you must feel to learn the golf swing. He uses terms like "a glorius sweeping of the ball" to describe what happens at impact during a good swing. He also makes the contention that ones initial instincts about the golf swing are mostly harmful to learning a good golf swing. Hogan clearly borrowed a bit from Boomer in Five Lessons. I can't say enough great things about this book. I would encourage anyone to use this book as an ajundct to all of the four Harvey Penick books. In my opinion, Penick is the best pro of them all, and he quoted Boomer pretty regularly.

The Scottish teachers and early American teachers used mind pictures and sensations to teach golf. In my opinion, they know the best way to learn is to use sensations and mind pictures. This lets the persons own natural ability learn how to square the clubface with every club in the bag
One person found this helpful
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Fish71
5.0 out of 5 stars Completely incredible
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
I'm a decades-long golf fanatic, and I've bought countless golf instruction books. THIS ONE IS CLEARLY THE BEST. The way Boomer explains and elaborates is so precise, thorough, and clear (without being overwhelming) that I'm still in happy shock. In fact, though my hardcover edition has pictures in it, I think there are only five, and they are basically unnecessary because his written words are so perfectly chosen. He's almost conversational about it; in fact some of the best chapters are recollected conversations that he has had with students during lessons. I had a highlighter with me as I read, and I had trouble finding portions of the book NOT worth highlighting. If you want to understand the modern golf swing, you need to read this book... even though it was written before World War II. Incredible!
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Reader Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars Read this only if you want to be a great golfer!
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2014
Verified Purchase
I cannot recommend this book enough. Now here is a book written more than 50 years ago which actually tells you how to learn a golf swing that works. It is written by a teacher who had as one of his students the Prince of Wales. If that isn't high-priced talent I sure don't know what is. Percy Boomer teaches you how to FEEL your swing. No memorizing or repetition here. Everything about the swing is taught as one complete motion which is accomplished by a number of easy to perform feels. Once you feel something correctly it never goes away.

Now, this book may not be the easiest thing to understand at first. You need to read this with a club nearby and to reread it to allow what is an astonishingly simple system to soak into your brain. It may be a bit of work to read this book several times over but nothing that is worth anything comes easy. The end result will make you happy that you took the time. If Percy Boomer were alive today, Leadbetter would be selling apples.
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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BigJazz
5.0 out of 5 stars Achat en format électronique (kindle)
Reviewed in France on November 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
Excellent ouvrage sur la pratique du golf. J’ai acheté ce livre en fomat électronique (kindle) et j’en suis très satisfait. Très bon rapport qualité/prix.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars How to earn golf...
Reviewed in Canada on October 19, 2018
Verified Purchase
Best instruction book ever. It was Hogan's Bible
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JENKSIE
5.0 out of 5 stars Foreget Leadbetter et al - Percy Boomer knew more about golf than all the modern gurus!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
If you like golf instrusction books - this is a must have. Almost forgotten now, Percy Boomer and his brother, Aubrey, were among the most important men in British golf in their day. Their father was Harry Vardon's schoolmaster in Jersey, and they lived their entire lives in golf. Aubrey was a big star, winning many titles and finishing second to Bobby Jones in the Open Championship! Percy dedicated his life to teaching, and this awesome book forms the basis of more modern golf books than I could possible name. If you read this book you will see that there is nothing new in golf - and it becomes pretty clear where many of today's so-called golf-gurus actually got many of their ideas. Forget Leadbetter et al - Percy Boomer knew more about golf than just about any of them.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A gem for any golfer to absorb
Reviewed in Australia on January 14, 2017
Verified Purchase
Not just a very valuable instruction book, but charming poetic prose.
No paralysis by analysis here.
Just solid “felt concepts” that will make you a better player.
Written along time a go by someone who could really play.
If only this was the only golf book I had read
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Sagit
5.0 out of 5 stars Reçu bien emballé
Reviewed in France on December 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
Reçu bien emballé, livre d'occasion
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