Book Reviews: Feb/Mar 2022
Book Reviews by Les Schupak
The country's most prominent sports psychologist, Dr. Bob Rotella, has published his 10th book, Make Your Next Shot Your Best Shot (Simon & Schuster, $27.00).
Rotella has coached such renowned golfers as Pat Bradley, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Tom Kite, Davis Love III, and Mike Weir to name just a few of his major-champion clients. Rotella urges all the athletes he works with to eradicate negative thoughts, to have a deep conviction of one's skills and become unconsciously competent about executing them, to develop a routine that is followed diligently, and to dream big.
One provocative and very appealing proposal he sets forth is that no matter what age you are, even a senior or super-senior golfer, you can reach your greatest potential to become better by training your mind to play in the moment, learn to overcome failure, and persevere.
Anecdotes and first-person stories from dozens of successful athletes he has coached are featured throughout the book, as well as quotes and advice from an assortment of legendary figures including William Shakespeare, Henry David Thoreau, Winston Churchill, Satchel Page, Yogi Berra, and Jack Nicklaus.
Rotella's book will motivate you to hit the practice range and putting green, inspire you to practice long and hard, have a positive and confident attitude, but most importantly, to appreciate this incredible yet imperfect game and the joy it provides.
Before there was Bryson, or Brooks, there was Bubba Watson making headlines and excitement on the PGA Tour. In his just-published memoir Up and Down (Thomas Nelson, $20.99), written with veteran collaborator Don Yaeger, the two-time Masters champion reveals how the dream of becoming a world-famous professional golfer had debilitating effects on his mental, emotional, and physical stability.
Known as one of the longest drivers of the golf ball, someone who could curve the ball's flight left or right at will, Bubba was renowned for escaping from implausible locations on the golf course. Despite this talent and his success on the PGA Tour, he began to suffer serious anxiety attacks and depression, causing him to lose more than 50 pounds and one golf tournament after another.
Watson opens his heart and soul about this difficult period of his life. He describes his childhood growing up in small-town Bagdad, Fla., with parents who recognized his golf skills early on and urged him to pursue his dream. From a young age he competed regularly in local tournaments -- at the age of 13 he recorded a 62 in an event -- moved on to playing in American Junior Golf Association competitions, and then graduated to the many mini tours that existed at the time for male golf professionals. He played his way onto the Nationwide Tour (now the Korn Ferry Tour) and in 2005 earned his PGA Tour card.
Bubba's professional golf career had highs such as representing America at the Rio Olympics, winning 12 times on the PGA Tour, and those two Masters victories. But the lows were devastating as he was unable to accept defeat, constant criticism from fans, and declining social interaction with fellow players. The death of his father to throat cancer was another blow to his fragile emotional condition. One morning after collapsing from a massive anxiety attack, he begged for guidance and discovered it through his faith in God.
Aided by his wife Angie, a former WNBA player and herself a devout Christian, as well as his caddie Ted Scott, Bubba details how he has emerged stronger and has accepted the hardships that come with fame and success.
Written in a home-spun conversational way, the book offers an introspective look at the pressures and challenges many athletes must face away from the playing field. While Bubba would never be classified as your typical athlete, the imperfections he experienced and continues to work through aren't unique to him: think Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and tennis star Naomi Osaka. The book gives us a window into Bubba's life as he wrestles with the demons plaguing him, a struggle unseen by the sporting world. He and Yaeger provide an honest and provocative look into one of professional golf's most colorful and unorthodox champions.