Such a Little Secret

By J. Wilson Barrett

Book Overview

Such a Little Secret is one of the most charming golf books you will read, and one that will undoubtedly help you understand what is necessary to improve your game and lower your scores. Before you can take advantage of today's equipment, before you spend another dollar at the driving range, before you set foot on the first tee again, you must "learn to learn" the essentials of the perfect swing. Simple things. Easy things. Understanding the essential elements of the swing is where the average golfer parts company with the better player. How so many can play for so long devoid of all knowledge of the correct path of the clubhead to the ball really is a mystery. Such a Little Secret supplies the knowledge that will open the gate to millions.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1587261111
• ISBN13: 9781587261114
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Sports Media Group
• Length: 165 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.3" x 0.8" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Excellent instruction

This book has all the instruction you will ever need to play exceptional golf.While it is a bit wordy and written in an old English style, I feel that is part of it's charm.If you're patient, you will uncover the timeless truths of great golf.A steady head, correct start back, a good turn and proper first move in the downswing are all there is to learn.I've studied golf extensively, all modern teaching is junk.Stick to these old principles.

Great Book

If you are not a technical golfer, then I highly recommend this book to you. Very simple and unlike some other reviews; I found it a great read. I've read it twice now, and will probably read it again when I'm on vacation this summer.

Less is more

Most of us have way too much stuff running around in our head from reading lots of books, articles, the golf channel, et. al. What we need are the absolute basic underlying fundamentals, the fewer the better. This gives us that but many won't appreciate it because to the well read there appears to be nothing new--but their is. He adds the emphasis and doesn't dilute the lesson with hundreds of other instructions. That's what good coachs do, repeat the fundamentals over and over. Since you have heard it, you think you know it but you don't have a clue. Practice these fundamentals for a month and forget about all the other stuff you think you know. For me this is close to impossible, but I will try. I just wish he could have boiled it down to one fundamental! In my opinion he is too modest by saying the book is not for single digit handicappers. How many of them (and pros)have you seen violating these very fundamentals? One other thought, the golf instruction industry is about "new" things and new termonology in order to sell stuff, and whether we acutally know more than what is included in Ben Hogan's works is very suspect to me.

Last key for me

For years I've been developing a solid swing based on solid fundamentals. It has always looked good and has been envied by young and old alike, mostly for the power it can generate. I've worked hard at making it look effortless and professional. When it came down to it, though, I found that my swing couldn't keep the ball in play consistently. I kept throwing away drives, and I have come to expect at least one train wreck hole per 9. I've been stuck at a mid-teen handicap for a while now. I knew I was missing 1 key ingredient that prevented me from hitting all the fairways and greens I want to hit. I found my final key in this book. It's an unnecessarily verbose book, but all one needs to know about hitting a golf ball only fills up 1 page. If you have a single digit handicap, then don't bother reading this book, as you won't find anything useful here. If you feel that one little something is missing from your swing, you may find it here. If you play worse than bogey golf, then this book is invaluable and should be required reading. It is worthwhile to note that what the author describes is nothing new. He simply stresses that which goes unstressed or unsaid in many other reference materials. He gives full credit where credit is due and very carefully and diligently cites his references.

A Swing Rebuilder Has To Work With These Swing Concepts

There are some real gems here in this small work, which unless one has been pounding the dirt for the answers won't even realize the wisdom that is being offered here. Primarily it is about four essentials to a repetitive swing, one you can trust. It starts with quiet head, then weight transfer with right loci of hands, and ends in clubhead at right knee level. While this appears to some to be brain surgery, the golfer who will just take the time to start with proper setup and adequate shoulder turn(there is neat drill at home w/o club to achieve this), the four essentials can be drilled into a player. This is phenomenal stuff which yields repeatable grooved swing with a little persistent effort. What this reviewer finds intriguing and right on is the lattitude Barrett provides in certain checkpoints, given one's flexibility, body structure, etc. But the four essentials still are essential. One can improve significantly just by the quiet head. Worst suggestion all golfers know which most hackers and their friends suggest: keep the head down. This little book in pages but large in gifts will bless all handicap golfers who want a groove and with patience, intensity and persistance, give its essentials a chance.