In some respects, this is an odd little book about putting.

On the other hand, it contains some interesting stuff that should help beginning golfers and those seeking relief from their putting woes.

Leifer is a rare coin dealer and avid golfer. From the admiring comments of his friends that appear in the book, he’s apparently also what I call "a putting fool."

Leifer decided to take what he knows about the best part of his golf game and share it with others. If you can get past some of the odd graphics and occasionally jarring prose, it’s pretty good.

The first part is fairly standard stuff. Leifer outlines putter design options, a good description of relevant terms, and the routine basics of putting instruction that can also be found in golf magazines and other golf books. Sprinkled throughout the main text he also gives several useful, memorable short tips on various aspects of putting, during practice and competition.

The second part veers off into "The Mental Aspect of the Game," and here’s where it gets a little weird. Leifer cites a mix of Joseph Campbell and Taoist philosophy, along with a passing reference to the Egyptian Book of the Dead, all as part of a discussion of the roles of faith, relaxation, perception, and confidence. In the middle of this segment, Leifer also details the results of an interesting statistical study he conducted concerning motivation and its role in putting performance. The study results and accompanying discussion were frankly far more impressive to me than the semi-mystical material.

The next portion includes yoga exercises, among other surprises. Leifer correctly notes that all parts of a golfer’s game can improve with increased flexibility and general fitness. From there he shows the readers a total of 44 different exercises. It’s a bit of a stretch (pardon the pun) to include all of these routines into a book about putting, but you won’t hear me argue against the benefits of physical fitness for golfers. See, for example, my reviews of Golf Fit, Golf Flex, and The Golfer's Two Minute Workout.

The book concludes with a set of putting drills, and I’m sure I’ve seen some of these tips elsewhere. Again, the accompanying photographs should help readers appreciate the value of these drills to improve their chances on the greens.

Leifer writes with the zeal of the truly committed. His book is an uneven effort, but should interest golfers looking for a mix of conventional and not-so-conventional help with putting.

Review date: May 11, 2001

Note: You can also visit Leifer's website at www.puttingmagic.com.

Puttingmagic.com

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