GCUK Book Corner - "The Big Miss"

Title: The Big Miss - My Years Coaching Tiger Woods
Author: Hank Haney
Year Publ: 2012
Publisher: Crown Archetype

The book could have started here on page 4, last paragraph
(this is as it is printed in the book):


"It's been a theme of my work with Tiger for much of our
time together. Although it's commonly thought that Tiger plays
go-for-broke golf and tries the most difficult shots with no fear,
it's a false image. Tiger is, above all, a calculating golfer who plays
percentages and makes sure to err on the safe side. What he ab-
hors, and has built his career on avoiding, are the kinds of mis-
takes that produce bogeys or worse and kill both momentum and
confidence - wild tee shots that produce penalty strokes, loose ap-
proaches that leave no chance to save par, blown short putts. These
blunders are the stuff of high scores, and after such a round, a tour
player or caddie will often lament "the big miss." Avoiding the big
miss was a big part of what made Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus
so great, and it's a style that Tiger has emulated. Until recently, his
entire life seemed free of the big miss. But things change."



Nothing ground breaking yet. To be continued...

Shame he didn't life his life with the same 'restraint' he supposedly plays golf with.

I can't deny Haney his right to write this book, I just can't for the life of me see why anyone would want to read it. Surely its got about as much depth as a Peter Andre autobiography filled out with the banal, pointless and useless information for the selacious and celebrity obsessed.

super_realist wrote:Shame he didn't life his life with the same 'restraint' he supposedly plays golf with.

I can't deny Haney his right to write this book, I just can't for the life of me see why anyone would want to read it. Surely its got about as much depth as a Peter Andre autobiography filled out with the banal, pointless and useless information for the salacious and celebrity obsessed.

SR I don't put myself into any of the categories you list above, but I do have a copy of the book on order it should be here later today. My reasons for buying it are to merely gain an insight in to what Haney has to say and see if its as controversial as its being billed.

If your looking at celebrity obsessed then people buying books about Jordan, Kelly brooke et al are the sad ones after all they have achieved is to get their bangers outs, careers better covered in picture books. At least with this Haney book many golfers will want an insight and too simply see what he has to say having worked with the best golfer of the modern era, that doesn't make me or anyone that reads it sad, just inquisitive that's all

Having read that paragraph, I've decided not to bother with this turgid tome. What a ghastly writing style - I look forward to hearing what Mav has to say about it once he's ploughed through it.

And plough through it I will LP, doesn't take me long to read a book I get a bit to engrossed in my reading, just finished Normans book Way of the Shark in a day and half. Would highly recommend that it really highlights lots of things even I didn't know and the man is my golfing idol.

I have to admit to having ordered a copy. There's a fair chance it will be crap and if so it will go in the crap pile, that's fine. But if it's a bit of an insight into the mind of one of the greatest golfers ever along with a few funny stories then why not give it a look.

I actually went down to the town yesterday to buy a copy and was disappointed that neither WH Smiths or Waterstones (basically the only bookshops that exist these days!) stock it and had to order specially. No appetite for golf books apparently. Odd considering the popularity of the sport but hey ho

MustPuttBetter,

I went into my local Waterstones yesterday. They had 5 copied on order but not on the shelf yet.

Given the volume of stock, or lack of it, looks like it will not become a best seller. Perhaps TW has bought all the copies and is stocking them up ready for his Master's win bardie celebration!

I've bought the Kindle version - I'll start to read it in bed tonight

Mercurio wrote:I've bought the Kindle version - I'll start to read it in bed tonight

Nothing else to do I suppose merc, with Mrs merc being in Switserland

Maverick wrote:

SR I don't put myself into any of the categories you list above, but I do have a copy of Peter Andre's autobiography on order it should be here later today. My reasons for buying it are to merely gain an insight in to what he has to say and see if its as controversial as its being billed.

Mav, I didn't know you were such a big fan

Haha! I'm not but I'm a huge golf fan and all that surrounds it, I like how Woods plays but think he's a class A cock jockey but I'm interested in what Haney has to say.

Doc wrote:

Mercurio wrote:I've bought the Kindle version - I'll start to read it in bed tonight

Nothing else to do I suppose merc, with Mrs merc being in Switserland

I'd be doing the same if she was here, Doc!

(She is actually back this weekend)

Scottie, ha yeah maybe!!

This book has been widely publicised and golf is a hugely popular sport. Judging from what's been said on here you'd guess maybe 25% of those really interested in golf would have a look at it. And yet nothing in the shops. They have Gary Wolstenholme's autobiagraphy though

Just popped into Asda at Kingshill, maybe they know something Waterstones don't as they have the book in stock!

Haney is getting very irritating on Twitter, retweeting every positive tweet that is made about the book.

One he retweeted described it as a "literary masterpiece"!!! I had to reply to that one...

It's funny how people are expecting the release of the book to be accompanied by the sort of clamour and demand associated with the latest i-phone.

It's simply a book about a complete tool written by an illiterate redneck who does nothing more than monitor how said chump moves a club from a to b.

I've seen those tweets talk about blowing smoke up his arse!

Did someone mention Wolstenholme had a book out! What a dull read that must be, I'd imagine the exerts go along the line of!

"Had a dull child hood, not many friend, so went to uni to study still no friends, left uni went to work, still couldn't make friends so when I turned 30(maybe 33 from memory) I took up golf"

"Found I was not bad a golf got down to a +handicap by about 35, played in a walker cup thing against som young pup called Tiger. Damn that boy had a stupid name, but I beat him in the singles"

"Played a few more Walker cups, won a few points. Wasn't really any good in the tour events I garnered invites too so stayed as an Am"

"Turned 49 noticed all the good players went to the US to play champions tour and that the European seniors was being dominated by a bloke called Carl Mason who was a really average tour player only won twice in 20 odd years. So thought I'll try for this euro seniors thing where the average guy seems to flourish. Went to Q school qualified with a bunch of average pro's. Managed to win a poor event, with a poor field in which the best player was Sam Torrance so wasn't hard to win reallym now a tour player on the average tour but to scared to try against the bigger boys in the US"

"That Tiger bloke now seems to be pretty good won a few biggies, but he'll have to live with losing to me!"

"Oh and I still don't have any friends, I wonder if its because I'm widely regarded as the dullest senior on tour"

I reckon that's his booked in a mere few comments what else is there he has done!

Cheers Mav, i'll have a look in Asda
And yes, Wolstenholme has a book out! - "The Long and Short of It"

Super - "It's funny how people are expecting the release of the book to be accompanied by the sort of clamour and demand associated with the latest i-phone"

They should put that in the dictionary next to 'exaggeration'

I'm 7% through it so far and am enjoying it.

The golfing glossary at the back's quite good as well - it may even enlighten Mrs Mercurio on golfing terminology.

27% through and am loving it more each time I (metaphorically) turn the page.

I've learnt so much about my own driving swing and it's hit home that Tiger's problem (the Big Miss) is what I've struggled with - and it makes me feel a lot better about my game, especially because Haney details what he changed about it.

Is the percentage calculated to the page or to the word?

I guess word would be more accurate but then some words are longer in length that others whereas page size remains constant

MustPuttBetter wrote:Is the percentage calculated to the page or to the word?

I guess word would be more accurate but then some words are longer in length that others whereas page size remains constant

No idea - it's just what the Kindle App says.

*Plays ball with straight bat*

Still bloody awaiting delivery of mine! Poxy amazon.

I recall hearing Haney saying on golf channel that the Big Miss was named after Tigers miss with the driver! Yet the journos have been using the label in terms of sensationalism to make it mean more about off course activity.

Glad it seems good, bloody makes my late delivery even more annoying!

How much do you think Haney got paid a year for being Tiger's coach?

Mav I thought you went into Asda and they had it in stock?

MustPuttBetter wrote:Mav I thought you went into Asda and they had it in stock?

They did in the Kingshill one! I would assume all stores carry the same books. But I didn't pick a copy up as I pre-ordered mine about 4 weeks ago through amazon and still bloody waiting for it!

Ah fair enough
I'm still waiting for my amazon copy too, poor!

Its a friend of mine's birthday in a couple of weeks and i will get him a copy so went into Asda in Farnborough but they don't have it. Looks like you found the only shop in the country that has it and you passed it up