The Elements of Scoring: A Master's Guide to the Art of Scoring Your Best When You're Not Playing Your Best

Playing golf isn't hard; it's playing it well when you're not on your game that's difficult, and few have ever mastered that skill better than former Masters, U.S. Open, and PGA champion Raymond Floyd. One of the fiercest competitors on the fairways, he's as tough with his mind as he is with his clubs; Elements is his primer on how to think like a golfer. More so than any swing tip or technical adjustment, his advice on how to live with bad shots has the potential to lower scores dramatically. Floyd sets up various adverse situations and suggests ways to play through them, but his most important bits of wisdom are more generic than specific: learn what mistakes you can afford to make, and always have a dependable "safety shot" at your disposal when all else seems lost. Golf is less a game of perfection than one of survival and recovery. Floyd's Elements, then, is a comprehensive guide to posting scores you can be proud of on those rough days. --Jeff Silverman