Josh Karp is Aiming Straight Down The Middle
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 2:24PM This blog has given me enormous opportunities up until this point. Among them was when Josh Karp, a writer from Illinois, reached out to me with an offer I couldn't refuse.
Josh had written a book about golf entitled Straight Down The Middle: Shivas Irons, Bagger Vance, and How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Golf Swing and because I wrote about my game here, asked if I'd be interested in reading it.
Without any hesitation, I said yes and eagerly awaited its arrival.
To put it simply: I enjoyed every word.
If you're like me and love reading about golf and other peoples' experiences, then please make this book your golfing choice for 2010. It's honest, funny, insightful, relatable, and above all, inspiring. Josh's style is fluid and gives anyone with a plus 20 handicap an escape from their over-analytical mind (or any handicap for that matter).
It may not provide concrete guidelines on the mechanics of a swing or offer instructions on how to hold a club, but the encounters and stories told allow the reader to behold their own endless possibilities, all because Josh had the drive to pursue his.
Josh didn't hold back when finding his golfing partners, either. He sought an "effortless" swing with Yoni Zaluski; balance of body and mind with Jim Waldron; played 18 with Dr. Joseph Parent, the creator of Zen Golf; combined martial arts and golf with the "Golf Sensei"; and even flew across the pond to play a few rounds in golf's homeland, Scotland.
Along his quest to find the meaning of golf, if you will, Josh lowered his handicap from 18 to 11 and found moments of "golf ecstasy." While reading, I couldn't help but imagine what a round of golf with Josh would be like, and couldn't help but admire his journey.
One day I hope to in fact play 18 with Josh, but until then, Straight Down The Middle showed me that it's not all about shooting a perfect score. It's more about enjoying the ride.
If you pick up this book, I promise you'll feel the same.
Thanks, Josh.
Hours of practice: 411
Reader Comments (1)
Hi Richard, hope all's well. Glad you enjoyed Josh's book, I thought it was an excellent read. You might also like to get hold of a copy of "The Gift" by Richard Monette, I've just reviewed it on the site. Keep practising. Cheers, Nick.