I like to read golf instruction books, especially ones that feed my confirmation bias. You know, they describe what I think is right.

But I want to suggest four books that set me off in the right direction and get me back on track if I get seduced by some tip on YouTube. You might find them to be valuable too.

1. Five Lessons, Ben Hogan
2. Shape Your Swing the Modern Way, Byron Nelson
3. Bobby Jones on Golf, Bobby Jones
4. On Learning Golf, Percy Boomer.

The Hogan and Nelson books say mainly the same thing. The difference is in how they are written. Five Lessons is not a casual read. You have to be paying attention and even then you still might not get it. There are times when I wondered why Hogan didn’t talk about some major point, and when I go back to the book and read more carefully, there it is. Nelson is written in a more chatty manner, much easier to follow than Five Lessons, but it is still worth gold. You should have them both and read them both. They compliment each other.

The Jones book is a joy to read just for being in the presence of writing that reflects a command of English equal to golf writers who were professional writers. Much of his swing advice, I think, is based the demands that hickory shafts made on a golfer. Some of the details might be obsolete. His higher level descriptions of swing technique are spot on, of course. But it is the feeling of command that he had on the course, and that he wants us to have, that pervades the book and is its greatest value.

The Boomer book, which you may never have heard of, is the first book published (1946) on how to be a feel player. You can read this every year before the start of the season (I do) and find something new that makes you a better golfer. If I had only one golf book, it would be this one.