Harvey Penick's Little Red Book Quotes

“The cup is only one inch wide for a putt that is struck too hard. The cup is four inches wide for a ball that dies at the hole.”
― Harvey Penick, Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons And Teachings From A Lifetime In Golf

“because the deeper you get into golf, the more you learn to value the freedom, the companionship, the joy of being outdoors in beautiful surroundings, and the profound mysteries of the game itself.”
― Harvey Penick, Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons And Teachings From A Lifetime In Golf

“You have heard it from me many times by now, but I will say it again—to start your downswing, let your weight shift to your left foot while bringing your right elbow back down to your body. This”
― Harvey Penick, Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons And Teachings From A Lifetime In Golf

“I will stress here—and this is vital—that a Seasoned Citizen must let the left heel come off the ground in the backswing. Let the left heel come up and the left arm bend for a longer, freer swing. Some modern teachers demand that their students keep the left heel on the ground. I don’t agree with that teaching for players of any age, but especially not for a Seasoned Citizen. One of the most important factors in an older golfer’s swing is the body turn. The older one gets, the harder it is to turn. Keeping the left heel down makes it all the harder. Don’t raise the heel, just let it come up as it will want to do. A straight left arm inhibits the turn. If a Seasoned Citizen has become heavy in the chest and stomach, there should be no effort made to keep a straight left arm at the top of the backswing. A player should try to swing longer, not shorter, as the years go by. Another block to the swing is keeping the head down too long. I doubt I tell one student a month to keep his head down, and I almost never say it to an older player. Keeping the head down prevents a good follow-through because the golfer can’t swing past hip-high with the head still down and not give up something good in the finish to do it.”
― Harvey Penick, Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons And Teachings From A Lifetime In Golf

“to start your downswing, let your weight shift to your left foot while bringing your right elbow back down to your body.”
― Harvey Penick, Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons And Teachings From A Lifetime In Golf

“There is an important wedge shot to learn for close lies and winter fairways when the grass is dormant. Play the ball off the right foot. Close the blade until it is square to the line and the bounce of the blade does not touch the ground. Adjust your stance forward to compensate for direction. Put slightly more weight on the left foot. Strike the ball and the ground at the same time on the downswing.”
― Harvey Penick, Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons And Teachings From A Lifetime In Golf