Good golf instructional books

Looking to improve my game this year - any books or DVDs I should look at? The Pelz short game books seem a little too complex for me right now. Looking for something a little less advanced, but that'll get me up to speed.

I'm the kind of guy who wants to understand they "why" of the mechanics as much as the "how."

 

Ben Hogan's "Five Lessons; The modern fundamentals of golf" is a very good start.

And get a lesson, maybe a group lesson with a buddy or two, before you develop unbreakable bad habits. It's actually worth the $$$

Edit: For schpelin

 

Can't beat that one. Period. Best one I've read.

 

Hogan's book is solid.

Find a pro who will challenge and listen to you. Always makes me wonder why everyone pays these huge amounts for clubs but never take a lesson.

One year my 5 iron went from 170 to 150. Pro found the problem in the first 15 mins., went from a soft grip to the dreaded "death grip."

 

Haven't seen it in book form, but the DVD is invaluable.

 

Bob Mann's Automatic Golf was good for my game.

 

Go take a lesson. It is well worth the time and money.

If people actually improved from reading instructional books and magazines, there wouldn't be a need for Golf Digest or Golf Magazine.

 

It may not exactly be a "how-to" instructional book, but I always enjoy reading Harvey Penick's Little Red Book.

 

Amen.
You see these "more money with brains" golfers on the course and they don't have a friggin' clue.

First lesson for duffers: leave your driver at home.

 

Oh yeah, and I guarantee to save you 3 strokes a round by just following the golden rule, "pitch out [of the woods/rough]".

 

After you've read Hogan's book, most other golf instruction books and magazine articles start to seem gimmicky. Read Hogan, read it again, then take lessons and spend lots of quality time on the range.