The Four Foundations of Golf: How to Build a Game That Lasts a Lifetime

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars | 2,234 ratings

Price: 17.46

Last update: 01-10-2025


About this item

Number one Amazon golf book best seller.

Lower your scores, increase enjoyment. Are you struggling to take your golf game to the next level? Learn the philosophy that has helped thousands of players worldwide lower their scores and improve their relationship with golf. Swing tips come and go, but foundational golf skills last forever.

Whether you are a complete beginner or an advanced player, The Four Foundations of Golf will give you the blueprint to build a stronger, longer-lasting game. This is not your typical, fluffy golf guide that leaves all the important details out. Since 2015, Practical Golf has been one of the top online game-improvement resources for golfers. Jon Sherman has written hundreds of articles, sharing his perspective as a player-coach. You can finally get all of the methods he's used to become a scratch golfer and coach other golfers in one complete guide. Every golfer wants to know the secrets to golf. But they are always looking in the wrong places. There are four foundations to building a successful game—expectation management, strategy, practice, and a sharp mental game. In each of these sections, you will receive tangible and actionable advice. Finally, you will no longer have to feel like you are lost and alone in your golf game.

The Four Foundations will teach you how to be your own coach, and not waste time on methods that don't work. Stop listening to your friend's questionable tips and learn what all the greats have figured out. If you like detailed, straightforward information with plenty of examples, you will love this book. It will reshape how you think about golf entirely and give you the tools and strategies to transform your entire game.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.


Top reviews from the United States

A. Berard
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2024
This is a great book on the game of golf. Provides a lot of insight on various elements of the game. Definitely a book I will read again! Highly recommend….
Eric Shroyer
5.0 out of 5 stars incredible golf strategy book
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2024
Amazing review of the fundamentals of golf and strategy that give readers actionable techniques to adopt. For beginners or advanced golfers
Alvin Wolff Jr
5.0 out of 5 stars Top Golf Book
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2024
This book will improve your game. It’s having me think about the game like I’ve never done before. It’s logical and easy to read. Combine this with Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible and you’ll knock 5 strokes off you handicap in a month.
Ginny
4.0 out of 5 stars A-LOT MORE THAN 4….
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024
This is a great strategy book to help manage expectations to developing a positive thought process for the game of golf.
From Data points comparing different handicaps to pros helps demonstrate what reality should look like for where you are in the game and what to focus on to improve
Rick Naramore
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read.
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2024
I am an experienced low handicap player that has a tendency to learn, forget, and then relearn it again (often). Jon’s book takes a bunch of proven concepts and lays them out in a very accessible way. His book helped me remember some of the things I used to do and think and made them important again. I think he has covered all the aspects and nuances of this complicated and difficult game in a very practical way that is useful to players of all levels. Well done.
M. Vogl
5.0 out of 5 stars Chicken Soup for the Golfer
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2022
After following Jon's Twitter account and picking up lots of useful insights from that, I bought a copy of his book. As he mentions throughout, this is not a book with swing instructions or drills. It's more a compilation of the things he's learned and observed that have helped him become a better golfer and what he believes can help others who often get stuck in a never-ending cycle of instruction of swing tips and suggestions from online instructors and golf publications.

I'd describe this book as a sort of "Chicken Soup" for golfers - things that we sometimes already know that are reinforced; often things we didn't know and are eye-opening. In any case he explains them in a way that makes them easier to apply on the golf course or when practicing. Without divulging too much, Jon has a way of illustrating how golfers sabotage themselves with their expectations of their game versus their skill level and their practice habits...and never in a condescending way. He also provides tips and insights that helped me re-frame my practice habits and my mental preparation before and during a round.

This isn't rocket science, which makes it even more effective in my opinion. It's just a basic, "common sense" approach to golf and how to get more fun out of it. And it works. I have found I enjoy the game much more now; because I've reset my expectations of what good golf shots are, especially when compared to "scratch" or tour professionals, I've found I'm less disappointed with my shotmaking, and often am amazed at how well I can play when I just "let it go".

This book appeals to all skill levels and ages. An absolute must have for your bookshelf.

I'm a 55 year old golfer who's played for about 40 years and my handicap index is near the lowest it's ever been (5.5). I believe I still have plenty of opportunities to improve on that.
Matt Carducci
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute Must Read for All Golfers
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2023
Jon Sherman’s Four Foundations of Golf

An absolute must-read for any golfer of any level. I’m in my early 40s and wish a mentor, coach, or my dad had put a book like this in front of me when I was 9 years old (albeit the data Jon references was not available in the 1990s, but you get the point).

I read the book from cover to cover over a few weeks. I made notes in line, tabbed the pages, and transferred many of Jon’s strategy, practice, and mental game notes to my on-course reference book (Jon’s book is slightly too large to carry on course).

My three sons will read this book, specifically Part One: Managing Expectations. While you can reference specific areas of Jon’s book directly without issue, I highly recommend you read Part 1 first. This section, along with the work of many of Jon’s references, showed data and educated or corrected me on defining: what is a good golf shot; what is a good round; and setting realistic performance expectations. Part 1 is applicable beyond golf (as is the Mental Game, Part 4).

Jon accomplishes exactly what he set out to do with his writing, which is to 1) spell things out clearly with little room for interpretation and 2) communicate in a simple and straightforward manner.

Jon does not bog you down with technical aspects of the swing or other technical deep dives. He focuses on developing skill and transferring that skill to the course with Strategy (Part 2), including course management, proximity, shot patterns, course study, pre- and post-shot routines, and mental analysis.

Finally, Jon is approachable and a credible teacher. He provides numerous other resources to build upon the material in his book. Jon also quickly responded with generosity to a personal request. I cannot recommend this book and Jon’s online resources enough.

5 stars.
Customer image
Matt Carducci
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute Must Read for All Golfers
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2023
Jon Sherman’s Four Foundations of Golf

An absolute must-read for any golfer of any level. I’m in my early 40s and wish a mentor, coach, or my dad had put a book like this in front of me when I was 9 years old (albeit the data Jon references was not available in the 1990s, but you get the point).

I read the book from cover to cover over a few weeks. I made notes in line, tabbed the pages, and transferred many of Jon’s strategy, practice, and mental game notes to my on-course reference book (Jon’s book is slightly too large to carry on course).

My three sons will read this book, specifically Part One: Managing Expectations. While you can reference specific areas of Jon’s book directly without issue, I highly recommend you read Part 1 first. This section, along with the work of many of Jon’s references, showed data and educated or corrected me on defining: what is a good golf shot; what is a good round; and setting realistic performance expectations. Part 1 is applicable beyond golf (as is the Mental Game, Part 4).

Jon accomplishes exactly what he set out to do with his writing, which is to 1) spell things out clearly with little room for interpretation and 2) communicate in a simple and straightforward manner.

Jon does not bog you down with technical aspects of the swing or other technical deep dives. He focuses on developing skill and transferring that skill to the course with Strategy (Part 2), including course management, proximity, shot patterns, course study, pre- and post-shot routines, and mental analysis.

Finally, Jon is approachable and a credible teacher. He provides numerous other resources to build upon the material in his book. Jon also quickly responded with generosity to a personal request. I cannot recommend this book and Jon’s online resources enough.

5 stars.
Images in this review
Customer image
Bob M
5.0 out of 5 stars Really gets you thinking
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2024
I have been playing golf for many years, this book brings a lot of common sense to the game

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