The 3 Most Important Clubs
Day 3 Rereading “Harvey Penick's Little Red Book"
The Golf Book Club: Every day, we share a mental game lesson inspired by great golf books—stories and strategies to help you think better so you can play better.
Ben Hogan & Harvey Penick.
What are the three most important clubs, ranked in order?
Herbert Warren Wind wanted to find out. For 50 years, he was one of the top sportswriters in the world. Herbert was respected by everyone from Hogan to Nicklaus, he named Amen Corner at the Masters, and he was good enough to compete in the British Amateur Championship.
So Herbert wasn’t asking a trivia question.
We have a limited number of practice hours. If a golfer wants to score more consistently and win more often, it makes sense to know which clubs to prioritize.
To get a pro perspective, he asked the best player he knew, Ben Hogan.
And to get an amateur perspective, he asked the best teacher he knew, Harvey Penick. Both got the same question:
What are the 3 most important clubs, ranked in order?
How would you answer that question? Take a few seconds to think about it...
The Same Three Clubs.
Herbert started with Ben Hogan in Fort Worth, Texas.
With those steel gray eyes that made every statement sound like a law, Hogan said, “The driver, the putter and the wedge.”
Herbert drove to Austin and asked Harvey the same question.
With those sky blue eyes that made every statement sound like a suggestion, Harvey said, “The putter, the driver and the wedge.”
Hogan ranked the driver first. Harvey ranked the putter first.
But the point is this: when the best player and the best teacher choose the same three clubs to prioritize, we should pay attention.
“Nothing is more important psychologically.”
We’re not told the reasons behind Hogan’s answer. But Harvey tells us exactly why he chose the putter, driver and wedge. And I have to say, he surprised me. Because his reason wasn’t about course management or skill. It was about psychology.
A 5-foot putt counts as one stroke. A 250-yard drive counts as one stroke. So what’s the difference?
Harvey says, “Sinking putts makes your confidence soar and it devastates your opponent. Nothing is more important psychologically than knocking putts into the hole. A good putter,” he concludes, “is a match for anyone. A bad putter is a match for no one.”
The poet Johann Goethe said, “The things that matter most should never be at the mercy of the things that matter least.”
Like any lesson, today’s insight isn’t for everyone. In fact, it may sound like a pop quiz that you take and forget.
But have you ever asked yourself, “Psychologically, what are the three most important clubs in my bag?”
You may come up with the same answers as Ben and Harvey. Or you may choose three clubs more specific to your game. Either way, does your practice time reflect those priorities? That was why Herbert asked the question, and if we take time to answer, we might make our practice time a lot more productive.
That’s all for now. Until next time, keep imagining what’s possible.
GOLF PHOTO OF THE DAY
Golf-de-Chantilly, France (Hole #4)
