The unique new book helping golfers make their happy place a much happier place
When frustration steals the joy from your golf game, you’ve got to take it back. Fed up with playing like a pro on one hole and going full meltdown on the next? You’re not alone. Tom Puckett is one of us—a mid-handicapper who hit the frustration wall and had to find a way through it. His book takes you on an honest, insightful, and entertaining journey from What if this is the best I can play? to This is how I can play my best.
Endorsed by Top PGA Professional Instructors
"A must-read. Highly recommended…"
"As a coach who’s spent decades helping thousands of golfers fix their swings and build better technique, I absolutely love this book because it tackles the one thing mechanics alone can’t solve: the mental torture so many mid-handicappers endure. Tom nails the daily frustration, the emotional rollercoaster, and the inner voice that sabotages even good swings — all with raw honesty, humor, and practical wisdom.
It’s the perfect companion to technical training. If you want to enjoy the game more, play with less self-inflicted pressure, and finally make peace with your golfing self, this is a must-read. Highly recommended for any student who’s ever walked off the course mentally drained."
- Martin Chuck, PGA Master Professional and Golf Digest Top 10 Coach, Arizona #1
"This book can make golf a better place for you."
"The only golf book I've read that builds on the reality of what mid-handicap golfers actually experience. It goes beyond theoretical concepts to give you hands-on ways to get more from your game. There is breakthrough thinking here—saying you'll play smarter is an understatement. This is a book that will actually help you play wiser. It gives you a big picture you didn't realize you were missing. This book can make golf a better place for you."
- Clif Vanetti, Class A Life Member, PGA of America. Golf Digest Top 5 in Nevada
Real help for regular golfers.
Through real stories, relatable humor, and practical tools, you'll explore the psychological, emotional, and tactical sides of the mental game of golf in terms you can grasp and actually use:
- Learn why your inner voice is not you—and isn't helping you
- Gain control over ego and destructive anger
- Apply a revealing self-assessment (the Three Mind Survey) to work with your natural emotional tendencies
- Replace mechanical overthinking with powerful, reliable golf visualization
- Dial in inner alignment by syncing the golfer you want to be with your best self
Stop short-siding yourself. Whether you're grinding to break 90, battling inconsistency, or just wanting to enjoy golf again, this book meets you right where you are—with humor, solid advice, and a golf mindset shift toward happier, more satisfying rounds.
The Author - Tom Puckett
Tom Puckett is a committed but average mid-handicap golfer and the author of SHORT-SIDED AGAIN: The Mental Games of a Mid-Handicap Golfer.
After years of frustration with inconsistency and self-judgment on the course, he began writing to understand why golf was so mentally punishing — and how it could be more enjoyable. What started as personal notes became a book that goes beyond typical mental game tactics to explore a deeper relationship with the game itself.
His writing focuses on perspective, self-awareness, and learning to play with less frustration and more joy — on the course and beyond. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he can play year-round (though summer is a better time to write than golf).
© 2026 - Tom Puckett