Golf by the numbers

Bibliographic Information

Golf by the numbers

Roland Minton

Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012

  • : hardcover

Available at  / 4 libraries

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Note

Bibliography: p. 285-291

Description and Table of Contents

Description

How do the world's greatest golfers improve their game? Practice, sure, but Roland Minton says mathematics and statistics are also key to their success. "Golf by the Numbers" analyzes the mathematical strategies behind the sport, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at how numbers drive the game. Computers, GPS trackers, swing simulators, and high-speed cameras have introduced new and exciting ways of seeing and understanding the complicated and endlessly fascinating game of golf. Players like Phil Mickelson are so good because they review the results of every swing they take. Minton's comprehensive analysis of statistics taken from the PGA Tour's ShotLink system walks readers through the mountains of data that pros use to inform and refine their play. The result is an insider's perspective of how the world's greatest golfers apply mathematics to the sport. Minton discusses randomness in golf (especially how much luck is involved in putting) as well as aggressive and cautious strategies both on and off the greens, and he explains, by the numbers, just how Tiger Woods was so dominant from 2004 to 2009. Here is a book that tells some truly engaging stories of modern golf, featuring famous players and memorable tournaments, all through the lens of elementary probability theory. Minton's informal style and clear and direct explanations make even the most detailed discussions accessible to all curious-minded golfers. His mathematical morsels are not only enjoyable to read-they may even help you improve your game.

Table of Contents

Preface Part I: General Golf Analysis 1. The Shape of Golf 2. Golfer's Spread: Variation in Golf 3. Good Luck Putting: Randomness on the Greens 4. The Rivalry: Cautious and Risky Strategies 5. Handicap Systems and Other Hustles Part II: Analysis of PGA Tour Statistics 6. The ShotLink Revolution: Golf Statistics 7. Lags and Gags: Putting Statistics 8. Chips and Flops: Short Game Statistics 9. Iron Byron: Approach Shot Statistics 10. The Big Dog: Driving Statistics 11. Tigermetrics: Player Rankings 12. More Rating Systems and Tiger Tales Appendix A: Supplementary Tables Appendix B: Player Profiles Notes Glossary References

by "Nielsen BookData"

Details

  • NCID
    BB12960136
  • ISBN
    • 9781421403151
  • LCCN
    2011929971
  • Country Code
    us
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    Baltimore
  • Pages/Volumes
    xvi, 291 p.
  • Size
    23 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
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