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The Big If

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The Big If

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The Big If

The junior golf book every golf parent should read first

A must read youth golf book for parents raising young players. It highlights the aspect of mental game for young golfers, how they face the pressure of scores, and what to say on the ride home after a round that went bad.
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About The Author

Ian Bollinger

Ian Bollinger spent 20 years as a PGA Golf Professional and saw talented kids fall apart over three bad holes, before writing this sports parenting book. He wrote this golf psychology book after seeing how few resources existed for parenting young golfers well and his approach is simple. Build the player who can lose well, and the wins take care of themselves in time.
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About The Book

The Big If is a golf mental game book written for families and coaches. It analyzes a young player’s head between shots, why confidence collapses quickly at that age, and how parents unknowingly raise the stakes. Every chapter is built around real junior rounds and the conversations after the game, so the lessons can reach the kids who have felt that pressure before.

It can be called a golf parenting book, as it asks what your role actually is once your child steps onto the first tee, and whether your voice helps, or hurts. You will find practical work to build mental toughness for junior golfers, pre shot routines that survive pressure, and honest guidance for the seasons when your player wants to quit the game entirely for good.

Sed ut perspiciatis

Sed ut perspiciatis

Sed ut perspiciatis

Sed ut perspiciatis

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Watch the official trailer

Two minutes on why this book about junior golf exists and what you’ll gain after reading this. Ian shares the moment that started it, the question that gives the book its name, and who it’s written for on both sides.

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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

I have read plenty of sports parenting books and this is the best junior golf book of all. It named things I was doing on the course without noticing. My son can lose games, but now our drives home are a lot better.

As a coach, I hand this book out constantly. It is the golf mindset book I wish existed when I started. The chapters on pressure gave my players language for what they feel, and that alone changed how they compete.

Ok, this is hands on the best golf mental game book I have picked up so far! Didn’t expect this to hit me so right. I will definitely apply the pointers I have noted here in my next game, hoping to see one result.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes it is! Kids from roughly eight upward can read it with a parent, and older juniors can work through it alone. The tools scale with age, so the same chapters keep working as your player moves into tougher competition.

No, even if you have never played golf in your life but love watching the game and want to gain more knowledge about junior golf and how young kids can play well without getting stressed out. This book is definitely for you.
This book is about 77 pages long and depending on your interest and reading speed, you can finish this book in just one sitting or you can take your time reading it and meanwhile note down the pointers for your next game.

Contact Us

Have more questions about the book, want to share your thoughts, buy in bulk, or have interest in having Ian speak to your parents and players? Send a note to us here and you will hear back. He answers every message himself, usually within a few days. Coaches running youth academies are welcome to ask about group rates and workshop options for their families and staff.