It’s not about changing your swing—it’s about changing your mind: Two legendary coaches give golfers a powerful new approach to the game... and to life.As coaches to some of golf’s top players, Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott have designed and refined a revolutionary way of teaching the game, with phenomenal results. They don’t believe in prescribing the same stance, grip, and swing to everyone, followed by hours of purposeless drilling. They don’t even believe in beginning with physical technique. Their success has proven to them that a great game begins with a great vision.Unlike any other golf book, Every Shot Must Have a Purposeoffers cutting-edge techniques for integrating the physical, technical, mental, emotional, and social parts of a player’s game. The book’s revolutionary pre-shot routine will improve your focus, leading to a golf swing that is not only successful but can be repeated under extreme pressure. Emphasizing the individual golfer rather than a rigid set of mechanics, their VISION54 method takes the frustration out of the game. Why 54? Because they believe it’s possible to shoot a 54 (making a birdie on every hole of a par-72 course) if you have the right mind-set and well-honed intuitive power.An engaging read for the beginner or the seasoned golfer, Every Shot Must Have a Purposeis inspiration for life, not just the links. I have been impressed by Pia ever since I saw her in action in the late 1980’s, first as a player and then as my coach. Pia is open-minded and intelligent and possesses the desire to constantly help others develop... I have been inspired to follow her beliefs and life philosophy.” —Annika Sorenstam, LPGA

Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott cofounded VISION54/Coaching for the Future, Inc. Their golf school, Golf54, in Phoenix, AZ was recently named Golf magazine's #1 in the nation. In addition to serving as Annika Sorenstam-'s coach and coaching the Swedish national golf team, Nilsson has spoken at numerous conferences worldwide. Marriott has been named one of Golf Digest-'s 50 Greatest Teachers and one of Golf Magazine-'s 100 Top Teachers, coaching major figures such as Grace Park and Ken Kellaney.
Award-winning sportswriter Ron Sirak is executive editor of Golf World and a senior writer at Golf Digest.

Introduction iImagine the Impossible; Then Figure Out How to Make It Happeni oRon Sirak iThe secret of success is constancy to purpose.i oBenjamin Disraeli, nineteenth-century English prime minister What you are about to read is a golf book unlike any other. Through years of teaching players of all different skill levelsofrom beginners to top professionalsoPia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott have refined an approach to instruction that is not bogged down in arm angles, spine positions, and swing thoughts so complex they would make the average golferis brain freeze with confused indecision. Rather, VISION54, the revolutionary approach to the game that Pia developed in Sweden twenty years ago and that she refined with Lynn as GOLF54, teaches that peak performance on the golf course is achieved by simplifying the game, not by burdening the pupil with overly technical instruction. As Pia and Lynn say, iItis all about the person first.i What you will find in these pages is a life philosophy, not merely a golf instruction book. It is the most radical departure from traditional golf instruction yet to come along. VISION54 teaches us to expand our concept of limits. GOLF54 provides the tools that make it possible for us to achieve our vision. The intuitive intelligence of Pia and Lynnis approach reduces the game to such a basic and accessible level that you will frequently find yourself, as I did, shaking your head and saying, iOf course,i when they point out an obvious aspect of the game that has been obscured by what they call the Pez Dispenser School of InstructionoiBend your knees, thirty bucks please.i GOLF54 takes us back to the reason we started to play golf in the first place: Itis fun. It is in the rediscovery of that joy that Pia and Lynn teach us how to find the keys to better play. One of the disturbing trends the golf industry has to confront is the fact that in the United States as many people quit the game each year as take it up. While cost and the time required to play a round of golf are significant reasons for this trend, many are also driven away because the game becomes more of a struggle than an enjoyable experience. When a troubled golfer tries to get help, he or she will most likely be given a series of instructions that would require a much more talented athlete and a serious amount of time to master. Completely rebuilding a swing is not only impractical for most players, it is also unnecessary. You have hit good shots with the swing you have. You have hit perfect shots with the swing you have. This book will teach you how to make those shots happen more often. You donit need a new swing; you need a more defined sense of purpose. I had known about Pia for many years as a player, a coach, and a European Solheim Cup captain, and had long been fascinated by her novel approach to instruction. I knew of her astonishing success with Annika Sorenstam and I was aware of the rebellion against her by some of the tradition-bound players when she tried to bring her innovative approach to the 1998 Solheim Cup team. But I did not really get to know Pia and Lynn until 2003, when Sorenstam decided she would play in a menis event on the PGA Tour. I interviewed Pia soon after Annika announced her intentions and revisited the conversation several times in the months leading up to the Bank of America Colonial. After listening carefully to Annikais words, a light went on in my head. iOf course,i I said to myself. iItis so obvious.i Words you will say time and again as you read this book. I called Pia and said, iIt doesnit matter what Annika shoots at Colonial, right? And it doesnit even matter if she makes the cut, right? All that matters for Annika to consider the experience a success is if she feels she has handled the enormity of the moment well.i Pia, who punctuates life with an exclamation point, laughed and said, iYou got it!i I know some tea