Six Books. Five Decades of Experience. One Mission: Helping People Perform Better.
By Dr. Barry Lotz, J.D., Ph.D.
When I began my professional journey more than fifty years ago, I could never have imagined that it would ultimately lead me to author six books spanning golf, performance psychology, aging, personal development, and even career opportunities for law school graduates.
At first glance, these subjects may appear unrelated.
Golf and law.
Putting and peak performance.
Senior living and professional success.
Yet after decades of teaching golfers, coaching professionals, building businesses, practicing law, writing articles, and helping people navigate both victories and setbacks, I discovered a common thread running through all of them:
Success is rarely determined by talent alone.
More often, success is determined by how we think, how we respond to pressure, how we learn, how we communicate, and how effectively we manage ourselves when circumstances become challenging.
Whether standing over a four-foot putt to win a tournament, preparing for a major business presentation, beginning a second career after retirement, or deciding what to do with a law degree, the same fundamental principles apply.
Confidence.
Clarity.
Focus.
Adaptability.
Resilience.
These lessons became the foundation for six books that represent not only my professional experiences but also the collective wisdom gained from thousands of golfers, business professionals, students, teachers, executives, and everyday people I have had the privilege of working with over the years.
Today, I am pleased to share the complete collection.
The Right Mind for Golf
Golf is often described as a game played on a five-inch course—the space between your ears.
After working with golfers of virtually every skill level, from beginners to touring professionals, I became convinced that most golfers spend far too much time trying to perfect their swings and far too little time developing the mental skills necessary to perform under pressure.
The Right Mind for Golf was written to address that imbalance.
The book explores how fear, doubt, overthinking, unrealistic expectations, and emotional reactions undermine performance. More importantly, it provides practical strategies for replacing those habits with confidence, commitment, trust, and acceptance.
Many golfers mistakenly believe that confidence comes from playing well.
In reality, confidence comes from learning how to think effectively regardless of the outcome of the previous shot.
One poor swing should not destroy an entire round.
One bad round should not define an entire season.
The principles outlined in this book help golfers develop a healthier relationship with both success and failure while creating a mindset capable of producing more consistent performance.
The Right Mind for Putting
If golf is played between the ears, putting may be where that reality becomes most apparent.
Putting is unique because it exposes every insecurity a golfer possesses.
A player can hit fourteen greens in regulation and still leave the course disappointed because of poor putting.
Likewise, a golfer who struggles tee-to-green can often save an entire round through exceptional performance on the greens.
Throughout my years of studying putting, teaching golfers, and evaluating equipment, one truth became abundantly clear:
Great putting begins with great thinking.
The Right Mind for Putting examines the mental, emotional, and strategic aspects of putting that are often overlooked.
The book discusses confidence, green reading, routine development, visualization, focus, pressure management, and trust.
Most importantly, it teaches golfers how to become more process-oriented.
The best putters are not obsessed with making every putt.
They are committed to making the best possible stroke while accepting whatever outcome follows.
That distinction often separates frustration from freedom.
The Right Approach to Golf
Every golfer wants improvement.
Unfortunately, many golfers pursue improvement in ways that actually slow their progress.
They collect tips.
Watch endless videos.
Change instructors.
Experiment with equipment.
Search for shortcuts.
Yet they rarely establish a systematic approach to learning.
The Right Approach to Golf was written to help golfers understand not only what to practice, but how to practice and why.
The book bridges the gap between technical instruction and practical performance.
It examines learning styles, communication, teaching methods, practice design, and skill development.
As the founder of the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America (PGTAA), I have long believed that great instruction involves far more than simply knowing swing mechanics.
Great teachers understand people.
They understand motivation.
They understand learning.
They understand communication.
The same principles apply to golfers attempting to improve their own games.
Improvement becomes far more attainable when golfers stop chasing random solutions and begin following a structured approach.
The Back Nine: Embracing Golf and Life as a Senior
This book may be the most personal of the six.
As we move through life, perspectives change.
Priorities evolve.
The definition of success often shifts.
The Back Nine explores those changes through the lens of golf and aging.
Rather than viewing later years as a period of decline, the book encourages readers to view them as a period of opportunity.
Experience often compensates for diminished physical ability.
Patience improves.
Perspective expands.
Appreciation deepens.
Golf remains one of the few activities that can be enjoyed across multiple generations and throughout nearly every stage of life.
The game teaches lessons about adaptation, resilience, friendship, humility, and gratitude.
These lessons become increasingly valuable as we age.
The Back Nine is ultimately about making the most of every remaining hole, both on the golf course and in life itself.
It celebrates the reality that while youth may bring speed and strength, maturity often brings wisdom.
And wisdom is a powerful competitive advantage.
The Right Mind for Peak Performance in Golf and Life
Although my work has largely centered around golf, the principles of performance are universal.
Business leaders experience pressure.
Sales professionals experience pressure.
Students experience pressure.
Parents experience pressure.
Athletes experience pressure.
The circumstances differ, but the underlying challenges remain remarkably similar.
People struggle with fear of failure.
People struggle with self-doubt.
People struggle with expectations.
People struggle with uncertainty.
The Right Mind for Peak Performance in Golf and Life expands the lessons learned through sports and applies them to everyday living.
The book explores goal setting, focus, accountability, resilience, leadership, emotional control, and personal growth.
One of the most important lessons I have learned is that peak performance rarely occurs when people attempt to force results.
Instead, peak performance emerges when individuals learn to trust preparation, remain present, and execute one step at a time.
Whether pursuing business success, athletic achievement, or personal fulfillment, the same principle applies:
Focus on the process.
Let outcomes take care of themselves.
101 Things You Can Do with a Law Degree
This book may seem like an outlier within the collection, but in many ways it is not.
Throughout my legal and business career, I encountered countless individuals who viewed a law degree through a very narrow lens.
They believed that law school inevitably led to traditional legal practice.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Legal education develops skills that are valuable in virtually every industry.
Critical thinking.
Problem solving.
Negotiation.
Communication.
Analysis.
Strategic planning.
Leadership.
101 Things You Can Do with a Law Degree demonstrates how these skills can create opportunities far beyond the courtroom.
The book highlights career possibilities in business, government, consulting, education, entrepreneurship, sports, real estate, publishing, and countless other fields.
For students, graduates, and professionals considering career transitions, it provides both practical guidance and inspiration.
A law degree is not simply preparation for a profession.
It is preparation for opportunity.
The Common Thread
Although these six books cover different topics, they are connected by a single philosophy.
People perform better when they think better.
Golfers improve when they understand themselves.
Professionals succeed when they manage pressure effectively.
Teachers excel when they understand how people learn.
Seniors thrive when they embrace new opportunities.
Graduates prosper when they recognize the full value of their education.
In every case, success begins with mindset.
For decades, I have had the privilege of helping individuals discover abilities they did not know they possessed.
I have watched golfers regain confidence after years of frustration.
I have seen instructors transform their teaching careers.
I have witnessed professionals reinvent themselves entirely.
The common denominator is never perfection.
It is always growth.
Looking Forward
As I reflect on these six books and the experiences that inspired them, I am grateful for the thousands of students, golfers, colleagues, readers, and friends who contributed to the lessons contained within their pages.
Each conversation.
Each lesson.
Each challenge.
Each success.
All became part of the journey.
If there is one message I hope readers take away from this collection, it is this:
You are capable of more than you think.
Whether your goal is to lower your handicap, become a better teacher, perform at a higher level in business, embrace life’s back nine with enthusiasm, or discover new career possibilities, improvement remains available.
The journey is never truly finished.
There is always another lesson to learn.
Another opportunity to grow.
Another challenge to embrace.
And perhaps, another great round waiting just around the corner.
The complete six-book collection is available through the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America (PGTAA).
Read. Learn. Apply. Improve.
Because better thinking leads to better performance—in golf, in business, and in life.
About the Writer
Barry Lotz, J.D., Ph.D., is the Director of the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America (PGTAA), one of the most respected organizations in golf instructor certification and performance education worldwide. A distinguished member of the Golf Writers Association of America, Dr. Lotz is widely recognized for his expertise in the mental game, equipment analysis, travel writing, and golf industry consulting.
Known by many as “The Golf Whisperer,” Dr. Lotz currently works with between 10 and 12 PGA TOUR players on the mental side of golf, helping elite competitors perform under pressure and sustain confidence at the highest level of the game.
In addition to his leadership at the PGTAA, Dr. Lotz serves as a consultant and mediator to the golf industry and is the author of numerous acclaimed books, including “333 Best Websites for Golfers” and “How to Build Business Relationships Through Golf,” which remains among the top 10 bestselling golf business books.
His highly regarded performance psychology series includes “The Right Mind for Golf,” which is now in its 13th reprint, along with “The Right Mind for Putting,” “The Right Approach to Golf,” and “The Back Nine: Embracing Golf and Life as a Senior.”
Released in April 2026, Dr. Lotz adds two compelling new titles to his growing body of work: “The Right Mind for Peak Performance” and “101 Things You Can Do with a Law Degree.”
All of Dr. Lotz’s books are available through the PGTAA bookstore at www.pgtaa.com.
For the latest mental strategies, golf travel insights, and equipment reviews, visit the PGTAA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PGTAA.