Paper Tiger

An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

De: Tom Coyne

Narrado por: Kyle Tait

Think country-club clinic meets Navy SEALs training. I will pay any price, bear any burden, leave my home to follow the seasons, build my own swing studio in the basement, construct a practice green in my backyard.... Everything the big boys have access to, I want double.

Like most amateur golfers, Tom Coyne had often wondered whether the pros won because they were more talented or because they were more obsessed. Overweight and burdened by a 14 handicap, he decided to find out for himself what it takes to play like a pro.

Charting his journey - which included hiring top golf gurus such as Dr. Jim Suttie - Paper Tiger takes listeners from the Michelob tournament (a win for Tom) to the Australian Tour, where 40-mile-per-hour winds and a driving rain scare off his Japanese partners. With each chapter, he tracks his weight alongside his handicap, pursuing his dream with a reckless abandon that comes to involve hardcore diets, pricey technology, and even psychologists. With echoes of Dead Solid Perfect and Who's Your Caddy? Tom brings his uniquely edgy, deeply human perspective to a game that can simultaneously bring out the best and the worst in everyone who tries to master it.

©2006 Tom Coyne (P)2020 Tantor

Must Read for Every Golfer

I heard an interview with Tom on a podcast and then got the book. It was awesome! A non-golfer would probably not enjoy it but for the golf addicted, it’s fantastic.

Bravo Tom Coyne!

Thank you so much Tom for all of your travel stories, they are truly wonderful and this is the best one of all. You’ve made it to the top of my list of people I would love to golf with, if you ever take interest in the game again ha ha, best wishes for you and your family! All of Tom’s books are absolute must reads for all serious golfers.

Takes a golfer to appreciate this story (spoilers)

By golfer, I mean anyone who plays on the weekends, or even monthly. How far away even a good golfer, in Tom Coyne, is from being competitive on the tour level is highlighted tremendously well in this story. Every new chapter I was hoping for a regular player like me, to be able to compete with the best. So close, yet so far away. Tom nicely ties in a romantic story as well. Terrific listen.

Not a golfer

An eye opener for a person who hasn't played golf in half a century! Never played seriously even then. However, the book was very enjoyable!

Love Coyne’s Storytelling!!

Tom has a talent for capturing individual moments with such clarity and humor. Being a golfer, I felt I was experiencing all the ups and downs of Tom’s yearlong quest to see how good he could become. Sad the the book had to end, but it was a great ending. Golfers and non-golfers alike will enjoy this book.

Worst narration ever

This is one of the best golf books ever written. It is a shame the narration is so horrific. Think male Siri, but with no personality or intonation of any kind. Better yet, think about someone trying to imitate a robot talking with no personality of any kind.

A real story of what it takes to make it. Worth the listen!

I love the detail he put into this. Most golfers don’t realize they are miles from even the mediocre Kornburger Ferry tour guy. Talks about all the help you need, little wins, like Mizuno giving him irons. All the way to the $15 a sleeve Titleist daily habit. Had a human vibe too. I definitely recomend.

Best golf book ever?

While I thoroughly enjoyed both A Course Called Ireland and A Course Called Scotland, I absolutely fell in love with Paper Tiger. Best golf book ever? Maybe not to some, but it sure is for me.

For the Serious Player

Engrossing book - Tom adeptly illustrates what every single digits handicap and lower has felt on their quest for golfing greatness

Relatable Golf Book

I can relate to the feelings of the author. Book was written many years ago but still is relevant.