'New Knee' Woods did not 'forget' to work on his legs and thus turn himself into the parody of a muscular body with chicken like legs - he just wore his knee out, yet this concept of isolating one body part to correct a weakness is far more prevalent at second tier and basic competitive sports, with the resulting poor posture and regular injury.

Two parts of conditioning now are 'brands' that few sportspeople understand but readily buy into are 'Core Stability' and the moniker of Pilates, a name attached to virtually every class and DVD available, so over used and often without justification.

If you are dedicated to your sport, you can now understand and practice the purest forms of Pilates with the publication of 'The Anatomy of Pilates' by Paul Massey. There hasn't been a book I've seen which is as simple yet thorough on the techniques of a program which is derived successfully - on occasions.

Massey was the recipient of the BBC Sports Personality Team award in 2000, and in continual demand at Olympics and World Championships.

'Core Stability (as a phrase) doesn't mean anything', says Massey, 'Pilates is about attention to detail, about linking the contracting and non-contracting systems, using the right flow and principles.'

This simple approach is so well structured in 'The Anatomy of Pilates' that within the first few pages, you will understand exactly how your whole skeleton and muscles work, then be able to test yourself and from there use the classic exercises to turn your self naturally bionic, linking arm and leg joints to shoulders, your trunk and hips, in the best way possible.

This is a seriously good book, less than 150 pages of stages and progression to better performance something any sportsperson or trainer must have on their book shelves. To misuse a word, with better justification than as above, this is a new 'cornerstone' in Fitness and Conditioning, its gimmick (which many new books seem to rely on) that this publisher just saw was a return to simple perfection.

And its not just something the best (and younger golfers) should consider. The clear explanation is there for every exercise, how those of us whose flexibility is limited (through age and the rest!), can start working our joints and our muscles in a very different way to that which produces poor posture and a lack of mobility.

If you have professional help (which you should do) then the simplicity of making motion work properly can be a stage of each exercise illustrated - basically 'The Anatomy of Pilates' shows you the widest range of motion and if you have to start 'small' it guides you carefully to what you can achieve, which can be yards and yards on drives and thinking that 18 holes is a stroll not a trek that's hard to justify.

Another title in the series is 'The Anatomy of Stretching' by Brad Walker. Walker is Australian and definitive books on helping sportspeople perform best come in floods from our greatest sporting rivals. As a complete guide to stretching, a couple of decades have past since something as authoritative as this was available - about the same length of time as the Aussies held the Ashes before 2005 and they took them back all too quickly ?

Just like its sister publication, 'The Anatomy of Stretching' is thorough without being thick (and unreadable), structured perfectly and explanatory in succinct depth that many authors miss out on. You won't find anything better.

'The Anatomy of Pilates' and 'The Anatomy of Stretching? are published by Lotus, RRP £ 14.99 and available from all good bookstores and on-line retailers.

ISBN 978-1-905367-13-9 - Pilates

ISBN 978-1-905367-03-0 - Stretching