The Dan Plan - 10,000 Hours to Become a Pro Golfer (Dan McLaughlin)

[Lihu]

Looks like he shot an 88. Shocking. Until he breaks 80 in a tournament I can't even begin to take him seriously.

Hey the course is over 7000 yards, I know I would probably have a lot of trouble breaking 90. He did pretty well for a bogey golfer. Oh yeah, that's right, he's not a 20 handicap.

Seriously, though, his short distance off the tee is going to kill him. This was a relatively short course for an aspiring pro. Even if he were really playing with a driver SS of 105, it's not enough.

Dan is looking more and more like a farce with a 2.6 index. It just seems for the sake of his plan he manipulates his index to keep people interested to donate, if he doesn't start to put it together in the next 6 months it may be time to go back to work in the real world.

Oh, yeah. Like @Shorty once said it's more fun to be a 20 marker than a fake 2.6. I wonder what he would say about all this, being a 2.4 handicap himself?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, he should go back to Photography. Not sure he would even enjoy casual rounds after this debacle.

[Pretzel]

Seriously, though, his short distance off the tee is going to kill him. This was a relatively short course for an aspiring pro. Even if he were really playing with a driver SS of 105, it's not enough.

My driver SS is between 105 and 110, and I struggle along well enough. It's a fast enough swing that, at sea level, one could at least average among the lower portion of those in the driving distance category on tour. What I would vote to be the biggest problem with his distance is his terrible impact conditions to only average about 220 yards with his driver and the swingspeed of 105 ( http://thedanplan.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/driver-January-7-2013.pdf ). That means he very rarely is hitting the center of the clubface, further evidenced by a smash factor of only 1.44 on one of his best drives at the bottom of the second page. If what I've read is true, most pros are consistently between 1.47 and 1.49 on a majority of their tee shots, which is generally indicative of contact in the center of the clubface to produce such an ideal smash factor.

I must say that I'm surprised at someone with a handicap similar to mine, and a similar swingspeed, hitting it shorter than I did last time I traveled to sea level. When I was there I hit the ball further than 220 on an average shot (note this is not as an average distance, but an average shot) which is where his average shots appear to land.

[Lihu]

My driver SS is between 105 and 110, and I struggle along well enough. It's a fast enough swing that, at sea level, one could at least average among the lower portion of those in the driving distance category on tour. What I would vote to be the biggest problem with his distance is his terrible impact conditions to only average about 220 yards with his driver and the swingspeed of 105 ([URL=http://thedanplan.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/driver-January-7-2013.pdf]http://thedanplan.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/driver-January-7-2013.pdf[/URL]). That means he very rarely is hitting the center of the clubface, further evidenced by a smash factor of only 1.44 on one of his best drives at the bottom of the second page. If what I've read is true, most pros are consistently between 1.47 and 1.49 on a majority of their tee shots, which is generally indicative of contact in the center of the clubface to produce such an ideal smash factor. I must say that I'm surprised at someone with a handicap similar to mine, and a similar swingspeed, hitting it shorter than I did last time I traveled to sea level. When I was there I hit the ball further than 220 on an average shot (note this is not as an average distance, but an average shot) which is where his average shots appear to land.

This is why I added the "if" 105 is his course swing speed. His June revision of his Trakman data shows that his carry distances are 250-ish, but I'm not sure these are his course distances. I doubt he has the same distances as you, and his freak 70 round let him get the lower handicap.

[Pretzel]

This is why I added the "if" 105 is his course swing speed.

His June revision of his Trakman data shows that his carry distances are 250-ish, but I'm not sure these are his course distances.

I doubt he has the same distances as you, and his freak 70 round let him get the lower handicap.

Do you happen to know his GHIN number? I'd be interested in seeing what his scores look like that he posts for his handicap. As to a freak 70, I've had rounds like that. I shot an even par round at my home course for a -.4 differential that "helps" my handicap out quite a bit. It does, however, make it more frustrating to play in tournaments with net scores since I can't really compete in that category as well as the gross one.

[Lihu]

Do you happen to know his GHIN number? I'd be interested in seeing what his scores look like that he posts for his handicap. As to a freak 70, I've had rounds like that. I shot an even par round at my home course for a -.4 differential that "helps" my handicap out quite a bit. It does, however, make it more frustrating to play in tournaments with net scores since I can't really compete in that category as well as the gross one.

You can look him up at GHIN.com just put his name Dan Mcglaughlin OR home state. He has three clubs. This is why I tend not to look at my calculated handicap so much as the average of my adjusted handicaps of my scores. If I include too many of the 42s it does not represent what I would shoot on any given day. And no, I am not sand bagging. I'm just so inconsistent.

[flopster]

Hey the course is over 7000 yards, I know I would probably have a lot of trouble breaking 90. He did pretty well for a bogey golfer. Oh yeah, that's right, he's not a 20 handicap.

Seriously, though, his short distance off the tee is going to kill him. This was a relatively short course for an aspiring pro. Even if he were really playing with a driver SS of 105, it's not enough.

Oh, yeah. Like @Shorty once said it's more fun to be a 20 marker than a fake 2.6. I wonder what he would say about all this, being a 2.4 handicap himself?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, he should go back to Photography. Not sure he would even enjoy casual rounds after this debacle.

I'm not so sure they are playing the tips the tournament has a senior division and junior division and the tournament says everyone hits from the same tees, I can't see senior players hitting from a course over 7000 yards, in fact in the OR qualifier I couldn't help but notice some of his yardage quotes were shorter than what the score card had for the tips. The other rating and slope would have had his score differential closer to 13. So your saying his trackman swing and his course swing are two different swings? I think this could have some merit since he's in a more controlled environment with no trouble to avoid just wind up and hit it the best you can. I have said this before and others before me Dans admitted lack of athletic ability is going to hold him back under pressure situations like this more than he and probably many others thought, during casual rounds the mind is more relaxed and thus the body so it's able to respond more favorably, add this pressure mentally and a player ha to rely upon his athletic ability more than ever, Dan is not ready even though he has to do these tournaments in order to keep up with the plan layout. I will be very surprised if he can shoot anything less than 85 these next 2 days and a round over 90 is probably very likely.

[flopster]

Originally Posted by RandallT

http://www.roit.org/2014_results.php

This is his 3-day tourney starting today (Friday). No results posted but it's only 7:30 there. Maybe still player

[flopster]

Some good news for Dan would be he's losing that 70 score and at least 1 or 2 other revision scores the next time around, his handicap should be up a full point, it would be in his best interest to go up at least another 1 or 1.5 on top of that just to ease the pressure.

[Shorty]

The crazy thing about this guy is that if he'd had weekly lessons and played twice a week he'd probably be a comfortable 18 marker enjoying the game. And the handicap would be genuine.

Instead, he's  desperately pretending that he's something else, where he's probably, in actuality, about 13.

What irks me is that when people talk about this 10,000 hours theory in years to come, there'll be conversations like

"Wasn't there a guy who proved it by becoming a 2 marker at golf after 5000 hours or something?"

"Yeah, that's right, I think I read something about him or saw an interview or something. I think he may have even played in a PGA event or a qualifier or something"

"Yeah. Pretty amazing, huh?"

Fact is, he's a decent bogey golfer who has made the most of a very unathletic move at the ball, and amazingly, has not bored himself into a stupor doing it.

He's an incredibly positive person, but in the first week you could see that he was never going to generate any power

The only "believers" are people who don't know the game and believe that a "scratch" golfer is only a couple of shots behind a "pro".

But anyone who makes any criticism of his goal, his swing, his results or whatever is labelled a hater.

Good luck to him, though.

[nevets88]

I wonder if he could be a legit 5 now, break 80 comfortably in the events he played if he picked the right instructors, trained smarter and lived somewhere like Florida. Many golfers his size and smaller can generate some serious clubhead speed.

[Lihu]

I wonder if he could be a legit 5 now, break 80 comfortably in the events he played if he picked the right instructors, trained smarter and lived somewhere like Florida. Many golfers his size and smaller can generate some serious clubhead speed.

Yes, size is not the issue per se. Having talent is the thing in question. If someone with lots of fast twitch muscle decided to do the same thing, like a gymnast who's 5'3" but with incredible strength, flexibility and coordination could probably do just as well as a linebacker who's 6'5" with strong for your size muscle. In each case they have talent. After watching a video of Dan several months ago, I was convinced his wimpy swing would limit him. Admittedly, I'm not some world class coach who knows what he is talking about, but just a casual observer. I have watched many little kids playing many sports with their parents hoping they will become great at so and so sport. :-X

[whorippedit]

Not sure if I posted to this one ;: anyway soundes like he is just seeking attention why not do this in private >>? Very disturbing Attention ***** . Com for him

[nevets88]

Yes, size is not the issue per se. Having talent is the thing in question. If someone with lots of fast twitch muscle decided to do the same thing, like a gymnast who's 5'3" but with incredible strength, flexibility and coordination could probably do just as well as a linebacker who's 6'5" with strong for your size muscle. In each case they have talent. After watching a video of Dan several months ago, I was convinced his wimpy swing would limit him. Admittedly, I'm not some world class coach who knows what he is talking about, but just a casual observer. I have watched many little kids playing many sports with their parents hoping they will become great at so and so sport. :-X

I dunno. Does it look that wimpy? I mean it looks like he had some semblance of coordination there are some truly uncoordinated people out there. Not PGA pro coordinated, but I'm thinking with the right pro, he could have a more powerful and accurate swing. Hogan said anyone with the right I forget, something, can break 80. Now anyone with 6-8 years of full time dedication should be able to take that further.

[flopster]

I dunno. Does it look that wimpy? I mean it looks like he had some semblance of coordination there are some truly uncoordinated people out there. Not PGA pro coordinated, but I'm thinking with the right pro, he could have a more powerful and accurate swing.

Hogan said anyone with the right I forget, something, can break 80. Now anyone with 6-8 years of full time dedication should be able to take that further.

In that driver fitting he seemed to take some pretty good rips at it, I remember hearing them saying 248 carry and 282 total with one of the swings so I think if he were to take that to the course he could handle quite a few tracks over 7000 yards, the issue seems is he taking that same swing on the course or is he tightening up and losing club speed along with accuracy.

[iacas]

What irks me is that when people talk about this 10,000 hours theory in years to come, there'll be conversations like

"Wasn't there a guy who proved it by becoming a 2 marker at golf after 5000 hours or something?"

"Yeah, that's right, I think I read something about him or saw an interview or something. I think he may have even played in a PGA event or a qualifier or something"

"Yeah. Pretty amazing, huh?"

I don't think years from now there are going to be that many conversations like that.

Virtually nobody knows about the Dan Plan. Only the hard-core golfers. And a good number of us realize that he hasn't broken 85 in a tournament yet.

[Lihu]

In that driver fitting he seemed to take some pretty good rips at it, I remember hearing them saying 248 carry and 282 total with one of the swings so I think if he were to take that to the course he could handle quite a few tracks over 7000 yards, the issue seems is he taking that same swing on the course or is he tightening up and losing club speed along with accuracy.

I had to dig for the video on youtube. I watched it, and I admit his swing is a lot faster than mine (when I am not warmed up). He looks like he can put his entire body behind the shot. Which is really nice, but it also means he's probably almost maxed out.

He's got 246 carry, 282 total with AoA 3.2 ascending. I'm still flat (haha).

BTW, the reason I am now making comparisons with myself, is I have a new goal to beat his handicap of 13.

[flopster]

Not sure if I posted to this one ;: anyway soundes like he is just seeking attention why not do this in private >>? Very disturbing Attention ***** . Com for him

How about going to the opening post and you will have a better idea of what's really going on here.

[RandallT]

88-87 for Dan on Friday-Saturday. [URL]http://www.roit.org/results/2014/2014-roit-time.html[/URL] I see 11 players with an earlier tee time than him for Sunday, so based on yesterday's count of about 190 golfers in the field, that puts him 179th place roughly, 33 strokes off the lead. Edit: I got confused reading tee sheet. He's probably more like 165th place. Hard to say