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

[JazzFatCat]

Here's the magazine issue online. The article starts on page 68 I think:   http://paceco.imirus.com/Mpowered/book/vpco15/i4/p1

[iacas]

Here's the magazine issue online. Article starts on page 68:  http://paceco.imirus.com/Mpowered/book/vpco15/i4/p1

It's posted earlier in this thread, too, but if you have Flash installed that method is probably better. Thanks @JazzFatCat .

[Lancer78]

I read it. I think it's probably a pretty honest outlook on where he is right now. I must confess I don't 'get' spending $500 a month on a posh club and not finding the money for instruction - it's just the wrong priorities in my eyes.

I agree, for that money I can get a full inclusive membership at my local club including unlimited range balls.  I could also get 6 lessons a month from the resident pro as well.

[flopster]

I agree, for that money I can get a full inclusive membership at my local club including unlimited range balls.  I could also get 6 lessons a month from the resident pro as well.

He could probably get a membership at a public course for half that and use the other half for lessons.

[b101]

There's certainly some money for evolvr!

[flopster]

Isn't the Oregon state amateur coming up? I know Dan didn't fare well last year but it will be interesting to see if a year gone by has calmed his nerves by now. I know he seems to want to do this his way and doesn't respond to criticism or advice too well, I know I have been a bit hard on him as well but it was more of confusion of why he was doing things the way he was, I still think he simply lacks the natural physical talent to even get remotely close but I think he needs to recognize this and be willing to undo what he's built as a golf swing so far and start making the necessary changes a trained eye can see needs to happen. I think Dan feels making large changes to his golf swing now would be an omission of doing things wrong and basically saying thousands of hours have been wasted therefore compromising the integrity of the experiment.

[Nosevi]

Isn't the Oregon state amateur coming up? I know Dan didn't fare well last year but it will be interesting to see if a year gone by has calmed his nerves by now. I know he seems to want to do this his way and doesn't respond to criticism or advice too well, I know I have been a bit hard on him as well but it was more of confusion of why he was doing things the way he was, I still think he simply lacks the natural physical talent to even get remotely close but I think he needs to recognize this and be willing to undo what he's built as a golf swing so far and start making the necessary changes a trained eye can see needs to happen. I think Dan feels making large changes to his golf swing now would be an omission of doing things wrong and basically saying thousands of hours have been wasted therefore compromising the integrity of the experiment.

Not good really but he doesn't qualify this year - you need to be a 5.0 handicap or below and his handicap is currently 5.4 . It was climbing but he stopped posting scores some weeks back, maybe with half an eye on this, if it had slid any further this would be out of sight but as it is, a couple of good scores posted to his ghin will see him get in.

[nevets88]

Golf Digest's or Golf Magazine's (I forget which) latest top instructor rankings by state is out. The #1 ranked in Oregon, whom I saw on The Dan Plan's blog after the first instructor, is well regarded. His first instructor has a good reputation. Now I'm not saying they're bad instructors, to get where they are, they have helped a lot of students. My main point is he did go the local route , twice.

[Phil McGleno]

Golf Digest's or Golf Magazine's (I forget which) latest top instructor rankings by state is out. The #1 ranked in Oregon, whom I saw on The Dan Plan's blog after the first instructor, is well regarded. His first instructor has a good reputation. Now I'm not saying they're bad instructors, to get where they are, they have helped a lot of students. My main point is he did go the local route , twice.

Those lists are bogus anyway. So many crappy instructors on those lists. Very few good ones. Chris seems good but wants nothing to do with Dan and is to be blamed for the start-putting-from-two-feet-for-weeks thing.

[RFKFREAK]

Those lists are bogus anyway. So many crappy instructors on those lists. Very few good ones.

Chris seems good but wants nothing to do with Dan and is to be blamed for the start-putting-from-two-feet-for-weeks thing.

Yeah, I've always felt those lists are very much people politicking to get on them anyway.

[DrvFrShow]

Looking at the local US Open Qualifier Rounds recently, and seeing the people who didn't make it, and looking at where Dan is, I don't think Dan had any idea of what he was up against. There were amateurs with +0.5 HCs in there shooting in the 90s at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, WA. First Place was Even. The Cut was +1. Only 4 made it out of 77. Two pros, two amateurs (one with a +1.8 HC). Conditions were rain.

[flopster]

Looking at the local US Open Qualifier Rounds recently, and seeing the people who didn't make it, and looking at where Dan is, I don't think Dan had any idea of what he was up against. There were amateurs with +0.5 HCs in there shooting in the 90s at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, WA. First Place was Even. The Cut was +1. Only 4 made it out of 77. Two pros, two amateurs (one with a +1.8 HC). Conditions were rain.

When he first started Dan even admitted he had very little knowledge about golf, I agree though, I think he should have looked a little deeper into how much effort people with loads of talent were putting forward and realize this probably would be a poor choice. Oh wait a minute that's what his experiment is supposed to show in that talent means nothing and plain old hard work and diligence will get you there also.

[Lihu]

Dan injured himself somehow. I think he's pushing himself beyond what his body can handle to get better. This is where the "talent" part of the argument came in earlier posts I made. The fact that he made it to a 5.1 HC on his own is already a decent testament to his plan. He's better than over 95% of all golfers, and he did it in roughly 6000 hours. I would venture to guess that most of the people who are 5 handicaps spent at least this much time over their lifetimes to get to this point. Dan made it to the peak level of his performance without anybody's help. Maybe he could get to 2? Is it worth it to risk more injuries? As far as I'm concerned, no.

[RFKFREAK]

Dan injured himself somehow. I think he's pushing himself beyond what his body can handle to get better. This is where the "talent" part of the argument came in earlier posts I made.

The fact that he made it to a 5.1 HC on his own is already a decent testament to his plan. He's better than over 95% of all golfers, and he did it in roughly 6000 hours. I would venture to guess that most of the people who are 5 handicaps spent at least this much time over their lifetimes to get to this point.

Dan made it to the peak level of his performance without anybody's help. Maybe he could get to 2? Is it worth it to risk more injuries? As far as I'm concerned, no.

I don't follow his blog or his tweets.

Did he say how he injured himself?

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RFKFREAK

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Dan injured himself somehow. I think he's pushing himself beyond what his body can handle to get better. This is where the "talent" part of the argument came in earlier posts I made.

The fact that he made it to a 5.1 HC on his own is already a decent testament to his plan. He's better than over 95% of all golfers, and he did it in roughly 6000 hours. I would venture to guess that most of the people who are 5 handicaps spent at least this much time over their lifetimes to get to this point.

Dan made it to the peak level of his performance without anybody's help. Maybe he could get to 2? Is it worth it to risk more injuries? As far as I'm concerned, no.

I don't follow his blog or his tweets.

Did he say how he injured himself?

Not that detailed, but it appears to be from playing golf.

Quote:

This past week I didn’t pick up a golf club, and it was the first time that has happened since September 2013.  But, it wasn’t by choice.  The back is just messed up and posting on my lead leg was not physically comfortable in the week leading up to that one; at times so bad that I either fell down in the follow through of a swing or had to walk forward after hitting the ball to not put any undue pressure on the lower back.

It started about two weeks ago when I felt some pinching on the lower right side of my back.  I took a few days off and rested and then came back to hit balls and try to play some holes.  That day I made it through roughly 14 holes before it was obvious that I needed to stop for the day.  I took another day off and then went back out and focused on good posture and a strong core and made it through 18 holes, although the  last few were a bit off feeling.  I then took Friday, April 24, off to rest before a two-day two-man best ball tournament at Rose City over that weekend.

[flopster]

Dan injured himself somehow. I think he's pushing himself beyond what his body can handle to get better. This is where the "talent" part of the argument came in earlier posts I made.

The fact that he made it to a 5.1 HC on his own is already a decent testament to his plan. He's better than over 95% of all golfers, and he did it in roughly 6000 hours. I would venture to guess that most of the people who are 5 handicaps spent at least this much time over their lifetimes to get to this point.

Dan made it to the peak level of his performance without anybody's help. Maybe he could get to 2? Is it worth it to risk more injuries? As far as I'm concerned, no.

If your swinging the club properly chances are you will not get injured, Dan does not swing the club very well along proper techniques and therefore leaves himself vulnerable to injury, not having a very high level of talent/athletic coordination  will only slow you down from reaching a more sound technique the last videos I saw of him he's still picking the club up and his footwork is horrendous, someone said he's spending $500 a month on membership at some private club? What a complete waste, he obviously has not learned very much over the time he has spent.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Dan injured himself somehow. I think he's pushing himself beyond what his body can handle to get better. This is where the "talent" part of the argument came in earlier posts I made.

The fact that he made it to a 5.1 HC on his own is already a decent testament to his plan. He's better than over 95% of all golfers, and he did it in roughly 6000 hours. I would venture to guess that most of the people who are 5 handicaps spent at least this much time over their lifetimes to get to this point.

Dan made it to the peak level of his performance without anybody's help. Maybe he could get to 2? Is it worth it to risk more injuries? As far as I'm concerned, no.

If your swinging the club properly chances are you will not get injured, Dan does not swing the club very well along proper techniques and therefore leaves himself vulnerable to injury, not having a very high level of talent/athletic coordination  will only slow you down from reaching a more sound technique the last videos I saw of him he's still picking the club up and his footwork is horrendous, someone said he's spending $500 a month on membership at some private club? What a complete waste, he obviously has not learned very much over the time he has spent.

So true.

I disagree with the $500/month wasted. You're right that his golf is not all that great, but he is attending many charitable events and such. His golf PR engine is running full bore. Just too bad his game is not better. . .

[Pretzel]

I disagree with the $500/month wasted.

At least where I live full memberships to nice public courses cost around $3,000 per year for unlimited range balls and golf. This means an average of only $250 a month, which would leave Dan with $250 a month for lessons at least, and the membership I believe includes access to all three city courses with their different layouts. Dan is throwing money into the wind if he thinks that joining a higher priced private club will make him golf better, but I suppose to each his own...