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

[RFKFREAK]

This might be true, but he states that he is currently a 3 handicap and he shot an 83 on a difficult course which is not that bad a score for that handicap. Of course, my son's 16 year old friend shot something in the mid to high 70s, but was something like a 1.7 at the time he shot the score (he's better now). He's not exactly a child prodigy golfer either, there are kids who are far better than him. Thousands of kids who are better. So, in answer to your other question, Dan currently shoots as well as some 13 to 14 year old kids I know. It will be difficult for him to surpass the high tens of thousands of golfers between him and the PGA tour who are less than half Dan's age.

So, short answer: For someone with the HC he says he carries, good. To play on the PGA Tour as a, "regular player," no.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

This might be true, but he states that he is currently a 3 handicap and he shot an 83 on a difficult course which is not that bad a score for that handicap.

Of course, my son's 16 year old friend shot something in the mid to high 70s, but was something like a 1.7 at the time he shot the score (he's better now). He's not exactly a child prodigy golfer either, there are kids who are far better than him. Thousands of kids who are better.

So, in answer to your other question, Dan currently shoots as well as some 13 to 14 year old kids I know. It will be difficult for him to surpass the high tens of thousands of golfers between him and the PGA tour who are less than half Dan's age.

So, short answer:

For someone with the HC he says he carries, good.

To play on the PGA Tour as a, "regular player," no.

Correct. He has about a chance in something like 50,000 to 80,000 to play the PGA tour. Not impossible, but pretty small.

[RFKFREAK]

Correct. He has about a chance in something like 50,000 to 80,000 to play the PGA tour. Not impossible, but pretty small.

I doubt @shorty would give him that good of a chance, haha.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Correct. He has about a chance in something like 50,000 to 80,000 to play the PGA tour. Not impossible, but pretty small.

I doubt @shorty would give him that good of a chance, haha.

Well, I'm just estimating the number of golfers in USA and Europe that play better than a 4 handicap. Asia is starting to pick up in numbers as well, so that might make the odds a bit higher against.

As you mentioned in earlier posts, Dan is not exactly an athletic person. I think he picked golf, because he though he would have a better chance at golf than playing in the NBA or NFL.

I don't understand how he can be exposed to so many talented golfers, and actually think that he'll get there someday.

[RFKFREAK]

I don't understand how he can be exposed to so many talented golfers, and actually think that he'll get there someday.

I'm not so sure that he doesn't understand but perhaps it's more of a situation where he's this far into it and doesn't want to publicly admit to everyone he's not going to be successful and is trying to parlay it into something else.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

I don't understand how he can be exposed to so many talented golfers, and actually think that he'll get there someday.

I'm not so sure that he doesn't understand but perhaps it's more of a situation where he's this far into it and doesn't want to publicly admit to everyone he's not going to be successful and is trying to parlay it into something else.

True, and getting to his 4 HC from a rank beginner inside of 4 years is a pretty decent achievement in and of itself. Perhaps other people who started late in life would be inspired by this somehow?

The only issue for him is that LSW already is helping many people achieve similar or even harder goals.

[DrvFrShow]

But if Dan writes a good story about his trials in addition to what he learned to get where he did in 10000 hrs, people might buy it. That maybe what he's counting on now.

[Lihu]

But if Dan writes a good story about his trials in addition to what he learned to get where he did in 10000 hrs, people might buy it. That maybe what he's counting on now.

In my mind, he has proven that he is a legitimate 3-6 handicap, and that he can play under the pressure of a tournament situation to his handicap. I might buy a book that details his partial journey to a 3-6 handicap in 6000 hours? I'd hope that he will condense it to the critical path items, but his "swagger" attitude (ego) might get in the way of optimizing his process. He might think everyone should do exactly as he had done, which includes only putting for a year or more.

All I can say is that anything Dan has to write needs to compete with LSW et al.

[Golfingdad]

... he can play under the pressure of a tournament situation to his handicap.

Has he done this yet?  I've, admittedly, only been following this thread a little bit lately, but I thought that a big part of his problem was precisely that he could NOT play to his handicap in pressure situations.  Like, he posts 75's in casual rounds, but in tournaments he struggles to break 90.  Has this changed recently?  Because, if so, that's great.

All I can say is that anything Dan has to write needs to compete with LSW et al.

Does it?  I wouldn't expect him to even attempt to write any type of "how-to" book, seeing as how he's not a professional or a teacher.  I'd expect his book to be more of a biography of his journey.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

... he can play under the pressure of a tournament situation to his handicap.

Has he done this yet?  I've, admittedly, only been following this thread a little bit lately, but I thought that a big part of his problem was precisely that he could NOT play to his handicap in pressure situations.  Like, he posts 75's in casual rounds, but in tournaments he struggles to break 90.  Has this changed recently?  Because, if so, that's great.

He shot an 83 with the PGA course conditions. Seems pretty good according to Randall's analysis.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/45853/the-dan-plan-10-000-hours-to-become-a-pro-golfer-dan-mclaughlin/2664#post_1106192

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

All I can say is that anything Dan has to write needs to compete with LSW et al.

Does it?  I wouldn't expect him to even attempt to write any type of "how-to" book, seeing as how he's not a professional or a teacher.  I'd expect his book to be more of a biography of his journey.

I suppose this is true, but I'm not sure I would get anything out of a book that I can't read in his blog already.

[Golfingdad]

He shot an 83 with the PGA course conditions. Seems pretty good according to Randall's analysis.

But that's not "tournament pressure," that's just a harder course. Not even remotely comparable.

What are his TOURNAMENT scores?

I'm not sure I would get anything out of a book that I can't read in his blog already.

Maybe, maybe not ... but that isn't relevant to whether or not "anything Dan has to write needs to compete with LSW."

It doesn't.

[David in FL]

But that's not "tournament pressure," that's just a harder course. Not even remotely comparable. What are his TOURNAMENT scores?

Yep. I'd be pleased with an 83, but not terribly surprised with something in that vicinity. And I have no hopes or aspirations of competing well at even the local, senior, amateur level.....

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

He shot an 83 with the PGA course conditions. Seems pretty good according to Randall's analysis.

But that's not "tournament pressure," that's just a harder course. Not even remotely comparable.

What are his TOURNAMENT scores?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

I'm not sure I would get anything out of a book that I can't read in his blog already.

Maybe, maybe not ... but that isn't relevant to whether or not "anything Dan has to write needs to compete with LSW."

It doesn't.

I guess he hasn't really played a "tournament", I just assumed that with all the world watching him play at Pebble Beach, it created enough pressure for him?

True, but I see "The Dan Plan" as proving the 10,000 hour theory as related to golf. So, I am making the assumption that he is expecting other people to follow his suit to prove the theory with more examples, and if there is no instruction for others to follow, then there is no real possibility of a "proof"?

If not, then I'm not really sure what he wants to accomplish here, then. . .

[iacas]

I guess he hasn't really played a "tournament", I just assumed that with all the world watching him play at Pebble Beach, it created enough pressure for him?

Nobody was watching him play. A few people in his foursome. That's about it.

That wasn't a tournament.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

I guess he hasn't really played a "tournament", I just assumed that with all the world watching him play at Pebble Beach, it created enough pressure for him?

Nobody was watching him play. A few people in his foursome. That's about it.

That wasn't a tournament.

I see. . .no accountability.

[David in FL]

I guess he hasn't really played a "tournament", I just assumed that with all the world watching him play at Pebble Beach, it created enough pressure for him?

Realistically, I've got to wonder how many people are "watching". I'll bet there aren't all that many people who even know of him, let alone actively follow his progress.

[Golfingdad]

Nobody was watching him play. A few people in his foursome. That's about it.

That wasn't a tournament.

I see. . .no accountability.

No, not accountability - I believe him when he says he shot 83.  No pressure .

He's played in several tournaments and shown that he can't handle the pressure and he shoots 88 or 92 or whatever.  It's a completely different ballgame than just casually playing a course with a hard setup.

(And like Erik already said ... nobody watching.  Remember, this was Monday AFTER the tournament was over.)

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iacas

Nobody was watching him play. A few people in his foursome. That's about it.

That wasn't a tournament.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

I see. . .no accountability.

No, not accountability - I believe him when he says he shot 83.  No pressure.

He's played in several tournaments and shown that he can't handle the pressure and he shoots 88 or 92 or whatever.  It's a completely different ballgame than just casually playing a course with a hard setup.

(And like Erik already said ... nobody watching.  Remember, this was Monday AFTER the tournament was over.)

Well, I would say we missed the boat on this one, we (fellow sand trappers) should have provided a gallery for him and cheered and jeered on good and bad shots respectively to give him a little friendly "pressure" to shoot "well".