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

[tdiii]

I can do without your unnecessary remark in bold and regret not seeing the name of the podcast in the original post of yours that I quoted earlier today where you said.

Regardless, I appreciate the link.

So, you're not helpless.  Just careless.  Noted.

[RFKFREAK]

So, you're not helpless.  Just careless.  Noted. :-D

I really shouldn't read the board on my phone as somehow crap like this happens. Haha.

[Nosevi]

Dan, when asked about what a day in the life looks like, starts by saying that it changes with the season and the says, "Right now, you can post scores again up here in Oregon so I'm just playing a lot of golf.  Trying to get tournament ready.  Focusing on score, focusing on competition.  Making sure there's something on the line. .. ."  So, why no posted scores on GHIN since April?

If he's saying you can post scores again here in Oregon it must be recorded from earlier on in the year, pretty sure you can play golf there through May, June and July. I'd post a link showing Oregon's climate but I'm sure you're not that helpless. :-)

[tdiii]

I am that helpless, but luckily enough have been to Portland many times and have several close friends there, in Bend, and in Medford, so don't even need to research it.

I actually wondered if the interview took place awhile ago, but just wasn't released until August 10th.  No mention of the injury in the interview.  In any event, I posted a question on the blog's website asking when the interview actually took place and will close the loop if/when I receive a response.

[Nosevi]

I am that helpless, but luckily enough have been to Portland many times and have several close friends there, in Bend, and in Medford, so don't even need to research it.  I actually wondered if the interview took place awhile ago, but just wasn't released until August 10th.  No mention of the injury in the interview.  In any event, I posted a question on the blog's website asking when the interview actually took place and will close the loop if/when I receive a response.

Was obviously just kidding :-) Hope you get a response but looking back over previous blogs people rarely do.

[tdiii]

Was obviously just kidding

Hope you get a response but looking back over previous blogs people rarely do.

Well, I actually posted the question on the interviewer's blog, not on Dan's, so maybe we'll get lucky.

[Lihu]

In response to Dan's most recent blog post, in which he recounts some improvement with his back, I posted the following a couple of days ago and it continues to await moderation:

Dan:

Forgive me if I missed it, but what was the diagnosis for your back?

Also, while you said you cannot practice the full swing, have you been working on putting and/or short game?

Thanks and I hope the recovery continues unabated.

I'm a little bit behind on everything about Dan, but I noticed that a post in his blog from Ted (presume you?) asked what was the diagnosis on his back? In his blog it was pretty clear that it was history and maybe he just doesn't want people to know what it was?

As far as his "plan" is concerned he's not on track to do any deliberate practice at this point in time. He seems to be just easing back into playing? Not sure how he's playing, but the way he's blogging it appears he's playing bogey golf?

[nevets88]

Looks like a recent interview. If that's his swing w/the bad back, it looks slower, but pretty much the same.

[tdiii]

He needs to work on his fitness.  No excuse for being in such poor shape at this point.  It would help his back, too.  If he'd followed my advice two years ago to start squatting and deadlifting with barbells regularly, he'd hit the ball farther with less chance of injury.

[Nosevi]

Looks like a recent interview. If that's his swing w/the bad back, it looks slower, but pretty much the same.

Thanks for posting up. Interesting there's a few answers on there that, for whatever reason, aren't on his site ie What's wrong with his back and is he doing short game to fill the time. Not really sure why he's not put anything about them on his site.

[tdiii]

Thanks for posting up. Interesting there's a few answers on there that, for whatever reason, aren't on his site ie What's wrong with his back and is he doing short game to fill the time. Not really sure why he's not put anything about them on his site.

I had the same thought.  I also find it interesting that he is sticking to the 2-3 handicap horsecr@p.

[Nosevi]

[QUOTE name="Nosevi" url="/t/45853/the-dan-plan-10-000-hours-to-become-a-pro-golfer-dan-mclaughlin/3402#post_1192721"] Thanks for posting up. Interesting there's a few answers on there that, for whatever reason, aren't on his site ie What's wrong with his back and is he doing short game to fill the time. Not really sure why he's not put anything about them on his site.[/QUOTE] I had the same thought.  I also find it interesting that he is sticking to the 2-3 handicap horsecr@p.

One question it did answer pretty loud and clear - if he doesn't make it, it's because of the injury. At least that's the message I got from listening to that.

[Big C]

All I can say is that Dan looks absolutely terrible in that video. he looks like he has aged 10 years since the plan began and the rumpled unshaven appearance isn't doing him any favors.

[newtogolf]

He has a friend that went from scratch to +5 in one year?  I am having a tough time believing that.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nosevi

Thanks for posting up. Interesting there's a few answers on there that, for whatever reason, aren't on his site ie What's wrong with his back and is he doing short game to fill the time. Not really sure why he's not put anything about them on his site.

I had the same thought.  I also find it interesting that he is sticking to the 2-3 handicap horsecr@p.

I met a self proclaimed "good 2" this morning (not arguing that fact either), but he was definitely of the mindset that "If you're not 6'4-250 pounds there is no way you could be as good as me" type. He was an okay player, about what I'd expect from any other 2.

So, in light of opposing the size snobbery me and the other players put up with this morning, we don't really know where the ball ends up and maybe he really is a 2 to 3? Only Dan really knows the truth.

He has a friend that went from scratch to +5 in one year?  I am having a tough time believing that.

It would certainly make headlines in Golf Digest or something similar.

[RandallT]

All I can say is that Dan looks absolutely terrible in that video. he looks like he has aged 10 years since the plan began and the rumpled unshaven appearance isn't doing him any favors.

Reminiscing, Day 1:

His look 5 years ago:

His look in the recent interview:

I've gotta admit he looks a tad more stressed and overweight in the recent one. Boy I bet he wishes he could get some of that time back.

[DrvFrShow]

Pain ages you fast. And we all wish we could get some of that time back. My friend and I were talking the other day. She was 37 when I met her. She'll be 50 next year. I was 47 when I moved here. I'll be 63 this year. Time flies.

And let's not kid ourselves. With the disk problem, The Dan Plan is done. He'll be a good amateur golfer. Bravo.

[tdiii]

I'm no MD but suffered from constant back pain from 18 (when I injured it rowing in college) until about age 43.  I did not have a pain free day over that 25 year period and had multiple bouts where I could not get out of the house.  I had multiple MRIs over that period, a few epidural steroid injections, several different physical therapists, a few different chiropractors, etc.  I suffered only intermittent, minor sciatica, which makes my situation like Dan's.  We can surmise he does not have sciatica as he has never mentioned pain radiating down his legs, numbness, etc.

I've researched the heck out of back pain and learned some interesting things:  (a) there is little to no evidence that surgery relieves back pain (as distinguished from sciatica); (b) cortisone injections are pretty good for relieving sciatica, but don't do much for back pain.  The medical profession has never really been able to find a successful treatment for back pain.  It tends to go away and then the sufferer has periodic bouts.  If you take 100 patients suffering from back pain (but not sciatica), put 1/2 in physical therapy and 1/2 to just manage as best they can, there is unlikely to be any statistically significant difference in results of treatment if you check in on them a few months later.  The same is true of chiropractic treatment.  We don't really know why some patients get better and some don't.

If you took MRIs of 100 healthy people and 100 people with back pain (but who do not suffer sciatica), and gave those to a pathologist, he or she could not tell you which group was which.  So, the fact that Dan has (as I did and, presumably do) a bulging disk may or may not coincide with his back pain.

So, that's what Dan is up against.

The only thing that seemed to work for me (and I get it, sample size of 1), was gritting my teeth for a full year and devoting myself to squatting (started with the bar and no weight, so 45 pounds), deadlifting (started with 95 pounds), the other basic barbell lifts, and a lot of walking.  I'm completely pain free and able to play as much golf as I want (played 7 rounds in 4 days recently).  I've had one flare up in the past 5 years, which lasted a few days but from which I recovered very, very quickly as compared to the past.

Dan, probably because he's been in a lot of pain, has put on some weight.  It's a vicious circle.  You hurt, so you can't get any exercise.  As a result, you put on a bit of weight, and it hurts more because that weight puts more stress on your back.