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

[iacas]

It saw the light of day!

That's somewhat surprising.

I really wish I'd written it better. I think I assumed it would never be posted, so I was… ahem… more direct than I otherwise would have been. My mistake. :) Oh well.

I'll know better for the next time.

P.S. Part of keeping people active on a site is approving comments regularly. He shouldn't be waiting a week between approving comments. Comments are new content which keep people coming back and posting and reading. If you're approving comments a week later, most people will miss them.

[Lihu]

Latest installment:

http://thedanplan.com/since-the-att-pebble-beach-experience/

Quote:

I remember reading in Strokes Gained some time ago that this long iron game was where the best of the best gained the most strokes over the field, but it wasn’t until seeing them in action that that concept fully materialized.

Quote:

Since I have been back I have thought a lot about ways to improve this aspect of my game and what I realized was that I need a few things.  First off is to focus on this part of the game as it is a current weakness and deliberate practice is all about improving weaknesses.  Next is to find solid reliable instruction via a coach or world-class expert.  The third thing is to work on swing speed in order to better spin the ball and gain distance.

[b101]

First off is to focus on this part of the game as it is a current weakness and deliberate practice is all about improving weaknesses.

Interesting... he won't follow through though

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

First off is to focus on this part of the game as it is a current weakness and deliberate practice is all about improving weaknesses.

Interesting... he won't follow through though

He is probably a lot more serious about gaining swing speed. Let's see what he does to do that? Actually, I might add this to the list of questions for the TST interview @mchepp is doing tomorrow. . .

[nevets88]

Latest student vids of Kelvin Miyahara, mentioned in the last blog post.

[Crim]

Wow, some very Patrick Reed-esque lead foot slide going on there.

[nevets88]

http://blog.chicagoideas.com/speaker_showcase/becoming-a-champion-in-10000-hours/

Not really much new info. Actually none from the perspective of swing improvement.

McLaughlin decided to rapidly turn himself into, then surpass, the average player by sticking to what he christened The Dan Plan: 10,000 hours of  “deliberate practice,” beginning with a strict putting and short game regimen. At the time, he had “no clue” whether he’d even enjoy golf. Today, he’s completed nearly 6,000 hours, plays with an enviable 3.1 handicap, participated in the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am this February and reports that he hasn’t “seen the glass ceiling yet.” And he’s developed the universal attitude of the amateur golfer: the “love-hate relationship.”

“It’s a frustrating game,” he admitted in a recent phone interview.

What has kept McLaughlin moving forward is a dogged optimism and a belief that it’s practice, not talent, that makes a good player. In his view, the main difference between someone like him and, say, former World No. 1 Luke Donald (whose swing McLaughlin emulates) is that a Donald (or Woods or McIlroy or Mickelson…) began his own version of The Dan Plan at the age of two or three. And is McLaughlin’s success due at least in part to an innate aptitude? No. “I didn’t even know if I was going to be left- or right-handed,” he said.

As McLaughlin continues to zero in on the ultimate endgame—to play in more and more competitive tournaments and to, eventually, qualify for a PGA tournament—he’s finding his golfer’s attitude has begun to seep into his everyday life. In relationships, business and family politics, he brings a more relaxed, balanced approach. When he recently found his car broken into, he thought, “Oh well, [it’s] just like a bad shot. Things will turn around.”

[MrFlipper]

http://blog.chicagoideas.com/speaker_showcase/becoming-a-champion-in-10000-hours/

 

Not really much new info. Actually none from the perspective of swing improvement.

 

“It’s a frustrating game,” he admitted in a recent phone interview.

What has kept McLaughlin moving forward is a dogged optimism and a belief that it’s practice, not talent, that makes a good player. In his view, the main difference between someone like him and, say, former World No. 1 Luke Donald (whose swing McLaughlin emulates) is that a Donald (or Woods or McIlroy or Mickelson…) began his own version of The Dan Plan at the age of two or three. And is McLaughlin’s success due at least in part to an innate aptitude? No. “I didn’t even know if I was going to be left- or right-handed,” he said.

As McLaughlin continues to zero in on the ultimate endgame—to play in more and more competitive tournaments and to, eventually, qualify for a PGA tournament—he’s finding his golfer’s attitude has begun to seep into his everyday life. In relationships, business and family politics, he brings a more relaxed, balanced approach. When he recently found his car broken into, he thought, “Oh well, [it’s] just like a bad shot. Things will turn around.”

 

Say what? Really? He was born with the same talent and athleticism as Woods, McIlroy and Mickelson?

And I'm glad he notes that he emulates Luke Donald's swing.  Wouldn't have known that from his swing videos

[nevets88]

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by nevets88 

 

http://blog.chicagoideas.com/speaker_showcase/becoming-a-champion-in-10000-hours/

 

Not really much new info. Actually none from the perspective of swing improvement.

 

<<“It’s a frustrating game,” he admitted in a recent phone interview.

What has kept McLaughlin moving forward is a dogged optimism and a belief that it’s practice, not talent, that makes a good player. In his view, the main difference between someone like him and, say, former World No. 1 Luke Donald (whose swing McLaughlin emulates) is that a Donald (or Woods or McIlroy or Mickelson…) began his own version of The Dan Plan at the age of two or three. And is McLaughlin’s success due at least in part to an innate aptitude? No. “I didn’t even know if I was going to be left- or right-handed,” he said.

As McLaughlin continues to zero in on the ultimate endgame—to play in more and more competitive tournaments and to, eventually, qualify for a PGA tournament—he’s finding his golfer’s attitude has begun to seep into his everyday life. In relationships, business and family politics, he brings a more relaxed, balanced approach. When he recently found his car broken into, he thought, “Oh well, [it’s] just like a bad shot. Things will turn around.”

 

Say what? Really? He was born with the same talent and athleticism as Woods, McIlroy and Mickelson?

 

And I'm glad he notes that he emulates Luke Donald's swing.  Wouldn't have known that from his swing videos  

To be fair, that's the media taking things out of context. It refers to a video by an instructor I think that's just using Donald for context, comparing swing planes A1-A3. I don't recall him ever saying he was emulating anyone's swing. Maybe the writer just wanted to give the article a bit more, umph? Dunno.

[nevets88]

Lowest Score Wins was recommended to him in his blog and in FB last year, he's got a copy now.

[Lihu]

Lowest Score Wins was recommended to him in his blog and in FB last year, he's got a copy now.

Hard cover no less! Plus, he thinks there is a lot to learn! There's some hope. . .

[b101]

Good news!

[Crim]

Lowest Score Wins was recommended to him in his blog and in FB last year, he's got a copy now.

Badass....I still need to get it.

[tdiii]

Latest GHIN revision for Danny boy:  5.5

9 consecutive rounds without breaking 80, and, with his next update, both a 73 (stroke diff. 0.0) and a 74 (stroke diff. 2.1) will drop off.  Trending toward a 7.0.  No wonder he is not posting meaningful updates, and hasn't posted an update on his 10,000 hours since March 4.  Things are off the rails and he seemingly has become a shining example of insanity. . .

[Nosevi]

He is posting more rounds to his GHIN now though which is a good thing ............ I'm struggling slightly to find another positive. Anyone help me out?

[tdiii]

He is posting more rounds to his GHIN now though which is a good thing ............ I'm struggling slightly to find another positive. Anyone help me out?

Is it a good thing to be posting more rounds?  Seems like he needs to take a step back and figure out some glaring swing issues.

[Nosevi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nosevi

He is posting more rounds to his GHIN now though which is a good thing ............ I'm struggling slightly to find another positive. Anyone help me out?

Is it a good thing to be posting more rounds?  Seems like he needs to take a step back and figure out some glaring swing issues.

All depends really. On a positive side it shows where you actually are. There was some talk about him only posting his better rounds to his GHIN, clearly not the case.

That said I go about things in a very different way to Dan - I spend a lot of time working on the skills I need to play the game, spent all morning in a swing studio with launch monitor and video camera just working on one aspect of my swing. Our handicap system is such that it doesn't keep up with how you're playing if you're progressing rapidly, I'm now averaging about 1 over course rating so I must be doing something right. Dan has always seemed to spend way more time than me on the course and less on the practice range. I'd love to do it that way but it doesn't work IMO.

Generally I agree with you that a step back to basics may be what's required. At the end of the day if you can't hit good shots consistently on a range or chip well on a practice area you've got no hope of doing so on the course.

[GHIN0011458]

It is really the first month of golf season so scores go up a little bit. I started playing off a 6 handicap and after the rust is off I am 8 over on my last 45 holes. Last 45 have averaged 73.2 scoring wise and am back to playing off my handicap. Give him a month.