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

[tdiii]

I should say, "may" not have suffered the injury.

[Wouldn't let me edit]

[newtogolf]

$400 a month!? $400 a month for health insurance for a single to me is absolutely preposterous, unless there's some premiere plan that also gives out free massage + spa upon arriving.

That would be for a premium plan, lesser plans are available for about $150 - $200 a month.  None include a massage + spa unless you consider a visit to a chiropractor the equivalent.

[natureboy]

For about a month? I think he's legitimately where he states now, primarily because of his short game. If you look at his short game results on his Trakman Combine, you can see that his 100 yard and below is at a professional level already with a series of 80 scores. It's 140 yards and above that he really drops off to a single digit player, and his drives and long irons are lacking oomph.

His one sub-par round had a lot of GIR, his usual good putting, and the great drives on the front 9 must have given him an ego boost.

I commented about this before, but was completely ignorant of short game prowess. I just figured that if it took you an extra strokes to get to the hole that it would be very difficult to par them. While this is somewhat true, it does not mean that a person can't make pars. It also does not exclude the ability to get one freakishly good round every now and then to lower your handicap.

Given his 140 yard and out performance, his normal round probably consists of a lot of 100 yard and in scrambling. Given his good performance from 100 yards and in, he can probably make pars at least half of the time and tap in bogies the rest, which on a 6600+ yard course amounts to something like 4-6 type differentials. Not pro level, but still a pretty good player.

Good points about the combine scores. Huge improvement in 2 years on long game quality / consistency.

[Crim]

That would be for a premium plan, lesser plans are available for about $150 - $200 a month.  None include a massage + spa unless you consider a visit to a chiropractor the equivalent.

I pay $120 (total) for me, my wife, & son...it's a damn good plan too, my workplace must have some great plan deals.

[newtogolf]

I pay $120 (total) for me, my wife, & son...it's a damn good plan too, my workplace must have some great plan deals.

Premium costs are different if you are employed and your company offers health benefits.  Dan is not employed (or self employed) therefore he has to purchase from the individual retail market which is why I quoted the higher prices.

[pullfade]

For about a month? I think he's legitimately where he states now, primarily because of his short game. If you look at his short game results on his Trakman Combine, you can see that his 100 yard and below is at a professional level already with a series of 80 scores. It's 140 yards and above that he really drops off to a single digit player, and his drives and long irons are lacking oomph.

His one sub-par round had a lot of GIR, his usual good putting, and the great drives on the front 9 must have given him an ego boost.

I commented about this before, but was completely ignorant of short game prowess. I just figured that if it took you an extra strokes to get to the hole that it would be very difficult to par them. While this is somewhat true, it does not mean that a person can't make pars. It also does not exclude the ability to get one freakishly good round every now and then to lower your handicap.

Given his 140 yard and out performance, his normal round probably consists of a lot of 100 yard and in scrambling. Given his good performance from 100 yards and in, he can probably make pars at least half of the time and tap in bogies the rest, which on a 6600+ yard course amounts to something like 4-6 type differentials. Not pro level, but still a pretty good player.

I'd like to point out that this course is Heron Lakes, the Greenback course. It's extremely easy, you can hit it anywhere off the tee, and the greens are huge. Some of the biggest in Oregon I believe. When I played here regularly my handicap went from a +.6 to a +4.7. The slope/rating is 128/72 which in my opinion is extremely generous.

[BerkeleyRehab]

I think this proved the exact opposite of what Dan wanted..."Don't quit your day job!"

I thought he had enough savings for the 10,000 hours.  Not.

I thought he would update his journey.  Not.

I don't think he even had a real job to quit.  What was his job?  It sounds like he was a freelance photographer.  It wasn't like he was a partner at a law firm or a doctor.

He has done a decent job of getting stuff for free under the guise of "I am going to be on the PGA Tour".

[pullfade]

I think this proved the exact opposite of what Dan wanted..."Don't quit your day job!"

I thought he had enough savings for the 10,000 hours.  Not.

I thought he would update his journey.  Not.

I don't think he even had a real job to quit.  What was his job?  It sounds like he was a freelance photographer.  It wasn't like he was a partner at a law firm or a doctor.

He has done a decent job of getting stuff for free under the guise of "I am going to be on the PGA Tour".

He had some high end clients while he was a freelance photographer. He made some pretty good money, enough to save $100,000 over 7 or so years.

[tdiii]

I've got a client who does this type of work in the Bay Area.  No clue what he makes, but he's buying a $2+M property in the Wine Country, so I'm thinking he can make ends meet in that line of work.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BerkeleyRehab

I think this proved the exact opposite of what Dan wanted..."Don't quit your day job!"

I thought he had enough savings for the 10,000 hours.  Not.

I thought he would update his journey.  Not.

I don't think he even had a real job to quit.  What was his job?  It sounds like he was a freelance photographer.  It wasn't like he was a partner at a law firm or a doctor.

He has done a decent job of getting stuff for free under the guise of "I am going to be on the PGA Tour".

He had some high end clients while he was a freelance photographer. He made some pretty good money, enough to save $100,000 over 7 or so years.

Seems like he didn't have to quit his job to do golf? I play with a lot of film industry related people, including some actors, and they get out on the course a lot off season? They play a lot. . .

I've got a client who does this type of work in the Bay Area.  No clue what he makes, but he's buying a $2+M property in the Wine Country, so I'm thinking he can make ends meet in that line of work.

Not too shabby. . .

[BerkeleyRehab]

He had some high end clients while he was a freelance photographer. He made some pretty good money, enough to save $100,000 over 7 or so years.

He didn't have a JOB to quit.  He just stopped taking on new clients.

He did decently as a gig.  But not nearly enough to support 10,000 hours of golf AND living expenses.  So, his "plan" from the outset relied on begging for money.  GoFundMe.

From his blog***Though his isn’t an easy endeavor and is quite possibly impossible, if it inspires even one person to quit their day job and find happiness in their own plan, then the Dan Plan is a success.***

Why is it a success if someone quits their day job?  In fact, this "plan" should show exactly why you play golf for a hobby and don't quit your day job!

[newtogolf]

He didn't have a JOB to quit.  He just stopped taking on new clients.

He did decently as a gig.  But not nearly enough to support 10,000 hours of golf AND living expenses.  So, his "plan" from the outset relied on begging for money.  GoFundMe.

From his blog***Though his isn’t an easy endeavor and is quite possibly impossible, if it inspires even one person to quit their day job and find happiness in their own plan, then the Dan Plan is a success.***

Why is it a success if someone quits their day job?  In fact, this "plan" should show exactly why you play golf for a hobby and don't quit your day job!

I don't believe Dan thought too deeply about much of what he wrote or his plan. We may never know what his true motivation was (fame, wealth, both) for starting this endeavor but I don't think he "planned" on it turning out this way.

[BerkeleyRehab]

I don't believe Dan thought too deeply about much of what he wrote or his plan. We may never know what his true motivation was (fame, wealth, both) for starting this endeavor but I don't think he "planned" on it turning out this way.

So he didn't think too deeply, yet encourages others to do the same.

TheDanPlan = DoWhatYouFeelLikePlan.

I think they made a Simpson's episode of this.  It turns out that is a suboptimal strategy in life.

[RandallT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

For about a month? I think he's legitimately where he states now, primarily because of his short game. If you look at his short game results on his Trakman Combine, you can see that his 100 yard and below is at a professional level already with a series of 80 scores. It's 140 yards and above that he really drops off to a single digit player, and his drives and long irons are lacking oomph.

His one sub-par round had a lot of GIR, his usual good putting, and the great drives on the front 9 must have given him an ego boost.

I commented about this before, but was completely ignorant of short game prowess. I just figured that if it took you an extra strokes to get to the hole that it would be very difficult to par them. While this is somewhat true, it does not mean that a person can't make pars. It also does not exclude the ability to get one freakishly good round every now and then to lower your handicap.

Given his 140 yard and out performance, his normal round probably consists of a lot of 100 yard and in scrambling. Given his good performance from 100 yards and in, he can probably make pars at least half of the time and tap in bogies the rest, which on a 6600+ yard course amounts to something like 4-6 type differentials. Not pro level, but still a pretty good player.

I'd like to point out that this course is Heron Lakes, the Greenback course. It's extremely easy, you can hit it anywhere off the tee, and the greens are huge. Some of the biggest in Oregon I believe. When I played here regularly my handicap went from a +.6 to a +4.7. The slope/rating is 128/72 which in my opinion is extremely generous.

Wow. +.6 to +4.7 change was mostly due to the playing that course? I've always heard how hard it is to get those last few strokes of improvement as your index gets better.  That's a big change from mostly playing Heron Lakes/Greenback. That drastic change in your handicap made me want to take a glance at the course.

http://www.heronlakesgolf.com/-greenback-course

Here's  a "birdseye" video on the course, all 18 holes. After watching a couple holes, I think I see what you mean about the big fairways and greens, although I'd have to be there myself to really know for sure. Amazing that it seems to be rated so far off from its true difficulty, based on your experience.

[Lihu]

[QUOTE name="pullfade" url="/t/45853/the-dan-plan-10-000-hours-to-become-a-pro-golfer-dan-mclaughlin/3132#post_1148913"]   [QUOTE name="Lihu" url="/t/45853/the-dan-plan-10-000-hours-to-become-a-pro-golfer-dan-mclaughlin/3114#post_1148518"]   For about a month? I think he's legitimately where he states now, primarily because of his short game. If you look at his short game results on his Trakman Combine, you can see that his 100 yard and below is at a professional level already with a series of 80 scores. It's 140 yards and above that he really drops off to a single digit player, and his drives and long irons are lacking oomph. His one sub-par round had a lot of GIR, his usual good putting, and the great drives on the front 9 must have given him an ego boost. I commented about this before, but was completely ignorant of short game prowess. I just figured that if it took you an extra strokes to get to the hole that it would be very difficult to par them. While this is somewhat true, it does not mean that a person can't make pars. It also does not exclude the ability to get one freakishly good round every now and then to lower your handicap. Given his 140 yard and out performance, his normal round probably consists of a lot of 100 yard and in scrambling. Given his good performance from 100 yards and in, he can probably make pars at least half of the time and tap in bogies the rest, which on a 6600+ yard course amounts to something like 4-6 type differentials. Not pro level, but still a pretty good player. [/QUOTE] I'd like to point out that this course is Heron Lakes, the Greenback course. It's extremely easy, you can hit it anywhere off the tee, and the greens are huge. Some of the biggest in Oregon I believe. When I played here regularly my handicap went from a +.6 to a +4.7. The slope/rating is 128/72 which in my opinion is extremely generous.  [/QUOTE] Wow. +.6 to +4.7 change was mostly due to the playing that course? I've always heard how hard it is to get those last few strokes of improvement as your index gets better.  That's a big change from mostly playing Heron Lakes/Greenback. That drastic change in your handicap made me want to take a glance at the course.  [URL=http://www.heronlakesgolf.com/-greenback-course]http://www.heronlakesgolf.com/-greenback-course[/URL] Here's  a "birdseye" video on the course, all 18 holes. After watching a couple holes, I think I see what you mean about the big fairways and greens, although I'd have to be there myself to really know for sure. Amazing that it seems to be rated so far off from its true difficulty, based on your experience.

Scratch golfers don't really care about the slope ratings, though. Just guessing the easier greens is the main reason for his handicap variation from +4.7 to +3.9?

[M2R]

Scratch golfers don't really care about the slope ratings, though. Just guessing the easier greens is the main reason for his handicap variation from +4.7 to +3.9?

True but it would be more informative to say the further a golfer is from scratch the more potential influence slope might have on the differential calculation. The important point being the golfer can be further away in either direction, better or worse.

[RandallT]

For those interested, a recent interview with Dan (he had been injured for 3 weeks at the point of this phone call):

https://www.spreaker.com/user/golficity/the-dan-plan-with-dan-mclaughlin

Moderator intro (paraphrased as I'm listening):

"It's inspiring!"

"The story itself is compelling"

"No matter whether he meets his goal or not, it is the journey that is important."

"Very interesting story- very daring."

"What's great is that he holds himself very accountable. His stats, his progress, injuries, it's all on his blog."

Dan (paraphrased):

At 8:00, Dan is still touting the idea of starting close to the hole, and that it was "paramount to me having an accelerated first few years." The moderators were like, "yah, that's great."

"It's critical to have great instruction. Find one person you trust and pay attention to just that one source."

"5 years and 6000 hours in , and I'm still kinda working on different things."

"Close to the hole, I'm equivalent to a scratch or +1 handicap, but I'm struggling with the long game."

Short-term/long-term goals:

"5to 6mph more on my swing. That's mainly core workout and new exercise routine. I want to get to 113/114mph on my driver swing."

"Outside of that, working on consistency. You can make up for a lot of mistakes with short game around the greens."

(I'll point out that nowhere on his site does he quantify those goals of driver swing speed or consistency that I have seen- could be wrong)

"If you just go out and play all the time, you never really know where you are." (many here criticize him for just playing all the time)

"Lately I've been using that ARCCOS thing. They break it down by areas of your game. Real statistics can help a ton."

Injury prevention:

"I was pretty lucky for the first 5 years, but lately I've had a nagging issue for about 3 weeks. My sister had a bunch of stress fractures during her career, so I've basically just been resting my back. Other than that, I stretch, I foam roll, I work out."

Moderators after:

"You know I just learned a lot from Dan there. Most guys will just go out to the range and hit driver, but I thought it was interesting to hear what he's done."

"This has really opened up a lot of interesting doors for him, as he has travelled around the world and played with various professionals."

"It was interesting what he said about statistics: Find the areas of weakness and get to work on them." (what a concept! had the moderators really not thought of that?)

Unrelated, but I ran across this recently. The idea of "deliberate play" is new to me. A quote below from a page dedicated to debunking the myth of applying 10,000 hours theory of deliberate practice to athletic endeavors.

http://changingthegameproject.com/the-10000-hour-myth/ :

There is also evidence that children engaged in play spend more time on task (actually playing) then those in structured training environments, where they stand in line, wait for coaches to set up activities, etc. In an hour of pickup basketball, children will usually spend the vast majority of the time playing, developing motor skills through the game, while research on training environments demonstrates that athletes’ time on task varies between 25% to 54% of total training time. The benefits of feedback from experienced coaches may be outweighed by the amount of time not spent actually playing or practicing! This is why I advise coaches of our youngest athletes to “Just let them play!”

[Lihu]

"Close to the hole, I'm equivalent to a scratch or +1 handicap, but I'm struggling with the long game."

This is the main takeaway for me, and I'll add that according to his stats he's actually better than +1 inside 60 yards.