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

[Lihu]

I read it.  What else would you really expect.

He put himself out there and now has to give some info to his investors/donators.

I personally think he should just keep playing tournament after tournament.  I think he is getting too caught up in tracking and mental game.

Just play.

How well financed is he?  It seems this 'experiment' was predicated on him raising money and didn't have nearly enough saved to make it 10,000 hours on his own.

Yes, but that could also expose his true weaknesses and could shut the project down.

[garybbq]

I don't know about playing more tournaments.... I don't see the point. He needs to get down to a legit scratch handicap any way he can. Unless he is a true scratch he has no hope of getting anywhere in professional golf

[Todd Ruggere]

I am actually for the tournament play. He won't do it though. I think we'd all have more respect for his project if he put up a couple decent scores in tourneys thank posting rounds in the 70s during practice rounds.

[BerkeleyRehab]

I don't know about playing more tournaments.... I don't see the point. He needs to get down to a legit scratch handicap any way he can. Unless he is a true scratch he has no hope of getting anywhere in professional golf

Tournament are the only way (imho) to get better.  And to show you are legit.  Competing on different courses.  Playing with friends at home course day after day doesn't really show much.

But this is all marketing/sales from here on in.  He has 0000.0000% chance of making it on PGA Tour.  But he needs to finance 3+ years of being a basically being a golf bum.

He is doing a decent job of keeping the charade going.  Highlights his under par round.  Doesn't update his handicap or stats very often.  And he avoids tournaments that 'expose' his true abilities.

He is like a bad company that hides behind Forward-Looking statements and doesn't release earnings to get investor money.  He really doesn't have much of a choice.

[garybbq]

We'll that's kind of my point in a way. He plays the same course all the time and only posts rounds every 10 days or so. I'm guessing he plays a round at least every second day and if he posted every score and also played different courses posting those scores we would know his current handicap. He just phones it in, so when he enters a tournament he of course blows up

[garybbq]

Tournament are the only way (imho) to get better.  And to show you are legit.  Competing on different courses.  Playing with friends at home course day after day doesn't really show much. But this is all marketing/sales from here on in.  He has 0000.0000% chance of making it on PGA Tour.  But he needs to finance 3+ years of being a basically being a golf bum.  He is doing a decent job of keeping the charade going.  Highlights his under par round.  Doesn't update his handicap or stats very often.  And he avoids tournaments that 'expose' his true abilities.  He is like a bad company that hides behind Forward-Looking statements and doesn't release earnings to get investor money.  He really doesn't have much of a choice.

So you really think the only way he can get better is to play in tournaments?

[Lihu]

Tournament are the only way (imho) to get better.  And to show you are legit.  Competing on different courses.  Playing with friends at home course day after day doesn't really show much.

But this is all marketing/sales from here on in.  He has 0000.0000% chance of making it on PGA Tour.  But he needs to finance 3+ years of being a basically being a golf bum.

He is doing a decent job of keeping the charade going.  Highlights his under par round.  Doesn't update his handicap or stats very often.  And he avoids tournaments that 'expose' his true abilities.

He is like a bad company that hides behind Forward-Looking statements and doesn't release earnings to get investor money.  He really doesn't have much of a choice.

So you really think the only way he can get better is to play in tournaments?

I think he is questioning his handicap.

[BerkeleyRehab]

So you really think the only way he can get better is to play in tournaments?

Not the "only" way.

But the best way.  And only scores I really count as legit since you have to follow all the rules and there are no gimmes.

And since his goal is to play on the PGA Tour, the ultimate tournament circuit in the world, I would think it would help prepare him best.

[garybbq]

I think he is questioning his handicap.

We'll yes I don't believe his handicap I'm just saying I don't think you need to play in tournaments to lower it, he should be able to get to legit scratch without playing tournament golf

[flopster]

So you really think the only way he can get better is to play in tournaments?

Yes, tournament golf and casual golf are 2 different animals especially for someone in Dan's shoes who has very little time at being a golfer, some guys can shoot tournament rounds very similar to casual rounds because they have years and experience on their side.

[garybbq]

Not the "only" way. But the best way.  And only scores I really count as legit since you have to follow all the rules and there are no gimmes.    And since his goal is to play on the PGA Tour, the ultimate tournament circuit in the world, I would think it would help prepare him best.

We'll I guess I find this strange, why would anyone who wants a legit handicap count gimmes etc.....

[flopster]

We'll yes I don't believe his handicap I'm just saying I don't think you need to play in tournaments to lower it, he should be able to get to legit scratch without playing tournament golf

Until he can play tournament golf within 2 or 3 strokes of scratch then he really isn't a legitimate scratch player in a lot of peoples opinions.

[garybbq]

Y[quote name="flopster" url="/t/45853/the-dan-plan-10-000-hours-to-become-a-pro-golfer/1290#post_1008539"] Until he can play tournament golf within 2 or 3 strokes of scratch then he really isn't a legitimate scratch player in a lot of peoples opinions. [/quote] Yes but he is not scratch now, that is my point.

[flopster]

Y

Yes but he is not scratch now, that is my point.

And he's not even 4.1 (current ghin),  and that's mine.

[RandallT]

Anyone ever attended a seminar like the one Dan says he will attend?

http://www.vision54.com/index.html

It looks like it's right up his alley with its mention of "unlimited human potential" and buzzwords like that, so it will give Dan good material to discuss on his blog. Fine. The "54" refers to striving for shooting a 54 by birdie-ing every hole. Why not!?

But I was curious if any of the competitive players here on TST have attended anything similar and found that it helped them to improve their mental game? Is Dan the right type of player to gain from it, or is it for those on the cusp of being on tour?

There are endorsements there from Sean Foley, Ai Miyazato, and Damon Hack, so it appears to be a broad cross-section! They were on the Pinehurst #2 course this week teaching a 2-day course--> http://www.vision54.com/CW-14A_Coach54_On-Course_Fact_Sheet-entryupdated.pdf for just $895. I wonder if many LPGA players signed up for that to get in gear for the US Open this weekend.

[BerkeleyRehab]

We'll I guess I find this strange, why would anyone who wants a legit handicap count gimmes etc.....

It is very standard to just give putts in casual play, even in gambling games.  There is a scratch player that I play with that finds it insulting if he asked to putt a one-footer.

The mentality of knowing that you don't have to make it in the hole is one separator of casual rounds vs tournament rounds.  Just got it somewhat near the hole and it is good.

The more he avoids tournaments, the worse he will play in tournaments.  And the couple he does play in will be layered with enormous pressure.  Like each one is a Major.

But...and I keep saying this, playing tournaments comes with great risk that he could lose sponsors/donations.  Upside of a 75 is ok, but the downside of an 88 and people will stop 'believing'.  And then it all unravels.  Look at what happened with this one meaningless tournament.  He couldn't even write for 2 weeks.

[GHIN0011458]

I don't know about playing more tournaments.... I don't see the point. He needs to get down to a legit scratch handicap any way he can. Unless he is a true scratch he has no hope of getting anywhere in professional golf

Very tough to get to legit scratch without tourney knowledge IMO

[Golfingdad]

Very tough to get to legit scratch without tourney knowledge IMO

Totally agree.  No handicap (from +5 through 38, or even higher) is truly "legit" until you've had some competitive experience.  And it could be argued that it's not even totally legit until you're playing almost exclusively in competitions.