festivus

Congrats man! Way to go! Working through a PhD in nutrition has taught me a few things after reading thousands of studies: adherence is the top predictor for success. Find something that works for you and your chances skyrocket. I don't even want to get into most of the hokum "science" that goes into most diet books - you are your own best feedback. Trust that.

First, going to the gym for 2 weeks as the only change (as the OP describes) won't lead to that type of weight loss. Though you're right Pettersen's weight loss can change the swing for the worse (alter center of mass, center of pressure, and posture), the OP's situation is too fast for that. I don't know what people are doing for workouts so won't go farther into generalization except to say that a soundly constructed and executed workout before you play is very beneficial to golf. I've seen it with high-level collegiates and pros time and again. OP workout doesn't sound like it's something extraordinarily bad for the golf swing so I'd be surprised if it's the cause. I can't make a very precise response without knowing more about how things are being done. Agree with saevel to post swing vids for help.

I'd opt for Orange Whip or Momentus. Being able to hit balls also has a downside. Folks will try to swing as hard as possible eventually, and do you want that much momentum taxing your rotator cuffs in the swing? Not me. It's nice to be able to hit balls but gotta keep the intensity lower.

Yes but ethanol drives insulin through the roof. Any time you eliminate a major calorie source you stand a better chance of losing weight. That could be fat, protein, or carb. You can find a study or book or clinician who has success with any of those 3 plans. The key is to find one that works for you and be disciplined. Being disciplined is a heck of a lot easier when you're full! For a lot of people, carbs are extremely filling and high protein/fat makes them nauseous (I've found this particularly with east Asians and some of African descent). For others, like me (eastern European descent), I need protein and fat to have any chance of staying full. You get your mitochondrial DNA from your mother, so think about how she eats and functions and 8 times out of 10 that will help direct you.

I will occasionally lay up to a yardage but that's usually in the case of a front pin with firm greens or a nasty lie for my would-be approach. Obviously, things like a water hazard will change the thinking. 20 yards in the water is not a great way to make birdie

That's backed up by the PGA stat pack geek Richie Hunt who produces his yearly evaluations, pro golf synopsis. Last couple years he's made a case the FW wood is the key club on Tour because once you get within about 30yds of the green the birdie% increases exponentially. So guys with a great FW wood can get close to that green and bump their chances of scoring. Of course there are exceptions like Zach Jonhson's Masters win. But nearly anyone, barring yips, should get closer from 20 yds than 100 a huge % of the time.

Just to clarify, and I agree on the knee essentially being a slave to the ankle and hip: the knee has a ton of soft tissue structure to stop lateral movement. I agree on initiating movement, the ITB and TFL chain aren't too hot with that. The only reason I bring this up is deceleration is at least as important as acceleration. When we're talking stable (not sure if that's what is being mis-stated as solid or not), deceleration rules.

Erik - interesting thought. Reminds me of one of my favorite sayings: "coaching isn't about what you say, it's about what you can get your students to do." Seems Butch is pretty good at the latter, though I have seen a modest trend of his students with long-term injuries.

If y'all are talking about head movement then to my knowledge Kenny Perry takes the cake for elite players: If it's early extension (diagnosed via the posterior) then Luke Donald is a pretty good example.

I think the difference between firing at flags vs. trying to hole putts is actually quite large from a course management standpoint. IMHO we're talking about the value of picking a very specific target with a very firm directive. Related to ballstriking, that target could and often should be middle of the green or fat of the fairway...but the directive of "somewhere out there" is akin to the 3-foot circle in putting and in either case I don't think gives one the best focus or chance for improvement.

Yeah - and you gave great advice! What I find funny is how many people start the game for social, exercise, or family reasons. They often start with such low standards and actually find reasonable results. Then the floodgates of expectation and score set in...it often gets ugly after that. At that point there is generally a fork in the road where you get obsessed or quit playing regularly. Some people do in fact derive a lot of joy from that competitive scoring aspect....more power to them. Again, what is the goal of the individual?

Other books on this vein: Talent is Overrated, Colvin Bounce, Syed (the only one I know written by an elite performer himself) Outliers, Gladwell and so many more... One of the seminal original research papers by FSU professor Ericsson is actually quite a good read on its own. One thing often overlooked is the need to understand and value the "secrets in the dirt." Many golfers will come to start or improve from positions of relative wealth and power - they're used to getting what they want when they want it.

I won't discount your experiences or advice but joint point out not everyone has the same goals. Some golfers play in 3 scrambles a year and just want to have fun, drink, whatever. For them going for the memorable shot is possibly the best choice on a regular basis. They my not be a huge segment of the marketplace but they'll buy a dozen balls each outing and the odd new driver. Others are obsessed with breaking 90 or 80 or 70. Yep, that's often course management, focus, etc. Your advice is terrific. In years of caddying and teaching I've also found a ton of golfers who SAY they want to break 80 or whatever but whose real goals are revealed by their actions. They want good times with friends, the odd hero shot to brag about, time away from work, etc. They can often end up miserable because they just won't admit to themselves that fun is the real point of the game for them. This causes so many to quit the game out of frustration. Nobody's right, nobody's wrong because the game has so much to offer...to each his/her own. So I'd add a preface to your post: think about what you want to get out of the game - that can change over time but at least give it a thought. Score is rarely the correct answer. Then go ahead and think about how to reach your goals.

Definitely agree on the mentality. Some great research from Cook, Tanaka and a couple other groups on pressure's influence on putting performance. Pressure essentially puts the autonomic nervous system into "fight or flight" mode (sympathetic side). The decision to fight or flee is made quite quickly based on the brain's assessment of resources vs. demand. However, that can be consciously overridden with essentially what saevil is describing: self-talk. That pumps up your resources assessment. Tell yourself you're the best putter in the world (more resources), and yes you can putt angry (turn flight into fight). In both cases the image of making the putt and a tiny target is absolutely necessary. I have pdf's of many of these publications if anyone wants them...