http://thedanplan.com/transform/ From average to great. en-US Fri, 18 May 2012 02:57:25 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.3 q http://thedanplan.com/transform/search.php http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=171#post-319 Wed, 16 May 2012 21:16:18 +0000 Dan 319@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Good point and good lesson. Strokes mentally added and will keep that in mind moving forward. It's great to learn the rules and I am sorry that I did not know enough to penalize myself during the round. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=171#post-317 Wed, 16 May 2012 09:23:22 +0000 saleman99 317@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Dan should have been penalized on Hole #3 for building his stance in the bunker with his left foot. Even if your foot slips a few times, you can't push the sand down like that to provide a more stable base. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=146#post-292 Fri, 11 May 2012 14:28:51 +0000 Brandon 292@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Dan has amazing work ethic and a real dedication towards his goal. Only time can tell where he may winde up! </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=146#post-291 Fri, 11 May 2012 03:38:20 +0000 LovinItAll 291@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>To some degree, I've been critical of my perception of Dan's goal. While my opinion of anyone's chance of making the cut at a PGA tour event after only 10k hours of practice/play hasn't changed, I must say this:</p> <p>- After watching all of the video on the site and reading various interviews with Dan, I've concluded that - it seems to me - this experiment has much more to do with seeing how accomplished one can become while adhering to the basic principles outlined in Gladwell's book.</p> <p>- I think Dan understands that the goal of making the cut in a PGA event is very unlikely after only 10k hours of practice,, but as he stated in one piece (I paraphrase), "This is as much an experiment in the human spirit as anything else."</p> <p>I applaud anyone with the fortitude to carry out an experiment such as this. If Dan can remain healthy and focused, he may have a real chance at making the cut at a Champion's tour event after 20 years of dedicated, daily practice (say 30k hours of practice).</p> <p>Now THAT would be a nice second career!</p> <p>Best of luck! </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=138#post-289 Wed, 09 May 2012 02:37:38 +0000 Sorcerer88 289@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>I'd say the biggest "stairway-to-success" is constant hard work and patience, along with passion. Many successful people have said similiar things, like Sean 'Day9' Plott ("simple: 100 hour week") and Felicia Day. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=138#post-287 Tue, 08 May 2012 08:10:49 +0000 Brandon 287@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Thanks for the post Sorcerer88! Your ideas are always listened to and appreciated. </p> <p>Sorry If I was not clear in my articulation! I think you are right about finding out what you believe in.. And then creating priorities and cemented goals accordingly.</p> <p>I was originally asking what do the individuals who read this thread believe/feel is the necessary "Stairway-to-success" as it pertains to them and their individual goals, and what are your goals? :D </p> <p>I agree, one cannot completely disregard the past and future, but one can truly engage with the moment and experience a true unrefined passion and love---a synesthesia, for what they are doing. By dismissing the past and the future and taking each second and cultivating it as perfectly as a second can be cultivated you can maximize your experience.</p> <p>Deliberate practice is by no means enjoyable and is the most heart wrenching thing that has ever been created. But that does not mean you can not experience the love and tranquility the goes along with the hard work and hours.</p> <p>~Bran </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=138#post-281 Mon, 07 May 2012 15:53:52 +0000 Sorcerer88 281@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>The first trick is finding out what the right questions are, what you want to do, and who you want to be. The second trick is not being too narrow in your vision. From what you write, i don't even know what you're asking about. What to consider successful? Depends on the area, your level, ambition, etc. If you set yourself reasonable goals and achieve them, you're successful. "Ideologies" are a lofty thing, and usually it's best not to chase utopic ideals but concentrate on concrete goals. What do you mean with "the latter"? Also, it's rarely good to ignore both the past and future. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=138#post-280 Mon, 07 May 2012 10:40:52 +0000 Brandon 280@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>I am inquiring and curious about what you all consider succesful and what qualities, idealoligies, and principles you think are needed to achieve the latter. :D....nothing is to far off-the-cusp for me! What I envision is abit lofty, but I have the confidence that it will come to fruition as long as I keep the course and take things one second at a time ignoring the past and future. So please write what you feel is possible along with what you feel is simply idealistic and don't forget to drop some hints and tricks too! :D </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=8&page=2#post-279 Sun, 06 May 2012 13:36:06 +0000 williamevanl 279@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Couple things, I Think maybe you are underestimating how much 3000 hours of practice actually is. It's certainly more than most people will play or practice in their entire lives. Even for people with normal day to day jobs 3000 hours is like telling your wife you are going to see how good your golf game can get and saying from now on you are going to be an hour late home every day from now to practice (year round) for the next 11.5 years! </p> <p>That's pretty unrealistic for most people something more reasonable might be I'm going to work on my golf game 3 days a week for an hour at a time (Still a pretty big commitment!) So 20 YEARS! to get where Dan is. 3000 hours is a freaking long time! You could think of that like 6000 30 minute golf lessons! ($270,000 worth of golf lessons!)</p> <p>Think about these kinds of figures coming from a golf instructor, "lets see you are just starting golf, if I could get you to practice 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, 8 months a year, I might be able to get you to a ~10ish handicap in TEN YEARS!" Seriously?!</p> <p>The other thing, Dan is not the first person to do this, lots of people have and the vast majority all stall out with scoring averages in the low 80's (Dan isn't even there yet) The reason my co-workers shoot right around what Dan does is because it's incredibly typical for the average person to get somewhere between 80-85 with after a relatively short period of time golfing. Why? because this is about where you end up after you figure out where the ball goes when you hit it with a club. There is a huge difference between a scoring average of 75 and 84, it doesn't seem like there should be but there is. Just go watch a decent high school team, many of those players couldn't have possibly put in as much time as Dan and yet many would be much better than he is. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=8&page=2#post-278 Sun, 06 May 2012 12:49:27 +0000 Sorcerer88 278@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Okay, there are a few people who get to a high level very quickly, and let's assume that talent is the biggest factor for learning rate and possibility/speed of becoming an expert player. But Dan hasn't even put in 3000 hours into Golf yet. Do you think that more than 3 times that amount of further practice will not make a big difference? Picture him at roughly 2000 hours more, the 5000 hour target, about the same amount of additional practice he as already put in. Do you think he'll still be way over scratch? We have at least 4 factors for learning: talent, practice time, practice quality, and motivation. We'll see if talent really puts the cap on skill ceiling and learning capacity, maybe you're right, but i don't see why that should be the case.</p> <p>By the way, the people in your company golf league most likely didn't just play 9 holes once a week before they got to the skill level they're maintaining with that practice time now. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=8&page=2#post-277 Sun, 06 May 2012 10:34:58 +0000 williamevanl 277@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>? I agree with Tim that Dan has almost no talent (It's not a diss as Dan doesn't believe in talent anyway)</p> <p>It's pretty simple, there are golf programs all across the country where kids with little or no exposure to golf take it up. That first day you could see people that have a 'talent' for it. 6 months later, you could really tell who had talent and who didn't. Even if you kept the amount of hours practiced constant for all kids there would still be a huge differential in playing ability. </p> <p>Do you guys believe this isn't the case? Do you think if 10,000 did exactly what Dan did they would all be in about the same place? That's ridiculous. I watched a high school kid get nearly to scratch in just over a year and he was just playing golf recreationally, unlike Dan who has mounted an all out assault on the game. :) And quit saying that it's only been two years, it's been nothing but golf for two years. The guys in my company golf league shoot between 39-49 and they play 9 holes once a week. If Dan were to play with them he would likely come in at the middle of the pack and nobody would believe him if he said he practiced golf six days a week.</p> <p>So to address Dan's point about people saying after all of this that he must be 'talented', nobody is going to say that. We can already see that he isn't. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=8&page=2#post-276 Sun, 06 May 2012 08:35:35 +0000 Sorcerer88 276@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Tim, I don't think Dan shows no talent for the game, even though i don't know much about golf, but he's already miles ahead the average 2-digit handicap 'dibbler', after little more than 2 years.</p> <p>And how many hours did you and the other amateurs put in who didn't reach an expert level yet? </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=136#post-275 Sun, 06 May 2012 07:54:29 +0000 Sorcerer88 275@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Well, at least the analogy that "people are born with tires of varying degrees of roundness" i find very questionable. People do what they choose to do, and if they do it long enough, they will develop accordingly. Look at the Polgar sisters, all three of them were educated to become chess experts when that was found highly unlikely for women to achieve in general. Even if there were genes for talent in chess or golf, do you think all of them inherited them? If at all, these genes would probably only have a minor influence, like the difference in skill level they ended up in (one in the top 10 of the world), if that's not due to motivation.<br /> So, the more important analogy to discuss is to what degree the roundness of tires deteriorate with age. I say very little.</p> <p>That might sound a bit arrogant and overshooting the discussion, but it's simply my position on nature vs nurture, and i'm not saying you're wrong and i'm right ;) </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=8&page=2#post-272 Sat, 05 May 2012 16:46:23 +0000 williamevanl 272@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Great posts Tim! </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=136#post-271 Sat, 05 May 2012 15:58:56 +0000 williamevanl 271@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>I was discussing this in a golf forum and I think I've found a good analogy for the Dan Plan:</p> <p>Dan is a car with square tires, practice is the gas pedal. Professional golf is 100 mph. I understand why it seems like in the beginning that surely if gas is getting you from 0 mph to 15 mph and then a little while later, 30 mph it must be able to get you to 100 mph but that simply isn't the case. Without round tires this car is never going to go 100 mph no matter how much gas we give it.</p> <p>(is this analogy people are born with tires of varying degrees of roundness :) ) </p> <p>and of course you would find that anyone operating at an expert level would be moving full throttle (put in TONS of time) but what you couldn't see or measure is the roundness of their tires. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=26#post-270 Sat, 05 May 2012 15:55:10 +0000 williamevanl 270@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>^ people who mention players like Furyk, Thorp, Gainey etc.. anybody with an interesting looking swing completely misses the mark on what it means. Those strange moves happen because the golf swing (as Jack said famously) is counter intuitive in every way. His quote went something like, "if a person could do exactly opposite what they intuitively want to do, they would have a good golf swing"</p> <p>It's difficult to get the club in the necessary positions so you see all kinds of strange moves that allow the players to get there. Furyk does that funky loop thing to get the club to drop in the slot on the down swing. A lot of players find interesting ways to do that because it's a super unnatural move from the top of the swing. If anything this proves that there are a lot of critical things that do need to happen in the swing and must be achieved one way or another. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=135#post-269 Sat, 05 May 2012 02:23:03 +0000 LovinItAll 269@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Nm..... Yardage is public info. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=135#post-268 Fri, 04 May 2012 22:27:03 +0000 LovinItAll 268@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Dan,</p> <p>At ~1:30, it sounds like you're telling a competitor the yardage to a fairway bunker. Isn't that 'giving advice' and a breach of rule 8.1? Maybe there were mitigating circumstances. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=8&page=2#post-266 Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:31:55 +0000 tim 266@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Sorcerer, that is exactly my point. Your piano playing friend started in his late teens and became very good, very quickly, just like Faldo, Norman and Westwood. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Dan, who after 2 years dedicated playing is showing no (how shall we put it?) talent for the game. </p> <p>I just don't buy into Dan's argument that talent has little to do with success and it is all about acruing hours of deliberate practice. If that were true then we would all be good at the game and it wouldn't be the difficult, competitive sport that few people can master. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=8&page=2#post-265 Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:49:43 +0000 Sorcerer88 265@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Well, danfan, many pros were prodigies indeed, but not all of them. There have been experts starting at a rather late age like the late teens in many fields. I know someone who started the piano at age 19 and after 2 years started to quickly learn some of the hardest (standard) pieces in the repertoire (Chopin Ballade No. 1 in g). And they certainly didn't have the time available that Dan has. I appreciate your point about obsession and young starting age, but especially about the age i'm not so sure of its necessity. Let's see how far Dan can get! </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=26#post-261 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:11:40 +0000 BKKALLDAY 261@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>The reason most people don't progress like they should is they are CONSTANTLY focusing on trying to make their swings look like some pro or focusing on hitting it farther and trying to hit the distance the pros do. That is never gonna let you advance and never gonna bring you anywhere other than constant deadends.</p> <p>If you look at Jim Furyk's swing, any Golf Coach you run into would have NOTHING good to say about his swing, but the guy is a successful pro who's in contention every week he plays. The way to improving your game is simply knowing your swing and not being pressured to hit anybody elses swing. Sometimes your swing can be the most controlled and consisten swing but you're hitting a 6 iron where pro's are hitting 8 irons. If you have that distance control and flight control down from years of knowing your swing, hitting fairways and hitting greens, you'll put yourself in position for one putts and sometimes hitting greens under regulation. That's how tournaments are won.</p> <p>If you 72 of 72 greens in a tournament and your average driving distance is 220 yards compared to Bubba Watson's 310 or whatever... then it really doesn't matter how long you can hit the ball cause you're on the green and you had 72 GREAT chances at birdie. Just keep your swing coming, know YOUR game, control the distance with some accuracy and precision and you will be shaving strokes off faster and faster </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=26#post-260 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:50:43 +0000 danfan 260@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>the back nine - john fitzgerald.</p> <p><a href="http://thebackninemovie.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">http://thebackninemovie.blogspot.com/</a></p> <p>I actually came across this in 2009 and it never went beyond that. the documentary that he made wasn't that inspiring. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=8&page=2#post-257 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:43:02 +0000 danfan 257@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>outliers opens with the following:</p> <p>for onto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance. but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. -- Matthew 25:29 </p> <p>which refers to the Matthew Effect and the 10,000 hours rule of thumb that Gladwell hypothesizes in his book, outliers. Gladwell uses examples for success that involves spending 10,000 hours of practice but he does not use a single pro golfer or for that matter any athlete except for pro hockey players and not in the context that you might think (he cites the Beatles and Bill Gates as well). So, think about that, he had access to all kinds of data and resources and not one mention of a pro golfer as an example.</p> <p>A lot can be inferred from that, just as the examples that Gladwell did use, can be refuted in some form as well, without going into the details of the book in this post.</p> <p>anyway, following his methodology, successful tour players most likely had access to financial means which gave them access to golf facilities (ie. The Matthew Effect) and also had some level of athletic ability to advance, augment with professional coaching (the 10,000 hours) and a dedication to reach the tour stage. </p> <p>for example, there are players who turn pro after high school, some dropped out of college, and those who turned pro after graduating college and yet others who spend years on the nationwide tour and mini-tours and multiple attempts at q-school before getting their tour cards. </p> <p>I guess the real take away for you, Dan, is 10,000 hours should be a base line. The question is not will the plan ultimately succeed, the question is whether it will take you 8,000 hours or 15,000 hours, that there is no constant and realize your own outlier in the attempt, what other variables are out there and go for it. cheers. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=6#post-254 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:03:15 +0000 LovinItAll 254@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>@menevets: It's important for anyone reading your advice to understand that, biomechanically, there are elements of various teaching systems that are not compatible. One thing that ALL systems have in common is the position of a golfer's wrists at impact.</p> <p>For one of many articles that talk about biomechanics and how they differ in various ball striking techniques (e.g. club swinging v. ball hitting), see: <a href="http://perfectgolfswingreview.net/power.htm" rel="nofollow">http://perfectgolfswingreview.net/power.htm</a></p> <p>Best to all ~ L.R. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=14#post-253 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:18:19 +0000 LovinItAll 253@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Continuing my quest to begin playing again after a 5+ year layoff, I played Pauite (Sun Mountain - 70.9/124) today. This is my third round in as many weeks, all on courses I've never played before (moved to Vegas from Memphis 18 months ago).</p> <p>Shot 44-42 and carded a triple on the front and an 8 on the last hole....very disappointing, as I had it going pretty good coming in all things considered. After hitting it off the tee into the desert (plays as a lateral hazard on this course), I misjudged the distance on my third just trying to get it to the 100 yard marker and hit it in the water. A bad approach and three putts later, eight. Man......complete mental lapse.</p> <p>Golf still beats working, though ;) </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=6#post-252 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:38:23 +0000 menevets 252@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Just a couple of suggestions.</p> <p>The learning process, the swing learning process in particular: optimal learning requires optimal teaching. Explore the different schools of swing thoughts. Expand your horizons. Look into TGM, MORAD, Hardy, Stack and Tilt. Maybe one of those may be more optimal for you.</p> <p>Another suggestion, and this is clearly biased, so I am mentioning it upfront - try an online lesson here: <a href="http://evolvr.thegolfevolution.com/" rel="nofollow">http://evolvr.thegolfevolution.com/</a>. Maybe you already have, but I have taken lessons with these guys and they are very good. It's not too expensive, what do you have to lose?</p> <p>Short game - read and try Stan Utley's pitching, chipping and bunker techniques.</p> <p>Putting - Aimpoint. Take a look at the YouTube videos and whatever you can find on the interwebs. It is a very effective green reading technique.</p> <p>Good luck. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=8&page=2#post-251 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:15:37 +0000 Tomdogg 251@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Really, who gives a shit? I mean, I know you probably do because it's your goal, but look at where this journey has taken you: Articles in golf magazines all over the country, stories in news organizations all over the world, new gear from Nike, and you can shoot under 80. That's just the tip of the iceberg. After this you can become a motivational speaker and tell your story all over the US about how you persevered and whether you were successful or not, you had the balls to follow your dream. Enjoy the ride and if you get there then you get there. I'll sure as hell be watching you and as soon as I become a real estate mogul I'll donate more money to your cause. It's been fun to watch thus far. Looking forward to the next few years. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=8&page=2#post-250 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:02:59 +0000 tim 250@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Dan, I think it's time for a reality check. Reviewing some of your posts it seems that you are 2 years into the DanPlan and you haven't broken 80 yet. Let's contrast this with some of the pros: Greg Norman started aged 16 and was off scratch after 2 years; Lee Westwood started aged 13 and won his club championship and county championship inside 2 years; Faldo started at 14 and was in the Ryder Cup team inside 7 years. The point is tour players get very good, very quickly. If you know of a tour player who was very ordinary after 2 years of dedication to the game then I'd love to hear about him.</p> <p>Are you sure, "Talent has little to do with success" if so you are not practicing as well or as hard as these guys did. I recently read Faldo's and Norman's autobiographies and what came through was that they were obsessive, single minded and were so certain of their abilities they knew they would make it. They were also natural athletes and played other sports to a high level before taking up golf. Westwood played schoolboy rugby, cricket and football; Faldo was a county swimmer and cyclist; Greg Norman played rugby, cricket and surfed. Norman also came from a golfing family, so it was in his genes.</p> <p>Without wishing to offend, how much of this can be said of you? The other thing that can be said of them and not of you is they were young when they took up the game. But actually by Tour player standards these days they came to the game quite late in life: Woods, McIlroy, Mickelson, Fowler were aged 2-7 years.</p> <p>I have always been very sceptical about the 10,000 hours route to mastering a skill. And I'm not even sure it's what Gladwell had in mind in his Outliers book. It is a while since I've read it, but I thought the premise was that all experts in all fields had applied themselves for approx 10,000 hours of practice. I can believe that. However, I don't think he made the leap to say that anybody can master a skill if they simply apply themselves for the requisite time. That is the stuff of life coaches, and self-styled motivation gurus and something I note that you stray into when you say you want others to seek inspiration from you and quit their day jobs.</p> <p>After seeing the standard you have reached in 2 years, I am quite certain that you are not going to become a tour player, but I don't want you to stop the Danplan. Far from it. People usually aren't willing to come forward and admit that they dedicated a large part of their life to a skill and failed. In this respect the DanPlan should be welcomed as an important case study to debunk the 10,000 hour myth. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=125#post-249 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:21:29 +0000 BKKALLDAY 249@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>By far the most incredible shot I have ever seen and a little disclaimer before I tell this story everytime is, i don't expect you to believe me but I swear to whichever god you preech that this happened.</p> <p>Anyways, Me and a friend are on hole 16 at Barker Brook Golf Club in NY, it's a 530 yard par 5, 90 degree dogleg right at about 300 in, right side protected by a pretty much forest, left is out of bounds. There's a lot of water protecting the green so that any 3rd shot in you have, you're going to HAVE to gap this water (or so i thought). Anyways I tee off and hit a solid about 270 drive and have no look at the green cause I can't hit a 50 yard fade 260 yards out with a 3 wood on my best day. I try to hit a 7 iron up to leave me about 110 in, perfect approach wedge for me. I slice it right into the woods... deeeep. So I take a drop and try it again and i end up about 130 out. So i'm lying four, and hitting five and i'm about 130-140 out so I'm gonna try and put some juice into my 9 iron and put it on and hopefully one putt. I do some john-daly esque, way over paralelle shot... stand up on my down swing and hit it real thin, and it's going water for sure so it hits the water about 10 yards short of the green, skips, skips AGAIN, rolls onto the green and I heard it hit the pin... I looked at my friend and said "IF THAT WENT IN I'M GONNA FLIP S**T!" I literally dropped my club and left my bag and ran up to the green and looked into the bottom of the hole... I scrambled for par from 130 out by skipping it off the water twice and into the cup. I still can't believe that shot to this day </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=14#post-248 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:21:53 +0000 LovinItAll 248@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Congrats, Dan! Breaking 80 for the first time is a big deal....I hope you treat yourself to something nice! </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=14#post-247 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:32:03 +0000 Dan 247@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>I shot my first 79 today. From the white tees (I joined a threesome that was playing whites so just teed it up with them) and it was even with three balls in the water. Felt good over the ball and was striking it well. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=125#post-246 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:30:30 +0000 Dan 246@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>That's hilarious. I've had my fair share of both horrible and lucky bounces.</p> <p>One sunny day not too long ago I pushed my drive just left and saw it hit the rough and take one bounce then disappear. I walked up and searched for my ball everywhere but couldn't find it. Just before giving up, I looked up at a tree and the ball was sitting there in a hole in the tree about 6 feet off the ground. I had no clue how to play that shot. It was pretty strange, but to make it even weirder, I pulled a tee shot on the very next hole and the same thing happened: hit the rough, took one bounce and disappeared. When I walked up to the spot I thought it would be the first thing I checked was the tree near where it hit and believe it or not, my ball was nestled in a nook in the tree about 2 feet off the ground. What are the odds? I landed in a tree two holes in a row...</p> <p>There have got to be some great stories out there. Let's hear them! </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=126#post-245 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:29:31 +0000 LovinItAll 245@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>Regardless of the rules (foursomes have precedence over everyone), I'm happy to let people play through...if they can get through. We were the foursome above, but it isn't unusual to run into a pair of golfers that are going to play more quickly than a foursome. I appreciate it when players let me through, so I reciprocate when I can. </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=126#post-244 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:35:26 +0000 dpete 244@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>I believe if you check the published rules/etiquette, the foursome has the right-of-way. Golf is sane, it is time-of-the-round * number-of-golfers, to decide who's time has priority on the course. Dame socialists, those Scot's! </p> http://thedanplan.com/transform/topic.php?id=8&page=2#post-243 Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:43:47 +0000 BKKALLDAY 243@http://thedanplan.com/transform/ <p>I definitely think it's achieveable. Will you crack the world golf top 100? IDK about that but will you have a PGA Player Card? I think you definitely will. Right now you're shooting in the 80's and on the cusp of a sub 80 round with over 7000 hours remaining. Ian Poulter earned his PGA tour card at a 4 handicap... this time next year you will be that or under and with the buzz you're creating, you will have access to some of the greatest coaches and technologies available at your disposal to only make your goal easier to reach.</p> <p>The one thing that's gonna take you to the next level i personally think, is your mental game. The greatest round I have ever shot was when I brought a really close friend who has never played to play with me. I was legitimately more concerned on his score and how he was playing and coaching him on every shot. I would take my shots and then be ready to tell him how he was doing. If I hit a bad shot it had no affect on me cause I wasn't concerned about how I was doing, i was worried about how he was doing the whole day. After 18 holes I tallied it up to be a 76. I had never shot under an 85 before that, I was astonished and didn't realize how I had done so good. I had completely removed myself from the mental aspect of the game and just played it how I knew best without worrying about my performance. If you can hone in on that kind of mental game, that's when your progress will sky rocket. Every interview on the golf channel of event winners say they have that same mind set, they don't talk about how they hit 6000 balls the past week, they don't talk about that swing analysis they did, they all mention their mental game, the mental state they're in during the round... that's how elite athletes perform, they can relax and take the mental aspect of the game out.</p> <p>I know you'll make it and I will always be checking events for how dan mclaughlin is doing. Best of luck to you. </p>