Brian Manzella
Administrator
Hoping for a "Tiger" announcement?
Isn't David Toms your "Star" pupil?
What about Lindsey Gahm? Isn't she your "star" pupil?
Ok, Ok. So who is it?
What? Can you be your own pupil?
Ok. But, what the heck are you doing trying to play golf? Don't you barely have time to tie your shoes?
Give us the scoop!
What happened?
Life happened. I moved to Louisville. I had far less time to play and less places to do it.
But, to be really honest, I just wasn't getting better. I had hit a mini brick wall. So-so wedge play, goofy putting stroke that didn't travel well. I started fiddling with the pattern that worked, and just concentrated on my #1 Goal, being the World's Finest Golf Instructor.
I went back to "grubbing researcher" mode.
A knee surgery. A 96% torn rotator cuff, and surgery. An achilles tendon surgery.
But I was learning new stuff at a record pace.
The "man who can hit any shot" became—basically—a typical "golf Professional" type player. If that. One year, I played 10 rounds of golf.
In 1995, I once played 12 rounds in a week!
But the final straw came when someone actually bragged about "beating" me in a friendly 20 dollar team bet, when I had just gotten my boot off from my achilles tendon surgery, and had played ZERO rounds of golf in 4 months, and hit ZERO buckets of balls in 3 and half months.
I'd rather have a car roll over my foot, then have my "golf game" and "golf knowledge" judged by a yahoo who plays in a dozen tournaments a year, when I was playing a dozen rounds a year.
Then there was this chick named Katrina.
There is nothing like the experience of seeing all of your worldly possesions, washed in contaminated salt water for almost three weeks, and then hot air dried in 120 heat for a a week or two.
Post tramatic stress is a real thing.
It has been almost two years, and me and Lisa just started on own new house—right on the same spot as the old one—last week.
About 6 weeks ago, I finally got my Taylor Made staff set, and a putter similar to DT's, and set out to rebuild my game, and totally build from stratch, an A++ putting stroke, and A+ wedge game.
I had all the knowledge I had accumulated researching for my MANZELLA SHORT GAME MATRIX project, and a fresh outlook on what I was trying to do with my game.
Well....
It is really coming around. On the last couple of tour stops, I have played courses like Hawk's Ridge in Atlanta, and Long Island National, and a couple trips around the new and improved Valhalla. I mixed in a few rounds at "regular" courses like Mike Finney's Owl Creek, Mike Jacobs' Rock Hill, and a couple of Puplic Tracks.
Here is the report:
I have figured out how to recapture my old left-to-right driver shot with the new drivers. I am a very good driver of the ball. I have figured out this Hybrid thing, and my iron play is on the up swing.
But!
My wedge play, with all the MANZELA MATRIX stuff throw in there is—well—getting to the point of really, really good.
My putting stroke is so good for being six weeks old, that I shudder to think where it might be in a year.
.....more to come
Nah, nothing like that.
Isn't David Toms your "Star" pupil?
David Toms is my star client.
What about Lindsey Gahm? Isn't she your "star" pupil?
Yup. Notice I said "A" new star pupil, not the new star pupil.
Ok, Ok. So who is it?
Brian Michael Manzella, New Orleans, Louisiana.
What? Can you be your own pupil?
Ah, yup. I think that at the end of the day, that's what I am doing for a lot of ya'll—making you your own teacher.
Ok. But, what the heck are you doing trying to play golf? Don't you barely have time to tie your shoes?
Yupers.
But, it has been a LONG TIME since I have worked at all on MY game. And to be totally honest, I have the "golf bug" again.
But, it has been a LONG TIME since I have worked at all on MY game. And to be totally honest, I have the "golf bug" again.
Give us the scoop!
Here ya go:
My last active period of golf, was 1994 & 1995. That's a LONG TIME ago. Back then, I played EVERY day. And I could play pretty darn well. I got my "handicap" to a Plus 4.5, and once was 26 under par for a 7 day period of time. I shot 59 twice (on a par 68, for the course record and the tie), had a Top 10 finish in a decent tournament, and was maybe ready to think about playing like all these club pros who play in 25 tournaments on a bad year.
My last active period of golf, was 1994 & 1995. That's a LONG TIME ago. Back then, I played EVERY day. And I could play pretty darn well. I got my "handicap" to a Plus 4.5, and once was 26 under par for a 7 day period of time. I shot 59 twice (on a par 68, for the course record and the tie), had a Top 10 finish in a decent tournament, and was maybe ready to think about playing like all these club pros who play in 25 tournaments on a bad year.
What happened?
Life happened. I moved to Louisville. I had far less time to play and less places to do it.
But, to be really honest, I just wasn't getting better. I had hit a mini brick wall. So-so wedge play, goofy putting stroke that didn't travel well. I started fiddling with the pattern that worked, and just concentrated on my #1 Goal, being the World's Finest Golf Instructor.
I went back to "grubbing researcher" mode.
A knee surgery. A 96% torn rotator cuff, and surgery. An achilles tendon surgery.
But I was learning new stuff at a record pace.
The "man who can hit any shot" became—basically—a typical "golf Professional" type player. If that. One year, I played 10 rounds of golf.
In 1995, I once played 12 rounds in a week!
But the final straw came when someone actually bragged about "beating" me in a friendly 20 dollar team bet, when I had just gotten my boot off from my achilles tendon surgery, and had played ZERO rounds of golf in 4 months, and hit ZERO buckets of balls in 3 and half months.
I'd rather have a car roll over my foot, then have my "golf game" and "golf knowledge" judged by a yahoo who plays in a dozen tournaments a year, when I was playing a dozen rounds a year.
Then there was this chick named Katrina.
There is nothing like the experience of seeing all of your worldly possesions, washed in contaminated salt water for almost three weeks, and then hot air dried in 120 heat for a a week or two.
Post tramatic stress is a real thing.
It has been almost two years, and me and Lisa just started on own new house—right on the same spot as the old one—last week.
About 6 weeks ago, I finally got my Taylor Made staff set, and a putter similar to DT's, and set out to rebuild my game, and totally build from stratch, an A++ putting stroke, and A+ wedge game.
I had all the knowledge I had accumulated researching for my MANZELLA SHORT GAME MATRIX project, and a fresh outlook on what I was trying to do with my game.
Well....
It is really coming around. On the last couple of tour stops, I have played courses like Hawk's Ridge in Atlanta, and Long Island National, and a couple trips around the new and improved Valhalla. I mixed in a few rounds at "regular" courses like Mike Finney's Owl Creek, Mike Jacobs' Rock Hill, and a couple of Puplic Tracks.
Here is the report:
I have figured out how to recapture my old left-to-right driver shot with the new drivers. I am a very good driver of the ball. I have figured out this Hybrid thing, and my iron play is on the up swing.
But!
My wedge play, with all the MANZELA MATRIX stuff throw in there is—well—getting to the point of really, really good.
My putting stroke is so good for being six weeks old, that I shudder to think where it might be in a year.
.....more to come
