mgranato
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My dad has played golf competitively since college, he'll be 67 in a few months. He went through a spell of nasty hooks in the mid 2000s that caused him to leave the game out of pure frustration. This was way before D-plane and launch monitors, and the information he got (based on the wrong ball flight laws) made the problem worse. Not playing was the only thing that kept him from hitting it left.
Pop's an ultimate gamer, he LOVES playing in tournaments. Doesn't matter where or on what course, he just loves to tee it up in competition. It was really tough on him to be out of the mix.
Fast forward a couple years... my brother and I were able to get him back out onto the course. Armed with some shaky understandings of the ideas I'd been exposed to on this forum, we slowly got rid of his unplayable hooks.
Fast forward some more... armed with a better grasp of the ideas on this forum (D-plane, NHA, etc), he's now managed to get rid of his hooks altogether. Even a fade is occasionally spotted.
Fast forward to early 2011... with a full understanding of the D-plane, and working/practicing on a launch monitor, he's now comfortable hitting a fade, a draw, or right up Main Street. He takes this new found "freedom" and goes on an absolute tear. He wins 6 tournaments, 2 seconds, and 1 third last summer. "Son, how many tournaments have you won this month?" got old fast.
Fast forward to late 2011... he gets his first taste of Manzella live and his first proper lesson in 15 years. He was a bit apprehensive about the idea of a lesson. His last lesson set the ground work for his uncontrollable hooks, and he'd just come off the best stretch of golf in his life, so his apprehension was understandable. Once he realized the things that brought him back from the brink came from the guy who was gonna be giving the lesson, he was in.
Fast forward to this past weekend... after spending the winter working on the upgrade he got from Brian, and getting comfortable (and quite good) with the tour pitch... he's back at it again. He won this weekend by 5 shots. The weekend before, he and his partner win a 4 ball event. The weekend before that, he wins a stableford tournament by 17 points. And before that a top 20 in the state super senior. Mind you, none of these are stroked events, they're either senior divisions or championship/1st flights.
Some of his spoils include 6 sets of irons, 3 drivers, a couple sets of wedges, case of wine (not a drinker), a 10 speed bike (definitely not a bike rider), and pro shop credit all over the South. I could not be more proud of him. From having to quit the game to where his form is today has been unbelievable to watch. It's been a real testament to what the right information and a lot of hard work can do. He introduced me to the game, 20 years later I'm playing the best golf I know how, and he's still kicking my butt. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Pop's an ultimate gamer, he LOVES playing in tournaments. Doesn't matter where or on what course, he just loves to tee it up in competition. It was really tough on him to be out of the mix.
Fast forward a couple years... my brother and I were able to get him back out onto the course. Armed with some shaky understandings of the ideas I'd been exposed to on this forum, we slowly got rid of his unplayable hooks.
Fast forward some more... armed with a better grasp of the ideas on this forum (D-plane, NHA, etc), he's now managed to get rid of his hooks altogether. Even a fade is occasionally spotted.
Fast forward to early 2011... with a full understanding of the D-plane, and working/practicing on a launch monitor, he's now comfortable hitting a fade, a draw, or right up Main Street. He takes this new found "freedom" and goes on an absolute tear. He wins 6 tournaments, 2 seconds, and 1 third last summer. "Son, how many tournaments have you won this month?" got old fast.
Fast forward to late 2011... he gets his first taste of Manzella live and his first proper lesson in 15 years. He was a bit apprehensive about the idea of a lesson. His last lesson set the ground work for his uncontrollable hooks, and he'd just come off the best stretch of golf in his life, so his apprehension was understandable. Once he realized the things that brought him back from the brink came from the guy who was gonna be giving the lesson, he was in.
Fast forward to this past weekend... after spending the winter working on the upgrade he got from Brian, and getting comfortable (and quite good) with the tour pitch... he's back at it again. He won this weekend by 5 shots. The weekend before, he and his partner win a 4 ball event. The weekend before that, he wins a stableford tournament by 17 points. And before that a top 20 in the state super senior. Mind you, none of these are stroked events, they're either senior divisions or championship/1st flights.
Some of his spoils include 6 sets of irons, 3 drivers, a couple sets of wedges, case of wine (not a drinker), a 10 speed bike (definitely not a bike rider), and pro shop credit all over the South
. I could not be more proud of him. From having to quit the game to where his form is today has been unbelievable to watch. It's been a real testament to what the right information and a lot of hard work can do. He introduced me to the game, 20 years later I'm playing the best golf I know how, and he's still kicking my butt. I wouldn't want it any other way.
