How did you get here?

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faux_maestro

faux_maestro

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mgranato said:
1. When did you start playing golf?
2. How many years have you been playing/teaching?
3. How many different instructors have you worked with (no names), and how did they work for you?
4. How did you first here about Brian's site?

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1) 11 years old. We were at my Grandma's and my Uncle was lamenting the fact that his friends couldn't play the next day and I said "I'll go". He played 18 and I drove the cart (and hit a few putts and chips). He rented me a set of clubs and we played 9 more. First shot (still remember it) went sideways under a tree but by the third hole I could get it airborne occasionally. I was hooked.

2) This summer will be 24 years.

3) 2 main teachers and maybe 3-4 others from a junior clinic/league I was a member of when I started playing. First teacher I had maybe 5 lessons with and he always got me hitting it well in my lessons but I would lose it very quickly. Second teacher I had probably 20 lessons with and I made a big jump with but with some negatives as well. I had been a decently long hitter and we worked on trying to control it. I lost a lot of distance but hit it a lot straighter. From my junior to senior year my average dropped from 43 to just under 40 in high school matches. I stopped taking lessons after high school and started reading every book I could get my hands on including The Golfing Machine (couldn't make heads or tails of it though). I had gotten frustrated by my lack of distance and wanted to hit it better and longer. I worked some stuff out on my own and made some big jumps with my mental game. At my best in college I was averaging under 80 from the back tees at the "old" OSU Scarlet and could break par on some of the local muni's.

4) First heard of Brian on a big general golf web site. I rekindled my interest in being as good at this game as I could after not playing much for a couple of years (marriage, new job, divorce, grad school) and started studying TGM a little (on a different site). I was making improvements but most of the time all I could hit were big pushes or big hooks and couldn't figure out why. I came here to get a different perspective and was skeptical at first, but results speak loudly. Just understanding the D-plane and getting a little NHA in me was huge, and the out toss/IOTR made me a much better ball striker. Hopefully some day I can take a few lessons with Brian and/or crew.

magicmarker said:
4. Can't remember exactly how I got here. I was into TGM for a year or so but developed a hook the yellow book couldn't solve. After that I think I watched A LOT of you tube videos and came across a few of Brian's and just liked his style/enthusiasm. Bought NHA 2.0 and waved bye-bye to the snap hook. Found the forum and realized there were others out there who were truly trying to understand the swing differences that separate the elite from the not-so, rather than just pretending to know everything. Very glad I did. Don't understand how anyone can teach without knowing some of what I do, scary. I love this place because the focus is usually on gaining the proper understanding, rather than just what you need to know.
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Had the same issue. I'm convinced that blind zealous adherence to certain aspects of the yellow book (and certain followers of it) causes that shot.
 
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J

jonnygrouville

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1. Family holiday in France when I was about thirteen.
2. Twenty-two years.
3. Played my best by watching Grouville Senior and reading his vast array of golf books. Lucky enough to play with an ex-Ryder Cupper every now and then in my teens as well. First proper coaching was at college and striking went downhill from there! Probably had lessons from a dozen or so different people since then.
4. Honestly can't remember.
 
94monarch

94monarch

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1. At the age of six
2. 35 years playing and 19 teaching
3. lots of lessons...Two "Top 100" teachers one of whom I worked for right out of college. Neither knew much more about the swing than I do right now but both were better teachers. If you teach...that will make perfect sense.
4. About two years ago a member of mine started arguing Ball Flight Laws with me...he was right...I was wrong....The fact that he will read this and this post will produce a shit eating grin on his face truly bothers me....but he was right and I cannot tell you how much I have learned since and thanks for directing me to this CD. But remember I did say "at higher speeds face can override path" way before you knew who BMan was. So I was not totally thoughtless and out of the PGA Manual. Just mosly:rolleyes:
 
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ParHunter

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faux_maestro said:
1) He rented me a set of clubs and we played 9 more. First shot (still remember it) went sideways under a tree but by the third hole I could get it airborne occasionally. I was hooked.
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I think that is one question that was missing from the list. When did you get hooked? Was it straight away, did it take some time or never really (you wouldn't be on this site though in that case ;-)

My friends took me out to a 9 hole Pitch&Putt course on a Friday afternoon. We went again on the Saturday and the Sunday and on the Monday I bought my first set of clubs. Have been addicted ever since!
 
faux_maestro

faux_maestro

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ParHunter said:
I think that is one question that was missing from the list. When did you get hooked? Was it straight away, did it take some time or never really (you wouldn't be on this site though in that case ;-)

My friends took me out to a 9 hole Pitch&Putt course on a Friday afternoon. We went again on the Saturday and the Sunday and on the Monday I bought my first set of clubs. Have been addicted ever since!
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Yeah, I went on Saturday and on Monday I had my own half set. Later that week it just so happened that we saw on the news that there was a junior league starting up with lessons and flights based on ability. I was an instant golf nut.
 
J

JDMAC

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How did you get here?
1. When did you start playing golf?
17... My father always played, but never pushed me to play as a boy. I was busy getting good at just about every other sport that was taking me nowhere.

2. How many years have you been playing/teaching?
19 years playing

3. How many different instructors have you worked with (no names), and how did they work for you?
3-4... Only one before MJ with any consistency though. Some of the other teachers ideas were somewhat helpful, but none were going to be able to help me reach my goals.

4. How did you first here about Brian's site?
TGM... I was looking for TGM instructors and came across Brian and Michael. Feel very lucky to have been close enough to see Michael for lessons. You guys who live anywhere near Brian and/or any of the Manzella Academy instructors and haven't taken advantage are just being silly.
 
T

tilthatday

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Started playing in my early 40's, 20+ years ago. Brian was my first instructor and I've seen him off and on since. During his absences from New Orleans and mine, I've taken a lesson or lessons from a lot of instructors and attended schools of one sort or another from Golf Digest to Leadbetter to Pelz to Harmon ( my instructor there was a fellow LSU alum). Had lessons from just about every local PGA guy in our area, several of whom are friends. All in all, have taken lessons without number but probably had only 3 or 4 instructors: ie guys I stayed with for months or, in some cases, years. My club has had good teachers on staff and before Brian took over, Chuck Winsted, Tommy Moore, Tim Brown and others helped me struggle. Now Brian is back in NO and at ET so no need to wander.
Heard about the site from Brian, as I recall.
 
L

Lindsey Newman

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Started at 23,
18 years
4 massively renowned instructors for probably 100 hours between all of 'em.
Shields told me to travel with him to see this golfing machine dude back in '97. I agreed and have enjoyed the progress.
 
mjstrong

mjstrong

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1. Started playing at the age of 15. My Dad has been a longtime golfer and was the reason I started; I definitely don't thank him enough for that.
2. Been playing for 17 years, and teaching at two different facilities in the greater Vancouver, BC area for 8.
3. I wouldn't say I've worked with too many instructors as a student, but did make it to see Brian in Vegas and got some great advice on my own swing.
4. Don't remember the exact way I landed here first, must have been a search on something golf swing, but I must have liked what I read the first time if I came back. I do remember Brian's avatar being the one with him swinging in shorts, running shoes, and I believe, a bucket hat. Good looking swing. A bit short, but very solid.

:)
 
J

jbrunk

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36 now, started playing in 1997. A guy from another site sent me a link about COFF in this site in 2006. Never saw an instructor until Brian in 2007.
 
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