Open Championship Thoughts and recipe for Tiger, by Brian Manzella

[Brian Manzella]

Wrong, Wrong and Wrong.

Too much ego to teach Tiger?

The absolutely most incorrect thing EVER said about me.

I have literally NEVER EVER heard someone who took a lesson from me say such a thing.

When I teach David Toms, I know I can't use and fancy terms, I know he wants results fast, he doesn't want any grandstanding at a Tour event, and I will probably get zero credit in the press for it.

But, for the last 5 years, we have spent at least a week together, and the results have been off the charts.

I give LESSONS for a living. I have always been good with little kids, beginners and older folks. Ego in ANY of these situations would spell certain DOOM.

The only reason Tiger won't take lessons from me right now, is because he has no idea me and my CURRENT TEACHING ABILITY/SYSTEM even exists.

Trust me, one day, I'll be bigger than Elvis, and all the "Tigers" will line up around the block.

For now, I'll just help DT when he needs it, and go around the country helping regular folks.

Today....just another day....a older gentleman who learned to play in my large group beginner class. He couldn't hit a shot pitch shot that went more than head high. At the end of an hour, he lobbed about 10 in a row inside 10 feet over a bunker with 15 feet of green to work with.

Next lesson....golfer on the mini-tours in from the east coast for his first visit. Off the chart improvement in two days. 90% of the "name" teachers would have RUINED him.

Too much ego?

Not on the lesson tee.

As far a Tiger's swing...I say it one more time:

1. Grip VERY WEAK.
2. Left Arm OVER ROTATED (Laid-off) at top.
3. Arched left wrist at top
4. Flattens club with shaft pointing outside the ball REQUIRING and UNDER move to hit the ball.
5. Reverse Swivel​

That 5—count 'em—F I V E things that make the ball go to the right for a good player.

NOBODY can overcome all of this and hit draws all the time without POINTING RIGHT and saying FORE! a lot.

YIKES!

 

[Jared Willerson]

I will confirm Brian has ZERO ego on the lesson tee, he is so modest about not interfering with other golfers at our lesson, he barely spoke above a whisper, when other golfers were in the next stall. I thought it one of the more courteous things I have witnessed. I actually felt kind of like a tour player, with Brians comments after a swing, not loud, just focused on me and my game

When we were by ourselves on the other end of the range, Brian was still never about ego or showmanship, he was there to get me better. Complete professional.

 

[davel]

Brian and Others

I do know Brian and initially when you meet him or read his posts that is how he comes across to me personally. I had a partial lesson with Brian and he did not come across with the ego if thats the right word in trying to help me out. When I made my statement I absolutely stated he is a great teacher yet noticed he keyed on a word that might have come off negatively . If I used the word strongly confident would that be a word that Brian could accept.

In my opinion Brian is trying hard to get his name to the mainstream with all the excellent work he does on the website and his numerous lessons, clinics covering the USA and possibly the world. Given the right timing and a good break Brian could achieve his goals. He works hard and knows what he is doing and as he says he learns something new everyday. The real difficulty is most of instructors at the top are a tight knit group generally coming from prestige golf courses and many are sons, brothers, cousins, local friends that helped them make the right connection. They are backed by big bucks either by products they sell (David Ledbetter) or Jim Hardy ( Jacobsen and gang). They are able to get on the golf channel and get nationwide exposure.

The good news is David slew Goliath so Brians dreams can happen.

I once took a class called Perception makes Reality. It was very interesting. In this case untill I met Brian and saw his excellent videos my perception did not match the reality. It does now.

This will be my last post.

I wish you the best

Your friend

Dave

 

[holeout]

Edited since reading the above post.

 

[earlymann]

Brian, I want to write a book on you one day. I'm interested in your personal history, your parents, how you were raised, what shaped you into the way you are today. Write a book about yourself. I'd buy in a second. You're really an awesome guy.

 

[Brian Manzella]

Dave.

"...Brian could never fix Tiger because Tiger would want to the coach to fit what he wants to do. He is in charge and has the money and credentials to back that up. In the Business world generally 2 people with strong egos like Brian and Tiger have will clash..."

I sure don't want you to leave jsut because I defended myself against this quote of yours.

I am sure Tiger and I would get along great, as we did.

Stick around David, lots to learn on this site!

 

[Dana Dahlquist]

Padraig Harrington.

Ok.

He is a world-class player, with a good golf swing, and he was due.

Sergio?

The "world's best ball-striker" hit it very well, and for the most part, putted halfway decent. He'll win a major one day, and then he'll win a couple of more. But he will never dominate. Doesn't have the disposition for it.

Tiger?

Simple. He is trying to make a golf swing that is next to maxed out. He is only so-so at it, and he has hit a million balls with it.

Hey Tiger, guess what? Nicklaus, Trevino, and Hogan eliminated the left side of the course. Snead the right. Casper did both, but separately.

Here is my elvauation of your patterns:

You used to have a fairly strong left hand grip, took it inside, had a more closed face at the top and hit a hard draw. You were a double-shifter, and you had a late random release (1997 Masters).

Butch came along, fiddled around for a while and settled on telling you to get wide and outside on the takeaway, with a short arm swing and a full shoulder turn. You had a slightly stronger than neatral grip, at least 10 degrees weaker than the old one. He told you to make a single-plane downswing, and swing more in front of you. What you wound up doing when you played your best was a reserve-shift plane angle variation, with a random release and a pretty darn straight lane line (2000 US Open). You went bad when you started adding too much right arm and going toward zero shift.

Now you are Haneyfied. Or is it Haneyfried?

Anyhoo, your grip is very neutral, you backswing very round, you change of direction is warped—literally, which gets you below plane and below the sweetspot, and you swing too far to the right and you try to gather up the marbles, even on a draw!

Dude, that ain't going to work.

Here is what I would do. I figure it would take us about two hours tops.

1. Slightly stronger left hand grip, about where it was with Butch.

2. More inside takeaway, especially your hands. This will help us at the top.

3. Completely eradicate the laid-off business, and no more left wrist arching!

4. Allow your NORMAL change of directions, and natural shoft to the elbow plane.

5. Teach you to draw a straight plane line. You got close with Butch, but he didn't allow it, or think it was possible with a double-shift. I know better.

6. Stop this "gather up the marbles" crap. (For those of you who have no idea what the heck that is, it is the FORCED turning of his right plam toward his face near the finish)

7. Have the shaft of the club finish more like in 1997, pointing more toward the ball. Like Nicklaus.

8. Show you how to adjust it all for draws and fades, and teach you something you really need—and "out shot." A driver that will NEVER TURN LEFT AND NEVER EVER miss the fairway right. It would be like cheating.​

After you win 10 more majors in 3 and half years, we both can retire.

Brian,
You hit the nail on the head on one and two! All his junior golf was done with these two things. I remember, I was there as you know... Just forty yards behind him.
Hope he gets a notion to look you up asap. Take care.

 

[Brian Manzella]

Brian,
You hit the nail on the head on one and two! All his junior golf was done with these two things. I remember, I was there as you know... Just forty yards behind him.
Hope he gets a notion to look you up asap. Take care.

Dana,

He won't. I know that.

But, someone will get the chance, and "MARK THIS DOWN":

If they do a few of the list without adding anything goofy, they (the teacher) will be able to be Grand Marshal of Endymion.

 

[Dana Dahlquist]

Dana,

He won't. I know that.

But, someone will get the chance, and "MARK THIS DOWN":

If they do a few of the list without adding anything goofy, they (the teacher) will be able to be Grand Marshal of Endymion.

Grand Marshal of Endymion LOL