Waynkie Doodle
New
Yeah right.
I get more riled up about rainy days.
haha. this made me laugh.
T-21, Not Bad for a Guy Who Can't Bust a Grape....Blog by Brian Manzella
- Thread starter Brian Manzella
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haha. this made me laugh.
Brian Manzella
Administrator
With the driver, I just made a stock backswing—which is a cross between Soft Draw and NSA, with a little extra power package lift—and just hit down and across the ball, and caught the down and across with some unwind and right side bend.
I have done it on TrackMan many times, and the cut shot varies from -5 path + -4 face, to -2 path + -1 face.
With the irons it was the stock backswing with no extra lift, with a little extra down and little extra left for a pretty much zeroed out shot.
The brutal wind had me hit many low shots, which I just added down arch and reduced the pivot some.
Brian Manzella
Administrator
Mac O'Grady once said a round of tournament golf was like giving birth.
I was nearly hyperventilating at times.
You are what you think you are, and for the longest time, I bought into all of this "my swing isn't as pretty as so-and-sos" or "my putting stroke is ugly" crap.
I now think I am quite I bit better than I think I thought I was.
Waynkie Doodle
New
This makes me think... this is how I feel sometimes when I start off on the first few holes better than average. Then trying not to blow it up and throw the whole round away I find a way to do it anyway when the nerves start getting to me. What did you do to help you keep your cool? Anyone else have any tips to staying calm and collected when your playing better than average? or perhaps worse?
Mac O'Grady once said a round of tournament golf was like giving birth.
I was nearly hyperventilating at times.
You are what you think you are, and for the longest time, I bought into all of this "my swing isn't as pretty as so-and-sos" or "my putting stroke is ugly" crap.
I now think I am quite I bit better than I think I thought I was.
Pretty is as pretty does.
Nice job Brian.Brian Manzella
Administrator
This is what I did.
There were times in the round that I was so nervous and uptight that I just wanted the round to be over.
Then I would just say to myself...."When I am 80 yrs old, will I wish I just tried my best instead of avoiding the difficulty of it all?"...."Boy isn't it fun to have your heart beat fast doing something you can't in trouble for?"....and over every putt inside of ten feet and outside of 3 feet...
"You made 60 in a row that time at the show....this is another one just like it.....BOOM!"
Hogan said not everyone has the stomach for competition.It certainly doesn't hurt but I don't think it is an imperative to be a good instructor.Your track record with students is the best indicator of a good instructor,not how well you can play although it certainly doesn't hurt your cause to impress people with your playing ability.
Isnt that "BOOM BABY BOOM"...
They best tournament golf that I have played was when I won the Canadian National Assistant Championship back in 2001. I was travelling with a group of guys from our zone and when we pulled into the parking lot, I turned to one of my buddies and said "I wonder where Im going to shake the guys hand when he gives me the cheque for winning this thing". His response was along the lines of ... whatever, you know that there are alot of good players playing in this event. He went on to tell me about one player in particular that had played a bit on the PGA tour and the NationWide tour. My response was that if I wanted to win the tournament than I would have to beat everyone, including this fellow. The day before the tournament I read an artical from Moe Norman where he said that before he hit each shot he knew it was going to be a good one, it was just a matter of how good it was going to be. I took this thought to the course at the start of the tournament and low and behold I ended up pulling it off.
I dont think that I was necessarily the best or most talented golfer in the field but I believed in myself and never let doubt come to mind.
Anyhow, great going Brian. Take the confidence that you have in your teaching abiltiy and bring it to the couse.
"Its just a matter of how good"
They best tournament golf that I have played was when I won the Canadian National Assistant Championship back in 2001. I was travelling with a group of guys from our zone and when we pulled into the parking lot, I turned to one of my buddies and said "I wonder where Im going to shake the guys hand when he gives me the cheque for winning this thing". His response was along the lines of ... whatever, you know that there are alot of good players playing in this event. He went on to tell me about one player in particular that had played a bit on the PGA tour and the NationWide tour. My response was that if I wanted to win the tournament than I would have to beat everyone, including this fellow. The day before the tournament I read an artical from Moe Norman where he said that before he hit each shot he knew it was going to be a good one, it was just a matter of how good it was going to be. I took this thought to the course at the start of the tournament and low and behold I ended up pulling it off.
I dont think that I was necessarily the best or most talented golfer in the field but I believed in myself and never let doubt come to mind.
Anyhow, great going Brian. Take the confidence that you have in your teaching abiltiy and bring it to the couse.
"Its just a matter of how good"
birdie_man
New
Great thread Brian.
I like it.
Brilliant!
I like it.
You are what you think you are, and for the longest time, I bought into all of this "my swing isn't as pretty as so-and-sos" or "my putting stroke is ugly" crap.
I now think I am quite I bit better than I think I thought I was.
Brilliant!
birdie_man
New
Was this your only thought over every putt of the day?
Brian Manzella
Administrator
Nah, just on the ones between 3 feet and 12 feet.
On the short ones, I thought about 63 in a row some of the times, but just watched the putter on the others, and I didn't miss one.
On the longer ones it was mostly just "Please, please, please be the right speed.....
softconsult
New
Congrats!
Here's something that comes to mind. There are many threads posted by members who
are trying to learn everything about a certain pattern. The impression I take away is that
they believe that mastering the pattern in every precise detail will solve their golf swing problem.
Now we have Brian playing real golf in the wind. He adapts to a pattern that works for him
in this situation. He's trying to hit it low into the wind. Sounds like in these conditions, he was not
hitting his upward angle of attack fade. I'm sure he had some side hill lies, and changed the swing to adapt. He's playing shots by varying stance, hand height, etc.
I'm certainly not saying that learning a pattern is bad, but rather that on the course you need to
apply some feel and athleticism to hit the appropriate shot.
Here's something that comes to mind. There are many threads posted by members who
are trying to learn everything about a certain pattern. The impression I take away is that
they believe that mastering the pattern in every precise detail will solve their golf swing problem.
Now we have Brian playing real golf in the wind. He adapts to a pattern that works for him
in this situation. He's trying to hit it low into the wind. Sounds like in these conditions, he was not
hitting his upward angle of attack fade. I'm sure he had some side hill lies, and changed the swing to adapt. He's playing shots by varying stance, hand height, etc.
I'm certainly not saying that learning a pattern is bad, but rather that on the course you need to
apply some feel and athleticism to hit the appropriate shot.
Brian Manzella
Administrator
And either balls of steel, or just sheer willpower!
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
When I teed it up in my first Tour event I made the mistake of glancing up in the bleachers and seeing everyone I had ever met in my life it appeared. I walked over to my caddie and whispered "Im a little concerned. I cant feel my legs." His face turned white, which didnt help. Then Dave Rummels (yes, Dave Rummels), hit the nastiest, rat-ass hook youve ever seen in your life and missed the biggest fairway in the world. I thought the fans were going to throw fruit at him like they did on Bugs Bunny, or maybe he would pass out and die. When none of that happened and I realized it was okay to hit a shot like that in a Tour event, it calmed me down alot.
I'll always be grateful to Dave Rummels
I'll always be grateful to Dave Rummels
Brian Manzella
Administrator
And on that subject....
After seeing Matt Kucher putt (well), going to my old grip and stance didn't bother me as much.
After seeing Matt Kucher putt (well), going to my old grip and stance didn't bother me as much.
You are what you think you are, and for the longest time, I bought into all of this "my swing isn't as pretty as so-and-sos" or "my putting stroke is ugly" crap.
I now think I am quite I bit better than I think I thought I was.
I need you to talk to my bro
He's wanted to change his swing on a couple of occasions, and they were all because he thinks his swing is ugly.Brian Manzella
Administrator
I need you to talk to my bro
I hear ya.
Realize that I am the king of just make the club work, and generate enough power and you are gold.
The putting thing is very interesting....
I can really putt with the goofy grip and big arse wide stance.
Part of the problem is that I really don't play very much golf, maybe 30 rounds this year. And I never play for money anymore, so I just wasn't that dialed in to JUST MAKE IT WORK...
I am now.
softconsult
New
And if Brian and Kevin feel nervous, think about us average Joe's.
I've never played in anything important, but I have played
in a whole lot of member guests. Pressure, just a tad, is enough to
screw up your mind. Then there is this crystal clear recollection.
Florence Country Club, Florence S. C. circa 1984. Three day event, invitational,
100 degrees, heat index off the charts, shirt soaked before leaving the practice green.
Third day, and I'm so exhausted from the heat and the Saturday night bash that I can hardly swing the club.
The tenth tee is about 15 paces off the clubhouse veranda. There's a small
crowd watching each tee shot. Holy crap was the thought each day on that tee
, and after day one I knew I had no chance in my flight. I don't remember the tee shots,
but I sure felt the close eyes ratcheting up my nerves! Fun to try and overcome the tension.
I've never played in anything important, but I have played
in a whole lot of member guests. Pressure, just a tad, is enough to
screw up your mind. Then there is this crystal clear recollection.
Florence Country Club, Florence S. C. circa 1984. Three day event, invitational,
100 degrees, heat index off the charts, shirt soaked before leaving the practice green.
Third day, and I'm so exhausted from the heat and the Saturday night bash that I can hardly swing the club.
The tenth tee is about 15 paces off the clubhouse veranda. There's a small
crowd watching each tee shot. Holy crap was the thought each day on that tee
, and after day one I knew I had no chance in my flight. I don't remember the tee shots,
but I sure felt the close eyes ratcheting up my nerves! Fun to try and overcome the tension.
Great post Brian.
At what point do you abandon what you started with and go to "just make the club work"?
I know there can't be a stock answer and I know I've heard the old adages of "don't try to find your swing on the course" and "play with what you've brung". Blah, blah blah.
It sounds like you quickly changed your putting method and your full swing rather early on. And it worked. Know that you know what works, will you start the round that way next time?
I do the same thing even in my casual rounds, especially the putter. Start conventional, don't feel confident, miss a 5 footer, playing with the claw after 6 holes. When practicing, I putt better conventionally but it doesn't hold up during a round. Keep trying? Give it more of a chance during play?
At what point do you abandon what you started with and go to "just make the club work"?
I know there can't be a stock answer and I know I've heard the old adages of "don't try to find your swing on the course" and "play with what you've brung". Blah, blah blah.
It sounds like you quickly changed your putting method and your full swing rather early on. And it worked. Know that you know what works, will you start the round that way next time?
I do the same thing even in my casual rounds, especially the putter. Start conventional, don't feel confident, miss a 5 footer, playing with the claw after 6 holes. When practicing, I putt better conventionally but it doesn't hold up during a round. Keep trying? Give it more of a chance during play?
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