TEACHING/PLAYING

[brianmanzella]

One of my favorite subjects....

(My real close friends know that the REASON I learned so much golf is to help myself play my best).

In 1994, I returned to New Orleans form my first stint in Louisville.

I was going to see how well I could play.

I started to play about an AVERAGE of more than 18 holes a day.

Once I stumbled on my "Turning Shoulder Plane" magic (of the time) and my Langer-esque putting grip, I would go WEEKS without a double-bogey.

WEEKS!

I averaged well under par per round and shot 9-under twice, and 7-under a few times.

I played in a few mini-tour tournaments and choked like a dog. I then had a real good finish in the State Professional Championship and .....

stopped playing.

Not completetly, but never again like that. Never again 72 holes EVERY weekend.

Now I play 72 holes every three months.

What happened?

Teachers...real teachers...are always in the UPGRADE mode.

I have totally changed my swing 10 times more than Tom Kite ever dreamed of.

But I never played better than I did with the TURNING SHOULDER PLANE and the big ole cut and langer putting.

Ugly.

But...............magic.

[SpaldingFutureTGMJedi]

You're in good hands, Spalding. I'll get with Ted -- a.k.a. 'Luke the Nuke' -- and see if we can't make it a threesome in the Spring. Thanks for the invite!

My Pleasure!

[hue]

I think a lot of this is due to direction of mind and energy. A teacher's vision and mind is directed outwards looking at the pupil and scanning through the various ways to help him and reach him. This takes a lot of mind ,energy and attention and as a consequence mind and energy is taken away from one's self. Playing mode is differemnt from teaching mode and it is not easy to hop from one to the other. To be your best player I think you need to be selfish and protect yourself.

[lagster]

I think a lot of this is due to direction of mind and energy. A teacher's vision and mind is directed outwards looking at the pupil and scanning through the various ways to help him and reach him. This takes a lot of mind ,energy and attention and as a consequence mind and energy is taken away from one's self. Playing mode is differemnt from teaching mode and it is not easy to hop from one to the other. To be your best player I think you need to be selfish and protect yourself.

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hue may be on to something here.

There should be techniques, however, to switch the mind to the "playing mode", more quickly than just being away from teaching others for a while. There are some, it seems, that can turn the Teaching and Playing switch ON/ OFF on command.

[brianmanzella]

Lagster...

Those guys who (supposedly) can turn the switch on and off....

They play more golf then Greg Norman

[lagster]

Lagster...

Those guys who (supposedly) can turn the switch on and off....

They play more golf then Greg Norman

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Brian,

How do you think Tiger or Ernie would do if you had them teach 8 to 10 lessons a day for two weeks... then gave them a half hour or so to practice... then put them in the Masters?